Tesla finally apologized after a car owner went viral by climbing on top of a Model 3 sedan at an auto show to protest what she said was her car’s malfunction.

In videos circulating on social media on Monday, a woman, wearing a white T-shirt printed with the Chinese characters “brake failure,” climbed on a red Model 3 in Tesla’s booth at the Shanghai Auto Show and shouted “Tesla’s brake failed” to the crowd.

She was dragged away by security guards. On Tuesday, Shanghai police said the 32-year-old woman had been ordered into five-day detention for disrupting public order. Police said a fellow protester, a 31-year-old woman, received a warning. 

Many internet users expressed sympathy toward the protesters. Struggling to get their voices heard through government channels, Chinese consumers sometimes feel compelled to resort to public stunts.

And Tesla’s harsh response following the incident only brought more trouble to the American carmaker. 

On the microblogging site Weibo, Tesla said the woman was in a car accident in February due to speeding, but blamed it on the vehicle to ask for a refund. The company said the woman refused to have her car examined and declined other solutions proposed by Tesla.

“It’s impossible for us to meet her demands, because the demands are unreasonable,” Tesla’s Vice President Grace Tao told Chinese outlet Caijing following the protest. “I think she is quite professional. There should be someone behind.” 

“She contributed to all the negative [publicity] recently,” Tao said, adding that Tesla is receiving increasing positive feedback from Chinese customers. 

The uncompromising tone prompted strong backlash, as internet users attacked Tesla for failing to respect Chinese consumers. In a commentary on Tuesday, state-run news agency Xinhua added fuel to the row with an official warning to Tesla. 

“The arrogant response from a Tesla executive does not make one feel their sincerity in solving the problem,” Xinhua said. “No matter which car company, they must treat the Chinese market with reverence, and sincerely accept the supervision of consumers.”