In April 2021, Zhang climbed onto a Tesla display car at the Shanghai Auto Show wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with “brake malfunction” and shouted “Tesla brakes failed!” for several minutes before being dragged away by security guards.
Shanghai police detained her for five days for disturbing public order.
The incident drew widespread attention amid reports of dozens of incidents involving Tesla vehicles in China, including malfunctioning brakes and batteries catching fire.
Zhang had purchased a Tesla Model 3 at the end of 2019 for 368,000 yuan.
Tesla was now able to restrict the protester from high-consumption activities after she failed to comply with a court-ordered payment, according to Chinese media reports on Tuesday.
Zhang was placed under spending restrictions on December 19 at Tesla‘s request.
Such restrictions, common in China for those who owe money under court judgments, can bar individuals from purchasing luxury goods, flying first class, or staying at high-end hotels.
“I just saw this news,” Zhang told Southern Metropolis Daily on Monday. “For the defamation case, I have already applied for a retrial to the Shanghai High Court.”
Defamation Case
In October 2021, Tesla (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. sued Zhang, claiming her protest infringed on the company’s reputation rights and seeking 5 million yuan in damages.
After four years of litigation, Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate Court ruled in July 2025 that Zhang had defamed Tesla and ordered her to apologize and pay approximately 172,300 yuan ($23,400).
Separate Data Dispute
Zhang and Tesla are also engaged in a separate legal dispute over vehicle data.
In September, Beijing Daxing District Court ruled in first instance that Tesla must provide Zhang with complete driving data from the 30 minutes before her alleged brake failure incident.
The court determined the data fell within the scope of consumer rights and was “reasonable and necessary” to help Zhang analyze the vehicle’s condition.
Tesla has appealed that ruling, Zhang told Southern Metropolis Daily.
“The second trial is currently underway,” she said. “Once the second-instance verdict comes out, everything will be handled together.”
