NHTSA Complaint #11318912 — 2020 TESLA MODEL X

AT APPROXIMATELY 6:18 PM ON 3/21/2020, I WAS DRIVING MY BRAND NEW 2020 TESLA MODEL X (7 MILES STARTING ODOMETER) HOME FROM TAKING DELIVERY OF IT (!), AND AFTER 20 MILES OF MOSTLY HIGHWAY DRIVING, I WAS NEARING HOME AND STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT (WITH SEVERAL CARS STOPPED AHEAD OF ME). AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS OF SITTING DEAD-STOPPED, THE CAR VIGOROUSLY ACCELERATED WITH NO ACTION ON MY PART, AND I HAD TO TURN THE CAR HARD TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A FULL-ON COLLISION WITH THE STOPPED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. FORTUNATELY, TO MY RIGHT THERE WAS A CURB AND THEN AN EMPTY PARKING LOT AND SO I WAS ABLE TO AVOID ANY SERIOUS PROPERTY DAMAGE OR INJURY. BOTH OF THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE WERE FLATTENED, AND THERE WAS SOME VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE BUMPER, AND TO THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE FENDER OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. (I HAD LEFT ENOUGH DISTANCE WHEN STOPPING AT THE LIGHT IN BETWEEN MY CAR AND THEIRS AND I ALSO SOMEHOW REACTED VERY QUICKLY GIVEN HOW IN SHOCK I WAS.) THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVE-ABLE BECAUSE OF THE FLAT TIRES, AND SO I CONTACTED TESLA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THEY TOWED THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE TESLA FACILITY FROM WHERE I HAD JUST ORIGINATED. AFTER THE INCIDENT, I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE SALES PERSON BECAUSE -- YOU KNOW -- I HAD LITERALLY JUST PURCHASED THE CAR. SOMEONE ELSE ON THE SALES TEAM ANSWERED THE PHONE. MY SALES PERSON CALLED ME BACK SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AND I EVENTUALLY SPOKE WITH THE SALES MANAGER AROUND 7:45PM. ALL FOUR OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS (3 SALES, 1 ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE REP) SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF: "WE'VE NEVER HEARD OF A VEHICLE DOING THIS BEFORE." THANKFULLY I THOUGHT TO GOOGLE THE ISSUE, AND AN ARTICLE IN CAR & DRIVER ABOUT YOUR PENDING INVESTIGATION POPPED UP. SO I FEEL LIKE THEY WERE PROBABLY GASLIGHTING ME PER SOME SCRIPT FROM LEGAL, WHICH IS A REALLY GREAT FEELING AFTER YOU SPEND $103,000 ON A CAR.