NHTSA Complaint #10882841 — 2016 TESLA MODEL X

ATTEMPTED TO MERGE ONTO A FREEWAY FROM A STOP SIGNED PARALLEL ENTRANCE. AFTER A VEHICLE IN THE FREEWAY LANE HAD JUST PASSED AND THERE WAS ADEQUATE SPACE BEFORE THE NEXT VEHICLE, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY FROM THE FULL STOP. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FOR ONLY A VERY BRIEF PERIOD, ENOUGH TO GET IT INTO THE LANE AT MAYBE 10MPH BEFORE THE ACCELERATION CUT OUT COMPLETELY AND A VEHICLE COLLISION WARNING AND AUDIBLE ALERT APPEARED ON THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER. THERE WAS NOT ACTUAL COLLISION THREAT PRESENT AND I TRIED PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL REPEATEDLY TO AVOID BEING HIT IN THE REAR BY THE NEXT VEHICLE COMING FROM BEHIND AT FULL FREEWAY SPEED. THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME CHANGED LANES AND WENT AROUND ME TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE WARNING WENT AWAY AND I WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY TO FREEWAY SPEED. THIS SAFETY FEATURE SEEMS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR SEVERAL REASONS: * IT INCORRECTLY SENSES THAT A COLLISION WILL OCCUR WITH ACCELERATION IN SOME INSTANCES * IT DISABLES USER CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE (ACCELERATION) * IT DISABLES THAT CONTROL FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME EVEN AFTER THE FALSE THREAT IS NO LONGER DETECTED * IT ALLOWS SOME MOVEMENT BEFORE DISABLEMENT CREATING A SITUATION WHERE THE VEHICLE IS PUT IN HARM'S WAY WITHOUT ANY ABILITY TO SAFELY ACCELERATE AWAY FROM AN IMPENDING ACCIDENT. HAD THE VEHICLE NOT MOVED AT ALL, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN INCONVENIENCE BUT NO RISK * THERE IS NO ABILITY IN THE CURRENT SOFTWARE TO DISABLE WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE UNSAFE FUNCTIONALITY INTENDED FOR SAFETY * THERE IS NO DOCUMENTATION TO INDICATE THAT THE CAR HAS THIS UNUSUAL FUNCTIONALITY I HAVE DISCUSSED THE ABOVE ISSUES WITH TESLA MOTORS SUPPORT AND THEY HAVE REVIEWED THE DATA LOGS FOR THE VEHICLE AND BELIEVE IT IS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AND THAT THIS BEHAVIOR IS AS INTENDED BY DESIGN. MY INITIAL VEHICLE POSITION IS IN YELLOW IN THE IMAGE.