He became concerned when he noticed a ‘weird scent’ in the car
A Tesla driver was left fearing for his safety when his car’s main features and dashboard froze, leaving him stuck at 83mph on a freeway.
Javier Rodriguez from Irvine, California, said that he was on the 10 freeway on Thursday (April 7) when his Tesla Model 3 got stuck at 83mph and the main screen froze.
Javier said he became concerned when it “started to get hot in the car” and he noticed a “weird scent.”
Speaking to ABC7, Javier said all the buttons and switches – including the turn signals and hazard lights – had stopped working.
Thankfully for Javier, the brakes were still working, but he explained that this didn’t make him feel that much safer when he was trying to stop.
He said: “I was nervous that if I were to brake a whole lot that I wouldn’t be able to gain the speed again to keep up with traffic and get around cars. I was nervous somebody was going to slam into me.”
Eventually he managed to make it off road, with the car rebooting a few minutes later.
The car appeared to correct itself and an officer from the California Highway Patrol helped him get off the freeway, before Javier got the car towed.
Tesla did later tell Javier that they fixed the vehicle, but the only explanation they would give for the malfunction was “poor communication from charge port door causing power conversion system to shut off in order to protect on board components during drive.”
Javier wasn’t very satisfied by this, adding: “I need more explanation, I’m on the freeway and this happens at 83 miles an hour. Everybody is trying to say, ‘Well we fixed it. We fixed it,’ but I need an explanation.”
Related links:
- ‘Fast and furious’ video shows Tesla airborne in terrifying stunt on Los Angeles hill
- Tesla owner blows up car and burns Musk effigy in protest at cost of replacing battery
- Cop pulls over driverless car – but it speeds off when he tries to open the door
