2008 Tesla Roadster

Routine

Owners filed 1 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the vehicle speed control. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails

Component	Reports		Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Vehicle Speed Control	1		0	0	0

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports

Wheels › Hub09V178000

Filed May 26, 2009345 vehiclesTesla Motors

Defect. TESLA MOTORS, INC. IS RECALLING 345 MY 2008 TESLA ROADSTER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MARCH 2008 AND APRIL 22, 2009. THE REAR HUB FLANGE BOLTS ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE UNDER-TORQUED AND MAY BECOME LOOSE. A LOOSE HUB COULD LEAD TO DEGRADATION IN VEHICLE HANDLING, AND A RUBBING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE.

Risk. IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT ADDRESSED PROMPTLY, THE DRIVER COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A CRASH.

Remedy. TESLA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPAIR THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TESLA TOLL-FREE AT 1-877-888-3752.

What owners reported

Newest filings

Vehicle Speed Control

Filed Jul 18, 20091,800 milesNH

THE VEHICLE IS PRONE TO 'SUDDEN ACCELERATION' PROBLEMS WHERE THE DRIVER LOSES CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ENGAGES AND FORCES THE REGENERATIVE ENGINE BREAKING SYSTEM TO DISENGAGE. THE TESLA ROADSTER USES VERY AGGRESSIVE ENGINE REGENERATIVE BREAKING SO, WHEN IT IS DISENGAGED, THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY AND FASTER THAN THE DRIVER CAN REACT BY ENGAGING THE BREAKS. THIS MOST COMMONLY HAPPENS WHEN I DRIVE DOWN A HILL OR AROUND A CORNER AT 20 MPH USING ENGINE REGENERATIVE BREAKING TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD THAT ENGAGES THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY DOUBLE SPEED (40 MPH) FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE SECONDS AS THE ENGINE REGENERATIVE BREAKING ON THIS VEHICLE DISENGAGES... FASTER THAN I CAN COMPENSATE BY BREAKING. IN EFFECT, THE CAR SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY LURCHES FORWARD WHEN THE TCS KICKS IN. I PROBABLY SEE THIS BEHAVIOR AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK ON ONE PARTICULAR STRETCH OF NEARLY EMPTY ROAD, BUT HAVE HAD TWO NEAR COLLISIONS RECENTLY, ONE ON THAT STRETCH OF ROAD FOLLOWING A TRUCK AT A DISTANCE AND ONE ON A DIFFERENT STRETCH OF ROAD MAKING A CORNER WHERE THE CAR NEARLY ACCELERATED INTO AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. GIVEN HOW FEW OF THESE CARS ARE ON THE ROAD, HOW AGGRESSIVE THE ENGINE REGENERATIVE BREAKING IS, AND HOW LITTLE MOST OTHER OWNERS DRIVE THEIR VEHICLES RELATIVE TO MY DAILY COMMUTES, I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL LEAD TO MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT

1 of 1 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2011

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Deaths	Assessment
2011	1	0	0	0	Routine
2008 — this page	1	1	0	0	Routine

Compare every Roadster year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: May 26, 2009. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.