Published on October 24th, 2023 | by Sounder Rajen

U.S Justice Department Investigating Tesla, Will It Delay Malaysian Sales?

Will the Tesla Model 3 Highland be delayed here in Malaysia as a result?

Well, we all knew this was just a matter of time… again, but then again, with this kind of thing being so common for the brand, is anyone really surprised anymore? So, Tesla is once again under investigation as the automaker has revealed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking information from them.

So what is happening this time? Well, in a Form 10-Q filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Tesla has a section dedicated to “Certain Investigations and Other Matters,” and in it, the automaker reveals they have “received requests for information, including subpoenas, from the DOJ.”

Moreover, Tesla also went on to say “these have included requests for documents related to Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD [Full-Self Driving] features.” The company added they have also “received requests for information, including subpoenas from the DOJ, regarding certain matters associated with personal benefits, related parties, vehicle range and personnel decisions.”

While the filing doesn’t go into specifics, it has been the subject of major speculation. In regards to range, reports surfaced earlier this year suggesting that Tesla purposely showed ‘optimistic’ ranges to owners. The company has also been sued over their range claims in the past, so this is not surprising.

On top of that, as far as the the Autopilot and FSD side go, the government has a long history of probing Tesla and their semi-autonomous driving technology. Of course, this comes after a series of high-profile incidents and updates to the system It also comes at a hefty price to unlock so this is akin to rubbing salt to a wound.

While only time will tell what happens, Tesla stated, “To our knowledge, no government agency in any ongoing investigation has concluded that any wrongdoing occurred.” The company then acknowledged the obvious by stating if the government decides to pursue an enforcement action, they could be negatively impacted.

Obviously, Tesla has to say this and has said the same thing in the past, however, time and again, it has been caught in legal battle, after lawsuit, after accusation so perhaps it is time we start asking how honest the brand actually is with its customers and whether or not the brand’s products are of any quality whatsoever.