Consumer Reports promises M3 brake retest

[malcolm]

Which, naturally, starts autoblog worrying about the implications of changing braking behaviour remotely:

Consumer Reports says it will retest Tesla Model 3 after promised brake fix

"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.

The rather doubtful tone of Fisher's response echoes our own scepticism of how an over-the-air software update will change braking distances. Nevertheless, if Tesla can do it, then Consumer Reports will be in a position to indicate whether it was successful.................................

Frankly, the question of whether an over-the-air update can correct a braking problem glosses over the fact that there was such a fundamental flaw with a vital vehicle system in the first place. The brakes are not the same as a touchscreen infotainment system.

As for "such a fundamental flaw with a vital vehicle system"?

(sh) It happens.

Volkswagen Recalls 766,000 Cars Globally for Brake Issue
Fiat Chrysler recall: 700,000 Jeep, Dodge SUVs may need brake fix
Harley-Davidson Recalls 250,000 Bikes for Faulty Brakes | RideApart
Tesla to recall 53,000 cars over parking brake issue

 

[SageBrush]

Media melodrama at its best, amplified by social media FUDsters. Lovely

But we should give credit to CR. At least they identified the problem. The same cannot be said for car rags (err ... mags) that people love to present as the superior to CR alternative.

 

[boaterva]

I always thought they had tested two early cars when they mentioned the harsh ride. One thing that needed work at the SC...

They really need two new(er) versions.

 

[eSpiritIV]

Its true that if Tesla is going to release cars with incrimental fixes they can expect that a testing agency will get a hold of the earlier builds rather than one of the newer VINs.

That being said, i think there is not a fundamental "flaw" in the break system other than that they are inconsistant between cars. If consistancy can change with OTA thats great, if its bad breaks then i think they will fix it. Hard to belive they are not quality though since the brakes themselves are Brembos

 

[RDoc]

I always thought they had tested two early cars when they mentioned the harsh ride. One thing that needed work at the SC...

They really need two new(er) versions.

So what happens to the people who got the first few thousand cars? Tesla clearly didn't know, or chose not to acknowledge, that there was a problem with the brakes until they were outed. Fit and finish is one thing, poor braking performance is in a different class of problem.

 

[malcolm]

So what happens to the people who got the first few thousand cars?

Same thing that always happens:

Ford recalls 350,000 F-150s and Expeditions that can roll even when parked

Here's word from The Brain: Twitter