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| Tesla Model S Suspension Failures Under Scrutiny by Safety Agency | Tesla Model S Suspension Failures Under Scrutiny by Safety Agency |
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| The nation’s top auto safety regulator said on Thursday that it was looking into a series of suspension failures involving Model S luxury cars made by Tesla Motors, and that it had warned the company to refrain from encouraging customers not to report safety concerns. | The nation’s top auto safety regulator said on Thursday that it was looking into a series of suspension failures involving Model S luxury cars made by Tesla Motors, and that it had warned the company to refrain from encouraging customers not to report safety concerns. |
| The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, learned that at least some Tesla customers who experienced suspension failures were asked to sign confidentiality agreements about the issue, an agency spokesman, Bryan Thomas, said in a statement. | The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, learned that at least some Tesla customers who experienced suspension failures were asked to sign confidentiality agreements about the issue, an agency spokesman, Bryan Thomas, said in a statement. |
| “The agency immediately informed Tesla that any language implying that consumers should not contact the agency regarding safety concerns is unacceptable, and N.H.T.S.A. expects Tesla to eliminate any such language,” Mr. Thomas said. “Tesla representatives told N.H.T.S.A. that it was not their intention to dissuade consumers from contacting the agency.” | “The agency immediately informed Tesla that any language implying that consumers should not contact the agency regarding safety concerns is unacceptable, and N.H.T.S.A. expects Tesla to eliminate any such language,” Mr. Thomas said. “Tesla representatives told N.H.T.S.A. that it was not their intention to dissuade consumers from contacting the agency.” |
| Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment. | Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment. |
| The safety regulator is examining the Model S suspension — the springs, joints and other components that connect a car to its wheels — for possible defects that could be causing premature failures. | |
| Since October, the agency has received 33 complaints of suspension parts breaking. A suspension breakdown can cause severe steering problems and make driving impossible. | Since October, the agency has received 33 complaints of suspension parts breaking. A suspension breakdown can cause severe steering problems and make driving impossible. |
| The battery-powered Model S, with a starting price of about $70,000, is Tesla’s top-selling car. Tesla has just started offering a sport utility vehicle, the Model X, and is planning to offer a compact car, the Model 3, next year. | |
| The company hopes the Model 3 will become its top seller and says it has already received $1,000 deposits from about 375,000 potential buyers. | |
| The suspension issue with the Model S is the latest sign of quality concerns. The Model X S.U.V. was recalled earlier this year because of a problem with its rear seats. | |
| Tesla’s first model, the two-seat Roadster, which was produced from 2008-11, also had its problems. | |
| At Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting last month, Elon Musk, the company’s chief executive, acknowledged that the Roadster had been plagued by a number of issues. | |
| “This car, even though it met all regulatory requirements, it was completely unsafe, broke down all the time and really didn’t work,” Mr. Musk said. | |
| Two years ago, the safety administration looked into two instances in which Model S cars caught fire. It determined that the fires were caused by road debris striking the vehicle’s underside, and closed the matter after Tesla agreed to reinforce the shield that protects the battery in the Model S. | |
| In the case of the Model S’s suspension, Tesla took care of repairs for some customers who complained to the company, on the condition that they agreed in writing not to talk about the issue or how Tesla dealt with it. The agreements, however, stirred up discussion on online bulletin boards. | |
| Dailykanban.com, an auto industry blog, posted excerpts from what it said was an agreement. It said, in part: “You agree to keep confidential our provision of the Goodwill, the terms of this agreement and the incidents or claims leading or related to our provision of the Goodwill.” “Goodwill” is the term Tesla used to refer to any repairs or compensation it made because of a suspension failure. | |
| The agreement posted on the blog released Tesla from any liability and barred the car owners from filing legal proceedings against the company. |