Tesla faces protesters over brake failures at Auto Shanghai

The 2021 edition of Auto Shanghai opened yesterday, Tesla had an embarrassing moment — and it’s gone viral.

Two women, both owners of Teslas, protested at the Tesla booth about the poor build quality of their cars, reports Global Times. They were wearing t-shirts saying “Tesla brake failure,” with the Tesla logo printed right underneath the words.

That’s not all, one of the women climbed on top of the roof of a Model 3 and kept screaming “Tesla brakes failed me,” before she was eventually removed from security guards. According to statements by the police, she was later taken for questioning.

Following the incident, the Tesla booth was secured by around 10 guards. Tesla representatives informed the local media that “the police is supposedly investigating the case.”

Not the first expression of concern

This episode was the latest in a series of protests against Tesla’s malfunctions, especially regarding the cars’ brake system. Also in March, a female Tesla owner in Zhengzhou, in Henan Province, protested in front of a local Tesla store. Having printed “Tesla brake failure” on her car, she repeatedly shouted that Tesla’s defective parts nearly killed her family.

Rising concerns over vehicle safety have been expressed through qichacha.com, a Chinese public information platform. There have been reported five incidents regarding Tesla’s Model S and Model X.

The Chinese public’s complaints and mistrust in Tesla vehicles have been growing since last October.

Issues regarding safety and performance were addressed at a meeting between Chinese government officials and representatives of Tesla, held in January 2020.  The officials asked Tesla to carry out its operations in accordance with China’s laws and customer rights, reports Reuters.

In response, Tesla agreed to investigate the malfunctions and to follow the guidance of the Chinese government.

While no specific information on Tesla’s investigation is available yet, the company was forced to recall from the Chinese market 30,000 cars in October 2020, 870 cars in November 2020, and 135,000 cars in January 2021.

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