Tesla Faces Questions From Regulator Over ‘Phantom Braking’ Complaints
NHTSA issued a letter to Tesla after receiving 758 reports that its most popular vehicles brake for unexpected reasons.
Photo:
Mark Hertzberg/Zuma Press
The U.S. auto-safety regulator is asking
Tesla Inc.
TSLA -9.22%
to provide information over a growing number of customer complaints that the company’s most popular vehicles brake for unexpected reasons as it intensifies its monthslong scrutiny of the issue.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that it issued a letter to Tesla last month after receiving 758 reports of unexpected braking, often called “phantom braking,” in some Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossover vehicles from 2021 and 2022. The figure is about double the number of complaints NHTSA earlier this year said it had received. The auto maker has until June 20 to respond, NHTSA said.
Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Tesla has said its cars have the highest safety rating attainable in the U.S.
Shares of Tesla fell 7.3% in Friday morning trading.
The braking occurs when the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance features, part of a system called Autopilot, are engaged, consumers have alleged.
In a letter to Eddie Gates, Tesla’s director of field quality, NHTSA requested the company provide details related to the vehicles Tesla has manufactured, consumer complaints and its field reports.
NHTSA also requested Tesla provide copies of all documents, analyses, telematics reports, data logs and videos or photos for the Model Y and Model 3 vehicles, noting that it aims to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem. Such probes can lead to recalls.
If the company fails to respond, Tesla could be subject to civil penalties and other actions.
NHTSA has been scrutinizing Tesla’s systems more closely in recent months. The agency opened a broader investigation into Autopilot last year after a series of crashes involving Teslas and one or more parked emergency vehicles.
Tesla has already agreed to 12 recalls that could affect more than 2.25 million vehicles, according to NHTSA. Those recalls were issued for fixes to air bags, seats, electrical systems and backover prevention.
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Appeared in the June 4, 2022, print edition as ‘Tesla Comes Under Scrutiny Over Braking.’
NHTSA issued a letter to Tesla after receiving 758 reports that its most popular vehicles brake for unexpected reasons.
Photo:
Mark Hertzberg/Zuma Press
The U.S. auto-safety regulator is asking
Tesla Inc.
TSLA -9.22%
to provide information over a growing number of customer complaints that the company’s most popular vehicles brake for unexpected reasons as it intensifies its monthslong scrutiny of the issue.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that it issued a letter to Tesla last month after receiving 758 reports of unexpected braking, often called “phantom braking,” in some Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossover vehicles from 2021 and 2022. The figure is about double the number of complaints NHTSA earlier this year said it had received. The auto maker has until June 20 to respond, NHTSA said.
Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Tesla has said its cars have the highest safety rating attainable in the U.S.
Shares of Tesla fell 7.3% in Friday morning trading.
The braking occurs when the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance features, part of a system called Autopilot, are engaged, consumers have alleged.
In a letter to Eddie Gates, Tesla’s director of field quality, NHTSA requested the company provide details related to the vehicles Tesla has manufactured, consumer complaints and its field reports.
NHTSA also requested Tesla provide copies of all documents, analyses, telematics reports, data logs and videos or photos for the Model Y and Model 3 vehicles, noting that it aims to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem. Such probes can lead to recalls.
If the company fails to respond, Tesla could be subject to civil penalties and other actions.
NHTSA has been scrutinizing Tesla’s systems more closely in recent months. The agency opened a broader investigation into Autopilot last year after a series of crashes involving Teslas and one or more parked emergency vehicles.
Tesla has already agreed to 12 recalls that could affect more than 2.25 million vehicles, according to NHTSA. Those recalls were issued for fixes to air bags, seats, electrical systems and backover prevention.
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Appeared in the June 4, 2022, print edition as ‘Tesla Comes Under Scrutiny Over Braking.’
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