Tesla Model S Self-Ignites In Texas, Owner Wants Response From Tesla

Tesla cars having quality issues is a problem that has plagued the company for a long time. There have been many incidents of cars catching fire, various parts in the car breaking, and the vehicles, in general, being loosely put together. However, Tesla has come a long way and now the number of incidents is few and far in between. But, there are still a few incidents from time to time. These incidents catch the eye of the public immediately.

Tesla Model S Self-Ignites In Texas, Owner Wants Response From Tesla

2015 Model S catches fire in Texas

On November 24, a 2015 Model S caught fire after the owner heard a few loud bangs in the car. The owner stopped the car to check what is wrong, only to watch it burn in front of him. Fortunately, the Fire Department rushed to the scene and prevented the car from burning down entirely. The pictures from the incident revealed that the damage was mostly on the passenger side. Because the owner was riding alone, nobody got injured due to the fire. The incident has shaken up the owners as the risk of your car catching fire without warning is scary. However, it is unclear as to what caused this inferno. The owners think that the car battery must have exploded. They tried to contact Tesla and Elon Musk but haven’t received any response yet. The owners tweeted pictures of the incident along with a description of the incident.

Had to do pharmacy run just out of our neighborhood, passing the spot where @usmaan008’s @tesla #modelS suddenly caught fire last week. Still can’t believe this really happened. Hoping there is an explanation and that we will have it soon. pic.twitter.com/3FO5zsXTqo

— _s u b i a_ #SWABFORLIYNA (@_subia_) December 3, 2020

My husband turned that corner, heard loud bangs, pulled right over & got out seconds before 2015 #tesla #modelS inexplicably burst into flames. @tesla still hasn’t had a chance to investigate but I now fear for all our family & friends who drive Teslas. We just want answers. pic.twitter.com/X4uJg9azGA

— _s u b i a_ #SWABFORLIYNA (@_subia_) December 13, 2020

Other similar issues faced by Tesla owners

In April 2020, a Tesla Model S inexplicably caught fire while parked in Shanghai. There was no prior warning for that car either. A video of the incident shows smoke appear from under the car and then it just explodes. This incident could have been potentially hazardous as other cars parked in the parking lot could have been further damaged. Tesla investigated the incident but there hasn’t been any follow-up regarding this incident either.

This incident is even more peculiar because the car hasn’t been in a collision. Neither was it charging at the time of the incident. While there was a suggestion that arson might be involved, there hasn’t been any confirmation regarding that either.

Further Controversy

After the Shanghai incident, Tesla introduced a software update to increase safety. However, a Tesla owner has shown the graph of the degradation of his battery. The graph shows that his battery degraded seriously after the update was released. He contacted Tesla with this information but did not receive any response. The owner claims that this new update has reduced the range of the battery or has slowed down the speed of charging. It is equivalent to the size of a car’s fuel tank reducing after a few years of ownership. Because of the lack of a response from Tesla, the owner has now filed a lawsuit against the company.

What this means for Tesla

When Tesla released the Model S in 2012, they were providing an alternative to all the “mainstream” luxury brands. They brought features and technology that were never seen before in the automotive world. They sparked an interest in EVs that has now caught fire all around the world. However, Tesla has struggled to address such issues from the beginning. They have been bogged down by quality issues from the beginning of their journey as an automobile manufacturer. While they have created a brand new breed of cars, they have not matched the efficiency of the mainstream brands. Tesla’s handling of these issues isn’t helping its image either.

While consumers like having technology in the car, they do not want any such problems along with it. They want the car to do its primary function without any hiccups. And the primary function of a car isn’t to be connected to the internet, it is taking the occupants from point A to point B comfortably. If Tesla wants to achieve this, it will have to work harder.