While Tesla has always had its critics, one of the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer's greatest strengths has been the fanatic loyalty of its customer base.
Still, there are signs that loyalty may be slipping, as a group of Tesla owners and lessors just filed a second class action lawsuit against the company over allegations that automatic software updates have violated consumers' rights.
The suit claims that owners of older Tesla Model S and Model X cars have seen the automatic software updates reduce their driving ranges by up to 20%. Even worse, some updates tell Tesla owners that they need to replace their batteries at a cost of $15,000 — almost half the price of some brand-new Teslas (so much for being the cheapest luxury car to maintain).
"Tesla owners and lessors are uniquely at the mercy of the maker of their cars, and Tesla imposes software updates without consent whenever their vehicle is connected to Wi-Fi," Steve Berman, an attorney representing the group, said, per Reuters.
This is the second such class action lawsuit that Tesla has faced — the first, filed in 2019, was settled for $1.9 million.
The new lawsuit is not the only negative press that Tesla has seen in recent months. The company was recently hit with an exposé that brought some concerning violations of customers' privacy rights to light.
In addition, the EV maker has faced allegations of shoddy manufacturing practices, leading to parts coming loose, including seatbelts, which sparked an investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Luckily for consumers looking to avoid such issues, the days when Tesla was the only EV company on the market are long behind us. There is no shortage of electric cars on the market now, with models from a wide variety of companies that may be getting more affordable than ever.
Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
