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It is not common practice for automakers — in China or elsewhere — to sue their customers. But Tesla has pioneered an aggressive legal strategy and leveraged the patronage of powerful leaders in China’s ruling Communist Party to silence critics, reap financial rewards and limit its accountability.

This was very explicitly in China. That's not to say we're doing much better though.

This was in China though.

Japan's defamation/libel laws, similar to this Tesla case China, don't matter if what you said is true. What matters is that you disrespected the 'face' and reputation of those in power.

That is the stupidest fucking idea I have ever heard

In your second link it contradicts what you say about it not mattering if it’s true, right below the section you quoted:

“If the act relates to matters of public interest and has been conducted solely for the benefit of the public, the truth or falsity of the alleged facts shall be examined, and punishment shall not be imposed if they are proven to be true. (See Article 230-2 of the Criminal Code). Article 32 of the Criminal Code provides for the Statute of Limitations for filing a criminal action for defamation which shall prescribe in ten (10) years.”

Truth is also not a defense for defamation in the UK, though the law was changed about a decade ago to limit the potential for abuse. The UK is a popular venue to sue for defamation because it gives the plaintiffs a relatively easy ride.

Regenerative braking and brake by wire are 2 very different things. One is the brake pedal engaging an energy generating device based on current resistance/momentum until certain physical conditions are met, the other is the brake pedal being attached to essentially a trigger like on a game consoles controller, that tells a computer how hard you pressed the pedal, which then thinks about it and tells the calipers to engage the amount it thinks you meant.

The Nissan Leaf is not brake-by-wire—the brake pedal is directly connected to the car's hydraulic braking system.
If your electric brake-assist failed you would still have conventional hydraulic brakes.

I think you're right, actially. I incorrectly assumed Tesla was full brake-by-wire at this point.

Chevy hasn’t made those for 40 years!

https://insideevs.com/news/505015/tesla-response-china-protestor/

The car eventually went to a local service shop, but Tesla says Zhang sealed the doors so nobody would be able to get inside the car.

Tesla also says she refused an offer to have the car's brakes independently tested by a third party.

From Tesla Directly

On March 6, Ms. Zhang once again declared that she would reject any form of vehicle testing, and requested to return the vehicle and compensate for mental damage, medical expenses, and lost work expenses. In the Tesla store, a banner that reads “Brake Failure” was posted on the car body, and attention was drawn by means of pulling up banners and using speakers to spread Tesla’s negative comments, affecting the normal operating order of the store. Tesla staff have offered to advance the third-party inspection fees several times, but Ms. Zhang has always refused. Because of the greater impact of his “rights protection” behavior, the local police station sent out police officers to provide on-site persuasion on many occasions.”

“Since February, we have been doing our best to actively communicate with Ms. Zhang and her family. We sincerely hope that we can promote vehicle inspection as soon as possible and give a result to the friends who care about Tesla."

Edit: And obviously, this is just Tesla's statements on the matter, but I haven't ever seen anything to contradict their claims, and she lost in court and was forced to apologize. I imagine if you read Chinese you could find more sources or even court documents reiterating the seals/refusal stances.