Recent revelations from internal documents obtained by Reuters shed light on how Tesla deals with chronic “flaws” and “failures,” blaming drivers for defects such as collapsed suspensions and broken axles, some of which have led to wheels detaching from electric vehicles on highways, according to a Reuters report.
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Thousands of Tesla owners, even those with nearly new vehicles, have experienced dispatch issues or steering system malfunctions in recent years, newly obtained documents reveal. Tesla engineers internally described them as “flaws” and “failures.”
However, the documents suggest that technicians were led to inform consumers that the problems were not due to faulty parts, but were the result of “misuse” of the vehicles by drivers. This approach highlights the controversial position of Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, in handling customer complaints.
This news follows a report from Reuters, which reveals the creation of a dedicated team by Tesla to suppress complaints. Tesla unrepentantly refuses to acknowledge posting and addressing problems in its report to American authorities, instead blaming the customers, who were often forced to cover the cost of out-of-warranty repairs.
The company is already under scrutiny after recalling more than two million vehicles in the United States over concerns about the potential for “driver abuse” of its Autopilot.
A concerning incident reported in the documents involved a 2020 Model 3, where one of the “front wheels fell” during driving with Autopilot at 60 miles per hour, with unclear implications for driver liability.
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Another Tesla owner, who had a brand new Model Y, was informed that he is responsible for repairing the problematic suspension despite minimal use of the vehicle with just 115 miles on the odometer.
Although Tesla recalled similar suspension failures in China between 2016 and 2020, the same batch remains unrecalled in the US and Europe, with the company attributing these failures to driver “misuse” to avoid warranty coverage.
The potential risks from such failures, including loss of vehicle control and the risk of fire in the battery compartment, raise serious concerns, as highlighted by automotive safety advocates.
Unlike Tesla's recent Autopilot, which can be resolved with an over-the-air update, the latest Reuters report suggests that the company is facing multiple issues related to component failures that cannot be fixed with a simple software update.
With the company's tendency to blame drivers for vehicle failures and the increasing repair costs, questions arise as to whether these incidents are truly user error or if Tesla is trying to minimize repair expenses amid rising costs.
Still, the damage to Tesla's reputation appears significant, with many owners expressing a loss of trust in the brand. One Tesla owner noted: "It defeats the purpose of going fast if you're afraid your front wheels will fall off if you accelerate too quickly."
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Consumers report that Tesla's wheels are vulnerable to wear and damage, especially in low temperature conditions. They also report that the wheels may break even from small road irregularities. Some consumers report that they have encountered problems with Tesla's warranty, claiming that the company refuses to cover the replacement of wheels that have broken. Additionally, consumers report that Tesla's wheels are expensive to replace, adding an extra cost to owning a Tesla vehicle.
Finally, some consumers have expressed concerns about security, saying that the sudden loss of control resulting from a wheel failure can be dangerous.
Source: firstpost
