Tesla Owner in California Sues Tesla over Sudden Acceleration

Tesla Motors Inc. has been sued by a Model X owner in California who said his electric SUV suddenly accelerated while being parked, causing it to crash through the garage into the owner’s living room, injuring the driver and a passenger.

The Model X owner, Ji Chang Son, said that one night in September, he slowly pulled into his driveway as his garage door opened when the car suddenly sped forward.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California earlier, seeks class action status. The suit cites seven other complaints registered in a database compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration dealing with sudden acceleration without warning.

Tesla said in a statement that it had “conducted a thorough investigation” of the claims made by Son.

“The evidence, including data from the car, conclusively shows that the crash was the result of Mr. Son pressing the accelerator pedal all the way to 100 percent,” a Tesla spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The lawsuit alleges product liability, negligence and breaches of warranty, and seeks unspecified damages.

See More From This Issue