A German news agency viewed over 23,000 of them Teslas internal files and noticed a worrying trend of rejecting customers who complain about dangerous things autopilot Glitches in covering the company’s ass.
The publication Handelsblatt obtained the data through an unnamed informant. Handelsblatt confirmed the authenticity of the data with the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology, which found no evidence of manipulation or falsification in the files. Tesla tried to prevent the publication from using this data in its reporting and even threatened legal action Handelsblatt. However, the publication concluded that this is one of the exceptional circumstances in which reporting such a data breach would be legal under European Union law.
It has been posted “My autopilot almost killed me”: Tesla files cast doubt on Elon Musk’s promise on Thursday. The story is both in German and behind a paywall, but the English translation is of excellent quality. Here’s a little bit of the meat of it:
The Tesla files contain more than 2,400 complaints about self-acceleration and more than 1,500 braking function problems, including 139 cases of unintentional emergency braking and 383 reported phantom stops due to false collision warnings. The number of accidents exceeds 1,000. A table of ADAS-related incidents where customers have raised safety concerns includes more than 3,000 entries.
The oldest complaints available to the Handelsblatt date from 2015, the most recent from March 2022. During this period, Tesla delivered around 2.6 million vehicles with the autopilot software. Most incidents occurred in the US But the documents also contain complaints from Europe and Asia, including many from German Tesla drivers.
The Handelsblatt contacted dozens of customers from several countries. All confirmed the information from the Tesla files. In discussions, they gave insights into their experiences with the autopilot. Some disclosed their communication with the US automaker, others showed Handelsblatt reporters videos of the accident.
Customers from USA and Europe told Handelsblatt Tesla wasn’t too keen on it to help with their problems, but seemed more intent on covering the company. This turned out to be an explicit policy at Tesla:
How did the company deal with complaints? The Tesla files also provide information on this. The files show that employees have precise guidelines for communicating with customers. The top priority is, of course, to offer as few points of attack as possible.
Each incident has “technical review” bullet points. The employees who enter this rating into the system regularly make it clear that the report is “for internal use only”. Each entry also includes a bold note that information, if any, may only be passed “VERBALL” to the customer.
“Do not copy or paste the report below into an email, text message or leave it in a voicemail for the customer,” it said. Vehicle data should also not be passed on without permission. If, despite the advice, “calling in a lawyer cannot be prevented”, this must be recorded.
Customers with whom Handelsblatt spoke have the impression that Tesla employees avoid written communication. “They never sent emails, everything was always verbal,” says the doctor from California, whose Tesla claims to have accelerated in the fall of 2021 and crashed into two concrete pillars.
There is a refrain throughout the report that is familiar to anyone who reports on Tesla: “Tesla has not answered questions about customer allegations.” Some shared it Handelsblatt They either sold their Teslas or tried to give them back to the company, saying they couldn’t in good conscience let someone else drive the car.
Elon Musk and Tesla had a hell of a good 2022and this year is sI hope it will be no different. A 2016 video was revealed showing a self-driving Tesla probably a joke created with Musk’s consent and participation. Multiple lawsuits from everyone shareholders To surviving family members of the accident victims are before the court. The National Road Safety Authority And Ministry of Justice getting closer.
The report goes into stunning detail on nearly every hurdle Tesla is currently facing, and you can read the entire report in German and English Here.
