Article written by Steve Mollman, via https://fortune.com on 14 May 2023
Whereas rivals might need to bring hundreds of thousands of vehicles into shops for recall repairs, Tesla can often fix similar issues via an over-the-air software update.
But according to a class-action lawsuit filed Friday in California, software updates have drained or rendered inoperable expensive batteries for some owners.
The suit states:“When car owners purchase their vehicles, they reasonably expect that unforeseen events—like weather, accidents, or flat tires—may impact the performance of their vehicles and lead to costly repairs.
In some cases, the software updates “will render the batteries inoperable, and car owners need to purchase a new battery at a cost of up to $15,000,” it adds.
Hagens Berman attorney Steve Berman, who is representing Tesla owners and lessors in the current lawsuit, told Fox News, “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.” The lawsuit adds: “Tesla owners connect to Tesla directly via Wi-Fi from their homes or businesses, and Tesla can then push software updates onto the vehicles, without the opportunity to consent to the updates or ask questions about the updates.