NHTSA Receives over 100 Complaints from Tesla Owners Due to “Phantom Braking”

[Tsing]

Image: Tesla



Tesla owners cannot seem to catch a break these days, or, at least, in the ways most drivers would expect to. Following a multi-model recall in which the company disabled a self-driving feature that allowed the affected cars to roll through stop signs, another automated feature is coming under scrutiny. The NHTSA has now received over 100 complaints about something called phantom braking.



The Washington Post spoke with Carnegie Mellon University professor Phil Koopman. Mr. Koopman studies autonomous vehicle safety. “Phantom braking is what happens when the developers do not set the decision threshold properly for deciding when something is there versus a false alarm,” Mr. Koopman said.



The NHTSA has said that it is aware of complaints about...

Continue reading...

 

[DrezKill]

You don't get these kinds of issues if you car isn't drive-by-wire (which all EVs are). The only time I got "phantom braking" was when the pistons in my driver-side front caliper seized up, permanently pressing the brake pads against the rotor. Replaced the caliper and no issues since.

 

[MadMummy76]

You don't get these kinds of issues if you car isn't drive-by-wire (which all EVs are). The only time I got "phantom braking" was when the pistons in my driver-side front caliper seized up, permanently pressing the brake pads against the rotor. Replaced the caliper and no issues since.

How would you get self driving without drive by wire?

 

[DrezKill]

How would you get self driving without drive by wire?

I don't think you can.

 

[MadMummy76]

I don't think you can.

Of course you can't.
I was trying to point out that the issue is with the self driving mode. That the car would brake for imaginary obstacles.

 

[Brian_B]

There are a lot of neat tricks you can only do when you are running things "by wire". That said, you also introduce software bugs, which are their own level of hell.

I guess it's a matter of tradeoff between simplicity and flexibility. Different applications land in various spots on that sliding scale. Braking.. hmm. This isn't a case of someone tried to brake and couldn't (which would be an entire different level of bad), so I'm assuming there's still a mechanical break connected; it's just in parallel with a by-wire actuator of some sort?