In a blog post, Tesla Motors responded to the alleged safety issues regarding the suspension of its electric vehicles. CEO Elon Musk hinted that there is a conspiracy to damage the reputation of the pioneering company.
Tesla, first and foremost, said there are no safety defects related to the Model S or Model X vehicles. The company owns all its service centers, and so knows all incidents that occur in its vehicles and any parts that are replaced. Tesla is on top of any potential issue with any part used for its vehicles, and combined with the extensive testing that it undertakes on its components, the company has high confidence in the safety of its suspension systems.
The company noted that the incident that started the controversy is an unusual and unique one. A 2013 Tesla Model S electric vehicle saw its front part drop and its left wheel detached after driving through a pothole, with abnormal rust affecting the suspension ball joint of the vehicle.
Tesla added that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), after receiving all the information it needed from the company, has confirmed that there are no safety concerns surrounding the suspension of the Model S.
The company then called out a blogger by the name of Edward Niedermayer, who Tesla said fabricated the entire issue.
Through his Twitter account, Musk revealed his concerns of a possible conspiracy against the electric vehicle company.
Would seem to indicate that one or more people sought to create the false impression of a safety issue where none existed. Q is why?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2016
Tesla is not yet entirely out of the controversy though. With the case of the suspension issues on the 2013 Tesla Model S, the company introduced a nondisclosure agreement with the owner of the vehicle, which is an unusual practice for a car company.
Tesla said it decided to cover $3,100 in repair costs for the damaged vehicle, despite the warranty having been expired. In return, it had the owner sign a goodwill agreement, which includes a confidentiality clause.
The point of the agreement was to make sure that Tesla would not find itself in court after doing something good for a customer, according to the company. The problem, however is that the confidentiality clause could be interpreted as a prohibition against the car owner to report safety issues to the NHTSA, though Tesla claims that there is no intention for the agreement to be considered as such.
Tesla has now revised its nondisclosure agreements to address such concerns, making it clear that customers are not prevented from reporting safety problems in their Tesla electric vehicles to the proper authorities.
