© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Tesla autos are parked at a parking zone as the corporate is recalling over 2 million autos within the U.S. to put in new safeguards in its Autopilot superior driver-assistance system, after a federal security regulator cited security considerations, in
By Steve Stecklow
(Reuters) – Two U.S. senators have written to Elon Musk, Tesla’s prime govt, calling on him to “swiftly” recall any steering and suspension components that pose a security danger.
The letter cites “an alarming” Reuters investigation printed on December 20 that uncovered how Tesla (NASDAQ:) has blamed drivers for frequent failures of elements it has lengthy identified had been faulty.
“We write with excessive concern following current reporting about Tesla’s information of security flaws in its autos and concealment of the causes of those flaws from the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration,” states the letter, which is signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut, and Edward J. Markey, of Massachusetts.
The senators name on Musk to right “obvious false and deceptive representations” made to the protection company.
The Reuters report discovered that Tesla advised NHTSA and clients that the frequent failures of faulty components in its electrical autos had been brought on by driver “abuse,” similar to hitting a curb. In 2020, Tesla gave that rationalization in a letter to the protection company explaining why it will not recall a suspension half referred to as the aft hyperlink in the US, regardless of having simply recalled it in China.
Tesla paperwork reviewed by Reuters present the automaker’s engineers for years tracked frequent failures of aft hyperlinks and different suspension, steering and axle components, usually on comparatively new vehicles. The corporate instructed its service managers to inform clients that the components weren’t defective because it struggled to comprise hovering guarantee prices, the information reviewed by Reuters present.
“We’re disturbed that you’d blame your clients for these failures,” said the letter from Blumenthal and Markey, each Democrats. “It’s unacceptable that Tesla wouldn’t solely try to shift the accountability for the substandard high quality of its autos to the individuals buying them, but additionally make that very same flawed argument to NHTSA.”
Musk and Tesla didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon the senators’ letter. Neither answered detailed questions from Reuters for the Dec. 20 investigation.
Sweden’s Transport Company stated on Friday that it’s investigating suspension failures in Tesla vehicles. The inquiry is much like one being carried out in neighboring Norway, the place the Norwegian Public Roads Administration stated final week it was wanting into shopper complaints about decrease rear management arms breaking on its Mannequin S and X autos.
Markey and Blumenthal have beforehand raised considerations about Tesla’s advertising practices and the protection of its automated driving expertise.
In April, the senators wrote to Musk questioning him about one other Reuters investigation, which reported that teams of Tesla staff had circulated, through an inner messaging system, non-public and typically extremely invasive recordings from clients’ automotive cameras.