Staff Reports
In a letter addressed to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) express their grave concerns about the “substandard quality” of Tesla vehicles. The letter specifically addresses the steering control and suspension in some of its vehicles, which were recalled in China in 2020 but not in the U.S.
.@SenBlumenthal and @SenMarkey call for further Tesla recalls https://t.co/992Uyt2cyD https://t.co/992Uyt2cyD
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 28, 2023
The senators are taking aim at Tesla’s alleged concealment of safety flaws and failure to provide accurate information to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA has already launched an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot function, citing concerns about drivers not always being aware when the system is engaged.
Sen. Markey didn’t hold back his criticism, taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call on Tesla to stop blaming customers and issue a recall for their malfunctioning vehicles. This isn’t the first time the senators have raised concerns about Tesla’s vehicles, as they previously wrote letters in 2022 regarding the braking functions and in 2021 to the Federal Trade Commission about the Autopilot function.
Tesla, however, has strongly refuted the allegations, accusing reports of carrying a “wildly misleading headline.” The company defended its reputation, claiming that its customer retention is among the best and highest in the industry.
