Tesla CEO Elon Musk Admits to Model 3 Braking Issue, Promises Fix via Software

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has admitted that the company’s new Model 3 car has problems with its braking system but that this will be fixed with a software update to the car.

Elon Musk has attempted to downplay a recent review by influential magazine Consumer Reports that claimed that Tesla’s new Model 3 has some “big flaws,” specifically relating to the cars braking system. Musk has admitted to the braking issue but has promised that a coming software update will fix the cars braking problems. Musk claims that the tests performed on the Model 3 by Consumer Reports were on an older version of the Model 3 and that the issues that the magazine identified have already been improved upon.

“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 stated via Twitter. “Also Consumer Reports has an early production car. Model 3 now has improved ride comfort, lower wind noise & many other small improvements. Will request that they test current production.”

Consumer Reports claimed in their review that they had performed tests on two Model 3 Tesla vehicles, including a privately owned one. In these tests, the Model 3 sedan reportedly braked slower than a full-sized pickup truck. Musk said that the issue was “very strange” and was caused by an ABS calibration algorithm.

“The CR braking result is inconsistent with other reviewers, but might indicate that some Model 3’s have longer braking distances than others,” he stated. “If so, we will address this at our expense. May just be a question of firmware tuning, in which case can be solved by an OTA software update.” However, analysts believe that this review could be extremely negative for Tesla which has struggled with their stock value in recent months.

Neil Saunders, Managing Director of consumer research house GlobalData Retail, stated: “While the negative reports of braking issues will not deter Tesla brand enthusiasts, it might raise doubts among the more casual buyer. It is important not to be too harsh on Tesla as other vehicles have had their share of safety and technical issues. The issue for Tesla is that unlike other car companies, it is a young brand that needs to win people over so can’t afford too many missteps.”