- The law firm says many Model 3 and Model Y owners can’t achieve 75% of the quoted range.
- This class action is open to anyone with a Model 3 or Model Y built since May 2021.
- A German court recently described Tesla’s Autopilot system as “defective” over phantom braking.
Tesla is no stranger to legal troubles and is now the subject of another lawsuit, although this time it comes from Down Under. According to a new suit in Australia’s Federal Court, Tesla Motors Australia has overstated the driving ranges of its EVs, overpromised on self-driving features, and has vehicles suffering from instances of phantom braking.
The latter has plagued Teslas for quite some time and has been the subject of other lawsuits, including in Germany. Just last week, a German court ruled that Tesla’s Autopilot system is “defective” and not “suitable for normal use” due to phantom braking problems.
Read: Court Rules Tesla’s Autopilot Defective For Normal Use After Phantom Braking
In this case, Aussie law firm JGA Saddler describes phantom braking as a “dangerous phenomenon [that] would terrify you and your passengers and could, if it causes an accident, result in serious injury and/or death.”
In addition, the director of JGA Saddler, Rebecca Jancauskas, has taken issue with Tesla selling its long-promised Full-Self Driving features without delivering on the promises its made for the system. She also asserts that many Tesla vehicles sold in Australia cannot achieve 75% of their advertised driving range, and believes the automaker has known about its defects for years but has so far failed to address the problems or pay any compensation to owners.
“It is hoped this claim underscores the importance for all EV manufacturers to be truthful in their marketing, deliver on their promises, and ensure their products are safe and reliable,” Jancauskas told Yahoo! News.
The class action is open to anyone who has purchased or leased a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y with the controversial Tesla Vision system since May 2021.
“Tesla made promises about their vehicles’ safety, performance and features such as their ‘full self-driving,’ but it appears some of these promises are falling flat,” Jancauskas added. It’s unclear how many owners and lessees have signed up to be part of the class action.
