Elon Musk Admits Tesla Model 3 Has Braking Issues, Promises Update to Fix It

TopSpeed

By Ciprian Florea

Published May 23, 2018

CR says it will run another test

Tesla is again under fire after Consumer Reports said it will not recommend the Model 3 due to braking issues. Elon Musk was quick to respond and promised to fix the issues with a firmware update.

"Looks like this can be fixed with a firmware update. Will be rolling that out in a few days. With further refinement, we can improve braking distance beyond initial specs. Tesla won’t stop until Model 3 has better braking than any remotely comparable car," Musk wrote in a tweet.

Not surprisingly, he was quick to point out that Consumer Reports had an early production and asked them to test a newer model. "Model 3 now has improved ride comfort, lower wind noise & many other small improvements," Musk said in another tweet in reference to CR's notes that the sedan has a stiff ride, unsupportive rear seats, and excessive wind noise at highway speeds. However, it seems that Musk jumped over the part where Consumer Reports said that it recorded similar braking issues with a second Model 3.

The outlet criticized the electric sedan for inconsistent braking distances that were "far worse than any contemporary car we've tested." CR also noted that the Model 3 braked slower than a full-size pickup truck and previous Tesla vehicles, like the Model S and Model X. Consumer reports also discovered issues with the infotainment system, while Edmunds reported problems with the Autopilot function. Tesla eventually fixed the latter with a software update.

The Model 3 did get some praise though, especially for its quick acceleration and impressive test range of 350 miles on a single charge.

CR to Retest Model 3

In response to Musk's claim that an over-the-air update will fix the braking issues, Consumer Reports said it will test the Model 3 again. "If Tesla can update the brakes over the air – an industry first – we'd be happy to retest our Model 3," said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports' director of automatic testing, according to Autoblog.

CR to Retest Model 3

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