Elon Musk: Tesla Brake Pads Never Need to Be Replaced

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has claimed that the brake pads on Tesla vehicles never need to be replaced, despite the user manual stating they must be replaced when worn out — like every other car on the road.

A Twitter user recently noted that perfectly regenerative brakes on Tesla vehicles would not be possible as the cars still use brake pads which are subject to wear and tear and will need regular replacement. Tesla CEO Elon Musk disagreed with this statement saying that “Brake pads on a Tesla literally never need to be replaced for lifetime of the car.”

This is incorrect. Vast majority of vehicle motion is returned to the battery, as the electric motors act like a generator in reverse. Brake pads on a Tesla literally never need to be replaced for lifetime of the car.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2018

However, as pointed out by a Twitter personality tweeting as “Deepak CFO,” Tesla’s own manual states that: “squealing sound indicates that the brake pads have reached the end of their service life and require replacement.”

Musk – "Brake pads on a Tesla literally never need to be replaced for lifetime of the car."$TSLA Manual – "squealing sound indicates that the brake pads have reached the end of their service life and require replacement"

Forums – "Model 3 Rear Brakes Squeel – a "Known Issue" pic.twitter.com/r0okY0Xv5J

— Deepak CFO (@TezzlaCFO) December 26, 2018

In a Reddit post, a Tesla owner stated: “Took delivery of my model 3 on the 31st, and have since noticed that my rear brakes are squealing at low speeds (as if the calipers are rubbing against the disc).” The user brought his car to be serviced and was told this was not uncommon: “I called into Tesla service and they said this is a “known issue” and would order parts in for me. Has anyone else run into this issue?” The user also noted that he wasn’t the only one that appeared to have this issue: “Haven’t seen any reddit posts about it. There’s a few posts on the other forums but no one seems to have called service. Anyways, just wanted to see if anyone else has encountered this – looks like it’s a service visit (not a mobile unit visit) to fix it up.”

Another Twitter user noted that Musk may have backed himself into a legal corner with his latest tweet:

If you bought a Tesla after reading that tweet, and the brakes at some later point in time need replacing, Tesla is legally obligated to honor this guarantee that Musk just made. He is making representations about his product that consumers rely on when they buy it.

— Nixon's Head (@Nixons_Head_) December 26, 2018

Breitbart Tech has reported on Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company closely this year as the companies regularly fail to deliver on their promises and receive billions in taxpayer funding. Behind these companies is their CEO Elon Musk, over the course of this year Musk has had a number of public meltdowns and freakouts, which Breitbart has listed here.