TESLA MOTORS, INC. IS RECALLING 345 MY 2008 TESLA ROADSTER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MARCH 2008 AND

May 26, 2009 — Recall Campaign #09V178000

TESLA MOTORS, INC. IS RECALLING 345 MY 2008 TESLA ROADSTER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MARCH 2008 AND APRIL 22, 2009. THE REAR HUB FLANGE BOLTS ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE UNDER-TORQUED AND MAY BECOME LOOSE. A LOOSE HUB COULD LEAD TO DEGRADATION IN VEHICLE HANDLING, AND A RUBBING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE.

The recall was influenced by the manufacturer with about 345 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

09V178000

Manufacturer:	Tesla, Inc.
Recall date:	May 26, 2009
NHTSA Campaign #:	09V178000
Units affected:	345

Description:: TESLA MOTORS, INC. IS RECALLING 345 MY 2008 TESLA ROADSTER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MARCH 2008 AND APRIL 22, 2009. THE REAR HUB FLANGE BOLTS ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE UNDER-TORQUED AND MAY BECOME LOOSE. A LOOSE HUB COULD LEAD TO DEGRADATION IN VEHICLE HANDLING, AND A RUBBING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE.
Consequeces:: IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED PROMPTLY, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.
Corrective action:: TESLA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TESLA TOLL-FREE AT 1-877-888-3752.
Notes:: OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

Affects the following:

2008 TESLA ROADSTER

2008 TESLA ROADSTER Complaints
THE VEHICLE IS PRONE TO 'SUDDEN ACCELERATION' PROBLEMS WHERE THE DRIVER LOSES CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ENGAGES AND FORCES THE REGENERATIVE ENGINE BREAKING SYSTEM TO DISENGAGE. THE TESLA ROADSTER USES VERY AGGRESSIVE ENGINE REGENERATIVE BREAKING SO, WHEN IT IS DISENGAGED, THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY AND FASTER THAN THE DRIVER CAN REACT BY ENGAGING THE BREAKS. THIS MOST COMMONLY HAPPENS WHEN I DRIVE DOWN A HILL OR AROUND A CORNER AT 20 MPH USING ENGINE REGENERATIVE BREAKING TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD THAT ENGAGES THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY DOUBLE SPEED (40 MPH) FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE SECONDS AS THE ENGINE REGENERATIVE BREAKING ON THIS VEHICLE DISENGAGES... FASTER THAN I CAN COMPENSATE BY BREAKING. IN EFFECT, THE CAR SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY LURCHES FORWARD WHEN THE TCS KICKS IN. I PROBABLY SEE THIS BEHAVIOR AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK ON ONE PARTICULAR STRETCH OF NEARLY EMPTY ROAD, BUT HAVE HAD TWO NEAR COLLISIONS RECENTLY, ONE ON THAT STRETCH OF ROAD FOLLOWING A TRUCK AT A DISTANCE AND ONE ON A DIFFERENT STRETCH OF ROAD MAKING A CORNER WHERE THE CAR NEARLY ACCELERATED INTO AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. GIVEN HOW FEW OF THESE CARS ARE ON THE ROAD, HOW AGGRESSIVE THE ENGINE REGENERATIVE BREAKING IS, AND HOW LITTLE MOST OTHER OWNERS DRIVE THEIR VEHICLES RELATIVE TO MY DAILY COMMUTES, I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL LEAD TO MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN COMMUNICATED TO TESLA MOTORS, BUT THEY'VE INDICATED THAT THIS IS STANDARD BEHAVIOR FOR ALL VEHICLES USING ENGINE REGENERATIVE BREAKING AND SHOULD BE EXPECTED. I DON'T COMPLETELY BELIEVE THAT -- OR NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT OTHER CARS ARE AS AGGRESSIVE WITH THEIR REGEN BREAKING AS THE TESLA IS -- BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THIS CREATIVES A VERY UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION THAT CONCERNS ME AND SHOULD CONCERN ALL OTHER TESLA ROADSTER DRIVERS. *TR;