Given how Tesla has handled this fatality, how has your opinion of Tesla changed. Has anybody here decided that they are never going to buy a Tesla? Or do you view this as just overblown and you would still buy a Tesla if you could.
Just one data point here, but it absolutely has tanked Tesla's reputation in my mind. Even though I was always skeptical of them from a business perspective, I thought they were basically well-meaning and their only crime was being too enthusiastic. These last few months have convinced me that they're no better than Uber: they're being reckless with unproven and inferior technology (Elon's spin notwithstanding, there are good reasons why every other autonomous car program is using LIDAR), and they're trying to use disingenuous PR to pass off the inevitable deaths as someone else's problem.
I was vaguely considering getting a Model 3 when the waitlist eased up a little, but now that's definitely not going to happen.
Those who need their hands held about driving assistance and so-on can wait until the government OKs the first fully autonomous vehicle. Which, regardless of the name of Tesla's driver assist technology, has not yet occurred.
Adding this "we'll pull the black box data and use it to blame you for everything if anything goes wrong" approach just makes me even more wary.
I mean, I'd love an electric car with the performance of a Tesla but not if it's going to be a spy and/or can be taken hostage at a whim.
The horror stories about defects and lengthy repair times haven't exactly helped.
It's a bit of a moot issue for me though, as I probably won't be in the market for a new car for the next two or three years.