Tesla recalls 9,000 Model X cars from the US following reports parts of the roof FLY OFF

[Nan Yang]

Tesla recalls 9,000 Model X cars from the US following reports parts of the roof FLY OFF - as drivers sue Elon Musk's firm for 'ignoring safety issues'

• Tesla will recall more than 9,000 vehicles after reports parts of roof flew off
• Drivers of Model X posted images on social media showing damaged roofs
• Recall will cover 9,136 Model X cars from the 2016 model year, government said
• Video posted to social media also shows roof that fell off of Model Y SUV
• Tesla is also being sued in class action filing in California federal court
• Drivers accuse carmaker of covering up concerns over suspension safety

By REUTERS and ARIEL ZILBER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 07:17 EST, 25 November 2020 | UPDATED: 14:52 EST, 25 November 2020


Tesla is issuing two recalls covering about 9,500 vehicles as drivers filed a separate class action lawsuit over safety concerns.

The recall of cars made by the Palo Alto, California-based firm was due to roof trim that may separate and bolts that may not have been properly tightened.

The larger recall covers 9,136 Model X cars from the 2016 model year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday.

Last month, a Tesla driver from the California Bay Area posted video on social media after the roof of his Model Y SUV fell off while he was driving along Interstate 580

‘Hey @elonmusk why didn’t you tell us that Tesla sells convertibles now?’ the driver wrote

A Reddit user identifying himself as the driver's son wrote that the roof fell off the car almost immediately after they drove the brand new vehicle off the dealership lot

Earlier this week, video footage surfaced on social media in China showing the roof of a Tesla fly off as the motorist sped down a highway

Tesla claimed that the problem was caused by a third-party shop that replaced the roof

In recent years, several Model X owners have posted images on Facebook and Reddit showing bits of the roof missing from their vehicles.

NHTSA said the front and spine cosmetic roof trim may have been adhered without first using primer, and one or both pieces of trim may separate from the vehicle while it is being driven.

DailyMail.com has sought comment from Tesla.


The US government announced on Wednesday that Tesla is recalling more than 9,000 of its Model X cars due to complaints from drivers about pieces of the roof flying off. The above image is a stock photo of a Tesla Model X SUV taken in January

Last week, a class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court over safety concerns linked to the Model X and Model S electric cars. The above file photo shows a Model S

The above image shows a stock photo of a Tesla Model Y crossover electric vehicle. Around 400 Model Y vehicles will also be recalled

Last month, a Tesla customer from California posted video on social media showing him driving down a highway in his brand new Model Y after its roof flew off just two hours after he drove it off the lot.

‘Hey @elonmusk why didn’t you tell us that Tesla sells convertibles now?’ the driver wrote.

‘Because the roof of our brand new model Y fell off on the highway.’

The driver also wrote: 'I had heard that there were some problems with Tesla's quality insurance, but I don't know how you can miss something as important as the roof being attached.

The driver said the roof fell off ‘literally two hours after leaving the parking lot’ of the dealership from where he bought the car.

He writes that he immediately returned the vehicle to the dealership.

A Reddit user identifying himself as the driver's son wrote: 'My dad bought a brand new model Y today, and he brought me along to pick it up just in case he needed help with any tech problems.


Earlier this week, video footage surfaced on social media in China showing the roof of a Tesla fly off as the motorist sped down a highway

Tesla claimed that the problem was caused by a third-party shop that replaced the roof
'Everything was going fine and we were driving back home when we started to hear a ton of wind.

'I thought maybe a window was open but a minute later the entire glass roof just blew off.

'After a brief panic we turned around and drove the new Tesla convertible back to the dealership.

'When we got back we called highway patrol to tell them that there was a car roof somewhere on the 580, but somebody might have gotten into an accident, I’m not sure.

'The manager at the dealership said that either the seal for the roof was faulty, or the factory just ... forgot to seal the roof on?

'I can’t imagine how something as big as the roof not being attached could make it past quality control.

'If this is a recurring problem a lot of people could get hurt. Has this ever happened before?'

The Reddit user noted that the dealership offered to service the car for free, but his father declined and decided to buy 'an entirely new car.'

'Whether we're still getting a Tesla is up to my dad but probably not,' he wrote.

Earlier this week, another video surfaced of a Tesla Model S traveling at high speed along a highway in China.

Several owners of the Tesla Model X have posted images on social media showing parts of the roof missing
The clip shows the roof flying off the vehicle. According to Electrek, the problem was caused by a third-party shop that replaced the roof.

‘We have contacted the owner of the car as soon as possible and are helping the owner solve the problem as soon as possible,’ Tesla said through its account on the Chinese social media app Weibo.

‘After preliminary investigations, the vehicle had undergone roof glass replacement at a third-party authorized repair center.

‘We are currently investigating the cause of the incident.’

Tesla said in documents filed with the US federal government that it learned in September of an event involving a 2016 Model X that prompted a company investigation into the root cause and frequency of the condition that could create a road hazard for motorists behind the vehicle.

Tesla will inspect the recalled vehicles and apply a retention test.

If they fail, Tesla will apply primer to remedy the condition.

The other recall covers 401 2020 model year Tesla Model Y vehicles with bolts connecting the front upper control arm and steering knuckle that may not have been properly tightened.

Due to the inadequate tightening, NHTSA said the upper control arm could detach from the steering knuckle.

Tesla said it recently learned of three vehicle repairs where the upper control arm had separated.

It said vehicles would be inspected for proper torque and if necessary, would be adjusted.

Tesla said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries tied to either recall.

Meanwhile, Tesla is being sued by drivers who say the company has failed to address suspension safety concerns in older Model S and Model X electric vehicles.

A class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court on Friday. The 101-page lawsuit alleges that Tesla not only ignored the problem but tried to cover it up.

+15

One Tesla owner posted an image on Facebook of his vehicle's damaged roof, asking: 'Anyone had their roof break?'

Another Tesla owner said a piece of the roof flew into the windshield of another car

A piece of a roof of a Tesla Model X is photographed missing by a vehicle owner above
'Tesla is gambling with the lives and safety of hundreds of thousands of additional drivers and passengers whose vehicles suspension parts [are] at an imminent risk of failure,' the lawsuit alleges.

Last month, Tesla announced it was recalling more than 29,000 US-made Model S and Model X vehicles that were exported to China.

The cars, which were built at Tesla’s plant in Fremont, California, between 2013 and 2018, may have faulty front and rear suspensions, according to Car and Driver.

Because the connecting rods could become damaged due to large impacts, there is greater risk of accident if the suspension fails.

Tesla will replace the rear connecting links in the front suspension and the upper connecting links in the rear suspension in the recalled vehicle.

The NHTSA said it was aware of the China recall.

‘NHTSA is aware of the Tesla recall due to suspension problems in China,’ NHTSA told Car and Driver.

‘At this time, the agency has not received significant complaints related to these issues in the United States.

‘The agency is in contact with Tesla and monitoring the situation closely, and will not hesitate to take action to protect the public against unreasonable risks to safety.’

Source

Tesla recalls 9,000 Model X cars from US after parts of 'roof FLY OFF'

Tesla, the Palo Alto, California-based electric carmaker, is issuing two recalls covering about 9,500 Model X and Model Y vehicles as drivers filed a class action lawsuit over safety concerns.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Only some of the original first-off-the-assembly-line 4 year old 2016 Model Xs are being recalled for the plastic roof trim pieces. That Model Y convertible thing is unrelated.

 

[Globenim]

Exploding batteries, broken suspensions, flying off roofs, subpar and failing autopilots, recalls over recalls.
Tesla isnt making it easy for the fanboys and shills to sell their overhyped American brands.

But kudos to the PR team. Most others brands would be dead by now with only half of those quality issues and incidents.

 

[arjunk]

Elon is just like most of the top 1%, only cares about making money. Murican neckbeards refuse to realise this because he was in 1 pewdiepie video.

 

[Nan Yang]

US road safety agency is investigating nearly 115k Tesla vehicles after receiving complaints of suspension failure - just two days after the automaker recalled 9,000 Model X cars

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a probe into the suspension on Tesla Model S sedans and Model X SUVs on Friday
• The agency has received 43 complaints that linkages near the ball joints can fail
• It said it has no reports of crashes or injuries linked to the issue
• Tesla had issued a service bulletin in 2017 describing the failure
• It comes after Tesla recalled 9,000 Model X cars from the US on Wednesday following reports parts of the roof fly off
• Despite the issues, stocks in the company continue to soar after it was announced Tesla would join the S&P 500 in December

By FRANCES MULRANEY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and WIRES

PUBLISHED: 13:21 EST, 27 November 2020 | UPDATED: 14:42 EST, 27 November 202

The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating complaints that suspensions can fail on nearly 115,000 Tesla electric vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has 43 complaints that linkages near the ball joints can fail, allowing contact between the tire and wheel liner.

The probe, announced Friday on the agency's website, covers 2015 through 2017 Model S sedans and 2016 through 2017 Model X SUVs.

The agency says 32 owners complained of failures at low speeds, but 11 said the links failed on roads while traveling above 10 mph including four at highway speeds.

The Tesla Model S, pictured, and Model X SUV are the subject of a probe by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after they received 43 complaints about ball joints

It says the number of complaints is increasing as the vehicles age, with 32 in the last two years. Three of the highway complaints came in the last three months.

In addition, NHTSA says it has eight complaints that may involve suspension failures that haven't been confirmed by photos or service records.

It said it has no reports of crashes or injuries.

The agency says it will investigate how often the problem happens and the safety consequences. The probe could lead to a recall.

NHTSA says that in 2017, Tesla issued a service bulletin describing the failure and saying that drivers could still control the vehicles 'but the tire may contact the wheel arch liner.'

The bulletin says vehicles with the problems were built from January 19, 2016 to May 25, 2016.

But NHTSA said the complaints include 41 vehicles built before or after the range cited in the bulletin.

Twenty-nine were built after the range ended.

The Model S cars recalled cost upward of $67,920.

Also on Friday, Tesla recalled 870 vehicles in China over defective roofs, part of which could fall off, China's market regulator said.

The announcement comes just a month after another recall of almost 30,000 cars imported into China - the world's biggest auto market - due to suspension defects.

China's State Administration for Market Regulation said the latest recall affects Model X cars produced between March 16 and July 31 in 2016.

Already this week, Tesla recalled 9,000 Model X vehicles made in 2016 due to a roof trim that may separate from the car. Pictured, a car transporter carries new Tesla vehicles

Tesla Model X P90D is among the models that is being targeted in the latest probe

Parts of the roof trim may have insufficient primer, which is used to improve adhesion, meaning it could fall off, the regulator said in a statement.

'If the trim falls off the vehicle during driving, it will increase the risk of collision or injury for vehicles behind, especially motorcycles, posing a safety hazard,' the statement added.

Tesla will inspect the recalled cars for free and perform a test on the roof trim to check if the primer is sufficient.

On Wednesday, Tesla issued another recall in the U.S. for more than 9,000 Model X cars made in 2016, also due to roof trim that may separate, according to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In recent years, several Model X owners have posted images on Facebook and Reddit showing bits of the roof missing from their vehicles.

Earlier this week, video footage surfaced on social media in China showing the roof of a Tesla fly off as the motorist sped down a highway as the company began to recall cars

NHTSA said the front and spine cosmetic roof trim may have been adhered without first using primer, and one or both pieces of trim may separate from the vehicle while it is being driven.

Last week, a class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court alleging that Tesla not only ignored the problem but tried to cover it up.

And on Monday, reports emerged of a security defect in the company's popular Model X SUV.

Researchers conducting a security experiment with the COSIC group at the University of Leuven in Belgium discovered that it was possible to hack and steal the $80,000 cars through a Bluetooth key fob, according to Wired.

The COSIC group informed Tesla about the issue in August, and a software update was created to better protect the key fobs.

Despite the issues, stocks in Tesla have soared in recent days after it was announced that the company would join the S&P 500 in December.

One of Wall Street's most loved - and hated - stocks, Tesla was already the U.S. stock market's most traded companies by average daily value, but trading has surged in recent sessions, along with Tesla's stock price.

They have now surged 40 percent since November 16, when the announcement was made.

Traders bought and sold an average of nearly $26 billion of Tesla shares per session over the five days ending on Tuesday, accounting for almost 8 percent of all stock traded on U.S. exchanges, according to Refinitiv data.

That is more than the combined value of trades in Amazon.com Inc and Apple Inc over the same period.

Up over 600 percent in 2020, Tesla has become by far the world's most valuable automaker, despite production that is a fraction of Toyota Motor Corp, Volkswagen or General Motors Co.

Tesla shares were up a further 2 percent as of Friday afternoon

Up over 600 percent in 2020, Tesla has become by far the world's most valuable automaker

Over the past year, Tesla has averaged over $16 billion a day in trades, followed by Apple, at about $14 billion, according to Refinitiv data.

On Tuesday, the company blew past the $500billion market cap for the first time.

The recent rally boosted Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's net worth by $7.2billion to $127.9billion, helping him overtake Bill Gates to become the second-richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Musk, who was ranked 35th in January, has added $100.3billion to his net worth so far this year, according to the index.

Tesla shares were up a further 2 percent as of Friday afternoon.

A request for comment from Tesla on the probe has not been returned.