Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Tesla owners challenge self-driving promises as legal claims mount

Tesla legal issues

Tesla is facing growing legal pressure from owners worldwide after CEO Elon Musk acknowledged that older Hardware 3 vehicles will not be capable of achieving the fully autonomous driving functionality that many customers were promised when purchasing the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) package.

In New Zealand, Auckland senior law lecturer Benjamin Liu confirmed to state-funded media that has filed a claim with the Disputes Tribunal after paying $4,800 for FSD in 2020 based on assurances that self-driving capability would eventually be delivered.

Liu argues Tesla’s representations were misleading and says a refund does not adequately compensate owners now that FSD is only available through a subscription model and requires newer Hardware 4-equipped vehicles.



Other Tesla owners also told state media the company overstated its autonomous driving progress, while consumer advocates note that Tesla’s physical presence in New Zealand allows customers to pursue remedies through the Disputes Tribunal or other legal channels. Tesla declined to comment on the dispute.

Support DTNZ

DTNZ is committed to bringing Kiwis independent, not-for-profit news. We're up against the vast resources of the legacy mainstream media. Help us in the battle against them by donating today.

No login required to comment. Name, email and web site fields are optional. Please keep comments respectful, civil and constructive. Moderation times can vary from a few minutes to a few hours. Comments may also be scanned periodically by Artificial Intelligence to eliminate trolls and spam.

1 COMMENT

  1. Your horsesh*t virtue-signalling tesla gets a loose nut on a bolt, you have the bare-faced cheek to try and do your own maintenance and go to screw it up firm again, your horsesh*t tesla starts flashing in panic “access denied, contact your tesla dealer” “only specialized tesla agents allowed” Ten week wait for the loose nut to be “fixed” $5,548.63 bill. Thank you for choosing tesla, together we are saving the planet…

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Wellington
clear sky
12.2 ° C
13.7 °
11.1 °
71 %
2.7kmh
10 %
Wed
11 °
Thu
12 °
Fri
13 °
Sat
14 °
Sun
14 °




Trending

Sport

Daily Life

Opinion