A Tesla customer is suing the automaker for “monopolizing” vehicle repairs and parts, according to Jalopnik.
Bloomberg originally reported that the initial case presented was in federal court in San Francisco, California. The lawsuit comes from Virginia M. Lambrix, who owns a Model S Tesla.
Lambrix’s case stated that while internal combustion engine vehicle owners have “ a plethora of options for both maintenance and repairs,” Tesla owners are forced to go to places approved by Tesla for repairs and parts for dramatically high prices. Lambrix also pointed out that ICE vehicle repairs “can be done with parts either from the vehicle’s manufacturer or by third-party parts companies.
The lawsuit asserts that by requiring consumers to have their vehicles worked on “by either Tesla itself or a network of Tesla-approved service centers that only use Tesla-made parts,” the company is “leveraging its own market power” and “violating federal antitrust laws.”
The suit cites Tesla owners enduring lengthy wait times for service and maintenance as a result and paying “supracompetitive prices” when they are provided.
