Tesla makes its cars lie about their mileage, lawsuit claims

psarhjinian

Ars Praefectus
3,727
Subscriptor++
I was waiting for this story to show on Ars and I'm glad it did.

In case you're wondering why Musk worked so hard to elect Trump, and why he explicitly said he'd be in prison if Harris won, this is why.

Even if he didn't go to jail for odometer tampering on a mass scale, this would have Theranos'ed Tesla and Musk would be financially broken, buried in shareholder suits, if not in jail for fraud.

It'd have made Dieselgate look like a fucking parking ticket.
 
Upvote
694 (708 / -14)
Post content hidden for low score. Show…

ktmglen

Ars Tribunus Militum
1,682
seems like it'd be easy to add an external sensor to compare the odometer to how much the wheels actually spin
Makes you wonder how Tesla vehicles measure speed since the speedometer and odometer usually use the same sensor or mechanical takeoff from the axle or drive shaft.
 
Upvote
248 (249 / -1)

ranthog

Ars Legatus Legionis
15,377
Makes you wonder how Tesla vehicles measure speed since the speedometer and odometer usually use the same sensor or mechanical takeoff from the axle or drive shaft.
The issue appears that the car isn't recording the mileage correctly. I doubt that this is a problem with the actual sensors.
 
Upvote
212 (212 / 0)

AusPeter

Ars Praefectus
5,232
Subscriptor
Makes you wonder how Tesla vehicles measure speed since the speedometer and odometer usually use the same sensor or mechanical takeoff from the axle or drive shaft.
Given that in modern cars the speedometer and odometer are just displays reporting data coming from a sensor, it would be very minimal effort to manipulate either of the displays. Of course, if the manipulation is occurring, then whoever did this should be in deep shit - but I'm not holding my breath.
 
Last edited:
Upvote
262 (265 / -3)

ranthog

Ars Legatus Legionis
15,377
Yes. With any other administration, and in any other year, this would be a huge deal with jail time for people. Now - probably dropped and forgotten.
Don't forget that most crimes are state crimes. The feds would normally only be involved if for instance it involved the moving of product across state lines for sale (which would be the normal type of odometer fraud).

So whil the feds won't prosecute them, I imagine there are quite a few AG's in the state who will be happy to.
 
Upvote
163 (164 / -1)

DarthSlack

Ars Legatus Legionis
23,469
Subscriptor++
The issue appears that the car isn't recording the mileage correctly. I doubt that this is a problem with the actual sensors.

Perhaps Tesla is also using the OTA connection to adjust the mileage from time to time to more Tesla friendly numbers. So in a test, the odometer works. But in the wee hours there's a touch of padding going on.

Sounds like an issue calling for some serious discovery.
 
Upvote
186 (189 / -3)
We do, in fact, understand what you're saying. Don't say it here
Ejected from thread permanently – (Apr 17, 2025 at 10:52 AM)
Yes, because odometer tampering and fraud are both state level crimes.
No, because he gets away with everything.

No law will ever hold him accountable. No rules written on any page will EVER be enough.

Accountability for these people must be achieved through other means. They have taken away the civilized methods of accountability.

Understand what I'm saying?
 
Upvote
-48 (80 / -128)

Sajuuk

Ars Legatus Legionis
13,318
Don't forget that most crimes are state crimes. The feds would normally only be involved if for instance it involved the moving of product across state lines for sale (which would be the normal type of odometer fraud).

So whil the feds won't prosecute them, I imagine there are quite a few AG's in the state who will be happy to.

"Things I heard daily between the years 2016 and 2024" for 1000, Alex.

edit: quoting the right post!
 
Upvote
66 (68 / -2)

AusPeter

Ars Praefectus
5,232
Subscriptor
And of course this is the same company that that was reported on in 2023

Tesla created secret team to suppress thousands of driving range complaints

About a decade ago, Tesla rigged the dashboard readouts in its electric cars to provide “rosy” projections of how far owners can drive before needing to recharge, a source told Reuters. The automaker last year became so inundated with driving-range complaints that it created a special team to cancel owners’ service appointments.

Cue Fry shocked, not shocked gif

----

I know not to feed the trolls, but I really wonder what goes on with the lone troll downvoting factual information. Is it because they are worship at the altar of Musk and don't want his peccadilloes exposed?? Or is it because they just love fucking around with posts? Or is it because they have a vendetta against me in particular?
 
Last edited:
Upvote
197 (209 / -12)

Penguin Warlord

Ars Tribunus Militum
1,955
Subscriptor++
That may well be unsuccessful, though. In the exaggerated range case a US district judge found that individual owners had to engage in arbitration with Tesla and could not form a class.

America is such a fucking nightmare dystopia, and everyone just acts like it's totally normal for a company to be able to put in fine print 'you can't actually sue me for anything, you have to ask my paid for contractor what they think my punishment should be'.
 
Upvote
344 (350 / -6)
Don't forget that most crimes are state crimes. The feds would normally only be involved if for instance it involved the moving of product across state lines for sale (which would be the normal type of odometer fraud).

So whil the feds won't prosecute them, I imagine there are quite a few AG's in the state who will be happy to.
It is a crime in all fifty states and specifically a federal crime as well, and is covered under blanket fraud statutes, and is covered by all kinds of civil jurisprudence as well.

However, the criminal statutes are directed at individual fraudsters and are actually written in terms of departing from the manufacturer's design. So, Tesla itself can't really violate the letter of those laws. Still their civil liability here is virtually unlimited.
 
Upvote
129 (129 / 0)

Surtrus

Ars Scholae Palatinae
711
To be clear, fucking with odometers like this is a crime, not just shitty behavior.
crime : "an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law."

It's only a crime if punishable by law. Do you think Elon is punishable by law?
 
Upvote
23 (33 / -10)
Post content hidden for low score. Show…

ktmglen

Ars Tribunus Militum
1,682
The issue appears that the car isn't recording the mileage correctly. I doubt that this is a problem with the actual sensors.
If they're even using dedicated sensors. The lawsuit alleges they're using some algorithm that can be gamed. Could this mean they may be using GPS for speed and the odometer instead of a sensor? It's possible. Could it mean they're counting "ticks" from a dedicated sensor wrong? That too is possible.

Tesla seems to skip a lot of the basic important stuff in the name of saving costs (while making other things like door handles way too expensive and complicated). I would say it's absolutely possible they decided to rely on GPS and an algorithm for speed and odometer vs using a dedicated, simple electromechanical sensor.

Anyone know for certain how the speedometer and odometer work in a Tesla?
 
Upvote
66 (76 / -10)
To be clear, fucking with odometers like this is a crime, not just shitty behavior.
Yes it is, in my state it's a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500 and/or 90 days jail time. Subsequent offenses up to $50k and a year's imprisonment (the maximum for a misdemeanor of any stripe).

That said like any crime the DA has to be willing to file charges. There's a lot that's completely illegal in the automotive racket that never sees the inside of a courtroom mostly having to do with how shady-black auto insurance companies have become because of lack of prosecution resources (compared to the insurance companies) and just how powerful insurance companies are along with it being illegal for auto body shops to form negotiating groups to stop the worst of the abuses.
 
Last edited:
Upvote
36 (38 / -2)
Post content hidden for low score. Show…
Makes you wonder how Tesla vehicles measure speed since the speedometer and odometer usually use the same sensor or mechanical takeoff from the axle or drive shaft.
With the cameras, obviously. If we humans can do it with our eyes, it must be good enough. /s

Being more realistic, I bet the inverters know exactly how fast the electric motors are spinning at any given time. It's possible they don't have an actual sensor dedicated to the task. Although I think you need per wheel sensors for ABS to work anyway.
 
Upvote
56 (58 / -2)

coopster

Ars Praetorian
405
Subscriptor
Have to update the list for people who only recently decided Tesla was bad.

"I only supported Tesla when they were:
  • lying about FSD capabilities putting the public at risk
  • firing anyone wanting to unionize
  • promoting a hostile workplace
  • taking billions from china
  • fake greenwashing projects
  • cooking the books
  • designed cars that get totaled in a fender bender
- falsifying odometers to screw their customers

But I don't any more."
 
Upvote
185 (201 / -16)

ktmglen

Ars Tribunus Militum
1,682
With the cameras, obviously. If we humans can do it with our eyes, it must be good enough. /s

Being more realistic, I bet the inverters know exactly how fast the electric motors are spinning at any given time. It's possible they don't have an actual sensor dedicated to the task.
Ah, that's a great point. They definitely should have the data from the motors already.
 
Upvote
18 (18 / 0)