What 365 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Tesla Model S Bev

I have been driving my Model S Tesla for 13 years. On 30 April as I was pulling into a parking space at my local grocery store, I applied the brakes to ease into the space and my car surged forward with unintended acceleration. I smashed into the concrete base of a light pole, the airbags deployed and my car ricocheted back about 8 feet. There were no warning messages. I was taken to the emergency room and had whiplash and a burn on my leg from the airbag. No one else was hurt. I know it was the car that malfunctioned because my foot was still on the brake after the collision and the airbags bruised the right side of my right leg. It could not have bruised it in that way if my foot had been on the accelerator. The insurance company inspected and declared a total loss. I obtained the black box data from Tesla and am uploading the documents below. The car is currently at the Tesla collision center. They do not seem interested in evaluating the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11741164

The contact owned a 2014 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway, the vehicle exited into a tunnel. The contact stated that his hands were on the steering wheel and that the steering wheel did not move; however, the vehicle inadvertently made a sharp left turn, and the passenger-side headlight struck the tunnel wall. The vehicle spun rapidly, and the contact's head snapped to the right. The air bags did not deploy. The contact received medical attention for whiplash. Police were made aware of the crash but did not arrive on the scene. There was no police report filed. The contact pulled over on the shoulder of the road and then restarted the vehicle. The vehicle had driven for a mile when the tire pressure dropped to zero. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then to a tow yard, where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ODI 11717659

Three separate reports from car to Tesla: Traction Control Disabled Stability Control Disabled Automatic Emergency Braking Disabled Two hours later my car caught on fire while parked at my home. It was declared a total loss.

NHTSA ODI 11545459

Car was parked in a lot for 15 minutes and suddenly accelerated, jumping the curb and hitting a structure. The car seemed possessed.

NHTSA ODI 11504176

On Hwy 156, a farm country road near Hollister, California, a motorist travelling immediately behind a white Tesla reported that the Tesla suddenly and inexplicably accelerated from 55 mph to 65 mph and crossed the double yellow lines. It made no apparent attempt to cross back into the original lane. In less than 3 seconds -- 170 feet by CHP ground measurement -- the Tesla collided head-on with a semi traveling in the opposite direction. All four occupants in the Tesla were killed instantly. The truck driver was injured, but not seriously. The four deceased occupants were my daughter (53), my twin granddaughters (14), and my grandson (12). According to the CHP report, all wore seat-belts. The airbag for the driver did not deploy, but the other three did. My grandson was ejected and dismembered but the other three were not. His seatbelt status is therefore questionable. Her grief-stricken and angry ex-husband, father of the three children, accused the driver of deliberately committing suicide and took the lives of the three children with her. Yet from the CHP investigation, the four had just enjoyed a pleasant outing in their favorite restaurant and shops for several hours with no sign of anyone distraught. The restaurant receipt shows no alcohol was consumed. They had texted people and showed nothing out of the ordinary. Forty minutes later, they all perished. Her mother and step-father, her boyfriend, her best friend, and other close acquaintances, were all surprised by her sudden death. No suicide note was found anywhere, not in her journal and not in her media posts. No despondent communication of any kind was conveyed to anyone. Her extreme devotion to the children would make her willfully taking their lives very uncharacteristic. If not suicide, what made the Tesla behave so strangely and deliberately? NHTSA has been investigating Tesla crashes involving sudden left turns into oncoming traffic. Please use your expertise and resources to investigate this.

NHTSA ODI 11491988

This is a follow up to my last two complaints of sudden swerves that are probably causd by suspension failure. It is in my opinion highly probable that the suspension is likely to snap when brakes are suddenly slammed on hard at speed. This is known as Tesla "Phantom Braking" and you have hundreds of complaints about this on file. This situation is extremely dangerous. Not only might a Tesla that Phantom Brakes be run over by a following truck but if the suspension snaps it can cause the Tesla to veer into the oncoming lane with fatal results. As a precautionary measure I believe you should immediately ban Tesla adaptive cruise control and autopilot because these are the reason that phantom braking occurs. People are getting killed almost daily. Please stop this deadly experiment. Here is a near miss event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTk_T4olbws&lc=UgyIL5XI31XvUg7cg_F4AaABAg

NHTSA ODI 11480299

This is a follow up report on the issue of sudden swerves by Teslas that have often proved fatal. Please note that I have used a random VIN since the VIN of the car in the crash is unknown. Also please not that as a non US resident I have had to use a dummy US address to enable the report. My true contact details are supplied. Here is a video taken by dashcam showing a Tesla ( actual year and model unknown) making a sudden violent swerve to the left and then back to the right and colliding with other vehicles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTk_T4olbws Sudden suspension breakages are happening to all years and models of Telsas. The quality of parts is not good and Tesla does not follow up on the causes of these failures. I beg of you to take action before more tragic crashes occur. They are crashes, not accidents. There is nothing accidental about weak suspensions snapping on the highway.

NHTSA ODI 11480273

Please note that this complaint is about a fatal crash involving a 2014 Tesla Model S but because I do not know the VIN I have used the VIN of a wrecked car in a junkyard. Please also note that I have supplied my full name and contact details in this submission but I have used a dummy USA address to satisfy your website requirements. I have been informed that is OK for a non-Tesla owner and a non-US resident to file a complaint particularly when it is regarding a defect that is a danger to the public. There has been a quadruple fatality crash today in which a Tesla veered into the front of an oncoming semi. https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/08/15/four-killed-when-tesla-and-big-rig-collide-near-hollister/ The 2014 Tesla predates Autopilot so it is almost certain that this sudden swerve into the truck was caused by a mechanical failure, Teslas have been suddenly swerving since the Tesla was first released. There is sufficient evidence from the actual owners complaints that are listed on NHTSA database. Additionally my Flickr Album shows multiple examples of broken suspensions and also a report from an employee of a cast alloy suspension part supplier who reports that proper quality procedures were not followed. https://www.flickr.com/photos/136377865@N05/albums/72157658490111523

NHTSA ODI 11479483

On January 3, 2022, at approximately 7:30pm we plugged our car into a dedicated 240v outlet that was installed by a licensed electrician and permitted by the city of Menlo Park. At approximately 8:30pm the charge was interrupted and then started again (per Tesla's records). We heard a couple of small noises and then a louder noise at 8:38pm. We opened the garage door and saw a large flame where the charging cord plugs into the outlet.

NHTSA ODI 11450891

The contact owns a 2014 Tesla Model S. The contact noticed that there was acid leaking from the vehicle onto the contact’s foot causing the foot to burn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the screen seal failed which cause the screen to leak and both screens needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.

NHTSA ODI 11444576

We have owned this car for a couple of months. Today, when I pulled into a parking spot at my office, the car accelerated quickly as soon as I made the turn to get into the parking spot. It jumped the curb and I barely missed hitting the office building. My feet were not on the gas pedal, the car did this on its own. None of the sensors went off to warn me of the curb like it normally does too. You can see from the skid marks how hard I had to slam on the brakes. Car damaged on front, assuming the windshield wiper fluid line was also cut with the fluid on the ground. Pictures attached.

NHTSA ODI 11419332

2014 TESLA P85. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INTO THE WALL OF THE GARAGE, WHILE HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR WALL AND THE FRONT WALL OF THE GARAGE WERE BADLY DAMAGED. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11412733

BECAUSE THE COMPUTER IN THE TESLA MODEL S FROM 2014 WAS BROKEN, THE CAR WAS VERY LOW IN SUSPENSION. TESLA KNEW ABOUT IT IN MAY 2020, BUT DID NOT OFFER A REPAIR EVEN IF I PAID $2,500. EVENTUALLY THE FRAME OF THE CAR TOUCHED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE AND THE TIRE EXPLODED AND THE WHEEL WAS SO LOW THAT IS BENT THE FRAME AND BIG PIECES OF THE FRAME OF THE CAR AS THE BASE OF THE CAR WAS TOUCHING THE STREET. THE CAR WAS DEEMED A TOTAL AND MY COMPENSATION FROM AAA DID NOT EVEN ALLOW ME TO BUY A USED MODEL S. THE CAR AT THE TIME WAS IN MOTION ON THE 380 FREEWAY AND I HAD TO DRIVE SEVERAL YARDS TO GET TO SAFETY RUNNING ON THE FRAME OF THE WHEEL WITH THE BASE OF THE CASE TOUCHING THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI 11408046

THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE, AND OUT OF THE BLUE IT BEGAN TO SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST. IMMEDIATELY THE GARAGE WAS FILLED WITH ELECTRICAL SMOKE.

NHTSA ODI 11395170

I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND THE CONTROL ARM COMPLETELY SHEERED OFF OF MY FRONT, DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION. MY WHEEL WENT INTO THE WHEEL WELL. I WAS SO WORRIED THAT IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ODI 11376650

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THE WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THE CENTER TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY WAS INOPERABLE AND WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. DUE TO THE DISPLAY FAILURE THE REAR VIEW CAMERA, TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS AND HIGH BEAM LIGHTS WOULD NOT ACTIVATE. ALSO WHILE CHARGING, THE BATTERY WOULD OVER HEAT AND THE ODOR OF BURNING PLASTIC WAS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL TESLA SERVICE CENTER LOCATED AT 210 ANDOVER ST. PEABODY MA.WHO REPROGRAMMED THE SYSTEM BUT THE FAILURES CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DISPLAY SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11341255

THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON 7/9/20 AROUND 9:15 AM. POLICE REPORT # 20-1291-AC I DROVE MY CAR INTO THE PARKING LOT OF 4519 POST ROAD (FACING POST ROAD) AND TURNED INTO THE DOCTOR'S PARKING SPOT. THE CAR HAD JUST ABOUT STOPPED AND MY FOOT WAS NOT YET OFF THE BRAKE WHEN I SUDDENLY FELT THE CAR ACCELERATING. IT WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE HEDGE IN FRONT (ABOUT 1 FOOT AWAY) THEN WENT SMASHING THROUGH THE OFFICE MARQUEE, OVER THE STONE WALL AND ON TO THE STREET. MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I WAS TRYING FRANTICALLY TO STOP. THE CAR STOPPED. RELIEVED, I THOUGHT I SHOULD QUICKLY GET OUT OF THE CAR. TO MY HORROR, IT STARTED ACCELERATING AGAIN. IN THE NEXT FEW SECONDS, IT FELT AS THOUGH I WAS IN A JAMES BOND MOVIE CAR CHASE. THE NEXT THING I KNEW MY CAR WAS TEARING THROUGH THE WHITE FENCE OF A HOUSE AND THEN I REMEMBER TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. WHICH FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO BY OPENING THE DRIVER-SIDE DOOR. DIDN'T KNOW HIT A TREE INSIDE BREAKING IT INTO TWO. FOUND OUT LATER THE YARD WAS 4-6 FEET BELOW THE STREET. POLICE REPORT IS PENDING AT THIS TIME

NHTSA ODI 11340986

HERE IS A BLOOD SPLATTERED MODEL S IN THE SALVAGE YARD. HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/61373949/PHOTOS IT HAS HAD AN OFF-ROAD ADVENTURE AFTER THE BACK WHEEL WENT WHOMPY. IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS TO EVEN A SEMISKILLED SHOPPING TROLLY MECHANIC THAT THE SUSPENSION OF A CAR SHOULD BE STRONGER THAN THE FRAGILE ALLOY WHEELS. EVEN IF THIS CAR HAD HIT A BUMP WHILST OFF-ROADING THE SUSPENSION SHOULD NOT HAVE SNAPPED AND LEFT THE WHEEL AND TIRE UNDAMAGED. NOW THAT TESLA FACTORY AND SERVICE CENTERS ARE CLOSED DOWN THERE WILL BE NO MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. NOT EVEN THE LARGELY IGNORED TSB CONCERNING WEAK SUSPENSION LINKS HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2019/MC-10153421-9999.PDF WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM DUDES? GET THESE THINGS OFF THE ROADS BEFORE MORE PEOPLE GET MAIMED AND KILLED. REGARDS KEEF WIVANEFF THE UNHINGED.

NHTSA ODI 11319077

I WAS DRIVING ON THE 15N FREEWAY ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTH OF THE HW 78 ON FEB 10 2020 AT APROX 07:30AM. I HAD AUTOPILOT ENGAGED AND I WAS DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE (NOT CHANGING LANES) AT NORMAL FREEWAY SPEEDS, SUDDENLY I WAS SPINNING OUT AND HIT THE RIGHT SIDE WALL OF THE FREEWAY TOTALING MY CAR. UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR MEMORY OF HOW THE EVENT STARTED, I JUST REMEMBER RUNNING IN AUTOPILOT ON MY WAY TO WORK THEN SPINNING OUT AND HITTING THE WALL. ONCE THE EVENT STARTED IT WAS UNRECOVERABLE, AND WAS OVER IN A FEW SECONDS.

NHTSA ODI 11309000

MY TESLA DID AN UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION, JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT A CHICK-FIL-A RESTAURANT ON 9/04/2019: 1) FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I AM 100% CERTAIN THAT I DID NOT TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR OR IN ANY WAY CAUSE THE UNCOMMANDED AND UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE DRIVEN CARS AND TRUCKS WELL OVER A MILLION MILES AND NEVER ONCE ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED AN ACCELERATOR OR JUMPED A CURB WHEN PARKING. 2) I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY TESLA DAILY FOR FOUR MONTHS AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE VEHICLE AND IT'S SYSTEMS AND CONTROLS. I AM ALSO VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE SPECIFIC PARKING SPACE WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I HAVE PARKED THERE MANY TIMES IN THE PAST, AND MOSTLY IN THE TESLA DURING THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. 3) THE DETAILS OF WHAT TOOK PLACE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND SUNNY. WHILE GOING SLOWLY DOWN A SLIGHT SLOPE APPROACHING THE INTENDED PARKING AREA, I REMOVED MY RIGHT FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND ALLOWED REGENERATIVE BRAKING* TO SLOW THE CAR EVEN MORE WHILE I POSITIONED MY RIGHT FOOT VERY LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE CREEP MODE* KEPT THE CAR SLOWLY MOVING FORWARD. WITH ABOUT TWO FEET TO GO, I MODULATED THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE TO SLOW THE CAR MORE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE FRONT SPLITTER DIDN'T BUMP THE CURB..... SUDDENLY THERE WAS A HARD IMPACT, A LOUD BANG, AND THE FRONT RIGHT CORNER** OF MY CAR WAS IN THE BRICK WALL, ALL IN A VERY SMALL FRACTION OF A SECOND. IT FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN REAR-ENDED, BUT THERE WAS NO OTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED. * CREEP MODE & REGENERATIVE BRAKING -- SEE ONLINE OWNER'S MANUAL ** HIT ON "FRONT CORNER" BECAUSE PARKING SPACE IS AT AN ANGLE TO THE BUILDING.

NHTSA ODI 11302849

FROM A COASTING POSITION IN AN UNDERGROUND GARAGE, I TURNED RIGHT TO ROUND A 90 DEGREE CORNER. AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN MY CAR BEGAN TO SPEED UP RAPIDLY. WHEN I FIRST NOTICED THE ACCELERATION BEGINNING, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, WHICH HAD NO EFFECT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE OVER A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 50 FEET AND COLLIDED HEAD-ON WITH A CONCRETE WALL. FRONT AIRBAGS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DEPLOYED AND MY BODY STRUCK THEM: FACE, CHEST, AND LOWER LEGS. I HAVE INJURIES FROM THE INCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11300905

IN DECEMBER 2016 THE CAR ACCELERATED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY. TESLA MAINTAINED I PUSHED ON THE EXCELERATOR INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE GOING FROM 2 TO 92 MILES AN HOUR IN JUST A FEW SECONDS. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND ON JANUARY 12,2020 THE CAR ONCE AGAIN SELF ACCELERATED. BOTH TIMES SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND TO MY HOME. I WAS NOT INJURED HOWEVER A PASSENGER WAS IN THE CAR IN 2016 AND MAINTAINED SHE HAD HIP INJURIES AS A RESULT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DID SETTLE WITH HER. BOTH ACCIDENTS WERE NOT THE RESULT OF MY INADVERTENTLY DEPRESSING THE EXCELERATOR. THERE DEFINITELY IS A SUBSTANTIAL DANGER TO THE PUBLIC. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT RAINTREE AUTO BODY IN SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA. I HAVE NOT CALLED TESLA AZ YET AS I DO NOT PARTICULARLY WANT THEM TO GET THE BLACK BOX. I DO HAVE A PHOTO OF THE CAR IMPACTING THE COURTYARD WALL OF MY HOUSE HOWEVER IT IS ON MY IPHONE AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SEND IT TO YOU.

NHTSA ODI 11300127

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 TESLA MODEL S. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE CHARGING, IT CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND POLICE AND FIRE REPORTS WERE FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A RESEARCH CENTER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BECAUSE IT WAS DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND SENT AN INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

NHTSA ODI 11278643

THE DRIVER OF THE TESLA (VIN ENTERED) REPORTED THAT THE TESLA WAS OPERATED IN AUTOPILOT WHEN IT STRUCK OUR PARKED CAR. OUR CAR WAS PARKED ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET WITH A 25MPH SPEED LIMIT. BOTH CARS SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE RENDERING THEM UN-DRIVABLE. SEE THE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF OUR DAMAGED PARKED CAR AND THE TESLA.

NHTSA ODI 11253913

TL* THE CONTACT WAS LOANED A 2014 TESLA MODEL S. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY, IT SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AFTER APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR, THE VEHICLE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED AND COULD NOT BE UNLOCKED WITH THE KEY FOB. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN. *DT

NHTSA ODI 11139174