Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Tesla

2026-02-23T02:08:42Z

Dereck:

{{Incomplete}}
{{CompanyCargo
|Description=American electric vehicle and power company.
|Founded=2003
|Industry=Automotive
|Logo=Tesla_logo.svg
|ParentCompany=
|Type=Public
|Website=https://tesla.com/
}}

'''[[Wikipedia:Tesla, Inc.|Tesla, Inc.]]''' (formerly '''Tesla Motors''') is a company founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003. In 2008, it was funded and taken over by Elon Musk, when both original founders left their positions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schreiber |first=Barbara A. |last2=Gregersen |first2=Erik |last3=Ashburn |first3=Doug |date=21 Mar 2025 |title=Tesla, Inc. |url=https://www.britannica.com/money/Tesla-Motors |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Qai group |date=29 Sep 2022 |title=Tesla: A History Of Innovation (and Headaches) |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2022/09/29/tesla-a-history-of-innovation-and-headaches/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Forbes}}</ref>

==Controversies==
After the company was bought by Elon Musk it has been involved in a number of controversies such as requiring subscriptions or requiring a Tesla technician to fix 2012's Model S,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2012 Tesla Model s problems |url=https://www.slotcar-today.com/problems/tesla/model-s/2012 |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=SlotCar Today}}</ref> With cases such as being the most prominent automaker to refuse to support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, despite the feature being available in over 90% of new vehicles sold in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 Apr 2024 |title=The Real Reason Teslas Don't Have Apple CarPlay And Android Auto |url=https://www.topspeed.com/why-teslas-dont-have-apple-carplay-android-auto/ |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=TopSpeed}}</ref>, limiting Standard Connectivity features to 8 years for vehicles ordered after July 20, 2022, after which owners have to pay for basic navigation and other connected services that were previously free for the life of the vehicle,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Connectivity |url=https://www.tesla.com/support/connectivity |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Tesla Support}}</ref> and selling a utility vehicle (the Cybertruck, starting around $80,000 USD) whose owner's manual states that damage caused by car washes is not covered by the warranty.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cybertruck Owner's Manual: Cleaning |url=https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/cybertruck/en_us/GUID-65384C1F-86F2-44E8-A8BC-8A12E7E00A40.html |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Tesla}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Apr 2024 |title=Cybertruck Turns Into Large Metal Brick After Going Through Car Wash |url=https://futurism.com/cybertruck-brick-car-wash |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Futurism}}</ref>

This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:Tesla|Tesla category]].

===[https://www.reuters.com/technology/tesla-workers-shared-sensitive-images-recorded-by-customer-cars-2023-04-06/ Privacy Concerns]===
Tesla employees have allegedly viewed and shared embarrassing, disturbing, and potentially explicit recordings of Tesla through internal messaging systems; Tesla claims that all recordings are anonymous, though regardless of anonymity, it raises some privacy concerns, such as the fact that employees can even access those recordings in the first place, there don't seem to be effective measures in place to prevent those videos from being shared and they use these recordings to train their artificial intelligence which posses other privacy concerns.

===Artificially disabling functionality===
Tesla was among the early automakers to implement feature gating through software updates. For example, the company introduced an "acceleration boost" for certain vehicles that increased acceleration performance once the software feature was purchased, despite the necessary hardware already being present in the car.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Agatie |first=Cristian |date=20 Nov 2024 |title=Refreshed Tesla Model 3 Gets Acceleration Boost in Certain Markets, US Still Waiting |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/refreshed-tesla-model-3-gets-acceleration-boost-in-certain-markets-us-still-waiting-243025.html |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=autoevolution}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Iqtidar |date=22 November 2024 |title=Tesla starts offering Acceleration Boost for the Model 3 Highland Long Range variant |url=https://www.teslaoracle.com/2024/11/22/tesla-starts-offering-acceleration-boost-for-the-model-3-highland-long-range-variant/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Tesla Oracle}}</ref>

Tesla initially promoted the inclusion of radar hardware in its Model 3 vehicles, highlighting its role in enhancing driver assistance features. In subsequent production runs, however, the company discontinued radar hardware in new Model 3 units, while continuing to include it in higher-end models such as the Model S (and later the Model X). Later, Tesla issued an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disabled the radar hardware in existing Model 3 vehicles equipped with it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 Jan 2024 |title=Tesla's Relationship With Radar |url=https://www.edge-ai-vision.com/2024/01/teslas-relationship-with-radar/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Edge AI and Vision Alliance}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Klender |first=Joey |date=10 Jun 2023 |title=Tesla owners claim their radar was disabled during service visits |url=https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-disables-radar-model-3-model-y-service-visits/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Teslarati}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dnistran |first=Iulian |date=22 Mar 2023 |title=Elon Musk Overruled Tesla Engineers Who Said Removing Radar Would Be Problematic: Report |url=https://insideevs.com/news/658439/elon-musk-overruled-tesla-autopilot-engineers-radar-removal/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=InsideEVs}}</ref> As a result, these vehicles saw changes such as a reduced range of following distance options in Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC), from 1-7 to 2-7. Reports also indicated degraded performance in driver assistance systems, including instances of unexpected braking behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |last=rwiegand |date=22 Jul 2024 |title=Unfortunate new panic braking behavior from TACC |url=https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/unfortunate-new-panic-braking-behavior-from-tacc.331045/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |via=Tesla Motors Club}}</ref>

Tesla has also phased out other commonly expected vehicle features, such as ultrasonic parking sensors, reportedly as a cost-saving measure.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tesla Vision Update: Replacing Ultrasonic Sensors with Tesla Vision |url=https://www.tesla.com/support/transitioning-tesla-vision |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Tesla}}</ref> These changes are often implemented without formal announcements. Additionally, Tesla has removed dedicated rain sensors from some vehicles, with similar impacts on feature performance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Jeremy |date=8 Dec 2023 |title=Are Softening Tesla Model Y Sales In Europe Really Due to $119 Worth of Sensors Removal? |url=https://www.torquenews.com/14335/are-softening-tesla-model-y-sales-europe-really-due-119-sensor-removal |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Torque News}}</ref>

===Wrongful legal threats===
In 2022, Swedish car repair company Grufman Bil AB, based in Järfälla, published a video on their YouTube channel showing a 2016 Tesla Model S with a broken rear suspension link arm (''länkarm''), a safety-critical component that had failed while driving, causing the wheel to fold under the vehicle. In the video, they demonstrated the weakness of the material by hammering on the other (intact) link arm, which also broke after several strikes. The video ended with a direct message to Tesla to fix the defect before someone got killed. The same suspension defect had previously led Chinese authorities to force Tesla to recall 30,000 Model S and Model X vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kolodny |first=Lora |date=23 Oct 2020 |title=Tesla recalls nearly 50,000 Model S and X cars in China over faulty suspension |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/23/tesla-recalls-model-s/x-cars-in-china-over-faulty-suspension.html |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=CNBC}}</ref>

Shortly after the video went viral, Tesla's law firm sent a letter to Grufman Bil claiming the video was damaging to Tesla's reputation and that Grufman Bil was using Tesla's brand to promote their own business. The letter demanded the video be removed. Grufman Bil's own lawyer said the video could legally stay up, but the company chose to take it down anyway, not wanting to risk a legal fight with a much larger corporation. Fredrik Grufman, the company's owner, stated that the goal of the video, raising awareness of a dangerous defect, had been achieved, and that authorities were already looking into it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 Jul 2022 |title=Slog larm om farligt fel – Teslas advokater stoppar filmen |url=https://carup.se/larmade-om-farligt-fel-fredriks-film-stoppad-av-teslas-advokater/ |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Carup.se |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=12 Jul 2022 |title=Teslas advokater hotar svensk bilverkstad för filmpublicering |url=https://www.nyteknik.se/fordon/teslas-advokater-hotar-svensk-bilverkstad-for-filmpublicering/399884 |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Ny Teknik |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 Jan 2024 |title=Verkstad tar bort kritisk video efter brev från Teslas advokater |url=https://elbilen.se/nyheter/verkstad-tar-bort-kritisk-video-efter-brev-fran-teslas-advokater/ |access-date=22 Feb 2026 |website=Elbilen |language=sv}}</ref>

===Resale restrictions===
Tesla has recently started prohibiting the resale of its vehicles within one year of purchase, imposing fines of up to $50,000 on owners who violate the policy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hood |first=Bryan |date=4 June 2024 |title=A Man Says Tesla Won't Let Him Sell His Cybertruck—Even Though It's Too Big for His Parking Spot |url=https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/tesla-cybertruck-owner-cannot-sell-ev-parking-space-1235638981/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Robb Report}}</ref> This is done without regard for situations that may necessitate a resale, and appears to align with practices adopted by other companies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foote |first=Brett |date=7 Jan 2022 |title=2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Will Come With One Year No-Sale Provision |url=https://fordauthority.com/2022/01/2022-ford-f-150-lightning-will-come-with-one-year-no-sale-provision/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Ford Authority}}</ref>

===Full Self-Driving switching to subscription only (''2026'')===
''Full Article: [[Tesla Switches Full Self-Driving to Subscription Only]]''

On 14 January, 2026, Elon Musk announced that Tesla will stop selling their "Full Self-Driving" (or "FSD") feature as a one-time purchase for $8,000 USD, instead offering only a subscription option for $99 USD per month. This policy is set to take effect on 14 February, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Subscriptions |url=https://www.tesla.com/support/full-self-driving-subscriptions |url-status=live |access-date=22 Jan 2026 |website=Tesla Support}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Musk |first=Elon |date=14 Jan 2026 |title=Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. |url=https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2011324998653513810/ |url-status=live |access-date=22 Jan 2026 |website=X}}</ref>

==See Also==

*[[Tesla asks customers to vote against Right to Repair]]
*[[Tesla blames drivers for part failures it admits were defective]]
*[[Tesla locks battery range behind paywall]]
*[[Tesla locks heated rear seats behind paywall]]
*[[Tesla locks horsepower behind paywall]]

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Tesla]]

Tesla

2026-02-21T06:10:35Z

Dereck: /* Full Self-Driving switching to subscription only (2026) */

{{Incomplete}}
{{CompanyCargo
|Description=American electric vehicle and power company.
|Founded=2003
|Industry=Automotive
|Logo=Tesla_logo.svg
|ParentCompany=
|Type=Public
|Website=https://tesla.com/
}}

'''[[Wikipedia:Tesla, Inc.|Tesla, Inc.]]''' (formerly '''Tesla Motors''') is a company founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003. In 2008, it was funded and taken over by Elon Musk, when both original founders left their positions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schreiber |first=Barbara A. |last2=Gregersen |first2=Erik |last3=Ashburn |first3=Doug |date=21 Mar 2025 |title=Tesla, Inc. |url=https://www.britannica.com/money/Tesla-Motors |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Qai group |date=29 Sep 2022 |title=Tesla: A History Of Innovation (and Headaches) |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2022/09/29/tesla-a-history-of-innovation-and-headaches/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Forbes}}</ref>

==Controversies==
After the company was bought by Elon Musk it has been involved in a number of controversies such as requiring subscriptions or requiring a Tesla technician to fix 2012's Model S,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2012 Tesla Model s problems |url=https://www.slotcar-today.com/problems/tesla/model-s/2012 |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=SlotCar Today}}</ref> With cases such as the continued denial of adding Apple Carplay or Android Auto to their vehicles, putting an expiry date on their cars, and making a $100,000 utility vehicle whose warranty is void by a car wash.

This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:Tesla|Tesla category]].

===[https://www.reuters.com/technology/tesla-workers-shared-sensitive-images-recorded-by-customer-cars-2023-04-06/ Privacy Concerns]===
Tesla employees have allegedly viewed and shared embarrassing, disturbing, and potentially explicit recordings of Tesla through internal messaging systems; Tesla claims that all recordings are anonymous, though regardless of anonymity, it raises some privacy concerns, such as the fact that employees can even access those recordings in the first place, there don't seem to be effective measures in place to prevent those videos from being shared and they use these recordings to train their artificial intelligence which posses other privacy concerns.

===Artificially disabling functionality===
Tesla was among the early automakers to implement feature gating through software updates. For example, the company introduced an "acceleration boost" for certain vehicles that increased acceleration performance once the software feature was purchased, despite the necessary hardware already being present in the car.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Agatie |first=Cristian |date=20 Nov 2024 |title=Refreshed Tesla Model 3 Gets Acceleration Boost in Certain Markets, US Still Waiting |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/refreshed-tesla-model-3-gets-acceleration-boost-in-certain-markets-us-still-waiting-243025.html |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=autoevolution}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Iqtidar |date=22 November 2024 |title=Tesla starts offering Acceleration Boost for the Model 3 Highland Long Range variant |url=https://www.teslaoracle.com/2024/11/22/tesla-starts-offering-acceleration-boost-for-the-model-3-highland-long-range-variant/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Tesla Oracle}}</ref>

Tesla initially promoted the inclusion of radar hardware in its Model 3 vehicles, highlighting its role in enhancing driver assistance features. In subsequent production runs, however, the company discontinued radar hardware in new Model 3 units, while continuing to include it in higher-end models such as the Model S (and later the Model X). Later, Tesla issued an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disabled the radar hardware in existing Model 3 vehicles equipped with it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 Jan 2024 |title=Tesla’s Relationship With Radar |url=https://www.edge-ai-vision.com/2024/01/teslas-relationship-with-radar/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Edge AI and Vision Alliance}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Klender |first=Joey |date=10 Jun 2023 |title=Tesla owners claim their radar was disabled during service visits |url=https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-disables-radar-model-3-model-y-service-visits/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Teslarati}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dnistran |first=Iulian |date=22 Mar 2023 |title=Elon Musk Overruled Tesla Engineers Who Said Removing Radar Would Be Problematic: Report |url=https://insideevs.com/news/658439/elon-musk-overruled-tesla-autopilot-engineers-radar-removal/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=InsideEVs}}</ref> As a result, these vehicles saw changes such as a reduced range of following distance options in Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC), from 1-7 to 2-7. Reports also indicated degraded performance in driver assistance systems, including instances of unexpected braking behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |last=rwiegand |date=22 Jul 2024 |title=Unfortunate new panic braking behavior from TACC |url=https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/unfortunate-new-panic-braking-behavior-from-tacc.331045/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |via=Tesla Motors Club}}</ref>

Tesla has also phased out other commonly expected vehicle features, such as ultrasonic parking sensors, reportedly as a cost-saving measure.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tesla Vision Update: Replacing Ultrasonic Sensors with Tesla Vision |url=https://www.tesla.com/support/transitioning-tesla-vision |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Tesla}}</ref> These changes are often implemented without formal announcements. Additionally, Tesla has removed dedicated rain sensors from some vehicles, with similar impacts on feature performance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Jeremy |date=8 Dec 2023 |title=Are Softening Tesla Model Y Sales In Europe Really Due to $119 Worth of Sensors Removal? |url=https://www.torquenews.com/14335/are-softening-tesla-model-y-sales-europe-really-due-119-sensor-removal |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Torque News}}</ref>

===Wrongful legal threats===
Tesla once sent a legal threat to a Swedish car repair company called "Grufman Bil AB" to take down a YouTube video that they had posted that showed them smashing a car component that was supposed to hold up a wheel with a big hammer, showing how that component was made of metal that was a lot weaker than one could reasonably expect. Grufman Bil decided to quickly take down that video and when someone asked them why, Grufman Bil said "because it's not worth getting sued over," which indicates that Tesla was possibly threatening to sue people who show important car defects.


===Resale restrictions===
Tesla has recently started prohibiting the resale of its vehicles within one year of purchase, imposing fines of up to $50,000 on owners who violate the policy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hood |first=Bryan |date=4 June 2024 |title=A Man Says Tesla Won’t Let Him Sell His Cybertruck—Even Though It’s Too Big for His Parking Spot |url=https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/tesla-cybertruck-owner-cannot-sell-ev-parking-space-1235638981/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Robb Report}}</ref> This is done without regard for situations that may necessitate a resale, and appears to align with practices adopted by other companies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foote |first=Brett |date=7 Jan 2022 |title=2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Will Come With One Year No-Sale Provision |url=https://fordauthority.com/2022/01/2022-ford-f-150-lightning-will-come-with-one-year-no-sale-provision/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Ford Authority}}</ref>

===Full Self-Driving switching to subscription only (''2026'')===
''Full Article: [[Tesla Switches Full Self-Driving to Subscription Only]]''

On 14 January, 2026, Elon Musk announced that Tesla will stop selling their "Full Self-Driving" (or "FSD") feature as a one-time purchase for $8,000 USD, instead offering only a subscription option for $99 USD per month. This policy is set to take effect on 14 February, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Subscriptions |url=https://www.tesla.com/support/full-self-driving-subscriptions |url-status=live |access-date=22 Jan 2026 |website=Tesla Support}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Musk |first=Elon |date=14 Jan 2026 |title=Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. |url=https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2011324998653513810/ |url-status=live |access-date=22 Jan 2026 |website=X}}</ref>

==See Also==

*[[Tesla asks customers to vote against Right to Repair]]
*[[Tesla blames drivers for part failures it admits were defective]]
*[[Tesla locks battery range behind paywall]]
*[[Tesla locks heated rear seats behind paywall]]
*[[Tesla locks horsepower behind paywall]]

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Tesla]]

Tesla

2026-02-21T06:08:29Z

Dereck: /* Full Self-Driving switching to subscription only (2026) */

{{Incomplete}}
{{CompanyCargo
|Description=American electric vehicle and power company.
|Founded=2003
|Industry=Automotive
|Logo=Tesla_logo.svg
|ParentCompany=
|Type=Public
|Website=https://tesla.com/
}}

'''[[Wikipedia:Tesla, Inc.|Tesla, Inc.]]''' (formerly '''Tesla Motors''') is a company founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003. In 2008, it was funded and taken over by Elon Musk, when both original founders left their positions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schreiber |first=Barbara A. |last2=Gregersen |first2=Erik |last3=Ashburn |first3=Doug |date=21 Mar 2025 |title=Tesla, Inc. |url=https://www.britannica.com/money/Tesla-Motors |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Qai group |date=29 Sep 2022 |title=Tesla: A History Of Innovation (and Headaches) |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2022/09/29/tesla-a-history-of-innovation-and-headaches/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Forbes}}</ref>

==Controversies==
After the company was bought by Elon Musk it has been involved in a number of controversies such as requiring subscriptions or requiring a Tesla technician to fix 2012's Model S,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2012 Tesla Model s problems |url=https://www.slotcar-today.com/problems/tesla/model-s/2012 |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=SlotCar Today}}</ref> With cases such as the continued denial of adding Apple Carplay or Android Auto to their vehicles, putting an expiry date on their cars, and making a $100,000 utility vehicle whose warranty is void by a car wash.

This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:Tesla|Tesla category]].

===[https://www.reuters.com/technology/tesla-workers-shared-sensitive-images-recorded-by-customer-cars-2023-04-06/ Privacy Concerns]===
Tesla employees have allegedly viewed and shared embarrassing, disturbing, and potentially explicit recordings of Tesla through internal messaging systems; Tesla claims that all recordings are anonymous, though regardless of anonymity, it raises some privacy concerns, such as the fact that employees can even access those recordings in the first place, there don't seem to be effective measures in place to prevent those videos from being shared and they use these recordings to train their artificial intelligence which posses other privacy concerns.

===Artificially disabling functionality===
Tesla was among the early automakers to implement feature gating through software updates. For example, the company introduced an "acceleration boost" for certain vehicles that increased acceleration performance once the software feature was purchased, despite the necessary hardware already being present in the car.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Agatie |first=Cristian |date=20 Nov 2024 |title=Refreshed Tesla Model 3 Gets Acceleration Boost in Certain Markets, US Still Waiting |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/refreshed-tesla-model-3-gets-acceleration-boost-in-certain-markets-us-still-waiting-243025.html |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=autoevolution}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ali |first=Iqtidar |date=22 November 2024 |title=Tesla starts offering Acceleration Boost for the Model 3 Highland Long Range variant |url=https://www.teslaoracle.com/2024/11/22/tesla-starts-offering-acceleration-boost-for-the-model-3-highland-long-range-variant/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Tesla Oracle}}</ref>

Tesla initially promoted the inclusion of radar hardware in its Model 3 vehicles, highlighting its role in enhancing driver assistance features. In subsequent production runs, however, the company discontinued radar hardware in new Model 3 units, while continuing to include it in higher-end models such as the Model S (and later the Model X). Later, Tesla issued an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disabled the radar hardware in existing Model 3 vehicles equipped with it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 Jan 2024 |title=Tesla’s Relationship With Radar |url=https://www.edge-ai-vision.com/2024/01/teslas-relationship-with-radar/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Edge AI and Vision Alliance}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Klender |first=Joey |date=10 Jun 2023 |title=Tesla owners claim their radar was disabled during service visits |url=https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-disables-radar-model-3-model-y-service-visits/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Teslarati}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dnistran |first=Iulian |date=22 Mar 2023 |title=Elon Musk Overruled Tesla Engineers Who Said Removing Radar Would Be Problematic: Report |url=https://insideevs.com/news/658439/elon-musk-overruled-tesla-autopilot-engineers-radar-removal/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=InsideEVs}}</ref> As a result, these vehicles saw changes such as a reduced range of following distance options in Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC), from 1-7 to 2-7. Reports also indicated degraded performance in driver assistance systems, including instances of unexpected braking behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |last=rwiegand |date=22 Jul 2024 |title=Unfortunate new panic braking behavior from TACC |url=https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/unfortunate-new-panic-braking-behavior-from-tacc.331045/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |via=Tesla Motors Club}}</ref>

Tesla has also phased out other commonly expected vehicle features, such as ultrasonic parking sensors, reportedly as a cost-saving measure.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tesla Vision Update: Replacing Ultrasonic Sensors with Tesla Vision |url=https://www.tesla.com/support/transitioning-tesla-vision |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Tesla}}</ref> These changes are often implemented without formal announcements. Additionally, Tesla has removed dedicated rain sensors from some vehicles, with similar impacts on feature performance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Jeremy |date=8 Dec 2023 |title=Are Softening Tesla Model Y Sales In Europe Really Due to $119 Worth of Sensors Removal? |url=https://www.torquenews.com/14335/are-softening-tesla-model-y-sales-europe-really-due-119-sensor-removal |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Torque News}}</ref>

===Wrongful legal threats===
Tesla once sent a legal threat to a Swedish car repair company called "Grufman Bil AB" to take down a YouTube video that they had posted that showed them smashing a car component that was supposed to hold up a wheel with a big hammer, showing how that component was made of metal that was a lot weaker than one could reasonably expect. Grufman Bil decided to quickly take down that video and when someone asked them why, Grufman Bil said "because it's not worth getting sued over," which indicates that Tesla was possibly threatening to sue people who show important car defects.


===Resale restrictions===
Tesla has recently started prohibiting the resale of its vehicles within one year of purchase, imposing fines of up to $50,000 on owners who violate the policy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hood |first=Bryan |date=4 June 2024 |title=A Man Says Tesla Won’t Let Him Sell His Cybertruck—Even Though It’s Too Big for His Parking Spot |url=https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/tesla-cybertruck-owner-cannot-sell-ev-parking-space-1235638981/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Robb Report}}</ref> This is done without regard for situations that may necessitate a resale, and appears to align with practices adopted by other companies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foote |first=Brett |date=7 Jan 2022 |title=2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Will Come With One Year No-Sale Provision |url=https://fordauthority.com/2022/01/2022-ford-f-150-lightning-will-come-with-one-year-no-sale-provision/ |access-date=22 Mar 2025 |website=Ford Authority}}</ref>

===Full Self-Driving switching to subscription only (''2026'')===
''Full Article: [[Tesla Switches Full Self-Driving to Subscription Only]]''

On 14 January, 2026, Elon Musk announced that Tesla will stop selling their "Full Self-Driving" (or "FSD") feature as a one-time purchase for $8,000 USD, instead offering only a subscription option for $99 USD per month. This policy is set to take effect on 14 February, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Subscriptions |url=https://www.tesla.com/support/full-self-driving-subscriptions |url-status=live |access-date=22 Jan 2026 |website=Tesla Support}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Musk |first=Elon |date=13 Jan 2026 |title=Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. |url=https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2011324998653513810/ |url-status=live |access-date=22 Jan 2026 |website=X}}</ref>

==See Also==

*[[Tesla asks customers to vote against Right to Repair]]
*[[Tesla blames drivers for part failures it admits were defective]]
*[[Tesla locks battery range behind paywall]]
*[[Tesla locks heated rear seats behind paywall]]
*[[Tesla locks horsepower behind paywall]]

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Tesla]]

Tesla switches full self-driving to subscription only

2026-02-21T06:00:45Z

Dereck: Created page with "On 14 January 2026, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on X that the company would stop offering its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) (FSD) driver-assistance software as a one-time purchase and would instead offer it exclusively through a monthly subscription.<ref name="techcrunch-okane">{{cite web |last=O'Kane |first=Sean |title=Tesla will only offer subscriptions for Full Self-Driving (Supervised) going forward |url=https://t..."

On 14 January 2026, [[Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]] CEO [[wikipedia:Elon Musk|Elon Musk]] announced on [[X Corp|X]] that the company would stop offering its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) (FSD) driver-assistance software as a one-time purchase and would instead offer it exclusively through a monthly subscription.<ref name="techcrunch-okane">{{cite web |last=O'Kane |first=Sean |title=Tesla will only offer subscriptions for Full Self-Driving (Supervised) going forward |url=https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/14/tesla-will-only-offer-subscriptions-for-full-self-driving-supervised-going-forward/ |website=TechCrunch |date=2026-01-14 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> The change took effect on 14 February 2026, eliminating the $8,000 USD one-time purchase option and leaving a $99 per month subscription as the only way to access FSD.<ref name="cnbc-palmer">{{cite web |last=Palmer |first=Annie |title=Musk says Tesla is moving Full Self-Driving to a monthly subscription |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/14/musk-tesla-full-self-driving-subscription-fsd.html |website=CNBC |date=2026-01-14 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> Commentators described the decision as a sharp break from Tesla's years-long marketing of FSD as an investment that would appreciate in value over time.<ref name="electrek-lambert">{{cite web |last=Lambert |first=Fred |title=Tesla (TSLA) to stop selling Full Self-Driving package, moves to subscription-only: why it's a big move |url=https://electrek.co/2026/01/14/tesla-tsla-stop-selling-full-self-driving-package-subscription-only/ |website=Electrek |date=2026-01-14 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref>

== Background ==

=== Full Self-Driving pricing history ===

Tesla first offered Full Self-Driving as an add-on in October 2016 at a price of $3,000. The one-time purchase price was raised multiple times over subsequent years: to $6,000 in February 2019, $7,000 in August 2019, $8,000 in July 2020, $10,000 in October 2020, $12,000 in January 2022, and a peak of $15,000 in September 2022.<ref name="notatesla-history">{{cite web |title=Tesla FSD Cost and Price Increase History |url=https://www.notateslaapp.com/tesla-reference/958/tesla-fsd-price-increase-history |website=Not a Tesla App |date=2024-04-26 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> Musk repeatedly stated during this period that the price would continue to rise as the software's capabilities improved, describing FSD-equipped vehicles as "appreciating assets".<ref name="electrek-lambert" />

Beginning in September 2023, Tesla reversed course and began reducing prices, first dropping FSD to $12,000 and then to $8,000 in April 2024.<ref name="insideevs-pricedrop">{{cite web |title=Tesla Drops Full Self-Driving Price From $12,000 To $8,000 |url=https://insideevs.com/news/716963/tesla-fsd-price-drop/ |website=InsideEVs |date=2024-04-22 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> Tesla also introduced an FSD subscription option in 2021, initially priced at $199 per month, which was subsequently halved to $99 per month in April 2024.<ref name="techcrunch-okane" />

=== Adoption rate and unfulfilled promises ===

After years of marketing, FSD adoption among Tesla buyers remained low. In October 2025, Tesla chief financial officer Vaibhav Taneja stated that only 12% of all Tesla customers had paid for FSD.<ref name="techcrunch-okane" /> The fraction of buyers purchasing FSD had reportedly been in steady decline for years before this announcement.<ref name="businessinsider-carter">{{cite web |last=Carter |first=Tom |title=Elon Musk says self-driving is Tesla's future. It's struggling to get owners to pay for it. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-full-self-driving-sales-customers-pay-fsd-2025-10 |website=BusinessInsider |date=2025-10-24 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref>

FSD remains classified as a Level 2 advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) requiring full human supervision at all times.<ref name="cnbc-palmer" /> Despite repeated promises from Musk over multiple years that Tesla vehicles would become fully autonomous through future software updates, this has not occurred. The system's official branding was changed from "Full Self-Driving" to "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" after regulatory pressure.<ref name="cadmv-corrective">{{cite web |title=Tesla Takes Corrective Action to Avoid DMV Suspension |url=https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/news-and-media/tesla-takes-corrective-action-to-avoid-dmv-suspension/ |website=California DMV |date=2026-02-18 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref>

=== California DMV ruling ===

On 16 December 2025, following a hearing held in July 2025, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) adopted an administrative law judge's decision finding that Tesla's use of the terms "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving Capability" in marketing its vehicles constituted misleading advertising in violation of state law.<ref name="cadmv-ruling">{{cite web |title=DMV Finds Tesla Violated California State Law |url=https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/news-and-media/news-releases/dmv-finds-tesla-violated-california-state-law/ |website=California DMV |date=2025-12-16 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> The ruling found that Tesla's marketing language suggested a level of autonomous capability the vehicles did not possess.<ref name="cnbc-kolodny">{{cite web |last=Kolodny |first=Lora |title=California judge rules that Tesla engaged in deceptive marketing around Autopilot |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/16/california-judge-says-tesla-engaged-in-deceptive-autopilot-marketing-.html |website=CNBC |date=2025-12-16 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> Tesla was given 60 days to take corrective action or face a 30-day suspension of its dealer license in the state.<ref name="cadmv-ruling" /> The compliance deadline of 14 February 2026 coincided exactly with the date Tesla transitioned FSD to subscription-only.<ref name="electrek-suspension">{{cite web |last=Lambert |first=Fred |title=Tesla avoids 30-day California sales suspension after dropping misleading 'Autopilot' marketing |url=https://electrek.co/2026/02/18/tesla-avoids-30-day-california-sales-suspension-after-dropping-misleading-autopilot-marketing/ |website=Electrek |date=2026-02-18 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref>

== The announcement ==

Musk's announcement was made in a post on X on 14 January 2026, which read: "Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. FSD will only be available as a monthly subscription thereafter."<ref name="musk-xpost">{{cite web |last=Musk |first=Elon |title=Post on X |url=https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2011324998653513810 |website=X |date=2026-01-14 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> No formal press release or detailed explanation accompanied the announcement.<ref name="techcrunch-okane" />

Tesla did not publicly cite a specific reason for the change. However, reporting from multiple outlets identified several possible motivations:

* ''Lower barrier to entry'': At $99 per month, the subscription costs far less upfront than the $8,000 one-time purchase, which could increase adoption among price-sensitive customers.<ref name="cnbc-palmer" />
* ''Compensation package milestone'': Musk's 2025 CEO Performance Award, approved by shareholders, includes a requirement that Tesla achieve 10 million active FSD subscriptions as one of several milestones tied to Musk's compensation. Moving all new users to subscriptions directly advances this metric.<ref name="techcrunch-okane" />
* ''Reduced legal liability'': Customers who previously purchased FSD outright did so with the expectation that the system would eventually become fully autonomous, as repeatedly promised by Musk. By shifting to subscriptions, Tesla limits new customers' claim to future capabilities, as they are paying only for the current month's functionality.<ref name="electrek-lambert" />
* ''Regulatory compliance timing'': The effective date of the change matched the California DMV's deadline for Tesla to address its misleading marketing of Autopilot and FSD.<ref name="electrek-suspension" />

== Consumer impact ==

=== Loss of permanent ownership ===

Before this change, customers who paid the one-time fee retained access to FSD for the lifetime of their vehicle, including all future software updates. Under the subscription-only model, access to FSD requires continued monthly payments, with no option to secure permanent access.<ref name="tesla-support">{{cite web |title=Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Subscriptions |url=https://www.tesla.com/support/full-self-driving-subscriptions |website=Tesla Support |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref>

Customers who purchased FSD before the cutoff date retain their existing access.<ref name="insideevs-iyengar">{{cite web |last=Iyengar |first=Rishi |title=Tesla Will Stop Selling Full Self-Driving As A One-Time Package Next Month |url=https://insideevs.com/news/784386/tesla-fsd-subscription-only-2026/ |website=InsideEVs |date=2026-01-14 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> FSD access does not transfer to new owners upon vehicle resale; the feature becomes inactive when the vehicle changes hands unless the new owner subscribes separately.<ref name="insideevs-iyengar" />

=== Financial implications for consumers ===

At $99 per month, a customer would pay $1,188 per year for FSD access. Over the roughly 7-year period it would have taken to equal the former $8,000 one-time cost, a subscriber would pay approximately $8,316 with no asset to retain at the end.<ref name="insideevs-iyengar" /> Musk has indicated that the subscription price is likely to increase as the system becomes more capable.<ref name="teslarati-simon">{{cite web |last=Simon |first=Iqtidar |title=Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk |url=https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-is-shifting-fsd-to-a-subscription-only-model-confirms-elon-musk/ |website=Teslarati |date=2026-01-15 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref>

FSD subscriptions also do not include hardware upgrades. Vehicles that lack the required Full Self-Driving computer must have the hardware installed at an additional cost before they are eligible to subscribe.<ref name="tesla-support" /> Refunds are not available for FSD subscriptions; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.<ref name="tesla-support" />

=== Broader context ===

The shift to subscription-only access for driver-assistance features is not unique to Tesla. Other automakers such as [[Ford]] and [[wikipedia:General Motors|General Motors]] have also adopted subscription pricing for their respective driver-assistance systems.<ref name="insideevs-iyengar" /> Some competitors have continued to offer one-time purchase options alongside subscriptions; for example, [[wikipedia:Rivian|Rivian]] announced its Autonomy+ system at $49.99 per month or $2,500 as a one-time purchase.<ref name="nasdaq-fsd">{{cite web |title=Tesla to End One-Time FSD Purchase: Why the Shift Matters |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/tesla-end-one-time-fsd-purchase-why-shift-matters |website=Nasdaq |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref>

Separately, [[wikipedia:Openpilot|openpilot]], an open-source driver-assistance system developed by [[wikipedia:Comma.ai|comma.ai]], offers comparable Level 2 functionality, including adaptive cruise control, automated lane centering, and traffic light handling, for a one-time hardware cost of $999 with no subscription fees or recurring charges.<ref name="comma-four">{{cite web |title=Introducing the comma four |url=https://blog.comma.ai/comma-four/ |website=comma.ai blog |date=2025-11-25 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> The software is free, open-source, and community-developed, supporting over 300 vehicle models across multiple manufacturers as an aftermarket retrofit.<ref name="comma-openpilot">{{cite web |title=openpilot |url=https://comma.ai/openpilot |website=comma.ai |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref><ref name="comma-github">{{cite web |title=commaai/openpilot |url=https://github.com/commaai/openpilot |website=GitHub |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref> The hardware is also transferable between supported vehicles, unlike Tesla's FSD, which is tied to a single vehicle.<ref name="comma-openpilot" />

== Reaction ==

Tesla shares closed 1.8% lower on the day of the announcement.<ref name="cnbc-palmer" /> Electrek described the move as ending the "appreciating asset" narrative that had been central to Tesla's FSD marketing for years, noting that the shift amounted to an admission that FSD is a service rather than an asset attached to the vehicle.<ref name="electrek-lambert" /> Some financial analysts viewed the move positively for Tesla's business, with Wedbush Securities estimating that up to 20% of owners could adopt FSD subscriptions within the first year, generating more predictable recurring revenue.<ref name="dailygalaxy">{{cite web |title=It's Official: Elon Musk Confirms Tesla Will Stop Selling FSD Soon, and Current Owners May Hold a Rare Advantage |url=https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/tesla-ends-fsd-sales-elon-musk-confirms-subscription/ |website=Daily Galaxy |date=2026-01-14 |access-date=2026-02-20}}</ref>

On 18 February 2026, the California DMV confirmed that Tesla had taken corrective action to comply with its December 2025 ruling, stopping use of the term "Autopilot" in marketing and modifying its use of the term "Full Self-Driving" to clarify that driver supervision is required. As a result, Tesla avoided the threatened 30-day suspension of its dealer license in California.<ref name="cadmv-corrective" />

== Current status ==

As of February 2026, FSD (Supervised) is available exclusively as a $99 per month subscription for eligible vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia, and New Zealand.<ref name="tesla-support" /> The system continues to require full driver supervision and does not make Tesla vehicles autonomous.<ref name="tesla-support" />

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Tesla]]
[[Category:Incidents]]