Tesla fans, feeling duped, take the Elon Musk-owned company to court
7 hours ago
- #Autonomous Vehicles
- #Tesla
- #Consumer Rights
- Tesla owners worldwide are filing lawsuits against the company over unfulfilled promises regarding its Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability.
- CEO Elon Musk admitted during a 2026 earnings call that Hardware 3 lacks the ability to achieve unsupervised FSD, contradicting earlier assurances.
- New Zealand Tesla owner Benjamin Liu, who purchased FSD in 2020, filed a claim with the Disputes Tribunal, arguing misleading representations under consumer law.
- Tesla offered Liu a $4,800 refund for his 2020 FSD purchase, but he finds it inadequate as current subscription costs and hardware upgrades would require additional expenses.
- Other customers, like technology commentator Paul Spain, express eroded trust due to Tesla's overselling of autonomous driving capabilities over an extended period.
- Consumer NZ highlights challenges in enforcing laws against overseas companies but notes Tesla's physical presence in New Zealand allows for potential resolutions through refunds or tribunal claims.
- Tesla has declined to comment on the situation, while no prior FSD-related cases have been decided by the Motor Vehicles Disputes Tribunal in New Zealand over the past five years.