Design flaws caused a Tesla Model 3 to suddenly accelerate out of control before it crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames, killing a woman and severely injuring her husband, a lawsuit alleges.

Design flaws caused a Tesla Model 3 to suddenly accelerate out of control before it crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames, killing a woman and severely injuring her husband, a lawsuit filed in federal court alleges.

Another defect, with the door handle design, thwarted bystanders who were trying to rescue the driver, Jeff Dennis, and his wife, Wendy, from the car, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

Wendy Dennis died in the Jan. 7, 2023, crash in Tacoma, Washington. Jeff Dennis suffered severe leg burns and other injuries, according to the lawsuit.

  • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.worldEnglish
    31·
    21 hours ago

    You said there was no reason. There is a reason. You didn’t ask for a good reason. It’s also by absolutely no means unique to Tesla, despite how it is portrayed in articles like this.

    Tesla isn’t the first manufacturer to use frameless windows by any means. Audi, Toyota, Honda, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Mini, and Subaru just to name a few, have all used them in various “luxury” or higher end models over the years. It’s perceived as luxury vehicle design, so it gets used quite a bit.

    The handle not physically manipulating a latch also isn’t unique. Corvette’s have done this for years. Many recent vehicles from Lexus, Audi, Ferrari, Fiat, Lincoln, and Dodge again to name a few also use them, regardless of the flush exterior handle design. The handle design itself isn’t the issue with these deaths, it’s the electrical system failing. The flush handles causes issues with things like ice build-up, not being unable to open the door after a crash.

    Articles like this always point to these issues, and act like they’re unique to Tesla, but they’re not. It’s the same as it’s always been, Tesla headlines get clicks, which drives interaction and sharing exactly like here, which all lead to increased advertising revenue.