Diagsheet

2020 Tesla Model 3 · symptom sheet

Brakes grind, pulse or wear early

  • 48owner reports
  • 9,600median miles
  • 9involved a crash

Newest report Sep 3, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

48 of the 449 complaints on this car describe brake wear.

Tick what matches of 48 reports

6
16
3

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the ABS module (5 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the brakes covers the 2020 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

21V-387May 25, 2021
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Model 3 and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles. The brake caliper bolts may be loose, allowing the brake caliper to separate and contact the wheel rim.

Risk and remedy
Risk: Contact with the rim may cause a loss of tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Tesla Service will inspect and tighten, or replace the caliper bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service online by visiting www.tesla.com/support/contact or by calling 1-877-79-TESLA (or 1-877-798-3752). Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-33-002.

When it happens

Too few of these reports state a mileage to give a range.

720
121
2022
1123
324
425
226

What owners wrote

“Hard Phantom braking incident when using cruise control with no vehicles ahead or next to me.”

Filed Jun 8, 2023

“Phantom braking when using cruise control. Happens practically daily, but most recently this morning at 9:25am.”

Filed Nov 3, 2022

“The other driver hit the rear of my tesla model 3 which cause the car accelerate fast about 40-50 miles, the brake is not working either. I can not brake or slow down the car.”

Filed Sep 20, 2022

“The car has regenerative breaking where the car is supposed to slow down when you lift your feet off the accelerator. Since a new update, some times (10%), when you lift off the accelerator the car does NOT slow down and will maintain speed. This inconsistent behavior is extremely dangerous and you don't know if the car will slow down or not. Tesla refuses to acknowledge this is an issue.”

Filed Sep 8, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 9 of 48 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

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