NHTSA Complaint #11308379 — 2016 TESLA MODEL S

I WAS TRAVELING ON A TWO-LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY WHEN I ACCELERATED TO PASS A VEHICLE TO MY RIGHT. AS I PASSED THE VEHICLE AND RELEASED MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, MY CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. UNSURE OF THE REASON FOR THIS CONTINUED ACCELERATION, I PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND COASTED TO MATCH THE SPEED OF THE SURROUNDING TRAFFIC. ARRIVING AT THE NEXT TRAFFIC LIGHT, I PUT THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO DRIVE AND THE RAPID ACCELERATION STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO GO BACK TO MY HOME AND INSPECT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. UPON INSPECTING THESE, I OBSERVED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR MAT DIRECTLY BELOW THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RAISED UP FROM ITS NORMALLY FLAT POSITION ON THE CAR FLOOR ENOUGH TO CATCH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND KEEP IT DEPRESSED. WHEN I TURNED OVER THE FLOOR MAT, I SAW THAT A CIRCULAR PIECE OF VELCRO ATTACHED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FLOOR MAT, HAD LOST ITS ADHESIVENESS CAUSING IT TO DETACH FROM THE FLOOR MAT AND BUNCH UP UNDER THE FLOOR MAT BELOW THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS BUNCHING UP WAS ENOUGH TO RAISE THE FLOOR MAT TO A SUFFICIENT HEIGHT TO CATCH THE PEDAL. HAD I NOT KEPT COOL AND PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL, I SHUDDER TO THINK OF THE WRECKAGE AND CARNAGE WHICH MAY HAVE ENSUED. THIS CAR ADVERTISES ACCELERATION AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED; 0-60 MPH IN A MERE 5.5 SECONDS. THAT IS HARDLY ENOUGH TIME TO REACT TO SUCH A FRIGHTENING SITUATION! CURIOUS ABOUT HOW OTHER CAR BRANDS DEAL WITH DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR MATS, I NOTICED THAT MOST CARS DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR MATS ARE SAFELY CLEAR OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDALS. NOT SO WITH MY 2016 TESLA MODEL S. I BELIEVE IT TO BE A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW WHICH SHOULD BE REVIEWED EXPEDITIOUSLY AND CORRECTED BY TESLA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE A TRAGIC OUTCOME ENSUES. I HAVE REMOVED MY DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR MAT TO PREVENT SUCH A TERRIFYING SCENARIO FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. THANK YOU