What 459 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Tesla Model S Bev

ALLEGEDLY: A TESLA OWNER AWOKE TO THE SMELL OF BURNING ELECTRICAL. SHE CALLED 911. A FIRE FIGHTER WAS INJURED RESPONDING TO THE GARAGE FIRE. FIRE INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT THAT THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS THE WALL SOCKET OR THE TESLA UNIVERSAL MOBILE CONNECTOR FROM THE TESLA CHARGING SYSTEM PLUGGED INTO THE WALL OUTLET. I'VE SEEN EVIDENCE OF MANY OF TESLA'S CHARGING CONNECTIONS FAIL. EVEN IF THE CONNECTION FAILED AT THE WALL SOCKET, I WOULDN'T RULE OUT THE TESLA DESIGN AS A CAUSE OR A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. THE DESIGN OF THE TYPICAL TESLA CHARGING CONFIGURATION PUTS UNDUE STRESS ON THE WALL SOCKET, WHICH COULD CONTRIBUTE TO A FAILURE OF A WALL SOCKET. IN MY OPINION SOME OF THE TESLA CHARGING CONNECTIONS ARE NOT ROBUST ENOUGH FOR THE POTENTIAL CURRENTS INVOLVED. MANY OF TESLA'S CHARGE CONNECTIONS ARE KNOWN FOR PRODUCING EXCESSIVE HEAT. *TR

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MANY TESLA OWNERS HAVE ALLEGED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TESLA POWER PLUGS AND OR ADAPTERS FOR THEIR CHARGERS. HERE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE. QUOTE: "HAD A VERY DISTURBING INCIDENT LAST NIGHT. MY MODEL S WAS CHARGING IN MY GARAGE WHEN MY SMOKE DETECTOR WENT OFF. I RAN TO THE GARAGE AND SAW PLUMES OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE TESLA NEMA 14-50 ADAPTER. THE CAR WAS STILL CHARGING! I UNPLUGGED THE CHARGER FROM THE CAR AND YANKED THE CHARGER ADAPTER PLUG FROM THE OUTLET. THE NEMA 14-50 ADAPTER FUSED TO CORD. THE ADAPTER HAD A HOLE ON ONE SIDE WHERE IT WAS MELTING. I CALLED TESLA AND THEY SENT OUT SOMEONE WITH A NEW MOBILE CHARGER AND NEMA 14-50 ADAPTER. I AM NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT USING THIS ADAPTER AGAIN. THE BREAKER NEVER TRIPPED NOR DID THE CAR GENERATE ANY ERROR OR SHUT OFF CHARGING. I HAD THE ELECTRICIAN COME OUT AND INSPECT THE OUTLET. IT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF CHARRING AND TESTED OUT FINE FOR CONSTANT VOLTAGE WITHIN SPECS. NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT TESLA'S RESPONSE AT THIS POINT. I PLAN ON CALLING THEM IN THE MORNING." *TR

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MANY TESLA OWNERS HAVE BEEN ALLEGED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TESLA POWER PLUGS AND OR ADAPTERS FOR THEIR CHARGERS. HERE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE. QUOTE:"I PLUGGED IN THE MODELS TODAY AND THE POWER RING TURNED RED. LOOKED AT THE UNIVERSAL WALL CONNECTOR AND IT WAS RED. I TRIED UNPLUGGING IT AND REPLUGGING IT IN AND NO BETTER. I THEN TOOK THE NEMA 14-50 ADAPTER OFF FROM THE CABLE AND THIS IS WHAT I FOUND". *TR

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHARGING CORD BECAME EXTREMELY HOT AND THE CONTACT WAS BURNED AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH THE CORD. THE PLASTIC PART OF THE CORD HAD ALSO MELTED. THE CHARGING CORD WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOUND THE CHARGING CORD TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,500.

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ALLEGEDLY A TESLA OWNER HAD A CHARGE PLUG AND ADAPTER OVERHEAT AND MELT, THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A FULL BLOWN FIRE. I FIND THIS CONCERNING, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF A RECENT TESLA GARAGE FIRE, THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RULED THE TESLA CHARGING CIRCUIT AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE. MELTED CHARGING ADAPTER/CORD LAST EVENING MY WIFE AND I NOTICED WHAT SMELLED LIKE MELTING PLASTIC. AFTER A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION WE DETERMINED THAT THE ODOR WAS COMING FROM THE CHARGING PLUG AND CORDSET. AFTER BURNING MY HANDS AND ARM REMOVING THE PLUG I PULLED THE ADAPTER OFF THE CORDSET AND SURE ENOUGH THE INNERDS HAD MELTED DOWN.' HTTP://WWW.TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP/25444-MELTED-CHARGING-ADAPTER-CORD CALIFORNIA FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS TESLA MODEL S CHARGING SYSTEM MAY HAVE STARTED GARAGE FIRE HTTP://WWW.BUSINESSINSIDER.COM/TESLA-GARAGE-FIRE-2013-12. *TR

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I WAS AT A FULL STOP WAITING TO TURN LEFT INTO THE PARKING GARAGE. WHEN IT WAS CLEAR OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC FOR ME TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN, I RELEASED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR INSTANTLY SURGED FORWARD VERY FAST AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE PARKED IN THE FRONT OF THE GARAGE. THIS ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY THAT I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO AVOID THE IMPACT. THE TIME OF OCCURRENCE WAS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AT ABOUT 6PM PST. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS CAR FOR ALMOST 10000 MILES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE CAR AND UNDERSTAND THE TORQUE THIS CAR HAS. I HAVE MADE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF STOPS AND STARTS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED. THERE IS NO OTHER TERM TO DESCRIBE THIS OTHER THAN SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT DISPATCHED AN OFFICER AND NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED. *JS TESLA INSTRUCTED THEIR STAFF TO NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ME ABOUT THIS ACCIDENT. *JS

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THE CAR WAS GOING AT ABOUT 5 MPH GOING DOWN A SHORT RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY. BRAKE WAS CONSTANTLY APPLIED. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. IT HIT A CURB AND THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE CAR LANDED ON A 4.5 FT HIGH VERTICAL RETAINING WALL. THE WALL IS ONE FOOT AWAY FROM THE CURB. THE FRONT PORTION OF THE CAR WAS HANGING UP IN THE AIR. THE CAR WAS AT ABOUT 45 DEGREE UP AND ABOUT 20 DEGREE TILTED TOWARD THE RIGHT SIDE. AN ENGINEER FROM TESLA SAID THE RECORD SHOWED THE ACCELERATING PEDAL WAS STEPPED ON AND IT ACCELERATED FROM 18% TO 100% IN SPLIT SECOND. HE BLAMED MY WIFE STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATING PEDAL. BUT HE ALSO SAID THERE WAS A BUILT-IN SAFE-GUARD THAT THE ACCELERATOR COULDNOT GO BEYOND 92%. THE STATEMENTS ARE CONTRADICTORY. IF THERE IS A SAFEGUARD THAT THE ACCELERATOR CANNOT GO BEYOUND 92%, THERE WOULD BE NO WAY THAT MY WIFE COULD STEP ON IT 100%. THERE WERE SOME MECHANICAL PROBLEM THAT CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN FROM 18% TO 100% IN SPLIT SECOND. *LN UPDATED 12/30/2013 *JS

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