A Pennsylvania man out for a drive earlier this week in his brand new Tesla Model S Plaid found himself trapped as the car burst into flames and the electronic doors failed to open, according to reports.
The owner, whose name has not been released publicly, narrowly escaped with his life on a residential street near his home in Haverford, Pennsylvania, Tuesday night.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the incident along with other alleged defects in Tesla sedan and SUVs as part of a probe opened in 2019 into numerous vehicle fires, the Washington Post reports.
“NHTSA is aware of the Tesla vehicle fire in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania; and the agency is in touch with relevant agencies and the manufacturer to gather information about the incident,” spokeswoman Lucia Sanchez said. “If data or investigations show a defect or an inherent risk to safety exists, NHTSA will take action as appropriate to protect the public.”
Attorneys with Geragos & Geragos in Los Angeles said the driver first noticed smoke coming from the back of the vehicle and had to force his way out the door after realizing the locking mechanism had malfunctioned. After the driver jumped out, the vehicle continued to roll on its own for another 35 feet to 40 feet before turning into a “fireball,” reports said.
“It was a harrowing and horrifying experience,” lawyer Mark Geragos said, according to Reuters.
“This is a brand new model... We are doing an investigation. We are calling for the S Plaid to be grounded, not to be on the road until we get to the bottom of this,” he said.
The Gladwyne Fire Department also announced an investigation into the fire in a Thursday news release on Facebook that has since been taken down without comment, the Post reported. Crews were reportedly on scene for more than three hours to deal with the emergency.
The first 25 of the 2021 Model S Plaid vehicles -- high-performance version of its flagship electric sedan -- were delivered in June fresh off the production line, including the car delivered to the owner just the weekend before the frightening mishap, according to the Post.
The Model S, which cost upwards of $129,900, was touted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk at a Fremont, California, launch event last month as being “faster than any Porsche, safer than any Volvo.”
Earlier in April, however, Musk revealed the new Model S sedan and Model X sport utility vehicle faced some issues during production.
“It took quite a bit of development to ensure that the battery of the new S/X is safe,” Musk said on a conference call, addressing production delays. “There were more challenges than expected in developing the new version.”
This week’s incident closely resembled previous Tesla fires, where drivers said they became trapped as a result of malfunctioning electronics after an electrical or smoky smell followed by a pop, the Post reported.
“He’s in the car, he smells and sees the smoke, turns around and sees the smoke is filling up the cabin, then flames, and reacts almost immediately,” Geragos said in an interview. “The door malfunctions, he gets out and somehow the car is still running [down the road] according to witnesses as he’s trying to get away from the car. And within moments of him getting out of the car, the car is engulfed in flames.”
Jason Setchen, a Miami attorney also representing the owner, said the man narrowly escaped after the door handles would not budge.
“Once he saw the fire shoot out of the back, that’s when he immediately pulled over to try to exit the vehicle,” Setchen said, according to the Post. “He tried to get out of the vehicle; he was pushing the door frantically and it would not engage.”
That’s when the owner desperately put the weight of his body against the door to force it open, Setchen said.
“He was able to push the button again and lean against the door very hard and that’s when it opened up,” he said.
In October 2019, another Tesla owner in South Florida died after the lithium ion battery in his Model S caught fire and the car’s retractable door handles malfunctioned, trapping him inside, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit.
Tesla says it delivered 201,250 electric vehicles in the second quarter as it overcame a global computer chip shortage that has hit nearly every automaker.
Also during the quarter, Tesla had to deal with safety and quality issues in China, where it has built a huge factory to serve the world’s largest auto market.
In June Tesla Inc. had to recall about 285,000 vehicles in China because of a problem with the cruise control. Chinese authorities said it can activate accidentally and cause cars to suddenly speed up, creating a safety hazard.
Information provided by The Associated Press was used to supplement this report.
