- Joined
- Jul 17, 2025
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 2
- Cars
- Grand Touring
Hello everyone. I just read a post (and numerous responses) from someone who had a terrifying experience with the car instantly accelerating and finally crashed into a wall. Most members made comments that it was most likely driver error - pressing the accelerator instead of the brake. And I know this is usually the accepted result by Lucid and other experts. I had a somewhat similar problem yesterday that ended in a very quick, frightful crash. Fortunately, no one was injured, but a lot of damage to the car and to the building I hit.
I pulled into a parking space to attend a doctor appointment. There was one car parked to my right; my space is a DP (disabled person) space and to its left was an area of about 6-8 feet wide with blue stripes where you are not supposed to park. I realized I was over the left line onto that area, so I slowly and methodically turned the wheel while backing up slowly. I backed completely out of the parking spots and aligned myself to be perfectly centered in the space this time ("overhead" camera view showed that ahead). Note that I always use regen braking, so the car stopped gently after I had backed up. Remember there is no need to touch the brake pedal here. Knowing I was aligned, I pressed the stalk to DRIVE and the car instantly flew like a jet before I could even recall pressing the accelerator at all. There would have been NO effect had I pressed the brake (I was already stopped). And I certainly would NOT have pressed hard on the accelerator, although I don't even recall a thought about it because it happened SO quickly and with such great force. Yes, as someone pointed out, I was terrified and literally froze, grasping the wheel. I flew through the roughly 16 feet of parking space, jumped 2 curbs about a foot apart, crossed another 4 feet or so and crashed HARD into the stanchion that supported arches above (design of the building). I did NOT pull into the parking space, nearly to the curb, and then hit the accelerator instead of the brake (as is so often reported in the news, etc.)
Given that the new 3.0 UX software was recently installed (and I had lots of glitches -- things like the vehicle centering capability (that I always keep off - too aggressive) kept coming back on. Turn it off, back on again... over and over again - parts of the screens dark - having to reboot frequently. I firmly believe this sudden acceleration was caused by the car itself and was NOT driver error. I hit the wood and stucco stanchion VERY hard and don't understand why the air bags did not deploy. I also don't understand why the collision avoidance system did not kick in either, thinking it would have at least slowed the impedance. Does this not work over a certain MPH? It surely works when I back out of a parking space, don't see someone driving by behind me. It slams on the brakes.
Don't know yet if it is totaled. The body shop (certified for Tesla and Lucid) didn't think it was and said a ballpark estimate is probably around $30K of damage! He said that the computer/black box data only provides "graphs" and likely would not show that the accelerator was pressed hard by the driver, or if the car did indeed malfunction. If this is true, nothing can be proven I guess?
The body shop also said to not expect to have my car back until nearly Christmas - that they have SO much trouble getting parts promptly from Lucid.
I'll post any updates as I know them. Thanks everyone.
I pulled into a parking space to attend a doctor appointment. There was one car parked to my right; my space is a DP (disabled person) space and to its left was an area of about 6-8 feet wide with blue stripes where you are not supposed to park. I realized I was over the left line onto that area, so I slowly and methodically turned the wheel while backing up slowly. I backed completely out of the parking spots and aligned myself to be perfectly centered in the space this time ("overhead" camera view showed that ahead). Note that I always use regen braking, so the car stopped gently after I had backed up. Remember there is no need to touch the brake pedal here. Knowing I was aligned, I pressed the stalk to DRIVE and the car instantly flew like a jet before I could even recall pressing the accelerator at all. There would have been NO effect had I pressed the brake (I was already stopped). And I certainly would NOT have pressed hard on the accelerator, although I don't even recall a thought about it because it happened SO quickly and with such great force. Yes, as someone pointed out, I was terrified and literally froze, grasping the wheel. I flew through the roughly 16 feet of parking space, jumped 2 curbs about a foot apart, crossed another 4 feet or so and crashed HARD into the stanchion that supported arches above (design of the building). I did NOT pull into the parking space, nearly to the curb, and then hit the accelerator instead of the brake (as is so often reported in the news, etc.)
Given that the new 3.0 UX software was recently installed (and I had lots of glitches -- things like the vehicle centering capability (that I always keep off - too aggressive) kept coming back on. Turn it off, back on again... over and over again - parts of the screens dark - having to reboot frequently. I firmly believe this sudden acceleration was caused by the car itself and was NOT driver error. I hit the wood and stucco stanchion VERY hard and don't understand why the air bags did not deploy. I also don't understand why the collision avoidance system did not kick in either, thinking it would have at least slowed the impedance. Does this not work over a certain MPH? It surely works when I back out of a parking space, don't see someone driving by behind me. It slams on the brakes.
Don't know yet if it is totaled. The body shop (certified for Tesla and Lucid) didn't think it was and said a ballpark estimate is probably around $30K of damage! He said that the computer/black box data only provides "graphs" and likely would not show that the accelerator was pressed hard by the driver, or if the car did indeed malfunction. If this is true, nothing can be proven I guess?
The body shop also said to not expect to have my car back until nearly Christmas - that they have SO much trouble getting parts promptly from Lucid.
I'll post any updates as I know them. Thanks everyone.