There are 6 stored owner reports matching the brakes leading-label group for the 2022 Tesla Model S in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 6 of 6 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)We had the adaptive cruise control, turned on and the car braked violently on I 90 in Washington state heading east. The brakes slammed on so hard that the tires screeched. We were in the fast lane and it was fortunate that no one was directly behind us or there would’ve been a serious accident. It happened again about 5 miles later, but not as violently.
Sudden braking while using Adaptive Cruise Control. Multiple “Phantom Braking “ incidents during a long road trip.
Driving midday on interstate 90 at 78 mph. The car was in cruise control. Four passengers. No other cars in front of me. Luckily there were no cars directly behind me. The car violently slammed on the brakes. My passengers thought I had hit a dog. Very scary. I am glad no one was hurt. But it is dangerous. I think the car had a recent software update. I have heard that the phantom braking issue can be worse right after a software update.
Recurring uncommanded FIRM phantom braking for no apparent reason. At risk of being hit from the rear. Driver & passengers frightened & panicked. It has occurred a number of times but cannot be reproduced at will. Vehicle inspection has not been performed. Dealer says it's a software issue. No warning lamps, messages or any other symptom prior to event. Event has recurred multiple times.
I was driving my Model S from Oregon to Texas, 14-16 Sep. The car was new, picked up on 31 Aug. I had the car in Autopilot when I was on the highway on the drive to Texas. In the first two days I had four incidents of "phantom braking" at highway speeds, as high as 80 mph. There was not a lot of traffic those first two days and the conditions were dry so there was little risk to others and the car stayed straight during the braking. However it's not hard to imagine scenarios where unexpected braking at high speeds could be a problem, such as during wet or dusty road conditions, driving into a high speed turn with other vehicles nearby, etc. The vehicle has not been inspected but the incident has been reported to the dealer and I am awaiting guidance.
While on A/P cruising on the free way the car slow down and start braking on its own !!
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.