What Is This Settlement?
If you bought a Tesla in California before December 16, 2016 with free lifetime Supercharging, you have until September 25, 2026 to file a claim for cash. Tesla settled a lawsuit alleging it charged Supercharger “idle fees” to owners whose cars were supposed to charge free for life, and cut off Supercharger access for people who wouldn’t pay.
Idle fees are what Tesla charges when a car stays plugged into a Supercharger after it has finished charging — a congestion penalty meant to move finished cars off the stall. The suit was brought by Kevin Shenkman in Alameda County Superior Court, which alleges the fees were never disclosed to lifetime-Supercharging buyers.
Tesla denies doing anything wrong and settled without admitting liability, which is the ordinary way these end. The court has made no finding either way.
Who Qualifies?
The court defined the class narrowly. All four of these have to be true:
- You received a Tesla vehicle in California before December 16, 2016
- You still owned that vehicle after December 16, 2016
- You were a California citizen as of June 21, 2021
- Your purchase agreement described the car as “Supercharger Enabled,” “Supercharger Hardware,” or “Supercharger Hardware & Access”
That last one is the condition most people won’t know offhand. It’s the wording on Tesla’s Motor Vehicle Purchase Agreement, not something printed on the car, so it means digging out your original paperwork.
There’s a shortcut. The administrator emailed notices to class members on July 24, 2026, and class membership is drawn from Tesla’s own records — so if that email reached you, Tesla’s records already place you in the class. If you think you qualify and got nothing, call the administrator at 833-421-7344 rather than assuming you’re out.
Excluded: the judge and court staff, Tesla’s own officers and directors, and anyone who previously excluded themselves.
What Can You Get?
| Benefit | Amount | Claim form needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Refund of idle fees you paid | Every dollar, no cap | Yes |
| Vehicle disabled 30+ consecutive days | $350 | Yes |
| Vehicle disabled under 30 days | $50 | Yes |
| No longer own the car | $10 | Yes |
| Unpaid idle fees waived, access restored | No cash value | No — automatic |
Coverage of this settlement keeps describing the payout as “up to $350,” which undersells it. The idle fee refund carries no ceiling — the settlement returns all idle fees you actually paid through the settlement date, calculated from Tesla’s records. Someone who paid hundreds in idle fees over nine years gets that back, and can still collect a $350 disabling payment on top of it.
Fees you were charged but never paid don’t count, and neither do fees Tesla already waived — this returns money that actually left your account. Idle fees charged after the settlement date aren’t covered either, so the account keeps running normally going forward.
The $10 is an alternative rather than a bonus. It exists for people who sold the car, since relief that protects a Supercharger account is worth nothing to someone who no longer has one.
For the $350, you have to name the approximate year or years your car was disabled for 30 or more consecutive days. If Tesla’s records don’t show a 30-day stretch in the years you name, you get $50 instead.
How Do You File a Claim?
Claims go to TeslaIdleFeeClassAction.com. A mailed form has to be postmarked by September 25, not received by it, and the online form closes the same day.
What you need is the Vehicle Identification Number of the qualifying car. That’s the proof of class membership, and it’s on the driver’s-side dashboard, the door jamb sticker, your registration, and your insurance card.
You also attest, under penalty of perjury, that you’re a class member. That’s not boilerplate — filing a claim you don’t qualify for is a false statement, and it dilutes the pool for people who do qualify.
Paper forms can be downloaded from the settlement site or requested from the administrator at info@TeslaIdleFeeClassAction.com or 833-421-7344, which takes calls around the clock.
What Happens If You Do Nothing?
You still get the non-cash relief automatically: Tesla won’t disable your Supercharger access, will restore it if it was cut off, and will waive idle fees you were charged but never paid.
You get no cash. Every cash benefit needs a claim form, and there is no way to collect one afterward.
You also give up the right to sue Tesla separately over idle fees, whether or not you file. That release binds every class member who doesn’t object, which is the real cost of ignoring the notice.
When Would the Money Arrive?
Not soon. The final approval hearing is December 2, 2026, and no payment goes out before a judge signs off.
If anyone appeals, payment waits for the appeal to finish, which can add a year or more. Filing by September only gets you in line.
Can You Object or Opt Out?
You can object by September 25, 2026, and objecting doesn’t stop you from also filing a claim. A valid objection has to include the case name, your contact details, your VIN, your reasons, and your own signature — a lawyer’s signature alone won’t do. It gets filed with the Clerk of Court in Oakland with a copy to the administrator.
Opting out looks closed. Some coverage of this settlement lists September 25 as an “exclusion and objection” deadline, but the official settlement site sets out only three options — file a claim, object, or do nothing — with no exclusion route among them. If you want to preserve a right to sue Tesla independently, call the administrator before relying on either description.
Who Pays the Lawyers?
Class counsel will ask the court for up to $1 million in fees plus $100,000 in costs, and up to $10,000 for Shenkman as class representative.
Tesla pays those separately. They don’t come out of your refund, which is different from the typical settlement where fees are carved out of a common fund and every class member’s share shrinks to cover them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can I get from the Tesla idle fee settlement?
A refund of every idle fee you paid, with no cap, plus $350 if your Supercharger access was disabled for 30 or more consecutive days, or $50 if it was disabled for less. Owners who sold the car can claim $10 instead of the non-cash relief. The benefits stack.
What is the Tesla idle fee settlement deadline?
September 25, 2026, for claims and objections. Mailed claim forms must be postmarked by that date.
Who qualifies for the Tesla settlement?
People who received a Tesla in California before December 16, 2016, still owned it after that date, were California citizens as of June 21, 2021, and whose purchase agreement listed the car as Supercharger Enabled, Supercharger Hardware, or Supercharger Hardware & Access.
What proof do I need to file a claim?
The Vehicle Identification Number of the qualifying vehicle, plus an attestation under penalty of perjury that you’re a class member.
When will Tesla settlement payments be sent?
After the December 2, 2026 final approval hearing, and only once any appeals are resolved. No date has been set.
Do I have to do anything to keep my Supercharger access?
No. The no-disabling relief, restored access, and waiver of unpaid idle fees apply automatically to class members who still own the vehicle. Only the cash requires a claim form.
About This Page
RecallRefunds.com is a consumer information site. We are not the settlement administrator, a law firm, a court, or Tesla, and we cannot process or check the status of a claim. This page summarizes a proposed class action settlement and is general information rather than legal advice. The allegations described here are unproven, Tesla denies them, and the court has not ruled on their merits. For anything about your own claim, contact the settlement administrator.