cars news 10: Tesla Defends its Suspension Systems, Says it’s Not Silencing Owners

Tesla has issued a statement defending the safety of its suspension systems and its periodic use of “Goodwill Agreements” to help customers pay for out-of-warranty expenses on their cars. The response comes after Tesla allegedly offered to cover a driver’s expenses related to a Model S suspension failure, while at the same time requesting the driver keep the issue confidential.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently scolded Tesla for issuing such non-disclosure agreements. “The agency immediately informed Tesla that any language implying that consumers should not contact the agency regarding safety concerns is unacceptable, and NHTSA expects Tesla to eliminate any such language,” NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas told Automotive News.

A blog post by the Daily Kanban claimed there were at least three instances in which Tesla used “Goodwill Agreements” to prevent the reporting of vehicle defects. In one, Tesla allegedly offered to pay half a repair bill for a customer whose 2013 Model S suspension suddenly failed. Reportedly, Tesla asked the customer to keep it hush-hush, including “incidents or claims leading or related to our provision of the Goodwill.”

In a lengthy blog post, Tesla said it would never ask customers to sign a document preventing them from speaking with NHTSA. “That is preposterous,” Tesla emphasized.

“When our customers tell us something went wrong with their car, we often cover it even if we find that the problem was not caused by the car and that we therefore have no obligations under the warranty,” Tesla said. “In these situations, we discount or conduct the repair for free, because we believe in putting our customers’ happiness ahead of our own bottom line.”

The automaker asks owners to sign the agreements to “ensure that Tesla doesn’t do a good deed, only to have that used against us in court for further gain.” While it says these instances are rare, they do happen.

Tesla goes on to say there are no safety defects with the suspensions on the Model S or Model X. It also addressed the suspension failure on the previously mentioned Model S, saying the suspension ball joint experienced an abnormal case of rust it hasn’t seen on any other car. The car was found caked in dirt upon retrieval.

NHTSA has not opened a formal investigation on the issue.

Source: Tesla, Automotive News (Subscription required)