An Australian judge may let an independent expert inspect Tesla’s internal engineering platforms in a class action involving about 10,000 owners. The proposal concerns evidence collection—not a trial finding or a new vehicle safety remedy.
An Australian judge is considering giving an independent expert direct access to Tesla’s internal engineering systems in a class action brought by about 10,000 owners. The proposed step is meant to resolve a dispute over whether Tesla has produced enough technical material for the case to move forward.
What the court is consideringFederal Court judge Tom Thawley said he may appoint an expert endorsed by both sides and give that expert authority to inspect Tesla’s live engineering platforms. Reuters reported that the judge viewed this as potentially faster and cheaper than continued arguments over document discovery.
The suggestion is not a ruling on the vehicles or Tesla’s driver-assistance claims. The case has not gone to trial, and no finding of fault has been made.
What the lawsuit allegesThe class action, filed in February 2025, alleges that Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles can experience “phantom braking.” It also alleges that Tesla overstated advertised self-driving capability and battery range. The applicants’ lawyers say the documents Tesla has provided do not include technical information needed to test those claims.
Tesla says it has produced thousands of documents in good faith. Its lawyers told the court that engineers use continuously edited, live software platforms that do not preserve ordinary point-in-time records or paper-like documents.
An independent inspection could therefore give the applicants access to relevant systems while placing the review under court supervision. Tesla’s lawyer said the company would consider the proposal but highlighted the confidentiality of its systems.
What happens nextThe court is due to return to the issue on November 12. Until Thawley makes an order, the proposal does not give owners access to Tesla’s systems and does not change how Tesla vehicles operate.
For owners, the immediate significance is evidentiary rather than a new recall or software update. The case could eventually test technical evidence about phantom braking, advertised driver assistance, and range, but the current hearing only concerns how that evidence may be examined.
Source: Reuters
