Door malfunctions alleged to have confined children in Tesla vehicles due to non-functioning handles, sparking an investigation.
In a series of developments, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced two investigations into Tesla's vehicles.
Firstly, NHTSA is looking into a 'summon' technology that allows Tesla drivers to command their cars to drive to their location and pick them up. This investigation follows concerns about the technology's safety and potential defects.
Separately, NHTSA has opened an investigation into possible defects in approximately 174,300 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles. The focus is on nine reports of electronic door handles not working, which may be due to low battery voltage. This issue has allegedly led to incidents where parents had to break the windows to gain access to the vehicle. One report even indicates a crash resulting in the death of a pedestrian.
NHTSA's preliminary evaluation will examine the scope and severity of the condition, including the risks associated with the reported incidents. The investigation will also assess Tesla's approach to supplying power to the door locks and the reliability of the applicable power supplies. Of particular concern is the fact that a child may not be able to reach or operate the manual door releases installed by Tesla.
The incidents appear to occur when the electronic door locks receive insufficient voltage from the vehicle.
In a separate matter, NHTSA launched another investigation in August into why Tesla has not been reporting crashes promptly to the agency as required by its rules.
Meanwhile, Tesla's stock saw a 2% rise following a purchase by Elon Musk of US$1 billion worth of Tesla stock. Musk, who has been in the limelight for his controversial statements, has also promised to put hundreds of thousands of self-driving Tesla cars and Tesla robotaxis on roads by the end of the next year.
However, Tesla's sales have been declining and show no signs of recovery. Musk's support for US President Donald Trump and far-right politicians in Europe and their policies has angered Tesla's traditional environmentally conscious customer base.
At present, it is unclear who filed the lawsuit against Tesla regarding possible defects in the doors of the 2021 Model Y. The search results do not provide this information.
As the investigations continue, it is hoped that Tesla will address these issues to ensure the safety and reliability of their vehicles.
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