Americans in the US Owners of the Tesla Model S and Model X have filed a proposed class action lawsuit in California against the manufacturer of electric vehicles over allegedly automatic software updates that reduce the driving range or result in battery failure.
Due to their potential to reduce driving range by up to 20% and their potential to force some owners to replace their batteries at a cost of $15,000, the lawsuit alleges that Tesla’s updates and their impacts violate state and federal regulations.
Tesla Faces Lawsuit Alleging Violation of Consumers’ Rights
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The case was brought in the US. According to the District Court in San Francisco, automated upgrades infringe the legal rights of consumers since affected Tesla vehicles fall under the concept of protected computers as stated in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Tesla imposes software updates without permission whenever a vehicle is connected to Wi-Fi, as per Steve Berman, an attorney with Hagens Berman who is representing its owners and lessors in the lawsuit.
Vehicle owners and lessors are particularly at the whim of the company that makes their vehicles.
Advocates for the owners claim that while Tesla may automatically update software whenever the car is linked to Wi-Fi, automakers typically notify consumers when they intend to undertake a software update.
Read more: Chinese Authorities Arrest ChatGPT User For Fabricating And Disseminating False Information
Battery-Related Software Updates Violate Consumer Laws
In the context of the lawsuit, some Tesla owners paid third parties $500 to $750 to roll back software changes that dealt with batteries.
According to the lawsuit, Tesla’s upgrades and their results are illegal under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act, the California Unfair Competition Law, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Tesla refuses to compensate owners and lessors of the Model S and Model X who experience decreased battery capacity as a result of a software update.
In July 2021, Tesla reached an agreement to pay $1.9 million, including around $400,000 in legal fees and costs, to resolve accusations that a software upgrade temporarily decreased the maximum battery voltage in 1,743 Model S sedans.
Based on a court document, the $625 payments to the owners of the affected automobiles were many times the prorated worth of the temporarily lowered maximum voltage.
