Tesla sued after woman claims locking flaw allowed attackers to succeed

Tesla currently faces a wide range of legal challenges. While the company works to expand robotaxi adoption and continues to be investigated over concerns about self-piloting, it is currently dealing with a lawsuit filed by a California woman. She claims a flaw in the Tesla’s locking system allowed an attacker to gain access to her vehicle and attack her.

In documents filed in Golden State court, the plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, claims that Tesla doors can still be opened from the outside even if the car is locked through the Tesla app.

The incident occurred at the Galleria at Tyler Mall while Jane Doe was charging her Tesla Model Y, documents state. After charging the vehicle, she walked to the passenger seat to take a nap while the electric car charged. Once in the car, she locked the car using the Tesla app. Apparently, the rearview mirror folded up and she saw an icon indicating that the car was locked.

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Before she woke up, a man identified in the lawsuit as Marquis Jabari cranked the car from the outside and entered through the driver’s side door. Although the woman believed the vehicle was locked, the exterior door handles were reportedly working fine.

She claims Marquis continued to assault her and she called 911, trying to alert them to her plight by saying things like “I hate this mall, it’s full of rapists” and “The charging station is so slow.” The call apparently lasted about seven minutes before police eventually arrived and intervened.

The lawsuit alleges Tesla failed to secure the doors from the outside and failed to alert occupants of the situation. Interestingly, the lawsuit doesn’t just target Tesla, the woman also named the Taylor Mall, the site of the attack. Her committee claimed the mall failed to provide adequate security. Finally, the defendant, Mr. Marquis, is also facing legal consequences, as the woman is suing for damages related to assault and battery.