2013 TESLA MODEL S Complaints

ALLEGEDLY THE TESLA MODEL S. "UNIVERSAL MOBILE CHARGER" (UMC) HAS AN INTERRUPT RELAY THAT IS ONLY RATED 30 AMPS, ON A CIRCUIT THAT CARRIES 40 AMPS. ALLEGEDLY SOME OF THE UMC MODULES (AKA CONTROLLERS, BRICKS) HAVE SHOWN SIGNS OF OVERHEATING. THERE ARE CONCERNS THIS COULD BE A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

DESPITE THE 14V006000 RECALL BEING ISSUED ABOUT A MONTH AGO, CUSTOMERS ARE COMPLAINING THAT THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION, SO THEY HAVE BEEN UNAWARE OF THE FIRE HAZARDS AND ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT IT ONLINE AFTER THEIR CHARGE CONNECTORS FAILED AFTER THE RECALL. ALLEGEDLY ON JANUARY 9, 2014 TESLA CEO ELON MUSK CLAIMED THAT RELATED RECALLED TESLA MODEL S. ADAPTERS WOULD BE MAILED OUT WITHIN TWO WEEKS. YET A MONTH LATER CUSTOMERS AND ALLEGEDLY EVEN TESLA SERVICE CENTERS HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE REPLACEMENT ADAPTERS. THE PROPOSED RECALL AS IT STANDS SEEMS TO BE INSUFFICIENT BECAUSE THE ONLY HARDWARE THAT IS REPLACED IS THE ADAPTER. THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE ADAPTER AND THE UMC MODULE ARE WELL DOCUMENTED TO BE THE SOURCE OF MANY OVERHEATING, MELTING AND BURNING EVENTS. THESE CONNECTIONS SHOULD PROBABLY BE REPLACED WITH CONNECTORS THAT ARE BETTER CAPABLE OF CARRYING THE HIGH CURRENT FOR LONG DURATIONS. DESPITE TESLA TRYING TO PORTRAY A SOFTWARE UPDATE AS A "FIX", TESLA CHARGE CONNECTORS CONTINUE TO OVERHEAT, MELT AND BURN. DESPITE TESLA TRYING TO SCAPEGOAT HOUSE WIRING AND WALL OUTLETS AS THE PROBLEM. THERE HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE OCCURRENCES OF TESLA CHARGE CONNECTIONS OVERHEATING, MELTING AND BURNING THAT HOUSE WIRING AND WALL OUTLETS ARE NOT THE SOURCE. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT HOUSE WIRING AND WALL OUTLETS HAVE BEEN AND WILL BE A CAUSE AND OR FACTOR IN SOME CASES, HOWEVER THAT SHOULD NOT DIVERT ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE FAULTY TESLA CHARGE CONNECTIONS THAT ARE A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TESLA S 985. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING SEVERAL FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE VARIOUS SHIFTING ISSUES WHEN USING REVERSE. IN ADDITION, UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OCCURRED ONLY WHEN DRIVING IN EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS REPROGRAMMED BUT THE FAILURES RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. ..UPDATED 04-16-14 *BF UPDATED 04/17/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE RE-FLASH, HE NO LONGER WAS ABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE. UPDATED 05/20/14

IT IS MY OPINION THAT, TESLA IS FRAUDULENTLY MISREPRESENTING STATISTICS AND THE SAFETY OF ITS VEHICLES. IT IS MY OPINION, IT IS FALSE ADVERTISING AGAIN. AFTER THE FIRST TESLA BATTERY FIRE ON OCTOBER 1, 2013: ON OCTOBER 4, 2013 ELON MUSK & TESLA MOTORS CLAIMED "YOU ARE 5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE A FIRE IN A CONVENTIONAL GASOLINE CAR THAN A TESLA!" AFTER THE THIRD TESLA BATTERY FIRE ON NOVEMBER 19, 2013: ON DECEMBER 23, 2013 TESLA MOTORS CLAIMED "TESLA VEHICLE IS OVER FIVE TIMES LESS LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE A FIRE THAN THE AVERAGE GASOLINE CAR" I THINK TESLA MOTORS IS YET AGAIN USING FUNKY STATISTICS TO MISREPRESENT AND OVERSTATE THE SAFETY WORTHINESS OF ITS VEHICLES. AFTER THE THIRD TESLA BATTERY FIRE, TESLA WAS AND IS STILL USING STATISTICS THAT SEEMINGLY ONLY FIGURED ON ONE TESLA BATTERY FIRE, RATHER THAN ALL THREE. *TR

AN INDIVIDUAL CLAIMS THAT WHEN HE CHARGES AT A LOWER RATE, THAT IF THE NEW SOFTWARE DETECTS A PROBLEM IT INCREASES THE CHARGE RATE RATHER THAN REDUCING IT. IF IT IS TRUE, UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES THE UPDATE CAN INCREASE THE CHANCE OF AN OVERLOAD AND FIRE. IT SEEMS IN SOME CASES THAT THE TESLA SAFETY SOFTWARE UPDATE SAFETY "FIX" MAY BE CREATING FIRE HAZARDS. THERE MAY BE A GLITCH, BAD PROGRAMMING IN THE TESLA SOFTWARE UPDATE. PART OF THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V006000 RECALL, HAS A SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT BY AN ALLEGATION MIGHT INCREASE CURRENT WHEN THE SOFTWARE DETECTS A PROBLEM WHEN IT IS CHARGING AT A LOWER CHARGE RATE. ALLEGEDLY IN SOME CASES THE TESLA CHARGER WILL CHARGE FASTER THAN IT IS SET. *TR

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

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

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

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

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.