NHTSA Complaint #10627480 — 2013 TESLA MODEL S

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM issue reported to NHTSA

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Complaint Details

ODI Number 10627480
Vehicle 2013 TESLA MODEL S
Component ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of Incident
Date Filed
Mileage N/A miles
Crash No
Fire No
Injuries 0
Deaths 0
Vehicle Towed No
State CA

Consumer Description

TESLA MOTORS IS DANGEROUSLY MISLEADING THE PUBLIC BY FALSELY ADVERTISING IT'S BATTERIES AS "LANDFILL SAFE" AND "NON-TOXIC". THE FALSE CLAIMS CAN HAVE GRAVE IMPLICATIONS ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. PUTTING BATTERIES IN LANDFILLS CAN BE A FIRE HAZARD AS WELL AS A TOXIC HAZARD. WHEN TESLA BATTERIES ARE COMPACTED, OPENED, CATCH FIRE AND/OR EXPLODE; TOXIC MATERIALS CAN BE RELEASED THAT ARE A PUBLIC HAZARD AND A HAZARD TO THE ENVIRONMENT... IN TESLA'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDE, IT ALLUDES TO TESLA BATTERIES CONTAINING TOXIC MATERIALS. YET ON TESLA'S BLOG TO THE PUBLIC, THEY TRY TO PORTRAY TESLA BATTERIES AS NON-TOXIC, GREEN AND LANDFILL SAFE. TESLA BATTERIES HAVE HEAVY METALS LIKE NICKEL AND COBALT THAT CAN BE TOXIC HAZARDS.... IN THE TESLA BLOG BY [XXX] , HE ALLUDES TO THE BATTERIES HAVING HEAVY METALS LIKE COBALT AND NICKEL. YET CLAIMS THE BATTERIES ARE NON-TOXIC. ELON MUSK AND OTHER TESLA REPRESENTATIVES HAVE MADE SIMILAR MISLEADING CLAIMS.... A QUOTE FROM TESLA'S MODEL S. EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDE: "HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY - FIRE DAMAGE A BURNING OR HEATING BATTERY RELEASES TOXIC VAPORS. THESE VAPORS INCLUDE H2SO4, OXIDES OF CARBON, NICKEL, ALUMINUM, LITHIUM, COPPER AND COBALT. RESPONDERS SHOULD WEAR FULL PPE, INCLUDING SCBA AND TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO PROTECT CIVILIANS DOWNWIND FROM THE INCIDENT.".... BY ELON MUSK, CO-FOUNDER & CEO OF TESLA MOTORS: "BATTERIES THAT ARE NOT TOXIC TO THE ENVIRONMENT! I WOULDN?T RECOMMEND THEM AS A DESSERT TOPPING, BUT THE TESLA MOTORS LITHIUM-ION CELLS ARE NOT CLASSIFIED AS HAZARDOUS AND ARE LANDFILL SAFE.".... BY [XXX] : "RECYCLING OUR NON-TOXIC BATTERY PACKS ABOVE AND BEYOND ROHS, OUR LITHIUM ION CELLS CONTAIN NO HEAVY METALS, NOR ANY TOXIC MATERIALS.".... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

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