Tesla owner shares photo of disturbing scene after returning to their car: 'I am just worried this is going to escalate'

It's no secret that Tesla has taken a massive public relations hit in recent months, and the company's customers are certainly noticing an uptick in vandalism.

While posting to r/TeslaCanada, one Tesla owner lamented the fact that their car was targeted by vandals seeking out the popular vehicles.

"Looks like I was the next victim in this spree of Tesla vandalisms," the original poster wrote. "This is completely ridiculous that we need to deal with this in Canada."

The Redditor explained that they had owned their Tesla M3 for three years without a single issue. They included two pictures that showcased what appeared to be significant key damage to one of their doors.

Since the incident, the poster noted that they are too scared to park their car anywhere. "I am just worried this is going to escalate," they noted. "I thought the stories online originally were blown out of proportion but now that it has happened to me I'm not so reluctant to believe them."

In America, vandalism attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships have resulted in the FBI creating a task force to target vandals, CNBC reported. "This is domestic terrorism," FBI director Kash Patel wrote in a social media post. "Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice."

The increase in vandalism on Tesla vehicles has allegedly come as a response to CEO Elon Musk's recent involvement in politics. The vandalism has also coincided with a dramatic drop in Tesla sales across Europe, per the Guardian.

In 2024, global sales of electric vehicles hit an all-time high with 17 million cars sold, per Reuters. However, with the recent spike in Tesla vandalism, people may hesitate to make the switch to an electric vehicle. Many Tesla models were among the highest-selling EVs in 2024, including the Model Y, which sold over 400,000 units across the globe, per Car and Driver.

Besides having zero heat-trapping tailpipe emissions and requiring fewer maintenance trips, electric vehicles may provide untold health benefits. Companies such as Polestar and Tata Motors have been growing in popularity in recent years, offering consumers more EV choices.

In the comments section, many Redditors shared the same fears as the original poster. But few have resorted to creative solutions. "I'm worried too," wrote one user. "I got a replacement Tesla logo from ByeElon, I've seen them mentioned a few times on this sub already."

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"I posted a similar thread about this last week and someone sent me an online store selling maple leaf replacement badges," another user added. "Ordered them for me and my wife's cars, hoping it stops potential vandalizers."

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