MYNORTHWEST NEWS

‘Sell your Nazi car’: Tesla owner harassed in Lynnwood road-rage incident as anti-Tesla attacks surge

Mar 21, 2025, 7:17 AM | Updated: 8:40 am

Lynnwood tesla...

Lynnwood City sign. (Photo: Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest)

(Photo: Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest)

A Tesla driver was harassed and cut off by another driver on the road in Lynnwood, describing the incident as both terrifying and unprovoked.

The incident occurred while the driver, Leigh, was on her way to a doctor’s appointment Wednesday morning. It started when another driver began honking behind her as she approached a red light. The second car, a white SUV, then cut her off and stopped in the middle of the road.

The driver then exited the SUV and began berating the Tesla driver in the middle of the road. Leigh described the incident as very threatening and harassing.

“He gets out and walks straight up to my door window. So I cracked my window and I said, ‘What? What is the problem?'” she told FOX 13. “He goes, ‘You need to sell your car. This is a Nazi car. You’re driving it, you need to sell your car.'”

According to Leigh, the driver who confronted her was wearing a camouflage jacket and a ski mask.

“Being in Seattle, climate’s important, our footprint’s important,” Leigh told FOX 13, explaining why she chose to buy a Tesla. “This seemed like the right move for our very busy family. We drive a lot, and it saves us on gas. Now it feels like a huge risk; it’s scary.”

Attacks against Tesla on the rise

Tesla owners have been victims of attacks, vandalism, and harassment since the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, became the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the Trump administration. According to the Justice Department, which is beginning to charge people for vandalizing or destroying Tesla vehicles, one suspect threw eight Molotov cocktails at a dealership in Salem, Oregon while another suspect attempted to light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails in Loveland, Colorado. A third person “wrote profane messages against President Trump around Tesla charging stations before lighting the charging stations on fire” in Charleston, South Carolina.

The car brand has even become a target internationally, as four Teslas were torched in Berlin, Germany.

Locally, six Teslas at a dealership in Lynnwood were vandalized with swastikas and profane language directly related to Elon Musk. In another instance, a man was seen pouring gasoline on the hood of a white Tesla and setting it on fire in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Please follow our Community Guidelines

MyNorthwest News

fleeing pierce county driver...

James Lynch

VIDEO: Pierce County deputies use airplane to track fleeing driver who tried hiding in backyard pool

A Pierce County pursuit ended with a 37-year-old man being pulled, soaking wet, from a backyard swimming pool in Parkland.

7 hours ago

Lakewood police...

Manda Factor

City of Lakewood puts police chief on leave

The City of Lakewood has put its police chief on leave.

7 hours ago

firing seattle officers...

James Lynch

Teen accused of firing on undercover Seattle officers can’t be charged as an adult under WA law, prosecutors say

A teen whom King County prosecutors said was part of a trio that opened fire on undercover officers is now facing a series of felony charges.

7 hours ago

Washington...

Tyrah Majors, KIRO 7 News

Washington climbs in CNBC’s Top States for Business ranking, but concerns about costs remain

CNBC’s latest America’s Top States for Business ranking placed Washington 11th in the nation, up three spots from last year when it ranked 14th.

8 hours ago

Thurston County Jail...

KIRO 7 News Staff

Independent investigation requested after woman falls critically ill at Thurston County Jail

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a 29-year-old woman fell critically ill while in custody at the Thurston County Jail.

9 hours ago

seattle mayor katie wilson budget deficit billion...

Jillian Raftery

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s ‘impromptu boogie’ with Seattle rapper draws public safety criticism

You may have seen the video on Instagram, originally posted by Seattle rapper Y2K. Wilson stands next to him at a sports field and bobs to his anthemic track "SEA."

9 hours ago

‘Sell your Nazi car’: Tesla owner harassed in Lynnwood road-rage incident as anti-Tesla attacks surge