Federal Regulators Investigate Tesla ‘Phantom Braking’ Reports

Tesla issued a recall to address a similar issue in November 2021, which it said was caused by a communication error introduced during an October software update. As of Nov. 12, 2021, Tesla told NHTSA that 100 percent of these vehicles had received another software update that addressed the earlier phantom braking issue.

During a defect investigation, NHTSA obtains information from the automaker, which also can present its own arguments related to the potential defect. NHTSA says that most defect investigations are closed within 12 months, either because the manufacturer decides to conduct a recall or because NHTSA decides that there is no safety-related defect. Sometimes the defect investigation requires further analysis.

A recall happens when either an automaker or NHTSA discovers a safety defect that must be corrected or finds that a vehicle does not meet federal safety standards. These defects often come to light after consumer complaints. Learn how to report a safety complaint to NHTSA. According to NHTSA, most recalls are initiated by automakers without any involvement from the agency.