The Tesla Advocate: Why Dr. Lindner sued Tesla out of affection

With a total value of around 906 billion US dollars, Tesla is by far the number one most valuable car manufacturer in the world. And yet the façade is beginning to crumble as old problems meet a certain ignorance from the manufacturer, who still thrives on having gathered a huge fan base around it.

What is meant above all are quality defects that have accompanied Tesla for years. Again and again there are reports of vehicles that have been cobbled together rather carelessly, for which even the most loyal followers now lack the understanding. For example, with the first Model Y, which came from the recently opened plant in Grünheide and is affectionately called “SprEEwaldgurke”. Several first-time customers have reported in the past few weeks and complained about scratches, large gaps and sometimes questionable built-in parts.

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Many of these cases end up with attorney Dr. Christopher Lindner. The self-proclaimed has specialized in clarifying problems with Teslas (and other electric cars) in court. Especially when customers get stuck with friendly requests for a free repair under warranty. In conversation with the star explains Dr. Lindner that he has actually set himself the goal of getting rid of his title in the medium term – and making Tesla a better brand overall through his lawsuits.

Dr. Lindner, since 2019 you have been working on cases relating to problems with electric vehicles. You now call yourself a Tesla lawyer. How did that happen?

In over 100 cases, Tesla tops our opponent statistics. At Tesla we complain about a wide range of problems, many cases relate to deficiencies in battery capacity and charging performance, defective drive parts, software problems, especially with the so-called “autopilot” and of course processing defects in the paintwork and body.

What distinguishes Tesla from other brands whose vehicles are not always perfect either?

In our experience, Tesla unfortunately has a lot to learn when it comes to treating customers as equals. An enormous amount is promised, but when you demand delivery, Tesla reacts with irritation. For example, with the FSD, the Full Self Driving Capability, where buyers have been waiting for the guaranteed range of functions for several years.

So does the problem for Tesla customers start with communicating with the manufacturer?

Unfortunately yes. Because it is popular to push legal responsibility back and forth between Tesla Germany, Tesla Netherlands and Tesla USA. What most buyers do not know: According to the conditions, the guarantor is Tesla Netherlands, which should deter many from asserting their rights.

We generally recommend taking out traffic legal protection insurance before buying a new or used electric vehicle.

It’s strange. It is actually precisely the direct and dynamic approach that many people associate with the Tesla brand. Has something changed behind the scenes?

In my eyes, Tesla has become very arrogant, displaying a kind of cowboy mentality. Tesla wants to write the rules for the Wild West of e-mobility itself. Maybe that has something to do with the success of the brand. Tesla used to take care of problems quickly and was very interested in making the customer feel valued. It’s different today, although I have to emphasize that it’s a management problem, the normal service employees act on directives from above.

Can Tesla afford that?

At least not for long, because the love of the fan boys and girls is threatening to expire. If other manufacturers who are in the starting blocks – I currently think Lucid and Fisker are the most promising newcomers – take quality assurance and customer relations seriously, Tesla will noticeably lose market share.

Let’s do this with an example. The mobility portal reports on one of their cases. There, an expert is said to have found defects and defects worth more than 10,000 euros on a brand new Model 3 Long Rang. It actually sounds indisputable. Why is the case still in your office? And what does Tesla do?

Tesla rejected the first complaint shortly after pickup. It was said that there were no defects on the vehicle, but that this was the “Tesla standard”. That means nothing other than that Tesla is of the opinion that poor workmanship is “normal” at Tesla and that as a customer you have to accept that. Our client did not want to be processed and found more than 20 defects on closer examination of the vehicle.

In the meantime, a court-appointed expert has confirmed that there are defects on the vehicle that will cost more than €10,000 to rectify. Tesla, of course, sees it very differently and prefers to claim that the expert commissioned by the court is technically a zero and that the vehicle fits. Therefore, the case is now being resolved by the court. From a legal point of view, I cannot understand Tesla’s attitude of refusal. And it is also extremely unwise from a business point of view.

What would you wish for the future?

In fact, my goal would be to practically make myself unemployed. In other words, it is very important to me that Tesla gets the curve and is responsible for mistakes. To put it bluntly: I am still an enthusiastic Tesla driver myself and would be happy if the company continued to be successful in the future – but for this to happen, the treatment of customers must be fundamentally rethought.