Visitors inspect a Tesla model X during the media day of the Auto Shanghai 2019 motor show in Shanghai on April 16. Photo: IC

Shenma Zhuanche, an online car hailing platform based in Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, is seeking compensation from Tesla over defective vehicles, and the company has made its demands known on three billboards in Times Square in New York City, according to an announcement made by the company's official account on Sina Weibo on Friday.According to information released by the company, Shenma Zhuanche is the biggest buyer of Tesla cars in the Asian Pacific region, having purchased 278 vehicles from 2016 to 2017. However, the company claims that out of the 278 vehicles produced by Tesla, over 20 percent experienced electromechanical malfunctions.The company also complained about the inefficiency and unresponsiveness of Tesla's customer service. It claimed that some of the vehicles took as long as a year and seven months to be repaired, causing the company direct economic losses of up to 6.5 million yuan ($970,000).On the billboards that Shenma Zhuanche put up in Times Square, the company demanded Tesla repair defective vehicles, compensate the company for its loss and admit the quality issues in its products.Tesla had not responded to a request concerning the matter sent by the Global Times as of press time on Sunday.Recently, Tesla has faced controversy over its product quality. On April 21, a faulty battery caused a Tesla Model S to burst into flames in Shanghai. The incident led to wide criticism and speculation, with many customers concerned with the product quality and safety of Tesla vehicles.