Australia-Pacific

New Zealand Tesla owners take the carmaker to court over claims

Tesla owners in New Zealand who paid for autonomous-driving features have brought the carmaker before the Disputes Tribunal. Plaintiffs argue that marketing claims do not match the capabilities actually delivered. Tesla New Zealand declined to comment on the cases.

Auckland cityscape under an overcast morning
Auckland cityscape under an overcast morningPhoto: Ollie Craig / Pexels
RNZ Business1 h agoTSLA

According to RNZ, seven plaintiffs in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch have filed cases with the Disputes Tribunal. Each is seeking a refund of between NZ$8,000 and NZ$12,000. Among the plaintiffs, Ryan Foster said he had been misled and asked the tribunal to weigh what is fair.

Under New Zealand's Consumer Guarantees Act, the tribunal is reviewing the company's advertising claims. Tesla's New Zealand sales page in 2024 offered an updated autonomous-driving package option. Plaintiffs filed records of the wait for the promised software update.

Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy said additional cases were expected and that other carmakers would also come under examination. New Zealand Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced that regulatory work on driver-assist systems under the Consumer Guarantees Act had been launched. The first hearing will take place in Auckland in early July. Not investment advice.

RegulationTechTSLAAustralia-PacificRNZ Business
This article is an AI-curated summary of the original story published by RNZ Business. The illustration is a stock photo by Ollie Craig from Pexels and is not from the original story.

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