The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a software update Tesla sent out earlier this year aimed at addressing several reports of battery fever. Some owners noted that the update released in May markedly reduced the ultimate range of Teslas. A few even sued the company for alleged fraud.
NHTSA received a “pleasure petition” last September from an attorney representing some of these clients. He asked NHTSA to investigate the software update to determine if Tesla was hiding a malfunction in its vehicles that could have caused the fires, which was reported earlier this year.
The lawyer who opened the investigation accused Tesla of “covering up”!
Tesla did not respond to requests for immediate comment on these investigations and events.
Fault petitions require more information than the typical complaints NHTSA receives. Crucially, they are forcing the agency to be more precise: people want, following the investigation, a recall should be made for cars affected by the alleged defects against NHTSA or published in the federal registry announcing the decision not to make their findings.
