NHTSA Closes Tesla Phantom Braking Investigation After Four Years

One of the longest running investigations involving Tesla’s driver assistance technology has officially come to an end. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has closed its four-year investigation into reports of unexpected braking events in nearly 700,000 Tesla vehicles.

The agency concluded that the issue posed a low demonstrated safety risk and did not warrant further action.

The investigation, known as PE22002, focused on 2021 and 2022 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles operating with Autopilot, Full Self-Driving (FSD), or Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) engaged — incidents that became widely known among owners as “phantom braking.”

The probe began in February 2022 after complaints from Tesla owners surged late in 2021. Drivers reported instances where their vehicles would suddenly slow down while using driver assistance features, despite there being no apparent obstacle or vehicle ahead.

What NHTSA found

According to the NHTSA, the typical event involved the vehicle reducing speed by roughly 10 to 20 mph while travelling at highway speeds, with the deceleration occurring over one to three seconds. Drivers frequently reported the events taking place on sunny days or in areas where shadows crossed the roadway. Most owners were able to immediately override the slowdown by pressing the accelerator pedal.

Importantly, investigators found no evidence linking the issue to crashes, injuries, or fatalities.

NHTSA also emphasized that the events were separate from Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), which remains active regardless of whether Autopilot or cruise control features are engaged and provides both audible and visual warnings before intervening.

Tesla software updates appear to have helped

The investigation coincided with Tesla’s transition away from radar-equipped vehicles and toward its camera-only Tesla Vision system in 2021, a change that many owners associated with an increase in phantom braking reports. Investigators noted that Tesla’s internal data reflected patterns that aligned with that transition.

Tesla later rolled out software updates in early 2022 aimed at improving the behaviour of its driver assistance systems. Following those updates, reports of phantom braking dropped significantly.

NHTSA said it recorded 45 incidents in 2024, 19 in 2025, and only three reports during the first half of 2026.

Investigation closed, but not forever

While the agency concluded that the issue presented a “low demonstrated hazard” to drivers and closed the case without requiring any recall or other action from Tesla, NHTSA was careful to note that the decision does not represent a determination that a safety defect never existed.

The regulator said it retains the authority to reopen the matter or pursue additional action should new evidence emerge in the future.

You can read the full NHTSA closing resume below.