Tesla Model Y Crashes During Post-Repair Road Test; Owner Seeks ¥190,000 Compensation, Talks Stall

In 2022, Mr. Zhu, a car owner from Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, sent his newly purchased Tesla Model Y to a Tesla Service Center due to frequent wheel sensor alerts. Technicians diagnosed the issue as being caused by small iron filings and removed them, stating the vehicle should return to normal afterward. Mr. Zhu left the car at the service center and agreed to pick it up that same evening. Approximately one hour later, Tesla informed him that during a road test conducted by staff after the repair, the vehicle had been involved in a serious collision. The accident severely damaged the front-left side of the car, nearly detached a tire, and triggered the deployment of all airbags. Tesla stated that road testing is a necessary post-repair procedure and attributed the crash to sudden severe weather conditions. Following the incident, the insurance company denied coverage, citing an exclusion clause in the policy that voids coverage when a vehicle is undergoing repairs at a commercial facility. The insurer advised Mr. Zhu to seek compensation directly from Tesla. Tesla offered to buy back the damaged vehicle for RMB 150,000, which Mr. Zhu rejected. According to his insurance policy, the vehicle’s total loss value was over RMB 180,000; factoring in additional expenses such as commuting costs and lost wages, Mr. Zhu demanded nearly RMB 190,000 in compensation. The two parties failed to reach an agreement within a month. Mr. Zhu acknowledged the insurer’s grounds for denial but argued that the accident occurred on a public road—not within the service center’s premises—and thus the insurer had overly broadened its interpretation of the exclusion clause. He has repeatedly requested a formal written denial letter from the insurer but has not yet received one. Currently, Mr. Zhu continues negotiations with Tesla and plans to file a complaint or initiate legal action once he obtains official documentation of the claim denial.