Government Might Investigate Teslas Accelerating Unexpectedly

Are Teslas lurching forward and crashing?

Not User Error

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Friday that it's considering an investigation into "sudden unintended acceleration" affecting half a million Tesla vehicles, according to Reuters.

The NHTSA is considering more than a hundred consumer complaints involving 123 unique vehicles — including a wide variety of Tesla models and production years, Reuters points out — 110 crashes and 52 injuries.

Lurching Forward

Drivers claimed their Teslas accelerated unexpectedly and crashed into parked cars, chain link fences, and even garage doors.

It's not the first time the NHTSA has reviewed complaints from Tesla owners. For instance, a September 2019 petition drew attention to the company's "Summon" feature and a potential battery issue.

On Autopilot

And then there's Tesla's controversial self driving feature called Autopilot. The NHTSA has been reviewing a number of incidents in which evidence suggests the feature was on right before an accident — in some instances resulting in the death of the driver.

Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment.

READ MORE: U.S. will look at sudden acceleration complaints involving 500,000 Tesla vehicles [Reuters]

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