NHTSA Complaint #11154380 — 2018 TESLA MODEL X

ON NOV 17, 2018 AT 4:50 PM, I WAS DRIVING MY TESLA X SLOWLY WITH AUTO PILOT OFF AND AUTO STEER OFF ON A SURFACE STREET IN SAN CLEMENTE, CA. I WAS TRYING TO DO A U TURN. I VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC, THAT THERE WAS AN AREA WHERE CARS WERE NOT PARKED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STREET AND COULD USE A PARKING DRIVEWAY ON THE RIGHT THAT WILL ALLOW MORE SPACE TO PERFORM THE U TURN. I GENTLY PRESSED THE BREAK TO FURTHER SLOWDOWN AND THEN VEERED A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT INTO THE DRIVEWAY AT LESS THAN 5 MPH. I STARTED TO TURN TO THE LEFT WHILE STILL GENTLY PRESSING THE BREAK. AS SOON AS THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL LEFT THE DRIVEWAY AND BEFORE I HAD COMPLETED THE U TURN, THE TESLA ALL OF A SUDDEN, ON ITS OWN SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATED TO FULL POWER (A TESLA X CAN GO FROM 0-60 MILES IN APPROX. 4 SECONDS). MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BREAK, I DID NOT MOVE IT AND THEREFORE I DID NOT PRESS THE ACCELERATOR. THERE WERE NO OBJECTS OBSTRUCTING THE PEDALS. IN A SMALL FRACTION OF A SECOND, THE TESLA TRAVELED AT FULL SPEED TOWARDS THE TACOMA CAR PARKED AHEAD ON THE LEFT (LESS THAN 20 FEET). SOMETHING IN THE TESLA SYSTEM TRIGGERED THE SUDDEN SPONTANEOUS FULL ACCELERATION RESULTING IN THIS COLLISION. THE TESLA HAD MAJOR DAMAGE IN THE FRONT, THE AIR BAGS WERE DEPLOYED. I HAD A MAJOR BRUISE ON MY ABDOMEN AND SEVERAL SMALL BRUISES ON MY CHEST. THE TACOMA SUFFERED DAMAGE IN THE FRONT, MOVED BACKWARDS AND HIT THE CAR PARKED BEHIND IT. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS IN THE OTHER VEHICLES. IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED DUE NOT TO A DRIVER'S ERROR BUT TO A TECHNOLOGICAL ERROR WITHIN THE TESLA VEHICLE. I FOUND MORE THAN 60 COMPLAINTS FOR SPONTANEOUS SUDDEN ACCELERATION FOR TESLA VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN FILED TO NHTSA. WHAT THESE COMPLAINTS HAVE IN COMMON ARE THAT VEHICLES ARE TRAVELING SLOWLY TRYING TO PARK OR MAKE TURNS AT LOW SPEED WHEN SUDDEN SPONTANEOUS FULL ACCELERATION WAS TRIGGERED.