Tesla Model 3 Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Its Premature Peeling Paint

Tesla’s Model 3 vehicle is among Quebec’s most popular electric cars. As of December 2019, 6,293 Tesla Model 3 vehicles were registered in the province. However, widespread paint issues inflicting Tesla vehicles sprung up across Quebec. Among the Tesla Model 3 owners experiencing such paint trouble is plaintiff Jean-François Bellerose, who recently filed a class action lawsuit against Tesla in the Superior Court of Québec.

According to Jean-François, who paid a hefty Tesla Model 3 price of $63,420.87 for his 2019 Tesla, the black paint started peeling off the bottom of the doors and rocker panels of his new vehicle. This exposed his Tesla to corrosion and depreciated its value. Although Jean-François contacted Tesla to fix the problem, the California-based automaker told him that the damage is not covered under warranty.

The Tesla Model 3 peeling paint class action lawsuit alleges that Tesla breached its guarantee obligations toward owners and misrepresented the quality of Model 3 vehicles.

Tesla Trouble

According to the Tesla Model 3 peeling paint class action lawsuit, Jean-François remarked paint flaking and peeling within the first six months of buying the vehicle. The “premature deterioration of the paintwork on Tesla Model 3 vehicles,” are exacerbated by the harsh Quebec winters, which cause greater auto damage due to the lack of protective paint.

Tesla somewhat recognized the paint problem as early as last year, and provided Canadian Tesla Model 3 owners and lessees with free mud flaps and splash guards. According to an internal service bulletin from Tesla, the weather protection kit is meant to help Canadian owners protect their vehicles from paint chips that can occur from heavy salt, sand, or gravel, omnipresent on Canada’s winter roads. However, Tesla did not comment or admit to fault as to the paint issues.

The Tesla Model 3 class action lawsuit claims it would cost roughly $4,738 to repair Jean-François’ vehicle.

The paint and anti-chipping primer that are designed to protect auto parts, namely the rocker panels, from corrosion and flaking should last longer than the vehicle’s factory warranty. Moreover the Tesla Model 3 peeling paint class action lawsuit highlights that the paint and primer should not start to degrade within the first few months of ownership.

The lawsuit also alleges Tesla knew about the paint issues when the Model 3 vehicle was first marketed and sold. Nevertheless, Tesla did not order a recall over the issue.

More Tesla Model 3 Trouble in Finland and Sweden

According to Quebec’s TVA Nouvelles, dozens of Quebeckers are experiencing the Tesla paint issues, yet Quebec is only the tip of the Tesla Model 3 iceberg.

“It’s a design flaw that has serious consequences, and not just for us,” according to a Tesla Model 3 owner. “I’ve been contacted by Finns who have the same problem. They are talking to Swedes, whose paint is also flaking. We’re trying to get together to show that it’s a real problem all over the world,” he said.

The APA has already commissioned an independent expert to assess the Tesla paint problem.

According to the APA, Tesla owners need to properly prepare themselves for claims against the automaker. The first step is to notify Tesla about the issue in writing; next would be to take photos. The most important step, however, is to have an expert look at the vehicle.

Quebec auto vendor, Véhicules électriques Simon André, confirmed that dozens of Tesla Model 3 customers came forward this May, realizing that they were not alone in the paint defect phenomenon.

Tesla Model 3 owners experiencing similar paint problems are invited to come forward.

Class Members include all individuals in Canada who bought or leased a Tesla Model 3 vehicle and:

• Experienced accelerated degradation in the paint while the vehicle was under three years old; and/or
• Were not warned about such risks by Tesla prior to buying or leasing the vehicle.

The plaintiff is seeking the following payments to Class Members:

• The sum required to repair the paint damage to Tesla 3 vehicles or the difference between the sales price of the vehicle and its depreciated value
• $500 worth of non-pecuniary damages
• $500 worth of damages for breach of duty to warn consumers
• Any other reparation the Court deems fit
• Legal fees

Do you own or lease a Tesla Model 3 and have experienced paint chipping or peeling? Were the paint issues denied under your warranty? Tell us your story in the comments below!

Class Members and the plaintiff are represented by Cabinet BG Avocat Inc. and CBL & Associés Avocats.

The Tesla Model 3 Paint Peeling Class Action Lawsuit is Jean-François Bellerose v. Les Véhicules Tesla Canada, Case No. 500-06-000, in the Superior Court of Québec, District of Montreal, Canada.

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