Dec 6, 2017SteeringSuspensionCrash
HERE IS A TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/44784947/PHOTOS IT HAS BEEN IN A MAJOR COLLISION AND JUDGING BY THE CONDITION OF THE WRECK IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT OCCUPANTS HAVE BEEN KILLED. GIVEN THE MANY REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ALREADY IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT MECHANICAL FAILURE PLAYED A PART IN THIS CRASH. THE ATTACHED PHOTOGRAPH OF THE FRONT TIRE APPEARS TO SHOW THE TREAD WORN AWAY OVER MOST OF THE WIDTH OF THE TIRE. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH A SUSPENSION COMPONENT FAILURE CAUSING THE TIRE TO RUB UP AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL WHILST THE CAR WAS TRAVELLING. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR SUCH TREAD WEAR TO OCCUR POST COLLISION AS THE WHEEL WOULD NEED TO HAVE ROTATED HUNDREDS OF TIMES TO CAUSE THE TREAD TO BE WORN SMOOTH. PLEASE TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT MORE DEATHS AND INJURIES BEING CAUSED BY THESE TESLAS. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY CRASHES IN WHICH MECHANICAL FAILURE APPEARS TO BE A PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT THAT AN INVESTIGATION IS OVERDUE. ANY MECHANICAL ENGINEER CAN CONFIRM THAT THE ALLOY SUSPENSION PARTS DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT MARGIN OF SAFETY FOR SUCH A HEAVY AND POWERFUL CAR. DETAILS OF INJURIES, SPEED ETC. ARE ESTIMATIONS BASED ON THE SEVERITY OF DAMAGE TO THE WRECKED CAR. THANK YOU. CONCERNED CITIZEN.
NHTSA ODI 11052784
Aug 6, 2016SteeringSuspensionAirbagsCrash
HERE IS A TESLA MODEL S IN THE WRECKING YARD. THE FRONT TIRE IS WRENCHED OFF THE RIM AND THIS APPEARS TO HAVE HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL ROLLING FORWARD. EVEN THOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR COLLISION THE AIR-BAGS HAVE NOT DEPLOYED. I HAVE PUT TOGETHER A COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS FROM TESLA CARS. HTTP://TESLABEARS.CLUB/T/NO-WONDER-THE-WHEELS-SNAP-OFF/68 THE STANDARD OF CONSTRUCTION IS IN MY OPINION ABSOLUTELY APPALLING. TESLA HAS GAINED THE REPUTATION OF BEING THE SAFEST CAR IN THE WORLD. I AM CONVINCED THAT REPUTATION IS MERELY THE RESULT OF TESLA PR HYPE AND THE MYTH IS PERPETUATED BY TESLA ENTHUSIASTS AND INVESTORS. THE NUMBER OF CRASHED TESLAS SHOWING UP IN THE SALVAGE YARDS IS OUT OF ALL PROPORTION TO THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES ON THE ROADS. PLEASE START AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSES OF ALL THESE CRASHES.
NHTSA ODI 10893767
Feb 13, 2016SteeringSuspensionCrash
I AM RAISING THIS AS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. THIS CAR IS FOR SALE AT A SALVAGE AUCTION. HTTPS://M.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETENC.ASPX?AUCTIONID=0&ITEMID=21255219&ROWID=10&PAGESOURCE=VEHICLERESULTS THE TIP OF THE STEERING KNUCKLE HAS SNAPPED OFF AT THE SAME POINT OF WEAKNESS AS HAS HAPPENED IN MANY OTHER INCIDENTS. THE FACT THAT THIS IS A 2015 CAR SHOWS THAT THE DESIGN/MANUFACTURING DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN RECTIFIED. THE WHEEL AND TIRE ARE RELATIVELY UNDAMAGED. THE PATTERN OF FAILURE POINTS TO THIS WEAKNESS BEING THE CAUSE OF CRASHES AND NOT DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH. FAILURE OF THIS PART UNDER BRAKING LOAD WOULD CAUSE THE CASTOR ANGLE TO GO BADLY WRONG AND CAUSE THE WHEEL TO VIOLENTLY SWING TO ONE SIDE. THE STEERING ROD IS FRACTURED IN MANY CASES AND IT IS LIKELY THAT THE SHARP END OF THE BROKEN ROD SPEARING INTO THE WHEEL RIM IS THE CAUSE OF SO MANY SLICED WHEELS AS SHOWN IN FLICKR ALBUMS. HTTPS://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/136377865@N05/ALBUMS/WITH/72157664301101256 ONCE AGAIN, I AM REPORTING THIS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC. THESE CARS ARE ON THE ROADS ALL OVER THE WORLD AND PRESENT A SERIOUS DANGER TO THE PUBLIC. I HAVE USED A FICTITIOUS USA ADDRESS TO COMPLY WITH YOUR WEBSITE REQUIREMENTS
NHTSA ODI 10826008
Oct 16, 2015SteeringFire
THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE TESLA MODEL S AUTOPILOT SYSTEM WHICH HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED. DESPITE THE DISCLAIMER BY TESLA MOTORS THAT THIS SHOULD BE USED SAFELY WITH HANDS ON THE WHEEL IT IS CLEAR THAT OWNERS ARE NOT GETTING THE MESSAGE. THERE ARE MANY VIDEOS UP ON YOUTUBE SHOWING OWNERS DRIVING FOR LONG DISTANCES TOTALLY HANDS FREE WHILE PAYING LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE ROAD. HERE IS A YOUTUBE VIDEO ENTITLED TESLA AUTOPILOT TRIED TO KILL ME! HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=MRWXEX8QOXA HE IS USING AUTOPILOT ON AN UNDIVIDED ROAD HERE IS A VIDEO OF SOMEONE DRIVING HANDS FREE HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=URNPBHLDY0M&FEATURE=YOUTU.BE SURELY IT IS A DANGEROUS IDEA TO ALLOW THIS BETA RELEASE SOFTWARE TO BE GIVEN OUT TO OWNERS OF A TWO AND A HALF TON HIGH POWER VEHICLE. INCIDENTALLY THE CAR WHOSE VIN # I HAVE USED IS A BURNED OUT CAR HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLES/VEHICLEDETAILS.ASPX?AUCTIONID=0&ITEMID=19224036&ROWNUMBER=0&LOADRECENT=TRUE SO MUCH FOR THE TITANIUM BATTERY SHIELDS!
NHTSA ODI 10782978