Issues
As Elon Musk promises ‘full self-driving,’ experts worry Tesla is ‘using consumers as guinea pigs’
Tesla’s cars will in August suddenly activate “full self-driving features,” the company’s chief executive Elon Musk tweeted on Sunday, three days after federal investigators said a Tesla SUV driving semi-autonomously had accelerated over 70 mph and smashed into a highway barrier. Musk’s promotion to his millions of followers — that the fantastic future of self-driving…
Consumer Groups Call For Investigation Into Tesla's 'Autopilot'
Click here to watch the full clip from KABC TV-7.
Woman escapes from Kia SUV engulfed in flames
It turns out that the car was under recall, but the owner claims that she never received a recall notice. Click here to watch the full clip from NBC Nightly News. Learn more about Kia and Hyundai non-crash fires.
Tesla is facing mounting pressure to drop the name 'Autopilot'
Tesla is facing intense pressure to abandon the name “Autopilot” for its semi-autonomous driving technology following a series of crashes, at least one fatal, involving Tesla vehicles that were operating in that mode. “Tesla has repeatedly exaggerated the autonomous capabilities of its Autopilot technology, boosting sales at the expense of consumer safety,” said Center for…
How One Recalled SUV Destroyed $45 Million In Cars, Burned A Massive Ship, And Sparked A Legal Battle Between Ford And BMW
Mary didn’t know anything was wrong with her old Ford SUV when it was loaded onto a container ship in Europe in mid-2015. But she found out the hard way when it caught fire below deck, taking $45 million worth of other cars with it, causing another $55 million in damage to the vessel and…
Consumer Group Says Tesla's Autopilot Is 'Deceptive,' Calls For Investigation
The consumer advocacy groups Center for Auto Safety and Consumer Watchdog called on the Federal Trade Commission today to investigate Tesla for “deceptive advertising and marketing practices and representations” made regarding Tesla’s Autopilot semi-autonomous driving system. The letter specifically points out advertising, statements, and marketing materials that give the impression that the Autopilot system is far more capable than…
Trump NHTSA pick's vote postponed
by Keith Laing May 21, 2018 Washington — The nomination of President Trump’s pick to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is facing signs of trouble after a Senate committee postponed a Tuesday vote on whether her nomination should move forward. A senator on that committee expressed concern over her earlier testimony. Consideration of NHTSA…
In ‘service campaigns,’ car companies allegedly downplay defects linked to poisoning, crashes, and fires
by Amy Martin ConsumerAffairs.com May 17, 2018 When a driver in southern California noticed that his three-year-old Prius was losing power as he cruised down the Interstate 5 highway, with warning lights illuminating on the dashboard and his gas pedal suddenly failing, he knew his only hope to avoid a crash was to pull off…
CAS letter regarding the nomination of Heidi King of NHTSA Administrator
May 14, 2018 Chairman John Thune U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 512 Dirksen Senate Building Washington, DC 20510 Ranking Member Bill Nelson U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 425 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson: The Center for Auto Safety (“the Center”)…