Self -proclaimed 'Free Speech Absolutist' Elon Musk has won $ 23,000 in compensation after he had sued a Chinese woman for defamation after she claimed that the brakes on the Tesla Model 3 of her father failed.
Zhang Yazhou started protesting loudly after an incident in 2021 in the province of Henan in the center of China that her parents sent to the hospital for four days, according to medical records that were assessed by the Associated Press.
She draped her damaged car with a banner with 'Tesla Brake Failure' for the Tesla dealer in Zhengzhou, the capital of the province of Henan, about 200 km (124 miles) of her house, before they confronted executives at a car show in an auto show In a car show in a car show in a car show in a car show in a car show in a car show in a car show in a car show in a car show in a car show in a car show in a car show in Shanghai.
This stunt led her to be held for five days after she was taken out by good guards.
Tesla said she claimed her false and successfully sued her due to defamation during a closed process that started in October 2021.
Tesla, whose owner famous said: 'Free speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy' after his acquisition of Twitter in October 2022, is accused of using his considerable legal means, as well as the pleasant relationship with the Chinese state, of bullying unhappy Tesla customers who dare to complain about problems with their cars.
Yazhou, who now has to pay the meager amount to the company of $ 1.1 trillion and publicly apologizing, despite the fact that he appeals the verdict, said: “I refuse to accept it. As a consumer, even if I said something wrong, I have the right to comment and criticize.
'I spoke about my feelings as user of the car. It has nothing to do with damage their reputation. '
Zhang Yazhou (photo) began to protest loudly after an incident in 2021 in the province of Henan in the center of China, which her parents sent to the hospital for four days
This photo of Zhang Yazhou shows her damaged Tesla Model 3, left, who drove her father when he hit two other cars before he poured a concrete barrier in Anyang, a city in the province of Henan in Central China, on February 21 on February 21 , 2021
In February 2025 the image of Zhang Yazhou's Weibo Social Media account with videos she posted about Tesla in 2022 in the province of Henan
She said that after she had complained to a local market giver, Tesla refused to transfer data from just before the crash that may have thrown slightly on the incident.
“Tesla's employees were very arrogant and difficult in dealing with my complaints,” Zhang said in an interview. “I was burning with anger.”
She was also the victim of a briefing war, with a top Tesla director who claimed to Chinese media that she 'had someone behind her' and just wanted to get money from the company of Musk.
Tesla claimed that Zhang had deliberately distributed false information that the brand had damaged and asked for 5 million Yuan ($ 684,000) damage.
She is not the only one who was aggressively pursued by Tesla.
In the past four years, Tesla has sued at least six car owners in China who had sudden vehicle disturbances, quality complaints or accidents that they claimed were caused by mechanical failures.
The company has also sued at least six bloggers and two Chinese media who have written critically about the company, according to an assessment of public judicial documents and Chinese media reports from the Associated Press.
Tesla won all eleven things for which AP could determine the judgments. Two judgments, including Zhang's, are on appeal. One case was arranged outside the court.
This photo of Zhang Yazhou shows damage to her Tesla Model 3, which drove her father when it hit two other cars and stops against a concrete barrier in Anyang, a city in the province of Henan in the center of China, on February 21, on 21 February, on February 21, 2021
On this photo supplied by Zhang Yazhou, she is standing for her damaged Tesla Model 3 outside the Tesla dealer in Zhengzhou, the capital of the province of Henan in Central -China, on March 19, 2021
This photo of Zhang Yazhou shows her damaged Tesla Model 3, right, parked outside the Tesla dealer in Zhengzhou, the capital of the province of Henan in Central -China, on March 10, 2021
It is not a usual practice for car manufacturers – in China or elsewhere – to sue their customers.
But Tesla is a pioneer in an aggressive legal strategy and used the patronage of powerful leaders in China's ruling communist party to silence critics, commit financial rewards and limit her responsibility.
The success of the company is reportedly based on his relationship with a powerful civil servant – Li Qiang, the former party boss of Shanghai who is now the Prime Minister of China, which means that he is only in rank for President Xi Jinping.
Under Quang's watch, Tesla built his first overseas factory in Shanghai. It was the first foreign car manufacturer to get permission to maintain full control of the Chinese arm, and received generous tax benefits and loans with low interest rates.
In exchange, China was able to use Tesla as a catalyst for domestic production and consumption.
“The government gave Tesla a super status that brought consumers in a very vulnerable position,” says Qiao Yudong, a former lawyer for the American sports car company Saleen Automotive in China. “That's why some consumers had to resort to extreme actions.”
The results seem to speak for themselves.
An AP evaluation of a Chinese government database of judicial files published online found 81 civilian judgments in which car owners have charged Tesla due to safety and quality problems or contract disputes. Car owners won in just nine of those cases.
In addition to US President Donald Trump (not depicted), Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, 11 February 2025
On this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, the Tesla Gigafactory in Lingang New Area of ​​the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone can be seen in Shanghai in East -China on September 26, 2023
Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk poses for a group photo on the Shanghai Gigafactory of the American electric vehicle maker in Shanghai, China, released in this hand -out image on 1 June 2023
In a statement to AP, the Shanghai High People's Court said that judging is the result of an 'honest trial' based on 'the objective facts of the case'.
“It cannot be assumed that the party has received 'special protection' or 'special treatment' because of their victory,” the court wrote.
But experts are skeptical that Tesla could win so many cases.
“For Tesla to win that percentage of the time is a deviation,” says Bill Russo, founder of Automobility Ltd., a consultancy established in Shanghai, who was also regional head of Chrysler in Northeast Asia.
He said about dissatisfied consumers: 'The opportunities are stacked against you. It is nice to go to the casino and win every hand. '
Chinese journalists also told the Associated Press that there was an unwritten rule to prevent critical coverage from Tesla. Both spoke on condition of anonymity, for fear of retaliation.
“Our editor has told us that we should not write negatively about Tesla because it is an important company that was introduced and protected by the Shanghai government,” a tech reporter told AP.
And there are fears that the same behavioral pattern can soon be seen in the West.
Although Tesla has not yet publicly sued one of his American customers for pronouncing, Musk said last month on X that 'maybe it is time to sue media for coverage that the Tesla brand could stain.
His position has been viewed more than 22 million times.
MailOnline has contacted Tesla for comments.
