Tesla: Difference between revisions

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===Wrongful legal threats===

In 2022, Swedish car repair company Grufman Bil AB, based in Järfälla, published a video on their YouTube channel showing a 2016 Tesla Model S with a broken rear suspension link arm (''länkarm''), a safety-critical component that had failed while driving, causing the wheel to fold under the vehicle. In the video, they demonstrated the weakness of the material by hammering on the other (intact) link arm, which also broke after several strikes. The video ended with a direct message to Tesla to fix the defect before someone got killed. The same suspension defect had previously led Chinese authorities to force Tesla to recall 30,000 Model S and Model X vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kolodny |first=Lora |date=23 Oct 2020 |title=Tesla recalls nearly 50,000 Model S and X cars in China over faulty suspension |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/23/tesla-recalls-model-s/x-cars-in-china-over-faulty-suspension.html |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=CNBC}}</ref>

In 2022, Swedish car repair company Grufman Bil AB, based in Järfälla, published a video on their YouTube channel showing a 2016 Tesla Model S with a broken rear suspension link arm (''länkarm''), a safety-critical component that had failed while driving, causing the wheel to fold under the vehicle. In the video, they demonstrated the weakness of the material by hammering on the other (intact) link arm, which also broke after several strikes. The video ended with a direct message to Tesla to fix the defect before someone got killed. The same suspension defect had previously led Chinese authorities to force Tesla to recall 30,000 Model S and Model X vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kolodny |first=Lora |date=23 Oct 2020 |title=Tesla recalls nearly 50,000 Model S and X cars in China over faulty suspension |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/23/tesla-recalls-model-s/x-cars-in-china-over-faulty-suspension.html |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=CNBC |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260103085421/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/23/tesla-recalls-model-s/x-cars-in-china-over-faulty-suspension.html |archive-date=3 Jan 2026}}</ref>

Shortly after the video went viral, Tesla's law firm sent a letter to Grufman Bil claiming the video was damaging to Tesla's reputation and that Grufman Bil was using Tesla's brand to promote their own business. The letter demanded the video be removed. Grufman Bil's own lawyer said the video could legally stay up, but the company chose to take it down anyway, not wanting to risk a legal fight with a much larger corporation. Fredrik Grufman, the company's owner, stated that the goal of the video, raising awareness of a dangerous defect, had been achieved, and that authorities were already looking into it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 Jul 2022 |title=Slog larm om farligt fel – Teslas advokater stoppar filmen |url=https://carup.se/larmade-om-farligt-fel-fredriks-film-stoppad-av-teslas-advokater/ |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Carup.se |language=sv |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251112135012/https://carup.se/larmade-om-farligt-fel-fredriks-film-stoppad-av-teslas-advokater/ |archive-date=12 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=12 Jul 2022 |title=Teslas advokater hotar svensk bilverkstad för filmpublicering |url=https://www.nyteknik.se/fordon/teslas-advokater-hotar-svensk-bilverkstad-for-filmpublicering/399884 |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Ny Teknik |language=sv |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241009191903/https://www.nyteknik.se/fordon/teslas-advokater-hotar-svensk-bilverkstad-for-filmpublicering/399884 |archive-date=9 Oct 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 Jan 2024 |title=Verkstad tar bort kritisk video efter brev från Teslas advokater |url=https://elbilen.se/nyheter/verkstad-tar-bort-kritisk-video-efter-brev-fran-teslas-advokater/ |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Elbilen |language=sv |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251008133141/https://elbilen.se/nyheter/verkstad-tar-bort-kritisk-video-efter-brev-fran-teslas-advokater/ |archive-date=8 Oct 2025}}</ref>

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 ===Wrongful legal threats===
-In 2022, Swedish car repair company Grufman Bil AB, based in Järfälla, published a video on their YouTube channel showing a 2016 Tesla Model S with a broken rear suspension link arm (''länkarm''), a safety-critical component that had failed while driving, causing the wheel to fold under the vehicle. In the video, they demonstrated the weakness of the material by hammering on the other (intact) link arm, which also broke after several strikes. The video ended with a direct message to Tesla to fix the defect before someone got killed. The same suspension defect had previously led Chinese authorities to force Tesla to recall 30,000 Model S and Model X vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kolodny |first=Lora |date=23 Oct 2020 |title=Tesla recalls nearly 50,000 Model S and X cars in China over faulty suspension |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/23/tesla-recalls-model-s/x-cars-in-china-over-faulty-suspension.html |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=CNBC}}</ref>
+In 2022, Swedish car repair company Grufman Bil AB, based in Järfälla, published a video on their YouTube channel showing a 2016 Tesla Model S with a broken rear suspension link arm (''länkarm''), a safety-critical component that had failed while driving, causing the wheel to fold under the vehicle. In the video, they demonstrated the weakness of the material by hammering on the other (intact) link arm, which also broke after several strikes. The video ended with a direct message to Tesla to fix the defect before someone got killed. The same suspension defect had previously led Chinese authorities to force Tesla to recall 30,000 Model S and Model X vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kolodny |first=Lora |date=23 Oct 2020 |title=Tesla recalls nearly 50,000 Model S and X cars in China over faulty suspension |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/23/tesla-recalls-model-s/x-cars-in-china-over-faulty-suspension.html |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=CNBC |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260103085421/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/23/tesla-recalls-model-s/x-cars-in-china-over-faulty-suspension.html |archive-date=3 Jan 2026}}</ref>
 Shortly after the video went viral, Tesla's law firm sent a letter to Grufman Bil claiming the video was damaging to Tesla's reputation and that Grufman Bil was using Tesla's brand to promote their own business. The letter demanded the video be removed. Grufman Bil's own lawyer said the video could legally stay up, but the company chose to take it down anyway, not wanting to risk a legal fight with a much larger corporation. Fredrik Grufman, the company's owner, stated that the goal of the video, raising awareness of a dangerous defect, had been achieved, and that authorities were already looking into it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 Jul 2022 |title=Slog larm om farligt fel – Teslas advokater stoppar filmen |url=https://carup.se/larmade-om-farligt-fel-fredriks-film-stoppad-av-teslas-advokater/ |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Carup.se |language=sv |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251112135012/https://carup.se/larmade-om-farligt-fel-fredriks-film-stoppad-av-teslas-advokater/ |archive-date=12 Nov 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=12 Jul 2022 |title=Teslas advokater hotar svensk bilverkstad för filmpublicering |url=https://www.nyteknik.se/fordon/teslas-advokater-hotar-svensk-bilverkstad-for-filmpublicering/399884 |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Ny Teknik |language=sv |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241009191903/https://www.nyteknik.se/fordon/teslas-advokater-hotar-svensk-bilverkstad-for-filmpublicering/399884 |archive-date=9 Oct 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 Jan 2024 |title=Verkstad tar bort kritisk video efter brev från Teslas advokater |url=https://elbilen.se/nyheter/verkstad-tar-bort-kritisk-video-efter-brev-fran-teslas-advokater/ |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Elbilen |language=sv |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251008133141/https://elbilen.se/nyheter/verkstad-tar-bort-kritisk-video-efter-brev-fran-teslas-advokater/ |archive-date=8 Oct 2025}}</ref>