Tesla Bear Gordon Johnson Accuses NHTSA Of Being 'Bought And Paid For' Over Model 3, Model Y 'Phantom-Braking' Woes

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) bear and GLJ Research CEO Gordon Johnson accused the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of inaction on Thursday, despite user complaints about the Model Y/3 forward collision system having surged unusually in 2021.

What Happened: In response to a post claiming that complaints about Tesla’s phantom braking “drastically increased” following CEO Elon Musk’s decision to disable radar on all Model 3 and Model Y cars in May 2021, Johnson expressed skepticism, stating, “Hey NHTSA… who there is brought and paid for? Anyone? Sure seems that way, no?”

“NHTSA doesn't seem [to] care about people who drive cars who aren't $TSLA owners, USING THEIR OWN NUMBERS!,” Johnson asserted on X, referencing a graph prepared by Shenzhen-based hedge fund Snow Bull Capital using NHTSA data.

According to the illustration, the percentage of Tesla complaints involving its forward collision system surged significantly in the first quarter of 2022, following Tesla’s decision to disable radar on all Model 3 and Y vehicles.

The federal agency did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.

Why It Matters: Complaints related to the forward collision system include instances of “phantom braking,” where the vehicle applies the brakes unnecessarily at high speeds.

Contrary to Johnson’s claims, the NHTSA did initiate a review of customer complaints after the number of grievances surged in February 2022.

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