NHTSA Complaint #11683445 — 2023 TESLA MODEL Y

Statement of Facts Regarding Tesla Accident [XXX] On [XXX], I was involved in an accident with a Tesla that I had rented directly from Tesla’s rental program. The vehicle was equipped with Tesla’s full software capabilities, including AutoDrive and the Smart Summon feature. At no time during the rental process was I given warnings, training, or any overview about how these features work, the risks they pose, or the long history of reported incidents involving Teslas colliding with stationary objects while operating under self-driving or summoning functions. On [XXX], I used the Summon feature for the first time in the parking lot of my business at [XXX] . The car was parked in spot [XXX], where I regularly park. I attempted to use Summon while standing in full view of the vehicle, but the software repeatedly displayed “lost connection.” After disabling Wi-Fi, I held the Summon button again and the car successfully pulled out of the spot, drove forward, and arrived directly in front of me. This demonstrated the feature was functioning properly on that day. On [XXX], while again parked in the same spot, I attempted to demonstrate Summon to my wife. I was standing in clear view, approximately 50–75 feet away, near the complex entrance. As before, the software repeatedly displayed “lost connection.” I attempted to reengage by hitting the summon button to reconnect the command. That did not work. When I walked up to the vehicle, I discovered that the front quarter panel near the wheel had come into contact with the covered parking pole. At no time was I aware that the car had hit anything, nor did the system provide any alert that it had engaged with an object. This stands in stark contrast to the way Tesla’s software consistently warns when the car is being manually driven — giving constant alerts when drifting out of a lane or approaching another vehicle. The absence of such a warning during Summon demonstrates a failure of the software’s sa INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5