Feds told Tesla to stop making “misleading statements” on Model 3 safety

"Your company has issued a number of misleading statements," NHTSA wrote to Musk.

Read the whole story

 

[co-lee]

Tesla should absolutely respond with hard data & close this one out

they don't have any. This is merely NHTSA reminding them "hey, our data doesn't say the things you're claiming it says, so stop claiming it does."

and the fact that Tesla keeps not actually giving real data (whether here around safety or in autopilot performance) speaks volumes about what that data would actually show ...

 

[co-lee]

It is a fact that the Tesla Model 3 is significantly safer than other cars of similar size and weight. IMO, Tesla is fully within its rights to highlight that fact using publicly available NHTSA data.

Only allowing Tesla to advertise "5 stars", when it's vehicles are actually far safer than competing "5 star" rated vehicles, largely defeats the point of the NHTSA tests - to encourage auto makers to improve their vehicle's safety. Why spend time and money to exceed a 5 star safety rating if you're not allowed to tell anyone about it?

<snip />
I'd be fascinated to learn the criteria for the term 'far safer'.

I'm pretty sure in this case the criteria start and end with the manufacturer being Tesla ...

 

[co-lee]

Tesla should absolutely respond with hard data & close this one out

they don't have any. This is merely NHTSA reminding them "hey, our data doesn't say the things you're claiming it says, so stop claiming it does."

and the fact that Tesla keeps not actually giving real data (whether here around safety or in autopilot performance) speaks volumes about what that data would actually show ...

Precisely. My very first comment on this was for Tesla to show evidence & close it out or apologize & man up & retract claim

I thought their legal counter argument was interesting & so if it goes to court it gets resolved one way or another.

This was jumped upon by others claiming "fanboyism".

NO. I prefer the company either prove the claim or retract it & get on with the business of making cars & software for those cars.

edit:
clarified sentence.

yes -- that is what you said and I gave you an upvote for it.

(As far as fanboyism, you do appear to often have a serious case of that, but asking for data and saying the Tesla needs to retract their statements if they can't produce said data didn't seem like a fan moment. Rather the kind of thing I'd like to see more Tesla proponents ask for. If they can produce data to back their claims, then good. Given the ongoing and consistent failure to do so, it seems to me like some might want to temper their over the top enthusiasm: like the cars, don't believe the hype...)