Tesla is being accused of deliberately inflating odometer readings to make vehicle warranties expire quicker - a claim Tesla CEO Elon Musk calls "idiotic" in a comment he left on an X post dated April 19th.
The allegations stem from a proposed class action lawsuit filed in California by Los Angeles resident Nyree Hinton. Hinton says he bought his 2020 Tesla Model Y in December 2022. He claims that within six months, his vehicle's odometer recorded over 13,000 miles, despite his consistent driving habits that previously averaged around 6,000 miles for the same period. Hinton says this odometer discrepancy made his 50,000-mile warranty expire prematurely, resulting in a $10,000 suspension repair bill that Hinton believes should have been covered, but wasn't.
Getting more specific, Hinton said the Model Y's odometer had 36,772 miles on it when he bought it, and he claims it ran at least 15% fast, based on his other vehicles and his driving history. Hinton says for a while the odometer clocked 72 miles a day when he claims at most he drove 20.
The complaint alleges that Tesla's odometer system doesn't strictly go by actual distance traveled, but instead, incorporates predictive algorithms, energy consumptions metrics and driver behavior multipliers. The suit alleges that these factors purportedly inflate mileage readings - especially as vehicles approach warranty thresholds, potentially leading up to inflated readings by up to 117%.
In the filing, the document says:
"Tesla Inc. knowingly overstates the distances traveled in Tesla Vehicles, or at minimum tolerates substantial inaccuracy in distances travelled in Tesla Inc.’s favor, such that the “odometers” in Tesla Vehicles indicate greater distances than what they actually travel."
If you would like to read the actual legal filing, you can do so here.
If certified as class action lawsuit, the legal action would represent California consumers who purchased Tesla vehicles for personal use and could encompass over one million vehicles in the state.
Aside from CEO Elon Muck's comment on a post on the social media platform X, Tesla itself hasn't issue a public comment, though it has reportedly moved the case to federal court in LA and denied all material allegations.
Editorial Credit: TierneyMJ/Shutterstock.com.