An Australian Tesla owner has shared her struggles with owning the electric vehicle, but insists she still loves the technology behind the car.
Anne Bishop bought a used 2015 Model S from Tesla for $93,000 in 2018.
But over the next few years, Ms Bishop had to have her car towed four times, travelling up to 500 kilometres each time.
In one incident, when she was seven months pregnant, she had to climb out of the Tesla’s window because the door handles were not working properly.
Additional problems, including a malfunctioning rear motor and multimedia control unit, led Ms Bishop to file a case with the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal last month, seeking a partial refund from Tesla.
“The end result is that it’s a lemon,” he said. News.com.au.
Her court complaint accuses Tesla of repeatedly misrepresenting Australian consumer law by keeping inadequate fault records, refusing to put statements in writing and failing to provide documentation on the car’s maintenance.
“My last car was a $13,800 Toyota Echo,” he said. “It ran perfectly for 13 years and never had a single unexpected repair. I expected much more from Tesla.”
Anne Bishop bought a used 2015 Model S from Tesla for $93,000 in 2018
But over the next few years, Ms Bishop had to have her car towed four times, travelling up to 500 kilometres each time.
But despite the legal battle with Tesla, he said he wouldn’t want to drive any other vehicle.
“It’s the best car I’ll ever own, but it’s also been the most horribly unreliable,” Bishop said.
His claims caught the attention of Australian car expert John Cadgoan, who said the brand was one of the least reliable in the world.
“They have changed the future of transportation. We agree on this point only, I would say not for the better,” he said in a video posted on Youtube.
The car expert criticised Ms Bishop for supporting the company despite going through “unreliability hell”.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tesla for comment.
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