*By Jeffrey Marcus* Consumer Reports magazine reversed course Wednesday and recommended Tesla's Model 3 only a week after warning about the vehicle's braking system. The magazine's director of automotive testing, Jake Fisher, said the electric automaker changed the braking system software with an "over-the-air update" that [improved the Model 3's stopping distance](https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/tesla-model-3-gets-cr-recommendation-after-braking-update/) by almost 20 feet. “I’ve been at CR for 19 years and tested more than 1,000 cars, and I’ve never seen a car that could improve its track performance with an over-the-air update," said Fisher. A week ago, the company found that a Model 3 going 60 miles an hour needed 152 feet to stop ー 20 feet more than other cars in its class. Fisher said at the time he told Tesla's CEO Elon Musk he would re-evaluate the car after Tesla made upgrades. "Tesla listened to those results, they found the problem and they were able to update the vehicles remotely with an over-the-air update," Fisher said in a interview Wednesday with Cheddar. "We got our update this weekend, we did our testing yesterday." The changes shortened the distance it took for a Model 3 to stop, bringing it inline with other compact luxury cars and Tesla's own claims. "I've never seen anything like this, where you can actually update braking performance," Fisher said. "That's something that a lot of people didn't think was possible." The update was enough to impress Fisher, but it didn't address all of Consumer Reports' concerns. The magazine also cited the Model 3 for wind noise, a stiff ride, and uncomfortable rear seats, issues [Musk assured the magazine](https://www.consumerreports.org/tesla-model-3/elon-musk-tells-consumer-reports-tesla-will-fix-model-3-flaws/) he would address. Additional concerns about the car's audio, phone, and climate controls could be handled with another over-the-air software upgrade, Musk said. Consumer Reports said it would take the unusual step of renting a Model 3 from Tesla to test it again. For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/consumer-reports-changes-recommendation-for-tesla-model-3).

Share:
More In Business
Tesla’s profit fell in third quarter even as sales rose
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
Load More