What 647 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Tesla Model S 60

The Model S, which was bought in 2015, had a sudden acceleration while I was trying to park near the entrance gate of the parking lot. The accident happened on May 25, 2023. Fortunately, nobody got hurt and the car was totaled. I feel strongly that this should be investigated, as this can be a very serious public safety issue. It was inspected by the insurance company. There were no warning messages prior to the failure.

NHTSA ODI 11560001

ON AFTERNOON OF NOVEMBER 23, 2020, 2015 TESLA MODEL S 85D WAS IN MOTION WITH SINGLE OCCUPANT, TURNING RIGHT TURN INTO RESIDENTIAL AREA OFF CITY STREET. DRIVER HEARD LOUD AND DEEP METALLIC SOUND AND IMMEDIATELY SLOWED. WARNING MESSAGE SIMILAR TO 'UNSAFE TO DRIVE, PULL OVER SAFELY' APPEARED ON DASH. DRIVER STOPPED CAR RIGHT AWAY AND HEARD 3-4 LOUD, IDENTICAL SOUNDS. DRIVER HEARD ANOTHER SOUND FOLLOWED BY LOUD 'POP' AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. DRIVER IMMEDIATELY EXITED AND SAW SMOKE BILLOWING FROM BELOW THE VEHICLE. DRIVER MOVED AWAY. THERE WAS ANOTHER LOUD 'POP' SOUND AND FLAMES STARTED VISIBLY SHOOTING OUTWARD AND UPWARD FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AREA, MID-CABIN AND REAR PASSENGER TIRE WELL, CHARRING THE CURB AND GRASS NEXT TO VEHICLE. FIRE CONTINUED TO BURN THROUGH PASSENGER DOOR, FRONT OF CAR (FRUNK), AND UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON SCENE WITHIN MINUTES AND EXTINGUISHED FIRE. FIRE DAMAGE TO EXTERIOR WAS VISIBLE TO FRONT TIRE WELL AND FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. ADDITIONAL FIRE DAMAGE NOTED INSIDE REAR PASSENGER DOOR. CAUSE IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11389857

ON JANUARY 2, 2019 BETWEEN 1:45 AND 2 PM I DROVE FROM MY HOUSE INTO A CLINIC PARKING LOT. AS I DROVE MY 2015 TESLA MODEL S FORWARD AND STEERED TO THE RIGHT INTO A PARKING SPOT, I CONSCIOUSLY EASED MY RIGHT FOOT OFF FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THUS LOWERING MY SPEED FROM 10-9 MPH TO ABOUT 5-6 MPH. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT PRESSED, ALLOWING REGENERATIVE BREAKING TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. ABOUT A SECOND INTO THE PARKING TURN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY JOLTED FORWARD, ACCELERATING UNEXPECTEDLY. I FELT AS IF THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK WHEN I REFLEXIVELY REMOVED MY RIGHT FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR, AND STOMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL AS HARD AS I COULD. MY VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP ONLY AFTER COLLIDING WITH A CHEVROLET SPORTS UTILITY VEHICLE PARKED IN THE SPOT ACROSS. AS I REGAINED MY BEARINGS, I CAUGHT MYSELF STILL FLOORING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MY RIGHT FOOT, AND CONTINUED TO FLOOR IT UNTIL I AFTER I HAD SHIFTED IT INTO PARKING GEAR, AND MADE SURE THERE WAS NOBODY WALKING IN THE VICINITY. THE IMPACT FROM THE TESLA MODEL S BUMPED THE CHEVROLET SUV PARKED IN FRONT ABOUT 5 FEET BACK. THE MODEL S ITSELF STOPPED BETWEEN 2-3 FEET INTO THE NEXT PARKING SPACE, SLIGHTLY INTO THE OPPOSING PARKING SPACE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, AS SEEN IN THE INCLUDED PHOTOS. THIS WOULD INDICATE THE BRAKES **EVENTUALLY** WORKED. HAD THEY NOT, THE TESLA WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED TO ROLL FORWARD AND INTO THE SUV'S BUMPER AFTER THE COLLISION. THIS IS CALLED TESLA CREEP MODE, WHICH I HAVE ENABLED (SLOWLY ROLL FORWARD WHILE NO PEDAL IS PRESSED). I ASKED THE POLICE OFFICER TO POSITION HIS PATROL CAR BEHIND MY VEHICLE BEFORE I MOVED IT AND ADVISED THE POLICE OFFICER I DID NOT TRUST THE CAR. I USED AN APP TO CALL FOR A TOW THROUGH MY INSURANCE, BUT THE TOW'S NUMBER WAS DISCONNECTED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE OFF WITH THE PATROL CAR IN ESCORT.

NHTSA ODI 11297839

HERE IS A TESLA MODEL S IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/43880137/PHOTOS IT HAS BEEN TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE. ELON MUSK HAS CLAIMED THAT TESLAS ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO CATCH FIRE THAN A GASOLINE POWERED CAR AND THAT THEY ARE NOW EVEN SAFER THAN BEFORE DUE TO THE TITANIUM BATTERY SHIELDS AND THE (TEMPORARILY) RAISED SUSPENSION HEIGHT. A GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH FOR BURNED TESLA OR TESLA FIRE REVEALS THAT THERE HAVE NOW BEEN AT LEAST 20 TESLAS DESTROYED BY FIRE WHICH IS A VERY LARGE NUMBER IN PROPORTION TO THE NUMBER OF CARS ON THE ROADS. I BELIEVE THAT THE 7 GALLONS OF HOT ETHYLENE GLYCOL IN EVERY TESLA IS A HIGH RISK FACTOR. IF THE LITHIUM BATTERY ALSO BECOMES INVOLVED IN A FIRE IT BURNS INTENSELY AND IS EXTREMELY HARD TO EXTINGUISH. NO OTHER ELECTRIC CAR HAS SUCH A HIGH RISK FACTOR OF HAVING ETHYLENE GLYCOL CARRIED IN RADIATORS AT THE VERY FRONT OF THE CAR PLUS SUCH A LARGE VOLUME OF FLAMMABLE LIQUID COOLANT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU CONCERNED CITIZEN.

NHTSA ODI 11047680

HERE IS A TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/46203307/PHOTOS IT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A FIRE. THE ALUMINIUM BODYWORK HAS BEEN MELTED AND BURNED AWAY. THE BATTERY PACK APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. THE AIR-BAGS HAVE NOT BEEN DEPLOYED AND THERE IS NO SIGN OF COLLISION DAMAGE. THE INVESTIGATION INTO TESLA FIRES WAS CANCELLED AFTER TESLA FITTED A LIGHTWEIGHT TITANIUM BATTERY SHIELD AND RELEASED SOME VERY POOR QUALITY VIDEOS DEMONSTRATING THE INVINCIBILITY OF THE BATTERY SHIELD. THE RIDE HEIGHT WAS ALSO RAISED (FOR A FEW WEEKS) BUT SOON WENT BACK TO ULTRA-LOW. A GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH FOR "TESLA FIRE" SHOWS THAT MANY OF THESE CARS ARE STILL BURSTING INTO FLAMES. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE MORE TESLA OCCUPANTS ARE INCINERATED. THANK YOU. CONCERNED CITIZEN.

NHTSA ODI 11046177