?Tesla Clandestinely Downgrades Performance Brakes, Uses Plastic Covers to Hide it.?

[COdogman]

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This is some pretty shady stuff??​

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Tesla has clandestinely downgraded its performance brakes on the Model Y Performance and even put a cover to hide the change in a deceptive move.


When going from a Model Y Long Range to Model Y Performance, the biggest difference is arguably the performance brakes.

You also get faster acceleration and higher top speed, but those are basically software unlocked since the powertrain in the vehicles is virtually the same.

There are also bigger wheels, but that’s a positive or negative, depending on how you look at it.

The bigger Brembo brakes are arguably the most significant upgrade for the money to move up to the top-performance version.

However, we now learn that Tesla has downgraded the brakes and has done it in a very sneaky and deceiving way.

ZEV Centric, a company building accessories for Tesla vehicles, spotted and exposed the change.

The company was working on some customers’ Model Ys and some of their own Model Y vehicles and discovered the downgrade:

We already have a 2020 MYLR and a 2022 MYP that belong to other members of the company and now have added a company owned 2023 MYP to further develop. We brought all 3 into the office to do some comparisons and a quick tear down. It was at this time that we opted to snap some photos, shoot some video, take some measurements, and reveal what is hiding behind the rear covers. Little did we know that not many people were aware of this downgrade and Tesla still markets it as a performance upgrade on their website.

The Performance upgrade on the Model Y brings a rear Brembo caliper and a 2mm thicker rotor with additional venting features.

The company spotted this around September when Tesla started to replace that Brembo caliper (right) with a new Mando brake (left):

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The company now says that the rotor is 2mm thinner with the downgrade.

Here’s also a comparison of the brake pads on both calipers, which clearly shows the Brembo to be more significant in size:

ZEV Centric, who are brake experts, believes this is a significant downgrade and believes Tesla should provide them with the Brembo brakes since the change was not indicated on Tesla’s Model Y configurator.

Tesla has been known to implement cost-cutting efforts by removing features over the last few years, such as removing passenger lumbar support controls and ultrasonic sensors.

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https://electrek.co/2023/01/16/tesla-sneakily-downgrades-performance-brakes-puts-cover-hide-it/

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[PappaBolt]

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https://electrek.co/2023/01/16/tesla-sneakily-downgrades-performance-brakes-puts-cover-hide-it/

Shrinkflation strikes again. Change the packaging and hope the consumer won’t notice the deception.

 

[ads75]

If their customers don't care about paying for "beta" FSD, will they care about brakes?

 

[COdogman]

Shrinkflation strikes again. Change the packaging and hope the consumer won’t notice the deception.

That alone would be understandable. It’s the adding of the plastic covers trying to hide what they did that is just SO greasy to me.

 

[ads75]

That alone would be understandable. It’s the adding of the plastic covers trying to hide what they did that is just SO greasy to me.

Those aren't plastic covers, they are aero-covers.

 

[staytuned]

That alone would be understandable. It’s the adding of the plastic covers trying to hide what they did that is just SO greasy to me.

?
Former MYLR here - had those rear Mando calipers from day one. Honestly they’re not terrible for rear brakes on a car with heavy regen (and no track mode, bleh)

The covers? Now that just seems sleazy.

 

[DuoRivians]

What’s extra shady is that they overtly tried to cover it up. Want to introduce smaller brakes? Fine, but let people know and don’t try to cover it up.

 

[CharonPDX]

If their customers don't care about paying for "beta" FSD, will they care about brakes?

I’d argue they care about having brakes that are claimed to be “performance” and look different than standard. 99% don’t actually care what brakes they have.
As far as I can tell, Tesla never listed a certain size or brand of brakes on their website. Just “performance brakes.”

 

[COdogman]

I’d argue they care about having brakes that are claimed to be “performance” and look different than standard. 99% don’t actually care what brakes they have.
As far as I can tell, Tesla never listed a certain size or brand of brakes on their website. Just “performance brakes.”

I think you are probably right about that. Had they even quietly removed the name “performance” from the description it would be a different story to me. This is literally the definition of false advertising. They are still using the original description but downgraded the product.

 

[IPTV65]

Around where I live the average Tesla driver probably doesn’t even know what a brake caliper is. The brake is just a pedal on the left to most folks. Just like most folks aren’t in forums.
As PT Barnum said…nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the average American!

 

[MXA121]

Wonder if they make those to cover up the Rivians similar rear caliper! ?

 

[COdogman]

Wonder if they make those to cover up the Rivians similar rear caliper! ?

There are several companies out there making them - I'm sure they will eventually make one for Rivian.

 

[Gamma rays]

Those price cuts gotta come from somewhere, right? Can't help but wonder what else Tesla cut in other less accessible places.

GR

 

[tps5352]

For others that come across this Thread, like I did, allow me to weigh in on the Great Tesla Brake-Caliper-Cover Scandal of 2023.

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In 2023 Tesla took a lot of heat online for surreptitiously installing arguably deceptive covers on Model Y rear brakes. While I can’t comment on Model Y specifically, here is what I believe happened with Models S and X. I suspect the stories and lessons to be learned are similar.

• From first introduction, regular retail versions of (Classic/Legacy) Model S and X used the same front brakes and the same rear brakes, except that “performance” versions received calipers painted red and “long range” versions got calipers painted gray. Functionally, all the front brakes on both models were identical and all the rear brakes were similarly identical.
• Originally, Tesla Models S (2012) and X (2015) came with four powerful (4-piston, I believe) Brembo (Italy) brake calipers. (Front and rear Brembo brakes were similar but slightly different. Rear wheels also received separate, smaller Brembo parking brake calipers.)
• From late 2016 onward Tesla switched to Mando (South Korea) rear brake calipers on Models S and X.
  • Mando rear brake calipers:
    • are more compact in shape,
    • function differently and are perhaps somewhat less powerful, and
    • include built-in parking-brake servo-actuator motors.
  • Tesla probably switched to Mando rear brake calipers because:
    • Rear brakes need not be as powerful as front brakes.
    • Mando brakes are probably less expensive than Brembo brakes.
    • Mando calipers conveniently combine driver-actuated braking and parking-brake functions in one unit.
    • Other premier auto-makers (e.g., Porsche, Rivian) also use smaller rear brake calipers.
• After March 2021 “Refreshed” Models S & X received similar, but updated brakes, but the patterns continued.
• At some point (~2023?) rear performance (red) (and possibly rear non-performance gray) Mando brake calipers started receiving bolt-on caliper covers or logo-plates that were in outline similar in shape and size to elongated front Brembo calipers. Why? Speculation:
  • Possibly aesthetics. They arguably looked better and more symmetrically in-sync when combined with similarly-sized/shaped Brembo front calipers (especially at speed when painted calipers are highly visible behind spinning spoked wheels).
  • Possible camouflage. They arguably hide the fact that rear calipers are not the same or as powerful as front calipers.

Subject to its different timeline and less expensive design, I suspect that this story is otherwise similar to what happened with Model Y (2020 -->). Is all this “wrong,” or does it introduce engineering-design issues?

• From an engineering standpoint there is probably little or nothing wrong with using smaller, less powerful rear brake calipers.
  • Other companies do the same basic thing (with different-sized front and rear disk-brake calipers).
  • For the sake of economics and business survival, auto-makers are expected within reason to adapt and to select parts that while adequate functionally are also cost-efficient.
• But from a public relations standpoint, it may have been less than intelligent.
  • “Hiding” the smaller Mando brake calipers behind larger camouflage-like cover-plates was probably a public-relations blunder.
  • Clever PR staff could and should have alleviated any objections and even turned the rear brake-caliper change into a possible advantage, but clearly failed to do so.

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