U.S. safety regulators are turning up the heat on Tesla, announcing investigations into steering wheels coming off some SUVs and a fatal crash involving a Tesla suspected of using an automated driving system when it ran into a parked firetruck in California.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday it is launching a special crash-investigation team to probe the Feb. 18 crash involving a Tesla Model S and a ladder truck from the Contra Costa County fire department.

The firetruck probe is part of a larger investigation by the agency into multiple instances of Teslas using the automaker’s Autopilot system crashing into parked emergency vehicles that are tending to other crashes. NHTSA has become more aggressive in pursuing safety problems with Teslas in the past year, announcing multiple recalls and investigations.

Eoin Treacy's view

There has been a lot of talk over the last few years about Tesla’s batteries lasting as much as a million miles. Little discussion has taken place about whether the vehicle would still be drivable even if the battery is still capable.

One of the biggest bugbears drivers have with Tesla is the low build quality. When the driving wheel falls off in the middle of the journey, it is reasonable to assume one’s perception of the value of the vehicle declines.
The share continues to trend lower and is not pulling back from the region of the 200-day MA and the psychological $200.
I find it curious that Tesla options have fallen down the rankings of most actively traded over last week as the price has declined. That suggests day traders are more willing to take long bets even if the decision to go long or short for a 24-hour window is a binary decision.