Norwegian Tesla Owners Go On Hunger Strike Over Company’s Poor Customer Service And Build Quality

Generally when your product or service is so poor that your customers decide to go on a hunger strike to try and resolve their issues, it’s not the best PR look for your particular company.

This is the crisis that Tesla is dealing with this week after a group of owners have “begun seeking out an alternative means to get Tesla’s attention”, including a hunger strike, according to a report by The Drive. 

#TESLA HUNGER STRIKE IN TESLA COUNTRY #1 🇳🇴 NORWAY 27. aug 2022 @elonmusk

NORWEGIAN TESLA OWNERS ARE SUFFERING pic.twitter.com/2XkiIiG6df

— Erlend Mørch (@monstermasten) August 27, 2022

The owners are taking exception with “poor customer service” and being “ignored by the automaker” as phone calls go unanswered. 

According to the report, the list of issues with their vehicles includes “poor paint quality, rust, inability to meet claimed battery life, failing heat pumps, stuck door handles in the cold, and yellowing infotainment screens (that Tesla told the NHTSA were only meant to last “5-6 years” anyway).”

Some have also suffered “issues with the car’s lights, bubbling seats, water collecting in the trunk, loose trim pieces, and reduced power”, while others are simply complaining that “autopilot does not work properly”. 

Tell us something we don’t know…

Regardless, owners felt like they had to escalate the issue because the company’s customer service is awful. They complain about spending “an inordinate amount of time waiting on hold to actually speak with someone from Tesla” and not having their calls returned. The Drive even commented that they have heard “similar complaints” from U.S. owners.

The owners are hoping to catch the attention of Elon Musk – who is currently busy fighting what appears to be a losing battle with Twitter over his legal obligation to buy the company – to try and resolve their issues. 

Interestingly, Musk recently Tweeted about how he had been fasting – a move that some saw as an SEO strategy to try and take attention away from the owner’s group.