Potential Falcon Wing Class Action

[andyroyale]

Well, it finally happened to me.

After an evening with the family, I unbuckled the seatbelt to get the mail, hopped back in drove to the garage door (300 ft from mailbox) let my family out and drove into the garage. It so happens that my daughter forgot to close her falcon door and the right side and it hit the garage wall. I heard a loud crashing sound and stopped immediately. The falcon wing door suffered some damage but I could still manually put it back in place. The top glass did crack and the alignment needs to be addressed.

Complaint: The warning of the falcon wing door while driving is simply not enough and it is the same as the seat belt warning which may be confusing to drivers as it can be confused with the warning was for the seat belt.

A case could be made that Tesla is deliberately failing to implement safety measures to ensure no driving is allowed when falcon doors open so they can collect on insurance claims (several so far). This theory is strengthned as the car cannot be driven when charging due to severe damage to charging station should that occur. Why has this not been implemented on the falcon doors?

Driving with the falcon doors open must become an optional feature if at all. Further, as someone suggested, an approval could be required for driving with the falcon doors open.

I think Model X owners should demand that Tesla offer more control or we should seriously consider a class action which would retroactively cover all cases of falcon door damage due to Tesla’s deficient system.

Thoughts? Any attorney here that could offer input? (I’m already suing Tesla for using recycled parts on my brand new X).

 

[commasign]

The warning is more than what you get for an unbuckled seat belt. The instrument cluster display shows the open door in red too and displays a warning message. Pretty hard to ignore IMO, but I guess everyone is different. I agree that it would be easy for Tesla to add even more alerts.

On the other hand, the scenario you describe could have occurred with any car with doors open.

 

[TexLaw]

Thoughts?

Develop good habits. Check your doors before you drive. Check your instrument cluster before you drive. Own your own mistake.

Don't make the rest of us deal with an interlock because you and a relative handful of other drivers didn't exercise basic care or pay attention to prominent warnings.

 

[andyroyale]

The warning is more than what you get for an unbuckled seat belt. The instrument cluster display shows the open door in red too and displays a warning message. Pretty hard to ignore IMO, but I guess everyone is different. I agree that it would be easy for Tesla to add even more alerts.

On the other hand, the scenario you describe could have occurred with any car with doors open.

Thanks.

The falcon doors are a unique feature in the automotive world that require enhanced safety capabilities and controls. If sued, Tesla would be hard pressed to defend allowing driving with those doors open considering the potential damage and injury. Especially when they do block driving in other situations such as charging.

I just can’t think of any other reason for allowing this and adding half baked warnings other than collecting on collision claims. (My previous experience with Tesla makes me biased, I confess).

 

[Krazaak]

Well, it finally happened to me.

After an evening with the family, I unbuckled the seatbelt to get the mail, hopped back in drove to the garage door (300 ft from mailbox) let my family out and drove into the garage. It so happens that my daughter forgot to close her falcon door and the right side and it hit the garage wall. I heard a loud crashing sound and stopped immediately. The falcon wing door suffered some damage but I could still manually put it back in place. The top glass did crack and the alignment needs to be addressed.

Complaint: The warning of the falcon wing door while driving is simply not enough and it is the same as the seat belt warning which may be confusing to drivers as it can be confused with the warning was for the seat belt.

A case could be made that Tesla is deliberately failing to implement safety measures to ensure no driving is allowed when falcon doors open so they can collect on insurance claims (several so far). This theory is strengthned as the car cannot be driven when charging due to severe damage to charging station should that occur. Why has this not been implemented on the falcon doors?

Driving with the falcon doors open must become an optional feature if at all. Further, as someone suggested, an approval could be required for driving with the falcon doors open.

I think Model X owners should demand that Tesla offer more control or we should seriously consider a class action which would retroactively cover all cases of falcon door damage due to Tesla’s deficient system.

Thoughts? Any attorney here that could offer input? (I’m already suing Tesla for using recycled parts on my brand new X).

Sorry for the damage to your vehicle, but you are the one responsible for knowing the state of your multi-ton vehicle before you move it. There's a warning sound, warning message and visual representation of your open door, what more could they possibly do?

 

[P100DHG.]

I am sorry this happened to you. In my Model S if I try to drive forward a foot and the door is open to make an adjustment it throws the parking brake on. It won’t move. As for the FWD our Model X goes nuts flashes red on the MCU when the door is open and alerts like crazy. Lapses in concentration just for a split second can always happen. I’m surprised Tesla doesn’t enable the same response as my Model S.

 

[P100DHG.]

So above was my productive response. Here is my frank response.

Karma is a bitch bud. You screwed up. You’re the guy who always screws up and blames it on everyone else. Lawyers fix all your problems and trash our legal system. Frankly I think you should open both FWDs and run then into your garage. You can double your chances of winning that lawsuit!

 

[andyroyale]

Develop good habits. Check your doors before you drive. Check your instrument cluster before you drive. Own your own mistake.

Don't make the rest of us deal with an interlock because you and a relative handful of other drivers didn't exercise basic care or pay attention to prominent warnings.

They are never “prominent”, they can be confused with object sensors, unbuckled seat belt.

Care to elaborate why the car should be allowed to drive with falcon doors open at all?

Sorry for the damage to your vehicle, but you are the one responsible for knowing the state of your multi-ton vehicle before you move it. There's a warning sound, warning message and visual representation of your open door, what more could they possibly do?

Thanks for your kind words.

Not allow driving with falcon doors open seems like the sensible, smart thing to do. This will continue to occur until they change the settings.

 

[Tam]

...Driving with the falcon doors open must become an optional feature if at all...

Would other cars' opened doors prevent a driver from driving?

How about an opened hatchback door that would damage a garage door?

A driver should be in charge of the status of the car and its environment at all time.

Otherwise, please let an autonomous car take over that human's function.

 

[P85_DA]

A case could be made that Tesla is deliberately failing to implement safety measures to ensure no driving is allowed when falcon doors open so they can collect on insurance claims (several so far).

Really ?? List your sources ..your mistake...I’m sorry but the car gives enough warning if you were distracted that’s your issue not Tesla’s

 

[Zaxxon]

This request is ridiculous.

 

[traxila]

This car is not for you. Sell it and move on.

 

[mkspeedr]

Were you on the phone?

 

[Beardco]

Thank you for the dinner show this evening.

There's a great YouTube video of a guy doing just this. He jumps in the car; you can hear warning bells going crazy, and he just keeps driving right into his garage. It's spectacular. Painful, actually.

 

[Petra]

I've driven a Model X with the falcon wing doors open before. The warnings are adequate.

 

[pvx179]

Dude, this is 100% your fault. In no way is the FWD audio and visual alerts anywhere close to a seatbelt alert. I get it, I have 2 kids and a model X. We do the dance and I do what you described all the time, but I find is extremely hard to believe that you didn't see your dash light up and hear the distinct warning alarm going off. Check this video:

It sounds to me like you are still pissed at yourself for making this mistake...I would be too...and thus this "class action" nonsense. Not trying to throw salt on your wounds but this isn't a technology/feature issue, it's a 'your fault' issue.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

Why exactly does the vehicle allow a person to drive it while the falcon doors are open?

is there some use case or need for this that I'm missing?

I have a hard time understanding why Tesla would have such explicit warnings not to drive with the doors open, but to allow for it.

Now I can understand maybe having a control to override it if there was a sensor issue.

 

[TexLaw]

Care to elaborate why the car should be allowed to drive with falcon doors open at all?

No. You don't get to just make a blatant straw man argument and deflect the fact that you did not check your doors and that you ignored warnings that were literally right in front of you. You don't get to blame someone else for that.

they can be confused with object sensors, unbuckled seat belt.

I take it you ignore those, as well. You might want to reconsider that practice. Any harm that comes from that likely will be your fault, as well, and not Tesla's.

You wanted input from an attorney. You just got it.

Happy driving.

 

[mattack4000]

This guy is jacking up our insurance rate and he wants to make the car more expensive and ruin the experience for everyone.

Can we start a class action against you?

 

[commasign]

@pvx179 Thanks for posting the video. Pretty much proves the point that there are plenty of warnings (beeping, instrument cluster, and touch screen).

There are certainly scenarios where one would intentionally drive with the doors open and it would not make sense for Tesla to prevent the driver from doing so.

Just thought of another scenario. Rarely, there are mechanical issues with the falcon wing doors (or any Tesla door, frunk, or trunk) where the car thinks the door is open but it’s actually closed. Obviously that’s an issue that requires immediate service, but in the meantime the car would be completely disabled if Tesla did not allow any movement when doors are “open”.

That, along with repositioning when picking up or dropping off passengers (described in the video), and maybe a parade or some other “show off the wings” situation is reason enough for Tesla not to disable the car when the falcon wing doors are open.