I've noticed that if I brake very hard (not panic stop, but still very hard braking), the car surges and feels unstable. Does anyone know if there are any TSBs related to this, whether it is fixable, or if there may be firmware updates available to solve this issue? It's like the car is pulsing the brakes on and off for me, even though I am barely modulating the brakes to prevent lockup or ABS activation. It causes the car to lurch wildly and feels very unsafe. '13 450h.

I also have a possibly related annoyance where the brakes feel decidedly non-linear when I'm trying to come to a smooth stop at normal speed. Normally, I would slightly reduce pedal pressure as my speed approaches zero, to prevent the car from jerking to a halt at the stoplight. However in this car, I have to let my foot almost all the way off the pedal, instead of just a slight pressure reduction as I would expect. It seems that the brake booster is way too aggressive and tries to overcompensate.

 

For a hybrid, once the engine cuts out it reduces the positive torque applied so the brakes do get way more sensitive. Yes, it's an art to make it stop without a little shimmy. Booster too aggressive? I don't think so.

As far as unstable at hard braking...nope. Haven't had that problem ever. My suggestion is to let the dealer check it out. Doesn't sound like anything is broken. What kind of conditions were you in for the panic stop? Slick roads can trick up ABS but the car should detect and prevent wheel slippage and correct the car as it gets out of shape.

 

It would have been flat and dry, no adverse conditions. As far as I could tell, ABS did not kick in because I didn't feel the customary rumble/vibration, and did not hear the tires chirping, so I don't think I broke traction. The reason I ask is because we also have a hybrid Kia in our household, and its brakes are much more pleasant to use in general and don't suffer from the same issue.

 

Sounds like you solved it.

Drive the Kia.

I don't have any issues with my hybrid. Brakes just fine. Hard driving. City driving. Emergency braking. It's perfect. Solid. Very solid.

If yours isn't, than go get it checked out by a professional.

 

OK, I'll ask the dealer to look into it.

 

Something must be unbalanced somewhere. There's no reason it shouldn't brake in a straight line.

 

My 2013 GSh also brakes in a very solid manner - I can literally "feel" ABS working too.

Not sure what caused the situation on your end. Sorry if this isn't helpful, but if it's a constant problem with your vehicle, I would definitely get it checked out.

~ Im2bz2p345

 

2013 GS450h, brakes are still at 80%.

I heard hybrid car brakes can often last 10 years.

 

The Tesla Model S has always been my dream vehicle as well - but the convenience of driving electric just isn't there yet (unless you're from Cali or someplace with tons of electric stations) and the cost to benefit is hard to justify.

Anyway, I have nearly 30K miles on my vehicle and my brakes feels as solid as when I purchased the vehicle (at 6K miles). In fact, one of the best brakes that I've ever felt on a car - it slows the nearly 4200lb GS450h down without a sweat.

I don't brake hard and I like to switch to Eco mode to slow car down and come to a stop (the GS450h uses brake pressure to actually recharge the battery along with slow your tires down). I expect the brakes to last me quite a while.

Keep us posted if you decide to purchase the hybrid corpnupe85 - do to being rare (limited production), they aren't the easiest to find used with all the features you want, so it definitely will take a little longer in your search (if you are purchasing used/CPO). Let us know if we can be of any help.

~ Im2bz2p345

 

Im2bz2p345 - Thank you for your response! I didn't know that the GS 450h was a limited production vehicle. I can purchase a pre-owned Tesla Model S quicker than a GS 450h. I live in the Atlanta, GA area. There are plenty of superchargers here. I will make my decision once I go and look at a Model S in person. I watched a lot of videos of the Model S. Some owners and reviewers have complained about the interior and the construction on some Model S units.