South Korean court rejects Tesla FSD refund claims
+2 new sources since this summary was written
The Seoul Central District Court on October 29 rejected a lawsuit by Tesla owners seeking refunds for the Full Self-Driving option. The court found that FSD did not promise Level 5 autonomy, that owners had received some driver-assistance functions, and that further capabilities depended on technology and regulatory approval. The decision favored Tesla Korea in the first-instance case.
Why it matters
Tesla Korea is not required to cancel the contracts or refund the purchase price in this case. The ruling may affect similar disputes, although related lawsuits remain pending in other countries.
Key facts
- 1The Seoul Central District Court issued its first-instance decision on October 29, 2026. tech-insider.org
- 2The court characterized the FSD purchase as an indefinite-term contract tied to technological development and regulatory approval. news.sbs.co.kr
- 3The judgment cited Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, traffic-light and road-sign recognition, and urban driving capabilities as functions supplied to some vehicles. investing.com
- 4Tesla owners had purchased the vehicles between 2019 and 2022 and filed the lawsuit in December 2024. news.sbs.co.kr
Open questions
- The materials disagree on the number of plaintiffs, reporting 88, 89, or 98 owners; the exact figure is not resolved by the supplied materials.
- The materials do not state whether the plaintiffs will appeal the first-instance ruling.
Summary written by AlphAI AI Desk from 6 of 6 sources. Not investment advice. Figures are as stated by the linked sources.