A Singaporean man is taking legal action against his car dealer after a dispute over the replacement of his electric vehicle battery. Mr Jason Ling, 44, filed a lawsuit seeking more than $300,000, claiming that TTS Eurocars breached its contract by refusing to replace the battery in his Porsche Taycan 4S.
He argued that the EV battery was still under warranty and said he suffered significant losses after the incident.
Details of the lawsuit
Mr Ling is asking for damages that include:
- Loss of use of the car for 470 days, amounting to more than $112,000
- Repair costs at another workshop, totalling more than $105,000
TTS Eurocars denied the allegations. The dealer said the problem with the EV battery was caused by the rear-end collision, and the warranty booklet clearly excludes coverage for any damage resulting from an accident.
TTS also stated that the third-party insurers for the driver of the car that hit Mr Ling’s Porsche had rejected the claim for the EV battery replacement. The dealer said an independent assessment later confirmed that the battery was damaged because of the collision.
Timeline of events
- Mr Ling bought the Porsche Taycan 4S from TTS on March 13, 2021, for about $450,000. The car was registered under his name on March 19, 2021.
- On January 10, 2024, he brought the car to TTS after a warning message showed an “electrical system fault”. The 12-volt battery was found weak or faulty, and TTS recommended a replacement if the warning appeared again.
- The car broke down on February 18, 2024, and TTS found the 12-volt battery weak and one EV battery cell weak. The EV battery was replaced under warranty on April 29, 2024, while Mr Ling paid $5,995 for the 12-volt battery.
- The next day, the stationary Porsche was rear-ended by a Mazda CX-5 at the car park exit, causing minor damage to the boot cover.
- The car was kept at TTS for about 278 days, and Mr Ling received no substantive updates about the repairs.
Mr Ling said that TTS discouraged him from towing the car away and told him this could affect discussions with the third-party insurers. “Its continued delay in replacing or repairing the EV’s battery has caused losses to me,” he said.
TTS counterclaimed for the repair and storage costs, stating that the EV battery replacement due to accident damage was outside the warranty, while other repairs had been completed.
