Survey: 44% of Tesla owners report vandalism and nearly no regret
Let’s say you’ve been living under a rock. In a cave. On Mars. You’ve likely still heard of the vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles, storefronts, and chargers. Now, a recent survey reports that Tesla-focused vandalism might be a bit more common than you might think.
A recent study suggests that nearly half of Tesla owners experienced vandalism to the tune of $1,900 on average
More than two in five. Around 44%. That’s how many Tesla owners reported some “intentional damage” to their EVs. That covers everything from keying a stationary Tesla to slashing tires. Or worse. On average, the repair bills for vandalized Teslas were around $1,900. But wait, it gets worse.
According to a survey of more than 500 Tesla owners from Guardian Service, three in four survey takers say they believe their Tesla makes them a target. The concerns are well-founded, too. In one recent case, a Tesla Cybertruck owner offered $25,000 for details about a masked attacker who slashed his tires and smashed his windshield with a concrete block.
In other cases, Tesla cameras captured people keying and carving symbols of hatred into the side of the brand’s EVs. It’s not localized to Tesla’s biggest markets, either. The South is the most prone to vandalism, with 46% of respondents reporting intentional damage. It goes down precipitously from there. 22% in the Northwest, 21% in the Western United States, and a paltry 11% in the Midwest. I guess Midwestern manners ring true, huh?
Despite the vandalism, buyers aren’t too regretful about their purchases
Roughly 61% of Tesla owners report a rise in their insurance premiums as acts of vandalism took off. Worse yet, more than half of the surveyed owners believe another rate hike is in their cards for 2025. Despite all that, buyer’s remorse isn’t exactly surging.
Just 19% of Tesla owners in the survey say they regret buying one of the marque’s EVs. Still, you might see a couple of apologetic or anti-Elon Musk stickers on Tesla EVs. That said, nearly one-third of owners reported that they wouldn’t buy another Tesla.
