Tesla may have to go to court over its fancy Falcon doors on the Model X.
On Tuesday, Tesla sued a German parts supplier, claiming it failed to engineer and produce the hydraulic actuation system in the Model X's Falcon wing doors to Tesla’s specifications, the Wall Street Journal first reported.
Tesla wants the US District Court of Northern California to rule that it didn’t breach any contract with the parts supplier, Hoerbiger Automotive Comfort Systems, so that it will stop asking for money.
In February of 2014, Hoerbiger won the contract to engineer and make doors for Tesla’s latest car, the Model X. However, Tesla claims that prototype systems the firm produced had all sorts of problems, including oil leaks and overheating, which in turn caused the doors to be inoperable.
“Hoerbiger provided a product that never came close to being ready for production,” Tesla states in its lawsuit.
By May 2015, Tesla said it had still not seen results, so it severed ties with the auto supplier and pursued another firm to engineer the design of the door’s actuation system.
According to the lawsuit, Tesla has paid Hoerbiger a total of $3 million, which it claims is all it owes the German company. But Hoerbiger is still demanding more payment, according to the lawsuit.
“Since Tesla terminated this relationship, Hoerbiger has made a series of unreasonable demands, including that Tesla was obligated to work with Hoerbiger for the life of the Model X program and that Tesla owes Hoerbiger types of damages that are specifically barred by the parties’ agreement,” the company states in the lawsuit.
Tesla ultimately wants the courts to rule that it did not breach its contract with Hoerbiger so that it is not required to pay it any more fees. In addition, the electric car maker is also seeking compensation from Hoerbiger for general damages and attorney fees “in an amount to be determined at trial.”
Tech Insider reached out to Tesla and Hoerbiger for comment and will update as soon as we hear back.
