Greater than 750 Tesla homeowners have complained to US security regulators that vehicles working on the automaker’s partially automated driving methods have all of the sudden stopped on roadways for no obvious cause.
The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration revealed the quantity in an in depth data request letter to Tesla that was posted on Friday on the company’s web site.
The 14-page letter dated 4 Could asks the automaker for all shopper and area experiences it has acquired about false braking, in addition to experiences of crashes, accidents, deaths and property injury claims. It additionally asks whether or not the corporate’s “full self driving” and computerized emergency braking methods had been energetic on the time of any incident.
The company started investigating phantom braking in Tesla’s Fashions 3 and Y final February after getting 354 complaints. The inquiry covers an estimated 416,000 automobiles from the 2021 and 2022 mannequin years. In February, the company mentioned it had no experiences of crashes or accidents.
The letter offers Tesla a deadline of 20 June to reply to the knowledge request however says the corporate can ask for an extension.
A message was left early on Friday looking for remark from Tesla.
In opening the investigation, the company mentioned it was trying into automobiles outfitted with automated driver-assist options similar to adaptive cruise management and “autopilot”, which permits them to mechanically brake and steer inside their lanes.
“Complainants report that the fast deceleration can happen with out warning, and infrequently repeatedly throughout a single drive cycle,” the company mentioned.
Many house owners wrote of their complaints that they feared a rear-end crash on a freeway.
Within the letter, NHTSA asks for the preliminary pace when the vehicles started to brake, the ultimate pace and the typical deceleration. It additionally asks if the automated methods detected a goal impediment, and whether or not Tesla has video of the braking incidents.
The company is now looking for data on guarantee claims for phantom braking together with the homeowners’ names and what repairs had been made. It is usually looking for data on Tesla’s sensors, any testing or investigations into the braking issues, or if any modifications had been made.
The letter focuses on Tesla’s testing of the automated methods on the subject of detecting steel bridges, S-shaped curves, oncoming and cross site visitors and totally different sizes of automobiles together with giant vans. The company additionally needs data on how cameras cope with reflections, shadows, glare and blockage on account of snow or heavy rain.