Tesla accused of inflating mileage for warranty evasion
The owner of a Tesla Model Y has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer, accusing them of inflating odometer readings by up to 117 percent. According to the suit, this practice is intended to avoid warranty repairs and speed up vehicle depreciation.
The author of the lawsuit, which was filed in California, is Nyree Hinton. She accuses Tesla of not using mechanical or electronic systems for accurate distance measurement. Instead, the manufacturer is said to rely on "predictive algorithms, energy consumption metrics, and driver behaviour multipliers that manipulate and misrepresent the actual mileage travelled by Tesla vehicles."
Hinton purchased a 2020 Tesla Model Y in December 2022, with 36,772 miles on it. She claims that from 14 December 2022 to 6 February 2023, she averaged 55 miles per day. However, between 26 March and 28 June 2023, the average daily mileage increased to 73 miles, despite an unchanged routine. In her opinion, the actual mileage should be about 20 miles per day lower.
Additionally, Hinton notes that her previous vehicles averaged 6,086 miles over six months, while the Model Y registered as much as 13,228 miles in the same period. According to the lawsuit, Tesla's mileage readings can be inflated by 15% to as much as 117%.
The owner emphasises that Tesla can precisely measure mileage using GPS. However, according to the manufacturer's patent, odometer readings are not direct measurements of distance travelled, but are based on a "miles-to-electrical energy conversion factor," which dynamically changes depending on road conditions and traffic.
The lawsuit argues that by "tying warranty limits and lease mileage caps to inflated odometer readings," Tesla can reduce its warranty obligations, increase repair revenues, and encourage customers to purchase extended warranties sooner.
This is not the first time Tesla owners have questioned the accuracy of mileage readings. For years, complaints of inflated values have appeared on forums like Reddit and Tesla's own community pages. Users claim that this issue has persisted for over two years, supporting the allegations in Hinton's lawsuit.
