Tesla has been hit by claims it is ignoring customer concerns about potentially lethal flaws with its Autopilot driver assistance system after a data leak.

Thousands of files shared by whistleblowers with German newspaper Handlesblatt detail Tesla’s handling of crash investigations, in which customers claimed their cars are “simply too dangerous for the road”. 

The drivers named in the leaks and contacted by the newspaper accused Tesla of brushing off their concerns about its Autopilot technology. 

It is alleged that employees are given strict guidelines over how to reply to complaints, with some drivers claiming that Tesla workers were urged to avoid written communication to “offer as little attack surface as possible”, Handelsbatt said. 

The Autopilot software, launched in 2015, is a set of driver assistance and safety tools that include automatic cruise control, lane guidance and automatic braking. 

Tesla, under the orders of billionaire chief executive Elon Musk, has also launched a more advanced “full self-driving” version of its system in North America.