There’s no such thing as a perfect system, and even great successes like Tesla Motors can have a little trouble, such as a voluntary Tesla Model S recall announced today.
Tesla Motors has been nothing short of a miracle when it comes to marketing and producing an electric vehicle that is actually worth driving. While we are happy to see Tesla Motors making claims and then delivering, what about when something goes wrong? Some might think this is the perfect time to ignore the problem or shift the blame, but what does a voluntary Tesla Model S recall say about Tesla Motors as a company?
It makes me think of the Lexus Covenant, which I had nearly committed to memory when I was an aspiring and idealistic young technician, part of which says, “Lexus will do it right from the start. Lexus will treat each customer as we would a guest in our home.” I still believe in those words, and if you change Lexus to Tesla Motors, you can see that Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk believes those words, too. [I can’t find that reference, someone help me out?]
A voluntary Tesla Model S recall announced this morning regarding the strength of a bracket in the second-row seat. The bracket is bonded and welded at the factory, each of which, on their own, should be sufficient, but adjustments have compromised the redundant measures and the bracket isn’t as strong as Tesla Motors had designed. Still, there were no actual cases of the bracket breaking off or any accidents or injuries reported due to the defect. Cars produced after June 8, 2013 have already been corrected, but vehicles produced between May 10 and June 8 will need to be retrofitted.
