Greater than 750 Tesla house owners have complained to US security regulators that automobiles working on the automaker’s partially automated driving methods have instantly stopped on roadways for no obvious motive.
The Nationwide Freeway 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 discipline studies it has obtained about false braking, in addition to studies of crashes, accidents, deaths and property harm claims. It additionally asks whether or not the corporate’s “full self driving” and computerized emergency braking methods had been lively 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 autos from the 2021 and 2022 mannequin years. In February, the company stated it had no studies of crashes or accidents.
The letter offers Tesla a deadline of 20 June to answer the data 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 stated it was trying into autos outfitted with automated driver-assist options akin to adaptive cruise management and “autopilot”, which permits them to mechanically brake and steer inside their lanes.
“Complainants report that the speedy deceleration can happen with out warning, and sometimes repeatedly throughout a single drive cycle,” the company stated.
Many homeowners 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 automobiles 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 house owners’ 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 in relation to detecting metallic bridges, S-shaped curves, oncoming and cross visitors and totally different sizes of autos together with massive vans. The company additionally desires data on how cameras cope with reflections, shadows, glare and blockage resulting from snow or heavy rain.
