What 980 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Tesla Model 3

1. WE PICKED UP THE CAR ON DEC 30TH, FROM THE FREMONT FACTORY, THE CAR WAS NOT EVEN FULLY CHARGED, AND THERE WAS A MESSAGE ON THE CONSOLE SAYING, THAT, 'IT NEEDS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE.' WE WENT BACK INSIDE AND ASKED ONE OF THE SALES PEOPLE, HE SAID, 'THIS IS THE END OF THE YEAR, THE CARS ARE NOT COMING FULLY CHARGED, AND HE LAUGHED ABOUT THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE.' WE CAME HOME AND UPGRADED THE SOFTWARE. NO-ONE WENT OVER THE OPERATIONS OF THE CAR. 2. ON JAN 1ST, THE 30 DAY TRIAL FOR THE AUTOPILOT FEATURE POPPED UP ON THE CONSOLE, AND WE CLICKED YES. WE DECIDED TO TRY THE AUTO-TRIAL FEATURE IN THE EVENING FROM SANTA CRUZ TO OUR HOME. WE ENABLED THE AUTO-PILOT ON ROUTE 880, IT KEPT ASKING TO KEEP YOUR HANDS LIGHTLY ON THE STEERING WHEEL, WHILE THE HANDS WERE ON THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL TIMES. AFTER MAYBE 10 MINUTES, IN THE CENTRE LINE, AT A SPEED OF 63 MPH, RED WARNING STARTED SAYING, 'THE CAR CAN NO LONGER AUTO STEER.' WE CANCELED THE AUTOPILOT, MANUALLY DROVE THE CAR. ON LOCAL STREET ON MOWRY AVENUE, BETWEEN 6:30 PM AND 7 PM, WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR IN FRONT OF US SLOWED DOWN, REMOVED THE FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR, CAR CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE, WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PRESSED. NO COLLISION WARNING, AND CAR KEPT GOING UNTIL IT RAN INTO THE NEXT CAR AND STOPPED. WE PULLED OVER AND ASSESSED THE DAMAGE, OUR CAR HAS SMALL NICK ON THE CENTER OF THE BUMPER. 3. ARRIVED HOME, WITH ABOUT 80 MILES CHARGE LEFT. AFTER PLUGGING IN THE CHARGER, ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, MESSAGE ON THE PHONE CAME THAT CHARGING INTERRUPTED, AS IT HAS 78% OF CHARGE ON THE BATTERY. ADDITIONALLY, THESE ARE THE SOME OF THE OTHER CONCERNS, -RATTLING NOISE ON THE RIGHT SIDE DURING DRIVING -WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY AT ABOUT 5 MILES AN HOUR, THERE IS A BRAKE NOISE -THERE IS WIND LEAK ON BOTH FRONT WINDOWS AND DOORS. -RIGHT REAR SEAT BELT DOES NOT ALWAYS LOCK

NHTSA ODI 11165284

TESLA MODEL 3 (2018) PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE WHILE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION CAUSING UNCONTROLLABLE MANEUVER AND VEHICLE CONTROL LOSS. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO PEDAL INPUT AND FAILED TO DEPLOY AIRBAGS UPON IMPACT WITH A TREE AND FENCE CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE THROUGHOUT SUCH INCIDENT. AUTOPILOT WAS ENGAGED PRIOR TO CRASH. NO FORWARD COLLISION WARNING ACTIVATED.

NHTSA ODI 11154132

DRIVER FELT SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE PARKING THE CAR. THE ACCELERATION HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF SECONDS WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNING 90% AT PRETTY NORMAL SPEEDS TO PARK. THE CAR HIT A TREE, AND SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT FRONTAL DAMAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11097159

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL 3. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A CURB AND CRASHED INTO PART OF A STORE. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED TESLA'S SERVICE CENTER AT (610) 407-7030, BUT THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TT

NHTSA ODI 11092830

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF 2018 TESLA MODEL 3. ISSUE DESCRIPTION: ISSUE OCCURRED ON 05/04/18 AT APPROX. 11:52 AM WHILE TRYING TO PARK THE VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT OF A GROCERY STORE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARKING SPACE POSITION WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM THE DRIVER. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED HOWEVER THEY FELT INOPERATIVE. IT FELT AS THOUGH THE DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL OVER BRAKING AND THE VEHICLE HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN. THE DRIVER TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID DIRECTLY HITTING A DUMPSTER WHILE TRYING TO BRAKE. THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE THEN HIT A CURB AND A PONY WALL. AFTER THE IMPACT, THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THAT EVENTUALLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. PROBABLE CAUSE: UNKNOWN. GIVEN THE VEHICLE IS NEW, IT IS DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY A REASON WHY WOULD IT ACCELERATE UNINTENTIONALLY. THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH ENHANCED AUTO PILOT WHICH WAS NOT ENGAGED AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. THE NIGHT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED SOFTWARE GLITCH WHERE IN IT WOULD NOT CONTROL THE VOLUME OF THE RADIO WHILE DRIVING WITH THE BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND WAS STUCK IN CONTROLLING THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION. CAR IS RUNNING SOFTWARE VERSION 8.1 (2018.14.13 9E3B7FF)

NHTSA ODI 11091970