Criticism of Tesla, Inc.

Tesla, Inc. has been criticized for its cars, workplace culture, business practices, and occupational safety. Many of the criticisms are also directed toward Elon Musk, the company's CEO and Product Architect. Critics have also accused Tesla of deceptive marketing, unfulfilled promises, and fraud. The company is currently facing criminal and civil investigations into its self-driving claims. Critics have highlighted Tesla's downplaying of issues, and Tesla's alleged retaliation against several whistleblowers.

The safety and quality of Tesla cars and services have been questioned. There have been hundreds of now old reports of sudden unintended acceleration, brake failures, and "whompy wheels" – collapsing wheels due to faulty car suspension. These safety and quality problems have been compounded in the past by the poor wait times of Tesla's customer service. Some features such as Autopilot, Full Self-Driving beta, and Passenger Play (a feature allowing riders to play Tesla games while in motion) have been criticized for their careless deployment. Critics have noted that some Tesla cars have had poor build quality due to rushed testing, leading to a high ratio of flawed vehicles. Others criticized the company's "stealth" vehicle recalls, requiring customers to sign non-disclosure agreements.

Relationships between Musk, Tesla board members, employees, and unions have been complicated, partly resulting in a high turnover rate. Employees have reported poor treatment and policies, resulting in a high injury rate, with some having faced sexual harassment, racism, and union-busting incidents. Tesla's environmental practices, use of cryptocurrencies, and compliance with open source licenses have been mentioned by critics. Detractors also claim that Tesla and Musk's public relations activities have been used to deflect criticisms.

Musk and his company have been repeatedly accused of engaging in fraud, such as in their buyout of SolarCity, selling defective vehicles, overpromising, and posting reckless tweets. One tweet resulted in Musk agreeing to pay a fine and step down as Tesla's chairman.^[1] Proponents and opponents of Tesla consistently accuse each other of conflict of interests, believing Tesla's stock valuation is either under- or over-valued.

^ Goldstein, Matthew (September 29, 2018). "Elon Musk Steps Down as Chairman in Deal With S.E.C. Over Tweet About Tesla". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2022.

[1] Goldstein, Matthew (September 29, 2018). "Elon Musk Steps Down as Chairman in Deal With S.E.C. Over Tweet About Tesla". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2022.

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