Bloomberg | | Posted by Singh Rahul Sunilkumar
Tesla Inc. has been sued by customers who claim they have been forced to pay exorbitant prices and endure long waits for their cars to be repaired because the company monopolizes parts and maintenance and repair services.
The antitrust class action lawsuit was filed Tuesday in San Francisco federal court on behalf of Virginia M. Lambrix, who lives in Sonoma County and owns a Tesla Model S. She says owners of traditional internal combustion engine cars have multiple options for servicing and repairs, or do the work themselves. And those repairs may rely on parts from the original manufacturer or parts from another company, according to the complaint.
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Tesla owners, on the other hand, have only one option: to have their cars serviced by the company or a network of Tesla-approved service centers that only use Tesla parts, the complaint, which cites federal antitrust laws, says. Lambrix argues that the restriction is due to Tesla using its market power to restrict repair and maintenance services.
The practices have resulted in Tesla owners “suffering lengthy delays in getting their electric vehicles repaired or serviced, only to pay above-average prices for those parts and repairs once they finally get delivered,” the complaint said.
Tesla did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The case is Lambrix v. Tesla, 23-cv-01145, US District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).
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