Tesla driver’s warning after run-in with a kangaroo activated a safety feature and left him with a huge expense – and he’s not the only one
A collision with a kangaroo on the road left a Tesla driver with a repair bill worth hundreds of dollars due to a little-known safety feature.
Adam Goff reported his troubles to fellow Tesla drivers in a special Facebook group after crashing into a home on a rural NSW road about 6am on Tuesday.
Mr Goff hit the brakes and his dashcam captured the kangaroo crashing into his car so softly that the animal didn’t even fall over.
Despite both the kangaroo and the car escaping unscathed, Mr Goff soon found himself out of pocket for $500 to have his Tesla Model 3 serviced after the ‘active hood’ feature was activated.
The active hood pops open the rear part of the Tesla’s hood after detecting a collision to limit damage to the car itself and any people or animals that are hit.
Adam Goff was assessed a $500 repair fee after the active hood safety feature was activated in his Tesla Model 3 around 6 a.m. Tuesday
Mr Goff was driving along a rural NSW road when he gently tapped a kangaroo, but the impact was enough to activate the safety feature
Mr Goff shared his problems on the Tesla Owners Australia community group, explaining that the worst part of the crash was his shame.
“I had a collision with a boat, I only hit it when I hit the brakes, so no damage to the car,” he wrote.
‘The active hood is activated, how much does it cost to reset and can I still push it back so that it is less embarrassing to drive around with.’
After parking the car, Mr Goff tried to put the hood back in place, but the comments said it needed servicing.
‘The process of deploying the hood is destructive. The explosive struts need to be replaced. Probably best through insurance. It’s not as easy as just being pushed down,” one man wrote.
When the explosive struts are activated, an error message will remain on the dashboard until the car is serviced and the hood is repaired.
Another commenter advised Mr. Goff to immediately book a service for the car as the owner’s manual stated this was the correct course of action.
“It says to take the car to the service center immediately, so do so – you can refer them to the website for justification,” they wrote.
When Mr. Goff confirmed that the service center quote was $500 to put the hood back in place, some people commented that he had “got away lucky” or that more charges would follow.
“It happened to me about a month ago… the original quote they gave was $500. After a technician checked out the service center, I got a call saying it would cost $2,000,” one Tesla owner noted.
Mr Goff temporarily put the hood back in place, but after the active hood was activated an error message remained on his dashboard until it was properly serviced
Tesla owners have noticed that the brand’s sensor system, ‘Tesla Vision’, has difficulty detecting kangaroos, but it can detect pedestrians, cyclists and dogs
Many commentators noted that Teslas are not well equipped to deal with kangaroos due to their overly sensitive safety features.
Another complaint was that the car’s motion sensor cannot detect them while on the road.
The multi-camera ‘Tesla Vision’ system can detect pedestrians, cyclists and dogs and then display them on the dashboard for the driver to see and avoid.
Kangaroos, however, appear to be phantoms of the system, as one driver proved when he took a photo of someone sitting unnoticed right in front of his car.
“Just a heads up for Tesla owners driving across the country… Tesla Vision does not recognize our national wildlife, such as our iconic kangaroo,” he said.
“Please take the usual precautions to drive slower and pay close attention, especially during sunset and sunrise.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tesla for comment on the active hood and kangaroos detection.