Tesla sued for violating antitrust laws in the repair of electric cars

Tesla users often complain about the quality of their after-sales service. Recently, the company was accused of charging over $100 for a factory defect repair, which angered many US owners. The latter decided to sue the company because of its strict monopoly on the repair of its electric cars, which results in high costs for users and long waiting times, despite the company's attempts to improve the situation. with self-diagnosis functions.

This Tesla after-sales service issue has become a concern for many electric car owners. Although the company has taken steps to improve the situation, such as implementing self-diagnosis features for users, wait times remain long and repair costs are high. Tesla owners in the United States have decided to sue the company for its monopoly on repairing its electric cars, which limits options for users and forces them to pay high fees for repairs.

A very profitable monopoly

Two lawsuits were filed in federal court in San Francisco this week over difficulties repairing and servicing Tesla electric cars . The complaints, which could eventually turn into class action lawsuits , have been filed by owners of Tesla and the brand's electric car rental companies. Complainants claim that thousands of users have been affected by this issue.

In one of the lawsuits, the owner of a Tesla Model S criticizes slow and costly repairs to his electric car, compared to a combustion car. Unlike petrol cars, Teslas can only be repaired by official Tesla services , where only official parts are used. This limits repair options and allows Tesla to charge high prices.

Both lawsuits allege that Tesla violated federal antitrust laws by limiting repair and maintenance services for its cars. The plaintiffs say Tesla is using its market power to keep prices high for these services and that customers have to endure long wait times due to the low number of repair centers and parts.

Although these lawsuits are covered by antitrust laws, one must take into account the American regulations which prohibit repairs in an independent workshop (which does not happen in Europe). However, most manufacturers do not strictly enforce it, except Tesla and John Deere . Recently, John Deere opened its hand to allow Right to Repair on its own terms.
 

It is not yet known how Tesla will react to this request, to which it has not yet responded. The plaintiffs hope the lawsuits will spur Tesla to take a more open approach to car repairs and maintenance, and provide consumers with more options for maintaining their vehicles.

Ultimately, these lawsuits underscore the importance of the right to repair, which is a key issue for consumers and consumer rights advocates . While U.S. independent shop regulations may limit consumers' options, it's crucial that car manufacturers, like Tesla, take a more open approach to enabling customers to efficiently and cost-effectively maintain their vehicles. .