More than 750 Reports of Teslas Braking For No Reason

U.S. safety regulators have received more than 750 complaints of Tesla's braking for no apparent reason. According to a recent KTLA News Channel Five article, the cars can brake without warning and with no apparent reason when they’re running on partially automated and automated driving systems. This is obviously a huge safety concern for Tesla owners and other motorists on U.S. roadways.

In response to these reports of Tesla's braking without warning, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) just released a detailed information request letter to Tesla that was posted on the agency’s website. The letter details the reports that have been received about the false braking, which includes injury-causing crashes, deaths, and property damage. NHTSA officials want more information about whether or not the “Full Self Driving” and automatic emergency braking systems were active at the time of any of the incidents. 

Phantom Braking Problem in Tesla Cars   

The NHTSA started looking into the phantom braking problem in Tesla Model 3 and Y last year after getting more than 350 reports about the issue. The NHTSA’s letter, which was issued on May 4, gives Tesla a deadline of June 20 to respond to the information. Additional information that the NHTSA wants to know involves issues related to the initial speed of when the cars began to brake, the final speed, and the average deceleration. They also want to know whether or not the systems detected a target obstacle or whether Tesla has any video of any of the phantom braking incidents.  

Fourth Formal Investigation of Tesla in Three Years  

The letter is also asking Tesla to detail its assessment of the “alleged defect” in the automated systems. They want to know what caused the unnecessary braking, what failed and the risk to motor vehicle safety that the problem poses. Are there any warnings for drivers in the vehicle? This is the fourth formal investigation of Tesla in the past three years. At this time, there are currently 23 recalls associated with Tesla that have been issued since January of 2021.  

If you have been injured in a Tesla accident in San Diego or anywhere in Southern California, contact the skilled and proven team at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. at 1.800.GO.HARRIS for a free case consultation today.