Owner Alleges Tesla Inflated Mileage by Thousands to Avoid Warranty Coverage | Carscoops

      A Model Y owner has initiated legal action, alleging that the vehicle's odometer could be inaccurate by 15 to 117 percent.

      The lawsuit asserts that Tesla’s odometers incorrectly calculate mileage through software-based estimations.

      The individual claims that the inflated mileage has resulted in losses in warranty coverage and vehicle depreciation.

      Other Model Y owners have also raised concerns about questionable odometer readings on Reddit and Tesla forums.

      In California, Tesla is confronted with a lawsuit from a vehicle owner who alleges that the company’s odometers overstate the distance traveled. The complaint suggests that Tesla intentionally misrepresents mileage to evade warranty repairs and accelerate vehicle depreciation.

      The lawsuit contends that Tesla does not utilize mechanical or electronic systems for distance measurement. Instead, it reportedly depends on “predictive algorithms, energy consumption metrics, and driver behavior multipliers” that distort the actual miles driven by Tesla vehicles.

      By linking warranty limits and lease mileage caps to inflated odometer readings, Tesla can purportedly boost repair income and decrease its warranty responsibilities. This may also lead consumers to buy extended warranties sooner than necessary.

      The case was brought by Nyree Hinton, who purchased a 2020 Tesla Model Y in December 2022 with 36,772 miles on it. Hinton indicates that between December 14, 2022, and February 6, 2023, their average daily mileage was 55.54 miles, but this increased to 72.53 miles per day from March 26, 2023, to June 28, 2023, coinciding with the approach of the Model Y's warranty expiration. The owner estimates that the daily average should have been around 20 miles lower, given their consistent driving habits during that period.

      In addition, Hinton's previous vehicles averaged 6,086 miles over six months, while the Model Y recorded 13,228 miles over the same timeframe. The lawsuit asserts that the mileage displayed on Tesla’s odometer can be overstated by 15% up to as much as 117%.

      The plaintiff points out that although Tesla can accurately track its vehicles using GPS technology, a patent from the company indicates that odometer readings are not direct distance measurements but instead use a “miles-to-electric energy conversion factor” that changes based on road and traffic conditions.

      Concerns About Odometer Accuracy Are Ongoing

      This is not the first instance in which Tesla owners have questioned the methodology behind mileage calculations. For several years, some have expressed worries about their vehicles displaying unexpectedly high mileage. Various discussions on Reddit and Tesla forums suggest that these issues have been reported for more than two years, with owners sharing experiences and comparisons that resonate with the claims in Hinton’s lawsuit.