Three is not Tesla’s lucky number.
After the electric car company’s third fire-related incident, the National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Tuesday that it plans to launch a formal investigation into possible safety defects of Tesla’s Model S vehicles, reports The Detroit News.
The agency said in a statement, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is deeply committed to safeguarding the driving public. The agency has opened a formal investigation to determine if a safety defect exists in certain Tesla Model S vehicles. The agency’s investigation was prompted by recent incidents in Washington State and Tennessee that resulted in battery fires due to undercarriage strikes with roadway debris.”
In addition to the two U.S.-based incidents, another Model S caught fire in Mexico when the driver drove through cement and crashed into a tree.
Because all of these fires ignited from Tesla’s battery pack located in the belly of the car, the NHTSA’s study will focus on the “potential risks associated with undercarriage strikes.”
If any defects are found, 13,100 Model S vehicles may have to be recalled.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s founder and CEO, was jumped to his company’s defense.
He wrote in a lengthy blog post, “Despite multiple high-speed accidents, there have been no deaths or serious injuries in a Model S of any kind ever.”
He then outlined the company’s plan to deal with the Model S’ fire incidents.
In part, it included slight manufacturing changes, such as “an over-the-air update to the air suspension that will result in greater ground clearance at highway speeds.”
“To reinforce how strongly we feel about the low risk of fire in our cars, we will be amending our warranty policy to cover damage due to a fire, even if due to driver error,” he added.
Musk also said that Tesla had asked the NHTSA to conduct the investigation.
Musk’s request for the probe came just a week after he told a crowd at The New York Times DealBook conference that he was fully confident the Tesla Model S did not need to be recalled.
“There’s definitely not going to be a recall. There’s no reason for a recall,” he said.
Some safety advocates say it is about time the NHTSA took a look at Tesla’s flammable battery pack.
Clarence Ditlow of the Center for Auto Safety thought the NHTSA should have tested the Model S’s safety after fires earlier this month.
He told The Detroit News, “Three fires is a big number out of 19,000” Model S cars on the roads…They have to open an investigation. I would fall out of my chair if they didn’t.”
Ditlow noted that debris on the road is a serious issue, and battery packs on the car could use more shielding to prevent future fires.
Sean Kane, the founder and president of Safety Research & Strategies, made a similar observation.
“We do see fires in gasoline-powered vehicles but not a lot from undercarriage impacts. That’s a pretty rare event. It does raise questions. Are we looking at something that is a bigger problem?” he asked The Detroit News.
Despite calls from auto safety firms, the NHTSA never launched an investigation until now.
It has taken a while for the government to react to Tesla’s battery issues, but the company’s stock holders have grown increasingly wary of the Model S ever since the battery fire in October.
Tesla’s stock price hit a record high of $194.50 on September 20, but dropped 35 percent since the first fire in Seattle.
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