Tesla car
Tesla cariStock

In addition to two investigations recently opened into failures in Tesla's autonomous driving systems, US authorities have launched another investigation into hundreds of complaints that Tesla cars brake suddenly and for no reason while on the highway.

Drivers complained that the sudden stop in the middle of the highway, known as a "phantom stop," poses a high risk to Tesla drivers themselves and other drivers who are forced to brake abruptly to prevent an accident. The U.S. Road Safety Director's investigation focuses on two major models of Tesla cars - the Model 3 sedan, and the Model Y hatchback manufactured in 2021-2022.

In total, Tesla has sold 416 cars of these models, and car owners may be invited to bring the vehicles in for inspection. According to the Road Safety Director, 354 complaints have been received in recent weeks from drivers about emergency braking of Tesla cars in the middle of a highway with no apparent reason or danger.

"The vehicle abruptly brakes while traveling at highway speeds. Complainants report that such a stop can occur without any warning, accidentally, and often over and over again." Fortunately, to date, no casualties have been recorded as a result of this. Tesla has announced several times that the use of its autonomous cars also requires "full attention" on the part of the driver and vigilance regarding possible dangers during driving.

Other subjects of investigation have been Tesla cars' tendency to incorrectly detect objects, to allow drivers to make dangerous "rolling stops" at a stop sign, and the company's decision to remove the option to play video games on the in-car screen while driving.