NHTSA Complaint #11450221 — 2021 TESLA MODEL Y

(1) My car dangerously and aggressively applies the brake dropping the speed of the car between 3 to 30 mph within a second or two (phantom breaking) EVERY SINGLE TIME I drive the car in adaptive cruise control or auto steer. This happens on 2 lane roads, on divided highway, driving on straight and curvy roads, when there are shadows, frequently when a truck or car is coming toward me, and even on overcast days when driving on a freeway when there are no shadows and no traffic in either direction. The car seems to be sensing an object that is going to cause a collision and applies the brake even when no object, threat, or shadow is anywhere in view in any direction. I frequently have to immediately step on the accelerator to keep from getting rear-ended in what could be a severe or fatal accident. (2) On a 225 mile drive to the Tesla Service Center to correct the phantom braking problem, my car inappropriately applied the brake 40 times, including aggressively dropping the car's speed from 63 mph to 35 mph in a second or two. (3) My car dangerously and aggressively applies the brake whenever a car is turning in front of me that is sufficiently far enough away that there is no absolutely no threat whatsoever of a collision. I then have to quickly step on the accelerator to keep from being rear-ended. (4) I have taken the car into the Tesla Service Center twice to correct this problem. I even gave them a list of dozens of times/dates I experienced phantom braking and the # of mph the car slowed (I recorded this on paper and as "bug reports" on the car's computer). On one visit the technician spent 12 hours reviewing my bug reports and the car’s operation. In both of my Service Center visits the bug reports were sent to a Tesla engineer for review. After both visits to the Service Center I was told the technician and the engineer could find nothing wrong with the car and “it was working as designed.” (5) In conclusion, my Model Y has a SEVERE safety defect.