— A Tesla door handle lawsuit will continue in court as the judge ruled against Tesla and its motion to dismiss.
The plaintiff filed the Tesla class action lawsuit in December 2022 by contending Tesla’s 2014–2016 Model S cars were equipped with defective door handles that routinely fail within only a few years of normal use.
On top of that, replacing the Model S door handles allegedly means nothing because the same faulty door handles are installed.
The door handle auto-present feature pops out the door handle when a user approaches with the key fob.
The Tesla door handle lawsuit was filed by Florida plaintiff John L. Urban who has a 2015 Tesla Model S P85D Ludicrous. The plaintiff asserts the door handles, which are retracted into the car until needed, stopped popping out to open the doors.
Repairing the alleged problem can cost about $300 when the cars are outside their warranty periods.
Until repairs are made, the plaintiff says a customer will have to enter through a different door.
According to the class action lawsuit, the door handle motorized mechanism stops working and will continue to fail until owners throw out money for repairs and replacements.
A door handle that doesn't open and remains flush against the car can mean trouble in a crash because people outside the car won't be able to open the door.
Tesla Door Handle Lawsuit Advances
Tesla filed a motion to dismiss by arguing all the claims should be dismissed. But Judge P. Casey Pitts saw things another way.
The judge denied to grant Tesla’s motion to dismiss the four California state law claims in the lawsuit. In addition, Judge Pitts further denied Tesla's motion to stay discovery.
The judge also allowed warranty claims against Tesla to move forward in court.
Tesla had better success regarding the plaintiff's request for injunctive relief when the judge granted Tesla's motion to dismiss this claim.
The Tesla Model S door handle lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California: John L. Urban v. Tesla Inc., d/b/a Tesla Motors, Inc.
The plaintiff is represented by Miller Shah LLP, and Edgar Law Firm LLC.
