The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of the Department of Transportation, announced the denial of a petition to investigate a recall of Tesla vehicles over alleged sudden unintended acceleration (SUA). The petitioner, Mr. Brian Sparks, had claimed a defect caused these vehicles to accelerate unexpectedly, posing a safety risk. However, after extensive analysis of data from Tesla and crash incidents, NHTSA found that the cause of the alleged SUA incidents was most likely driver error, specifically pedal misapplication. The agency found no evidence of a defect in Tesla's motor, brake systems, or vehicle design that would justify a vehicle recall.
Simple Explanation
The NHTSA looked into a complaint that some Tesla cars might speed up on their own, but they found it wasn't the car's fault. Instead, they think people might be pressing the wrong pedal by accident.