— A Tesla class action lawsuit alleges door locking problems occur when using the Tesla mobile app.
Named in the lawsuit as "Jane Doe," the plaintiff claims she was sexually assaulted because the Tesla locking system failed.
The Tesla class action lawsuit includes:
"All persons who purchased or leased a TESLA Vehicle with the same locking system as PLAINTIFF’s Model Y, in which the vehicle will not lock from the outside if the TESLA App is used while inside the vehicle to lock the doors."
The Tesla Model Y Incident
Jane Doe says she owns a Tesla Model Y which she drove to a California shopping mall which had a parking lot with an electric vehicle charging station.
She plugged in the charger while carrying her cell phone, opened the door, got in and closed the door. The plaintiff says she used her cell phone to lock her doors using the Tesla app on the phone.
"After Plaintiff pushed 'lock' on the TESLA app, the icon on the TESLA app changed from unlock to lock indicating to Plaintiff that the vehicle was locked. Additionally, the vehicle side mirrors closed, also indicating to Plaintiff that the vehicle was locked from the outside." — Tesla door lock lawsuit
Doe says she felt safe in her Model Y after seeing the lock indicators and the side mirrors closed.
As the Tesla charged, Doe was sleeping in her vehicle when a person named in the lawsuit, (J.M.), began violently shaking the Model Y. The lawsuit notes as he was shaking the vehicle, the alarm didn't activate and the headlights didn't pulsate.
J.M. was able to open the driver's side door "even though Plaintiff locked the vehicle using her cell phone through the TESLA app when she got into the vehicle, after the icon on the TESLA App indicated to her the vehicle was locked, and after the side mirrors closed alerting Plaintiff that her vehicle was locked."
According to the lawsuit, J.M. physically and sexually assaulted Doe inside her vehicle. She alleges she was honking her horn attempting to alert someone, and she grabbed her cell phone and was able to dial 911.
"Plaintiff threw her phone to the passenger side and started yelling: 'I hate this Mall, it’s full of rapists,' and 'The charging stations are so slow,' in effort to alert the 911 operator of her location. The phone call with 911 lasted approximately seven (7) minutes."
Doe says no help arrived until the police rescued her.
The Tesla Door Lock Class Action Lawsuit
The class action lawsuit alleges the owner's manual says the owner's cell phone can be used as the “primary key” to unlock and lock the vehicle as an alternative to the Key Card provided by Tesla. The plaintiff says the side mirrors fold in when the doors lock.
However, the lawsuit alleges the doors aren't locked from the outside, which allowed J.M. into the vehicle.
According to the Tesla class action, occupants are provided a false sense of security when using the mobile app to lock the doors. The plaintiff asserts Tesla fails to provide adequate warning or instructions to consumers regarding the locking systems.
In addition to the locking system, the cell phone app is manufactured and designed by Tesla, but customers are unaware of the alleged defects with the mobile applications.
The Tesla door locking system class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Eastern Division): Jane Doe v. Tesla, Inc., et al.
The plaintiff is represented by the Knez Law Group, LLP.
