2015 TESLA MODEL S Complaints

DOOR HANDLE BECAME INOPERATIVE WHILE CAR WAS STATIONARY, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENTER CAR VIA DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. HANDLE IS NORMALLY FLUSH WITH BODY. WHEN CAR DETECTS FOB PRESENCE, OR FOB BUTTON IS PRESSED, DOOR HANDLE IS SUPPOSED TO EXTEND TO PERMIT OPENING OF DOOR. CONTACTED SERVICE AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. BROKEN PART IDENTIFIED AS PADDLE (PIVOT) GEAR, PN 1042845-00-A. THIS MALFUNCTION IS VERY COMMON IN THE MODEL S. THE HANDLE MECHANISM SHOULD BE REDESIGNED AND REPLACED VIA RECALL.

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.

HERE IS A DISCUSSION THREAD IN WHICH MULTIPLE OWNERS COMPLAIN AND POST PHOTOGRAPHS OF TESLA POWER STEERING RACKS THAT HAVE COMPLETELY FALLEN TO PIECES: HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/TMC/THREADS/POWER-STEERING-FALLING-APART.100951/ THE FIRST POST WAS OVER A MONTH AGO AND MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE JOINED IN WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. HOWEVER NONE OF THOSE OWNERS HAVE MADE A REPORT TO NHTSA BECAUSE OF MISGUIDED LOYALTY TO TESLA. PHOTOGRAPHS OF FAILED STEERING COMPONEMNTS ARE ATTACHED. HERE IS A CLIP FROM THE THREAD **PARKED MY CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY AT NOON TODAY. ENTERED THE CAR AT 6PM AND IMMEDIATE MESSAGE "CAR NEEDS SERVICE", "AUTO PARK NOT AVAILABLE", "POWER STEERING " ACCOMPANIED BY AWFUL NOISE AND JERKING WHEN TOUCHING THE STEERING WHEEL. REMOVED THE TUB AND VOILA! THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE ORIGINAL POSTER. VIEW ATTACHMENT 263444 CLEANED IT AND GOT 8MM BOLTS AND DID A BEAUTIFUL RE-ATTACHMENT JOB AND NO MORE MESSAGES BUT WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL, AWFUL GRINDING NOISE. SO THE GEAR IS WORN. VIEW ATTACHMENT 263446 OKAY. THAT'S IT. THESE ARE NO LONGER "ONE OFFS" BUT A PATTERN OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS AFFECTING A KEY SAFETY COMPONENT: STEERING. WORST CASE, THE OLDEST MODEL S IS JUST OVER FIVE YEARS OLD. THIS KIND OF WEAR AND DAMAGE--MAJOR STEERING PROBLEMS--IS UNSAT FOR CARS AT TEN OR FIFTEEN YEARS OLD. TESLA: PLEASE GET ON THIS PROBLEM WITH A PLAN TO RECALL THE CARS AND REPLACE THESE COMPONENTS PROACTIVELY, BEFORE THE INEVITABLE BAD PRESS WHICH WILL RESULT FROM DOING NOTHING, NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS SHOULD THERE BE ACCIDENTS. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS VERY MUCH A SUPPLIER ISSUE AND THE SUPPLIER NEEDS TO STEP UP AND OPEN THEIR CHECKBOOK, AND OPEN IT WIDE.** PLEASE TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION. CONCERNED CITIZEN

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.

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.

HERE IS A TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=26516457&ROWNUMBER=54&LOADRECENT=TRUE WHEEL FALLEN OFF AGAIN. PHOTO ATTACHED. THIS IS BECOMING RATHER BORING FOR ME AND FOR YOU. THE SOLUTION IS TO HAVE THESE DANGEROUS CARS RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE DO SO. CONCERNED CITIZEN ETC.

HERE IS A TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=26419239&ROWNUMBER=95&LOADRECENT=TRUE IT HAS BEEN HIT FROM THE REAR BUT THE ATTACHED PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW A SKEWED REAR WHEEL AND BROKEN SUSPENSION LINKAGE WHICH IS VERY LIKELY THE REASON THAT THE CAR SUDDENLY SLOWED/SWERVED CAUSING IT TO BE HIT FROM THE REAR. THE ALLOY LOWER SUSPENSION ARM HAS SNAPPED. THE WHEEL AND TIRE ARE UNDAMAGED. IT IS HIGHLY IMPROBABLE THAT COLLISION DAMAGE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE BROKEN SUSPENSION ARM SINCE THE TIRE WOULD HAVE ABSORBED MOST OF THE IMPACT. FROM THE CRASH TESTING VIDEOS IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE TESLA WHEELS ARE VERY FRAGILE AND OUGHT TO HAVE BROKEN BEFORE THE SUSPENSION DID. THIS LOOKS ONCE AGAIN TO BE THE FAULT OF POOR DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING OF THE CAST ALLOY SUSPENSION PARTS IN THE TESLA. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. CONCERNED CITIZEN ETC. DATE OF INCIDENT IS AN APPROXIMATION.

HERE IS YET ANOTHER TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD WITH A BROKEN SUSPENSION: HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=26267542&ROWNUMBER=88&LOADRECENT=TRUE MULTIPLE COMPONENTS OF THE SUSPENSION HAVE SNAPPED. THE STEERING KNUCKLE HAS BROKEN IN HALF AND THE LOWER ARM BALL JOINTS HAVE FAILED. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER EXAMPLES OF THIS KIND OF FAILURE AND IT IS APPARENT THAT TESLA IS QUIETLY FIXING SOME CUSTOMERS CARS WITHOUT EVEN INFORMING OTHER OWNERS OF THE DANGER. EXAMPLE - HTTP://BIT.LY/2Y5UQCC AND ALSO HTTPS://SEEKINGALPHA.COM/NEWS/3299876-TRUTH-CATCHING-TESLA-WSJ?V=1507546600 ***MINE HAS HAD NUMEROUS SUSPENSION REPLACEMENTS DONE DURING SERVICING (NOT REQUESTED BY ME, BUT PRINTED ON THE JOB SHEETS). I ALSO KNOW SEVERAL OTHERS WITH SIMILAR VINTAGE CARS (PRE-2015) THAT HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROACTIVE WORK DONE. SO IT MAY NOT BE WHOLESALE THROUGHOUT THE FLEET, BUT IT DOES APPEAR THEY HAVE BEEN DOING "RECALL-LITE" ON SOMETHING SUSPENSION RELATED ON AT LEAST PART OF THE FLEET.**** PLEASE TAKE ACTION. CONCERNED CITIZEN ETC.

HERE IS ANOTHER TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD : HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=26176475&ROWNUMBER=47&LOADRECENT=TRUE THE SUSPENSION HAS COLLAPSED AND THE FRONT WHEEL HAS GONE WHOMPY. NO AIR-BAGS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE BODYWORK, NOT EVEN A BROKEN HEADLIGHT. THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF TESLA SPONTANEOUS SUSPENSION COLLAPSE. THE ALLOY SUSPENSION COMPONENTS ARE TOO WEAK FOR THE PURPOSE. THEY HAVE INSUFFICIENT MARGIN OF SAFETY. THE CAST ALLOY PARTS ARE PRONE TO CASTING DEFECTS MAKING THEM DANGEROUSLY WEAK. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. CONCERNED CITIZEN ETC.

FRONT LEFT CONTROL ARM SUFFERED A FAILURE CAUSING IT TO BREAK LOOSE FROM THE BALL JOINT AND CAUSING THE WHEEL TO PUSH BACK INTO THE BODY OF THE CAR. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE CAR TO LIFT UP AND COME TO A DEAD STOP. THIS WAS AT ~5MPH AFTER AFTER BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY OF OUR HOUSE ON A RESIDENTIAL PAVED STREET AND STARTING TO DRIVE FORWARD. THERE WERE NO NOISES OR WARNINGS UNTIL THE FAILURE OF THE CONTROL ARE OCCURRED. THE PHOTO OF THE WHEEL SHOWS IT PUSHED BACK ALL THE WAY TO MAKE FRAME CONTACT. THE OTHER PHOTOS SHOW THE CONTROL ARM COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM ITS MOUNTING POINT. THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL WELL LINER AND LIP OF THE FENDER THANKS TO THE SLOW SPEED THAT IT OCCURRED. THE CAR HAD TO BE DRIVEN BACKWARDS ONTO A FLATBED TRAILER AND THEN DOLLY'S PUT UNDER THE FRONT WHEELS IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR TO ROLL FORWARD INTO THE REPAIR SHOP. IT COULD NOT BE DRIVEN FORWARD AT ALL. THIS FAILURE IS VERY CONCERNING AND HAD IT OCCURRED AT HIGH SPEED COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY.