Shocking allegations against Tesla: A million vehicles have fake mileage on the odometer?

(Patria) - American electric car manufacturer Tesla has once again found itself at the center of a scandal.

This time, the allegations are extremely serious: the company of billionaire Elon Musk is accused of manipulating the odometers on its vehicles in order to shorten warranty periods and increase revenue from repairs. If the allegations prove true, more than a million vehicles worldwide could be affected.

A class action lawsuit filed against Tesla claims that the company accelerated odometer readings on its electric cars. In this way, vehicles would more quickly reach the limits set by warranty and lease agreements, allowing Tesla to avoid covering repair costs. At the same time, customers would be forced to purchase extended warranties much earlier than would otherwise be necessary.

The indictment explicitly states: 'By tying warranty and lease mileage limits to inflated odometer readings, Tesla increases its repair revenue, reduces warranty obligations, and forces consumers to prematurely purchase extended warranties.'



One of the key plaintiffs, Nyree Hinton from California, described his experience to American CNBC. Hinton purchased a two-year-old Tesla Model Y at the end of 2022 with a then-reading of about 38,000 miles, or approximately 61,000 kilometers. Very quickly, he noticed that the odometer did not display the actual distance traveled.

According to his claims, the odometer was running at least 15 percent faster. In one instance, the car showed that it had traveled 72 miles (about 116 kilometers), although the actual distance was only 20 miles (32 kilometers). As a result, the warranty, which was valid up to 50,000 miles, expired much sooner than he expected, and Hinton was forced to pay repair costs amounting to as much as $10,000 (about 8,800 euros), reports Tportal.

Court documents suggest that the problem could be significantly larger than individual cases. According to available information, more than a million Tesla vehicles could have incorrectly recorded mileage, which could open the door to additional lawsuits and huge compensation claims.

The plaintiffs are seeking both damages and punitive damages, believing that Tesla not only financially harmed customers but also knowingly misled them.

Tesla has not publicly commented on the latest allegations so far. In response to media inquiries about this case, the company did not reply. However, according to court documents, Tesla has already disputed all key claims in the lawsuit, stating that they are 'unfounded and inaccurate.'