There’s no shortage of horror stories associated with Turo. From renters wrecking cars or returning them in shambles to owners trying to pin unassociated damage on renters, there’s a lot that can go wrong with a Turo rental. However, this Tesla owner who rents his car on Turo has a pretty unique story to tell. His car became a test mule for a company developing aftermarket Tesla parts.
A company that makes aftermarket parts rented the Tesla to do some testing
2022 Tesla Model 3 | Tesla
According to The Drive, Frank Valdez just recently posted his Tesla Model 3 on the car-sharing app Turo. The rental in question was actually his very first time renting it out. So, we imagine he might be hesitant to rent the vehicle out again in the future.
Valdez says that he tracked the car to what he initially thought was a mechanic’s shop. Assuming he worked at the shop, Valdez didn’t let it worry him too much initially. However, after the car stayed at that location for hours. Upon checking the location after midnight, Valdez noticed that it was still in the same location.
The following day, Valdez was unable to track the car remotely, so he ventured down to its last location to see what was going on. There, he discovered that his Tesla was not at a mechanic’s shop but at the warehouse of aftermarket components company ABS Dynamics.
The company makes aftermarket body kits for all sorts of cars. Upon his arrival, Valdez discovered his Tesla sitting with the front bumper removed. Valdez confronted the renter, assuming the company was dismantling his car to steal parts. However, the renter assured him that the car was only being used to test fit a few parts, including a front bumper.
2022 Tesla Model 3 | Getty Images
Despite the seemingly harmless explanation, it’s easy to see why Valdez would take issue with this. After all, the premise of Turo is undoubtedly not for renters to prototype parts. In fact, it’s specifically against the rules of Turo to modify a car in any way.
Although, it does seem a whole lot better than reckless driving or the car being totaled. So, there’s that positive spin.
Valdez shared his discovery on Tiktok
2022 Tesla Model 3 | Tesla
In a video Valdez posted on Tiktok, you can see his torn apart Tesla in a bay at the warehouse.
The Drive reached out to Turo for comment, and it seems they are taking swift action against the renter for violating the company’s terms of use.
“Our team is in contact with the host and has taken action to ban the guest from Turo for violating our terms of service, which explicitly prohibit guests from making any unapproved alterations to any vehicle,” said a Turo spokesperson.
Additionally, ABS Dynamics told The Drive that they did indeed rent the car with the sole intention of test fitting parts. Representatives from the company apologized to the owner. However, that likely isn’t going to save the company from its Turo ban. This is especially true considering the renter told Valdez under false pretenses that the rental was for “a short trip.”
So, if you’re renting cars on Turo in La Puente, California, keep your eye out for ABS Dynamics renting your car! This particular renter got banned from Turo. However, there’s nothing stopping another employee from the company from creating an account to do the same thing!
Keyword: Tesla Owner on Turo Discovers Shop Testing Prototype Parts on His Car