NHTSA Complaint #10898260 — 2016 TESLA MODEL X

ON JULY 8TH 2016, AT 9:37 A.M., WHILE SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT CREEKWOOD DOG PARK IN BRADENTON FLORIDA, MY TESLA MODEL X SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UNDER ITS OWN VOLITION, DROVE OVER A PARKING STOP, OVER A FIVE INCH CURB, AND THEN HIT AND KNOCKED OVER A CONCRETE LIGHT POLE. ALL THIS HAPPENED IN A DISTANCE OF LESS THAN TWENTY FEET. TESLA WAS NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY AND THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO DIMMITT COLLISION CENTER IN CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT TESLA OF TAMPA, TOLD ME VERBALLY THE LOG FROM THE EDR SAYS THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 6 MPH, THEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS ADVANCED TO OVER 50% AND THEN TO 87%. THE CAR ACCELERATED TO 20 MPH AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED. I DENIED THIS SCENARIO AND ASKED FOR A SUPERVISOR. TESLA'S SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MANAGER MET US AT THE BODY SHOP. HE HANDED ME A LETTER THAT HAD DIFFERENT EDR RESULTS-VEHICLE SPEED WAS 7 MPH, PEDAL POSITION WENT FROM 3.2% TO 15.6% TO 100% AND CAR WENT TO 14 MPH. THE FIRST REPAIR ESTIMATE SHOWED ACTUAL MILEAGE AS 205 AND A SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ESTIMATE SHOWS THE ACTUAL MILEAGE AS 1425. THESE FIGURES ARE INACCURATE SINCE I HAD LOOKED AT THE ODOMETER SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND THE MILEAGE WAS OVER 1800. I INFORMED TESLA THAT I AM POSITIVE BEYOND A SHADOW OF DOUBT THAT THE CAR'S ELECTRONIC THROTTLE COMPUTER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCIDENT WHICH THEY DENY. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE INDUSTRY STANDARD SINCE EXPERTS WILL TESTIFY THAT ALTHOUGH A CAR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR UNINTENDED ACCELERATION THERE WILL BE NO TRACEABLE EVIDENCE OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND THEREFORE THE MANUFACTURER HAS PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY. TESLAS ARE UNDERGOING UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AT A RATE MORE FREQUENT THAN 1/5,000 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED. THIS IS WAY MORE FREQUENT THAN THE INDUSTRY STANDARD. GENERAL MOTORS HAS AN EXTREMELY GOOD RATE OF 1/123,000 VEHICLES.