Chinese Customer Sues Tesla Over Brake Failure, Loses in Court and Is Ordered to Apologize (Michael Förtsch – Unsplash)
A Chinese customer of Tesla, Zhang Yazhou, was sued by the company after claiming that the brakes on her Model 3 failed, causing an accident with injuries.
Without obtaining the pre-accident data from the vehicle, she began public protests against the automaker, including a demonstration at an auto show in Shanghai, which went viral on social media. Zhang was even detained for five days, and Tesla accused her of spreading false information to damage its reputation.
The legal battle began when Zhang sued Tesla for defamation after a company executive implied that she was seeking a higher compensation. She lost the case, and Tesla, in turn, sued her, demanding millions in damages.
Under pressure, the automaker publicly released the car’s data, claiming that the brakes had functioned correctly and that Zhang was driving at 120 km/h before the crash. Zhang contested the authenticity of this information and sued the company for invasion of privacy but lost in court again.
In May 2024, a Shanghai court ruled that Zhang’s public complaints exceeded the limits of reasonable criticism and ordered her to pay $23,000 to cover Tesla’s legal costs, in addition to issuing a public apology. Dissatisfied, Zhang appealed the decision, arguing that she was merely expressing her opinion as a consumer and had the right to criticize the company.
This case is not isolated, as Tesla has a history of suing Chinese customers who publicly complain about its products. Over the past four years, the company has filed 14 defamation lawsuits in China, winning at least 11 of them. Some customers allege malfunctions and defects, but Tesla has been successful in challenging these claims in court.
Source: Unilad | Photo: Michael Förtsch – Unsplash | This content was created with AI assistance and reviewed by the editorial team
This girl from Shanghai is protesting Tesla‘s break issue and she was carried away like animal.
Any comment @elonmusk ？ pic.twitter.com/0U4gucWenV— 巴丢草 Bad ї ucao (@badiucao) April 19, 2021
