Home / Technology / South Korean Buyers Lose Tesla 'Full Self-Driving' Refund Case
South Korean Buyers Lose Tesla 'Full Self-Driving' Refund Case
29 Oct
Summary
- Court rejected a lawsuit for full refunds of Tesla's FSD software.
- The FSD option did not guarantee fully autonomous driving.
- Tesla provided basic Autopilot and added new features via updates.
In a significant ruling on Thursday, a South Korean court dismissed a lawsuit filed by 88 Tesla owners demanding full refunds for their "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) driver-assistance software. The Seoul Central District Court determined that Tesla had not violated its contractual obligations.
The court stated that the FSD option did not guarantee fully autonomous driving without any human intervention. It also acknowledged that Tesla had already delivered some of the promised features.
Tesla's obligation to provide additional functionalities was deemed dependent on technological progress and regulatory approvals. The court found that buyers understood some features might take a substantial amount of time to become available.
Furthermore, the court recognized that Tesla had supplied the basic Autopilot and Enhanced Autopilot functions. A recent software update has reportedly introduced traffic light and sign recognition, along with city-driving capabilities, for older vehicles equipped with Hardware 3 computers.
This decision represents a victory for Tesla, which is currently navigating similar legal challenges in other countries concerning the delayed delivery of self-driving capabilities promised by CEO Elon Musk.
