Car Owner Experiences Issue with Tesla Cybertruck on First Drive: Overheating Brakes Trigger "Performance Reduced" Alert upon Descent from Mt. Baldy
In a series of events, a Tesla Cybertruck owner embarked on a road trip to Mount Baldy, California, only to encounter an unexpected issue with the vehicle's braking system. Midway down the mountain, a "Brakes Too Hot - Braking Performance Reduced" warning notification appeared on the instrument panel.
This warning is a known issue for Cybertruck owners when descending steep grades for extended periods. The Cybertruck, like other Tesla vehicles, uses regenerative braking to slow the vehicle by converting kinetic energy into electric energy stored in the battery. However, on long, steep descents, the battery may be full or cold, limiting regenerative braking effectiveness. Consequently, the vehicle depends more on the friction brakes to maintain speed, which can cause them to overheat from heavy and prolonged use.
When the brakes overheat, the vehicle displays the warning "Brakes Too Hot. Braking Performance Reduced" to alert the driver of reduced braking capability. This situation is particularly challenging on steep grades where maintaining a safe speed requires continuous braking effort. It is recommended that drivers reduce their speed, let the brakes cool down, and use lower gears or lower speed settings (if in autopilot) to reduce friction brake usage and avoid overheating.
Tesla offers a feature called "Apply Brakes When Regenerative Braking is Limited" to maintain consistent deceleration, but it may not operate if the brakes are extremely hot. However, it is worth noting that no information from the search results indicates a hardware fault as the direct cause of this issue. Instead, it appears to be a natural consequence of braking physics and regenerative braking limits.
The issue is not solely a driver error but a consequence of the physical limitations of the braking system under such conditions. In fact, Gary Duvall, a Cybertruck owner, reported experiencing the same issue on a Facebook post. Mr. Duvall noticed that the regenerative braking bar was grey instead of green during the descent, indicating reduced regenerative braking capacity. He concluded that the issue might be either software- or hardware-related.
Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter, encourages Cybertruck owners who have experienced the "Brakes Too Hot" warning to share their experiences in the comments section below. Tesla recommends that Cybertruck owners have their brake fluid checked and potentially replaced more frequently than other models, especially if they frequently tow, drive in mountainous areas, or engage in performance driving, particularly in hot and humid environments.
In a separate incident, a new 2025 Tesla Cybertruck was purchased, but no information was available regarding whether it has encountered the same braking issue. Nonetheless, it is crucial for Cybertruck owners to be aware of this known limitation and to drive appropriately to ensure safety on the road.
[1] Information sourced from various Tesla Cybertruck forums and user reports.
- The Brakes Too Hot warning is commonly experienced by Tesla Cybertruck owners during long, steep descents due to the vehicle's reliance on regenerative braking and the limitations it may face when the battery is full or cold.
- To mitigate the risk of brakes overheating and the "Brakes Too Hot - Braking Performance Reduced" warning, Cybertruck owners are advised to reduce their speed, let the brakes cool down, and use lower gears or lower speed settings while driving downhill.
