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Chinese Tesla Model 3 Owner Shows Crash Video, Blames Braking Issues for It

After Zhang Yazhou jumped on the roof of a Tesla Model 3 to protest against the company at the Auto Shanghai 2021, the company faced severe reputation damages in China. Some owners installed cameras to film the pedals and prove they were not to blame if anything similar happened to them. A new crash in Chongquing adds up to those accusations against the company.
Tesla Model 3 Gets Accused of Braking Issues in China Again 6 photos
Photo: Weibo
Tesla Model 3 Gets Accused of Braking Issues in China AgainTesla Model 3 Gets Accused of Braking Issues in China AgainTesla Recall in China for TACCZhang Yazhou Protests Against Tesla at Auto Shanghai 2021Zhang Yazhou Protests Against Tesla at Auto Shanghai 2021
The unidentified Tesla Model 3 shared a video and a report of what happened on Weibo. CarNewsChina was kind to post that on YouTube to share it with the rest of the world. You can watch the crash video below.

According to the report we tried to translate from ChinaHot.org, the owner would be trying to visit someone in a condo called Jiu Xitai. The condo rules would establish that visitors have to communicate with the resident they plan to see at the entrance security. The Model 3 driver would be used to going there and familiar with the location.

All of a sudden, the Model 3 would have started to accelerate. Stepping on the brakes would not have helped, which made the owner accuse the EV of having the same defect Zhang Yazhou said in a thunderous fashion that her car had.

Jason Hughes, the Tesla hacker, already said SUA (sudden unintended acceleration) episodes with Tesla vehicles are nearly impossible, but another explanation emerged recently: it would be an ergonomic issue.

Due to how the TACC (Traffic-Aware Cruise Control) is activated, drivers would accidentally turn it on. The active cruise control is operated through the same lever that selects the gears in the vehicle, located on the right side of the steering wheel. In tight curves, they could bump on it and activate TACC.

If the pre-set speed were higher than the one in which the EV currently is, it would accelerate. China’s SAMR (State Administration for Market Regulation) ordered a recall, and Tesla added a sound to activating the TACC through an OTA (over-the-air) update.

In this crash, it may have happened that, instead of putting their cars to move again, the driver may have inadvertently activated TACC. Having a sound or not would not have made a difference in hitting the wall.

We’d love to learn the identity of the driver and all the details surrounding the crash. According to the reports, Tesla broke its promise of releasing all data related to traffic incidents and would have just informed them that the car did not experience any malfunction. Hiring more people for its PR department will not help if the company does not choose to be more transparent.

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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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