In recent weeks, news has written about several people who experience problems with Tesla cars and who get nowhere when they complain. But some succeed, one of them is Wilhelm Hytten. He was told that it was his fault that the lamp lenses on the Tesla cracked: – This is a sign of external damage due to the use of chemicals, Tesla wrote in an email where they explained that the warranty does not cover this type of damage. Wilhelm Hytten could prove that the soap he washed his Tesla 3 with was milder than Tesla’s own limit. Photo: Privat The soap used in the car wash was too strong, Tesla claimed. But Hytten was able to prove, after some personal effort, that the soap was milder than Tesla demanded. All the lights burst – I had done everything by the book, washed the car without a brush. It felt unreasonable that I should pay for new lights, says Hytten to news. Wilhelm Hytten says that a tail light cracked a few months after he bought the car new in December 2021. This light was replaced free of charge on Tesla’s goodwill, i.e. an action that gives the company a good reputation and status. When the remaining three rear lights cracked in the summer of 2022, the workshop blamed soap washing and demanded NOK 9,371.25 to replace them. Hytten thought new lights had to be covered by the warranty on his Tesla 3 and refused to pay. Presented a soap certificate In autumn, more than a year after he received the invoice and the discussion started, the case was dealt with in the Consumer Complaint Committee. There, Hytten presented evidence that the soap in the car washes he washes his Tesla 3 in has a pH below 13, as Tesla requires. The cabin had obtained a data sheet for the soap from the laundry he uses. Data sheets are mandatory documentation for all companies that use substances and mixtures that have health, fire, explosive or environmentally harmful properties. According to the Consumer Complaint Committee, it is uncertain what causes the lamp lenses to crack. But the committee, which consists of lawyers, gives Tesla the responsibility of documenting that it is soap that is to blame for the lamp glass cracking: – In the committee’s view, the workshop’s statement is not clear enough to rule out that a manufacturing defect or weakness in the product could be the cause of the cracks that has arisen, the decision states. Celebrated on Facebook After Wilhelm Hytten won the Consumer Complaint Committee, he shared it on Facebook. The Tesla owner has allowed the 44,200 members on Tesla Owners Norway’s Facebook page to follow the soap opera between him and Tesla. The 44,200 members on Tesla Owners Norway’s Facebook page have been able to follow the soap opera between Hytten and Tesla. Photo: Skjermbilde / Facebook news Hytten writes: – After more than a year of arguing with Tesla, mediation with the Norwegian Consumer Protection Agency, advice from the Consumer Council, obtaining data from LaserWash/Car wash… the verdict of the Consumer Complaint Committee finally came: That I am acquitted of Tesla’s payment demands for changing the lights. The post gets many thumbs up or likes and comments. Several thanks for Hytten taking the fight. 478 thumbs up: Wilhelm Hytten’s post on Facebook for Tesla owners received many likes and comments Photo: Kari Lie / news Risk of more similar claims The decision that soap should not be able to break car glass can be given weight in similar cases, according to consumer lawyer Thomas Iversen Photo : The Tesla Consumer Council has not appealed the decision from the Consumer Complaint Committee. Thus, Tesla risks more demands to replace headlights from car owners with the same experience as Hytten. – As long as there is no decision higher up in the legal system, decisions in lower instances will have weight, says lawyer at the Consumer Council Thomas Iversen, who follows and notes the decisions that come. About the soap decision from the Consumer Complaint Committee, the lawyer says: – Normal use of a car includes washing – either in a machine or by hand. It is obvious that car owners must be able to wash their cars in car washes without risking the lights bursting. news has been asking Tesla for a comment for two months, but we have not received a reply. Hi! I’m working on issues about Tesla, feel free to send me an email if you have any tips 🙂
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Tesla’s rules are reviewed by Norwegian consumer laws – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
