Phantom braking is the biggest issue with AutoPilot.

[turnem]

1). When a car crosses in front of you at an intersection, even at a distance
2). When a car moves from your lane to an exit lane and is slow to completely leave your lane
3). A shadow from an overpass

These are the most common to me. If I think of more I will add to this.

Number 1 drives me a bit crazy. Anytime I see this coming I intervene by pressing the accelerator pedal to override but that's annoying.

I did notice in a few V10 YouTube videos that the software seems to show cars crossing in front of you pointed in the correct orientation now so this gives me some hope that the software will now be able to distinguish a car crossing your path from a car suddenly entering your lane and direction of travel.

 

[Bricepark]

Disclaminer: HW3 Model 3 owner on 2019.32.2.

So yesterday I took a trip from Seattle WA to Shelton, WA. I used AutoPilot in both directions for around 95% of the trip, and it was *almost* amazing. It's around 90 miles each way.

Two things stood in the way of this awesomeness, and they're issues that have been here for what feels like FAR too long:

1.) Merging-lane veering. Like clockwork, on a wide merge lane the car will veer to the right, and then back to the left, trying to center itself. Since I had a friend behind me in her Model 3, - also on AutoPilot, it was pretty funny to see her car make the same maneuver in my rear-view mirror. As a driver I expect it and am in control - but as a passenger it's NOT fun to experience.

2.) Phantom braking. This is getting to be a bit of a joke. On several occasions on the trip the car made lunging/braking/lunging motions, like it wasn't sure what it was doing - even without any cars in front of me, and clear lane markings. On one occasion it determined an overpass meant slowing to ~50mph from 65mph was necessary, and on the way home a large concrete wall to my left caused a pretty aggressive braking maneuver for absolutely no reason. Again, as a driver who understands these limitations - it's not the end of the world (though it could be if someone was driving too close behind), but as a passenger this can be quite distressing/frustrating.

Anyway, it's a real shame these issues still exist, and there doesn't appear to have been any improvements (in my car anyway) in the 4.5 months I've had it.

 

[Bricepark]

Yesterday, I drove six hundred miles from Atlanta, GA to Naples, nearly all on I-75. I did not experience phantom braking, probably because there were no trees close enough to the road to cast shadows. However, I did find the car is incapable of executing an auto lane change when the lane marker is a segmented line. There were three incidents where the car repeatedly attempted then aborted a lane change, two times with no vehicles close by. I was glad no police were in sight as the car was erratically swerving across the line. After the third time, I recognized the problem and stopped using auto lane change. I only experienced this on this trip and only in Florida. I wonder if the line segment length or spacing is different in Florida.

 

[XLR82XS]

Yesterday, I drove six hundred miles from Atlanta, GA to Naples, nearly all on I-75. I did not experience phantom braking, probably because there were no trees close enough to the road to cast shadows. However, I did find the car is incapable of executing an auto lane change when the lane marker is a segmented line. There were three incidents where the car repeatedly attempted then aborted a lane change, two times with no vehicles close by. I was glad no police were in sight as the car was erratically swerving across the line. After the third time, I recognized the problem and stopped using auto lane change. I only experienced this on this trip and only in Florida. I wonder if the line segment length or spacing is different in Florida.

I live in Naples and can see how lane markings may be an issue for lane changing. Markings are non-existent on a lot of roads in the area. (not I-75 or US-41)

 

[brur]

You know there was a time when the software did not exhibit this false braking.

 

[Daniel in SD]

You know there was a time when the software did not exhibit this false braking.

There was also a time when auto lane change almost never aborted.

 

[T3slaOwner]

Yesterday, I drove six hundred miles from Atlanta, GA to Naples, nearly all on I-75. I did not experience phantom braking, probably because there were no trees close enough to the road to cast shadows. However, I did find the car is incapable of executing an auto lane change when the lane marker is a segmented line. There were three incidents where the car repeatedly attempted then aborted a lane change, two times with no vehicles close by. I was glad no police were in sight as the car was erratically swerving across the line. After the third time, I recognized the problem and stopped using auto lane change. I only experienced this on this trip and only in Florida. I wonder if the line segment length or spacing is different in Florida.

I've seen this some number of times. It is indeed unpredictable and has happened to me on roads I have successfully done an auto lane change. The software is pretty far from ready for prime time still. However it is much better than a year ago. What bothers me is the updates don't work fully will all models, older cars not getting the good stuff. It is just a matter of time before my car won't receive all the latest updates. I believe it has been indicated I will never receive the full self driving capability, at least not without a hardware upgrade.

 

[T3slaOwner]

I live in Naples and can see how lane markings may be an issue for lane changing. Markings are non-existent on a lot of roads in the area. (not I-75 or US-41)

Virginia was repaving a large section of Rt 522, a two lane road with poor markings and virtually no shoulder. The lines were completely gone and the car did not kick out of auto pilot. Once out of auto pilot it would not reenter that mode, but I was amazed it continued on auto pilot after the lines ran out... for miles!

 

[derekmw]

I don't know if the latest update on my car caused this but being stuck in traffic was so bad, I had to just turn it off. The car instead of smoothly accelerating and braking in the stop and go traffic, felt like a teenager learning to drive stick shift. It was so uncomfortable and annoying.

 

[devilmountain]

I took a trip to Hearst Castle then down to L.A. on the 101. The phantom breaking events around long swooping turns in the roadway drove me nuts. There were so many phantom breaking events I finally disabled AP. I experienced the same thing with TACC. I was driving 70 in a 65. Typically I drive the 5 to Southern California without many issues. I wish we had the option of regular cruise control.

We also had one event where AP was changing lanes, it got 1/2 to 3/4 into the new lane and the car freaked out. AP quickly reverted the car into the old lane; I quickly took over. There were no cars around, and the lanes were well marked. My wife reminded me multiple times how much she hates AP. When she bought her 3 she ordered without AP.

 

[XLR82XS]

In addition, I have found here that AP does not get rough or jerky when lane lines do end then continue after some distance, even with turn lanes or similar.

 

[T3slaOwner]

I don't know if the latest update on my car caused this but being stuck in traffic was so bad, I had to just turn it off. The car instead of smoothly accelerating and braking in the stop and go traffic, felt like a teenager learning to drive stick shift. It was so uncomfortable and annoying.

Yes, there are times it is really, really annoying.

 

[T3slaOwner]

In addition, I have found here that AP does not get rough or jerky when lane lines do end then continue after some distance, even with turn lanes or similar.

I find the auto pilot constantly swerves at the wide spot for merges onto the highway. I got pulled over once for the car not tracking well. I didn't tell him it wasn't me, it was the car. No ticket. He just wanted to see if i was drunk. I wonder if using the auto pilot will in the end invalidate pulling over drivers for "swerving in their lane". It's not a crime, but can indicate intoxication. But not if the car is doing it. This may invalidate probable cause for such traffic stops.

 

[T3slaOwner]

I took a trip to Hearst Castle then down to L.A. on the 101. The phantom breaking events around long swooping turns in the roadway drove me nuts. There were so many phantom breaking events I finally disabled AP. I experienced the same thing with TACC. I was driving 70 in a 65. Typically I drive the 5 to Southern California without many issues. I wish we had the option of regular cruise control.

We also had one event where AP was changing lanes, it got 1/2 to 3/4 into the new lane and the car freaked out. AP quickly reverted the car into the old lane; I quickly took over. There were no cars around, and the lanes were well marked. My wife reminded me multiple times how much she hates AP. When she bought her 3 she ordered without AP.

Interesting. Knowing what I know now, I would not buy a Tesla unless I wanted the auto pilot. The only two things I like about the car are the accelerator pedal and the auto pilot... in that order. Having the regen braking not only saves fuel, it works so smooooothly controlling not just the acceleration but the deceleration of the car that it's the only way to go for me. Then there is the 500 HP when the pedal is pushed to the floor.

Otherwise I'd never buy a Tesla. The company behind the car is pretty crap.

 

[T3slaOwner]

You know there was a time when the software did not exhibit this false braking.

I've seen false braking ever since I bought my X a year ago.

 

[Kitfox]

Is this documented somewhere? It's not in the owner's manual and seems to come from forums. When I do this with the car, it behaves exactly as it does when I give it a command it doesn't understand. Are we sure this does something?

Elon Musk on Twitter

That being said, what version are you on? Worked for me on 2019.32.2.1 as long as it recognized the words "Bug report" and didn't hear something else, and there must be no pause after "bug report". It then says "Thank you for your report" or something similar on the screen and goes away with no talkback from the car. It also flags the log on the system for sending and if you WiFi well, it will flag recently-saved teslacam deets for sending.

 

[SSonnentag]

Drove 850 miles around SoCal this weekend.

3 events of unwarranted braking/slowing due to car on onramp. The cars weren't intending or needing to merge, but my S slowed for them anyway.

1 event of hard overpass braking.

3-5 micro-events of momentary stutter-braking due to unknown causes.

 

[Kitfox]

Drove 850 miles around SoCal this weekend.

3 events of unwarranted braking/slowing due to car on onramp. The cars weren't intending or needing to merge, but my S slowed for them anyway.

1 event of hard overpass braking.

3-5 micro-events of momentary stutter-braking due to unknown causes.

Got the cam videos?

 

[SSonnentag]

I did save one of them, I think it was the overpass. I'll DL it tonight. I didn't bother with the on-ramp to exit-only lane events. Those events are a bit annoying, but aren't necessarily dangerous as the car only gradually slows to match the potentially-merging car's speed, even though the car we're slowing for is in the lane to the right of me and never does merge.

 

[Kitfox]

So far the majority of the things people are complaining about (cross-traffic, merging in, merging out) are completely legitimate bake use and the driving instructors these people had should feel bad for sucking huge granite rocks through a wet paper straw.

Just because you wouldn't brake in that situation doesn't mean people shouldn't brake in that situation. This shows why "you" (people in general) average about half a million miles between accidents and the car averages over a million or several million.