The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while turning into a parking spot, there was an unintended acceleration of the vehicle; it surged forward, jumped the parking barrier, and crashed into a wall. There were no warning lights illuminated. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire, injuries, or air bag deployment. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
2016 Tesla Model S acceleration complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 82, newest first, as owners wrote them.
On September 7th, 2024 around 7:35 PM, my tesla model S 2016 Suddenly accelerated, smashed in the siding of my house breaking the the siding of the wall and was totaled. All of this happened while my mom was trying to park the car in the garage the car suddenly took off without her pressing the accelerator. I have tesla to send an engeneer to collect the data of the car in which they said they did but have not yet gotten back to me on the issue. They informed me that they have collected the data on 09/20/2024
Incident Tesla Model S was up to date on recalls as far as we can tell, including the recent autopilot update via Tesla internet vehicle update releases. While driving in autopilot mode on the freeway in the lane next to the HOV lane, the autopilot got confused as to which lane it should keep and failed to maintain its lane. Incident vehicle drifted across the double lines into the HOV lane, where another Tesla Model S was driving. Both cars were damaged in the ensuing side bump impact, then the incident vehicle made a slight impact to another car rear bumper in front of the incident vehicle. No injuries were reported. A subsequent Traffic Crash Report was filed as required with CA Highway Patrol. We are awaiting this report in the mail. Our safety and others was put at risk due to the failure of the autopilot to maintain its lane. Insurance was contacted. The insurance company, USAA, has deemed the incident vehicle (our vehicle) damage too expensive to fix due to the very high cost of replacement/repair parts and has deemed our vehicle a "total loss." We have not been able to access the software of the vehicle. Since USAA has deemed the vehicle a total loss, they are selling the car for salvage and thus we have no further access to the vehicle for legal purposes. As far as I know, USAA has not pulled the vehicle software records nor has requested such records and has completely ignored the autopilot issue. That is part of the reason for our complaint here as well. Since there were no injuries, legal representation in this case has not been forthcoming. We ask the federal safety agency to investigate since we can get no help from Tesla, USAA or any other legal advocate.
Sudden unintended acceleration appeared to cause the Tesla while parking the car on the street in front of home accelerate go out of control and crash into the home totaling the car and damaging the house. Two days prior the vehicle was brought into a Tesla service location where Tesla replaced the 12 volt battery that they believed was causing the car not to power on properly at that time. After the crash and googling to see if others suffered similar issues it appears the federal safety agency recently reopened a review of sudden unintended acceleration and this incident seems to align with concerns of the petitioner [XXX] . The police filed a report and it’s at the towing place where the insurer Allstate is going to evaluate the car for a total loss. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The car was on enhanced auto pilot and was moving at about 50 mph, the traffic in front of me slowed down. The car failed to give an alert, it failed to slow down and stop. I applied the breaks, but by then the car crashed into the pick-up truck in front of me. The car came to a complete stop after the crash and the computer system in the car completely shut down. The car had to be towed to the garage. My safety and the safety of the driver in front of me were at risk due to malfunction of the enhanced auto pilot system We immediately filed a service ticket with Tesla and upon repeated requests we were told that car could not be inspected and the breaks or auto pilot system could not be tested as the car was not drivable. Police and car insurance company were notified. Tesla was able to provide us with a EDR There were no warning signs or messages prior to the malfunction.
While driving reduced power light came on. On Highway speed reduced to a crawl.
To whom it may concern, On July 26, 2021, my Tesla was hijacked remotely and controls were overridden while I was on the highway (I almost crashed). This happened sometime between 11:30am and 4pm. I reported the issue to the NY State AG consumer affairs office. In December 2021, the car suddenly turned off and locked me out. It was then towed to another State and I’ve been unable to get it back in my possession. Regards, Gaetano
CPU compatibility to existing OS and memory system causing multiple failures during driving with: 1. instrument cluster reset or reboot (temporarily disables all controls related to buttons/knobs on steering wheel and possibly other safety functions), 2. main nav/computer screen reset or reboot (temporarily disables all controls), 3. auto braking activation (cannot be disabled by user) enabled at dangerous and unpredictable times of city traffic, 4. backup camera picture not updating/frozen during backing uo vehicle, creating illusion of: a. not moving when in reverse while driving, b. not showing objects that may be directly behind vehicle when in reverse Manufacturer (Tesla) service ticket opened and closed as “resolved with memory reset” without follow-up if problems still occur
- when using TACC / "autopilot", especially when cruising at speed limit on the rightmost lane of the highway, i have experienced quite some occurrences of "phantom braking". this happens especially more frequent when approaching freeway on ramps (even with no incoming vehicle) and when there is vehicle parked on the right shoulder. - the automatically actuated brake really shocked me. if i hadn't reacted quickly enough to step on the accelerator pedal, i would had been rear ended really badly. - i thought that was a one off situation, but since it happened more than once and now that this issue has become headlines, i think it needs to be seriously investigated and fixed. - i have reported this issue to TESLA. the service manager of the local service center promptly responded that unfortunately this is a software issue which is still in "beta". - vehicle did have problem with the left repeater camera which TESLA replaced as goodwill. but i believe that was not the cause of the "phantom braking" episodes. the vehicle was purchased with the (now $12k) "Full Self-Driving" package. now, almost 6 years later, the development of the software is still not done. TESLA promised to upgrade the cameras suite, but several requests of service were cancelled due to, i believe, lack of parts, and/or they need to upgrade the MCU to be able to deploy the latest FSD package. i appreciate TESLA efforts to push the boundary of ADAS to reach full autonomy. i just wish they communicate better to the early adopters and provide us all with clearer timelines (with best/worst case scenarios). (i also appreciate my local TESLA service manager for responding quickly to my initial report of concerns. i acknowledge that completely fixing the issue is beyond his control at this time.) (date provided in this report is approximate, i think TESLA can review the logs of such emergency braking occurrences)
Instrument cluster screen was suddenly black despite the center touchscreen being on. I can't read speed meter, winker, transmission, and tire pressure.But the car moves. I have never hard that Most of Vehicles (Toyota,GM,Ford etc')have instrument screen is Black . I'm not doing any harm, no accidents. Tesla gave the invoice is $3235.96
I was stopped at a red light, left signal on, when the car suddenly accelerated forward through the intersection in an aggressive 0-60 kind of start. I braked safely and was about to execute a U-turn a minute or two later when the car bolted forward again. There was no traffic other than the car behind me at the light, thankfully. There were no warnings or other signals and the car was not operating in AutoPilot. I reported the incident immediately to Tesla and the car is now out of state in their custody while an escalated investigation is conducted. They have, however, told us that the car is safe to drive and that it is not possible for this to have occurred. They also assert that all sudden acceleration cases to date have been related to AutoPilot and all have been driver error.
Sudden unintended acceleration: When pressing the brake on uneven paved roads the vehicle will suddenly accelerate while my foot is on the brakes. This has been an ongoing issue since I received the car and I was told this has to do with regenerative braking but it is definitely a safety issue. There are two commonly visited places on the freeway where this happens to me so I can definitely demonstrate the problem if needed.
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that after releasing the brake pedal while parking, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and lurched forward crashing into the rear of a second vehicle. During the incident, no injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the incident. The contact indicated that prior to the incident a chip was installed due to a navigation problem. Also, the control panel display screen had a malfunction and audible warnings such as turn signals were not available. The failure mileage was 25,000
I was stopped, preparing to pull into my garage, when the car accelerated rapidly and smashed through my wall, breaking freezer & sheving unit in my garage. It also damaged many items in the bathroom and laundry room, doors, and walls on other side of garage wall. This is the 2nd incident, in 2019 the same thing happened on a street. I was stopped in traffic and when I started to move the car accelerated and hit the car in front of me. After the first incident I did not file a claim. Tesla was certain that I had accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of brake, and accepted that. In both incidents the car felt as though it was flying, the car was moving so fast.
When stationary or in motion, both on city streets and highways, and even turning the following is true. The center infotainment stack becomes completely frozen and unusable. Following this, it will automatically restart, however during this entire time, vital safety features controlled through the center infotainment stack are unavailable, including back up camera functionality. I have applied for the warranty program tesla has for replacing the mcu1, however, each time they inform me my car does not meet the requirement without elaborating any further. However, this is clearly a safety issue that they are ignoring.
My vehicle had the mcu failure that is well known. No blinkers, no autopilot, no AC/heating, no defogger etc etc. Just blank screen. Sounded like the recently acknowledge issue with the emmc but tesla required me to pay for an upgraded mcu saying my issue ws not covered by the extended warranty.
The emmc flash memory is failing, leading to the main screen blacking out for several minutes happens randomly while driving and when at stop and when the car is booting up. This prevents adjustment of several components including climate control, manual lighting, cruise control/autopilot, music it has been happening for over a month, progressively getting worse. Service came out to just reset the 12v and update the software and said everything is good but it definitely is not because its getting worse day by day
The emmc flash memory is failing, leading to the main screen blacking out for several minutes both while driving and when at stop and when the car is booting up. This prevents adjustment of several components including climate (fans, defog, AC), manual lighting, cruise control/autopilot, etc. It has been happening for over a month, progressively getting worse. Tesla is telling us we have to replace the flash memory (~$500, but there is no guarantee the problem won't reoccur), or replace or upgrade the mcu (~$1500-2500). The car was recently upgraded to full self drive hardware (paid for in 2016) and others have reported that this contributes to the memory dying, so we contend this design flaw should be repaired by tesla for free.
The main computer turns right off a couple times a day. When this happens while driving, most safety features are disabled and the cars electronic stop working. The cpu is known to have issues because a chip inside gets overloaded and does not clear itself properly. A recall should be had to replace this chip that does not remove the cashe properly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 tesla model s. The contact stated that a year ago, while trying to exit the parking lot, the gear was put in drive, however, the vehicle accelerated backwards and crashed into the vehicle behind. There was no injury. There was not police report. The vehicle was damaged but was not towed. The failure the air bag did not deploy. The recurred recently as the contact attempted to park between two vehicles the vehicle went in reverse and crashed into the vehicle on the left. The contact was not sure of any warning. The dealer was not called in either cases. The manufacturer was not made aware of any of failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 tesla model s. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle accelerated independently causing the vehicle to hit a pedestrian and crashed into a brick wall while hitting another pedestrian. A police report was filed. The air bags deployed. The contact stated that there was a head and foot injuries sustain by the pedestrians that needed medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer however, there was no answer. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 tesla model s. The contact stated while entering a garage the vehicle accelerated without cause while stopped. The vehicle collided into a parked vehicle causing it to collide with a wall, totaling it. The contact stated her neck was sore however, medical attention was not required. A police was not filed. No warning lights illuminated nor did the contact hear any abnormal nosie before the crash. The vehicle was towed to accurate auto body (9042 willows rd, redmond, wa 98052 (425‑970‑9699), however the cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer and dealership was not contacted about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,886.
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
Tl* the contact owned a 2016 tesla model s. The contact stated that the vehicle experience an unintended acceleration while parking in the driveway. The vehicle accelerated and crashed into the garage wall. The contact stated that after the impact, several warning lights illuminated. The contact and passengers did not sustain injuries. The insurance towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The contact was unaware of the diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 tesla model s. The contact stated while entering the garage at the residence, the vehicle independently accelerated. The vehicle struck a wall and a water heater. There were no injuries sustained. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to local dealer tesla service center located at 68080 perez rd, cathedral city, ca 92234, where they were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated on january 23,2020, she selected the feature to automatic park her vehicle, but while the vehicle was reversing it impacted another vehicle. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired as of yet. The manufacturer had been informed of failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I was approaching a stop sign with my foot lifted above both pedals (brake and accelerator) when my car accelerated forward. I had always thought that most of these unintended accelerations were due to a driver hitting the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal so I noted that my foot was not resting or pressing on either pedal. I put it down on the brake pedal and the car stopped, but this should never have happened. I had no cruise control or steering aid activated. I also have 'creep mode' turned off.
On 1/18/20, I was travelling in my 2016 tesla model s p100d eastward on anderson hill road toward the intersection with purchase street. The stop light was red. I was driving 1mi under the speed limit of 35mph. The outside temperature was around freezing, and a wet snow had begun 5-10min earlier, with minimal accumulation. I know exactly how fast I was going because I had cruise control on. I was not on autopilot. Just cruise control. When the intersection and stop light came into view, I tapped the break to disengage the cruise control, and then depressed the break to slow the car. Nothing happened. The breaks would not engage. And neither did the regenerative breaking. I do not feel that I was skidding or sliding. It simply felt as if the car had no idea I wanted to brake. It was very very strange. In those few seconds it became clear to me there was a good chance I would be dead shortly. As it happens, I was struck broadside by a large suburban travelling northbound on purchase street perhaps 25 miles an hour. Both he and I seem to have emerged relatively unscathed (physically, anyway) thank god. But I want to know what happened to my car. Can you please contact tesla and demand all the information from the cars computers - and their computers at hq - so we can find out??? What happened was extremely dangerous, and could have killed both me nd others. To summarize: brake failure, both manual and degenerative, in 2016 tesla model s caused massive collision with both cars totalled.
My wife was pulling into a parking spot at her school at a slow rate of speed (as she was parking between 2 cars). The vehicle was in chill mode, which means that it cannot accelerate at a high rate of speed. When she was roughly of the way into the parking spot with her foot on the brake, the vehicle accelerated on its own as if it was in performance mode. It went over a curb and into a chain link fence (which was roughly 10-12 feet past the curb) before she could get the vehicle to stop itself. This was at an elementary school and children were present. Fortunately no one was hurt. Tesla has yet to respond to our inquiries regarding the incident.
Driving on a 2 lane highway using autopilot the car accelerated and pulled left, ended up in the opposite lane and almost off road over a cliff. This is not the first incident I had with my tesla. On several occasions, while using cruise control, it suddenly braked in the middle of the highway, while the immediate collision alarm went off. There were no vehicles in front of mine and no immediate risk for collision. Tesla needs to improve the autopilot features as there are significant safety concerns.
Takata recall thank you for taking the time to review this complaint. I am sending it due to two main reasons: 1 - this is the second recall I've received for the same car; 2 - I am having safety issues with my tesla since november 2018. After several e-mails and visiting a center in person, my issue remains unresolved and I am rarely getting any responses. The last time tesla got back to me was in february. ----- core problem: I am having recurring issues with the electrical systems of the car, and they remain after taking it to a service center. The automatic emergency brakes for the car did not work when we had an accident, even though the warning went off. I've checked and the option was turned on. The main issue is that I've been paying for a car/feature that does not work as intended, putting my family's safety at risk. More importantly, I am receiving zero support from tesla. Thanks for the help, and please reach out if you need any additional context.
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