Frustrated Tesla owners are launching a legal challenge against the electric vehicle company, claiming that CEO Elon Musk misled them about the self-driving features of their cars.
Leading the class action lawsuit is Tom Rosavio, an 80-year-old former lawyer from the San Francisco area, who bought a Tesla Model S for over $100,000 in 2017. He also spent an additional $8,000 for lifetime access to Tesla’s self-driving technology, but now feels betrayed as Tesla failed to deliver on promises that older models would soon be compatible with the fully autonomous driving software.
Rosavio expressed his excitement about the idea of a self-driving car, saying, “My wife and I talked about how great it would be if we could just get in a car and drive us to our destination.” He added, “I want to believe that I’m not stupid.”
Despite purchasing his car nearly nine years ago, Rosavio and many others with early Tesla models still experience a lack of true autopilot functionality, according to the lawsuit, which represents about 3,000 people in California. Some Tesla owners bound by agreements to prevent lawsuits have been excluded, and the company is appealing the class action designation.
Tesla’s legal team did not respond to requests for comments. Musk has long promised that full self-driving capabilities are imminent, and despite increased competition from Chinese manufacturers, Tesla’s stock price remains strong.
The company has initiated a pilot program for driverless robotaxis and plans to begin mass production of CyberCabs shortly. However, the lawsuit argues that there seems to be no way for the millions of Tesla vehicles still relying on outdated hardware to access full self-driving technology.
Rosavio’s suit aims for refunds for those who bought or leased new Tesla vehicles from 2016 to 2024, particularly for those who paid extra for the expectation of fully autonomous operation. It also seeks to prevent Tesla from advertising its products as fully self-driving.
Parallel to this, an Australian law firm has filed a similar lawsuit, and a Dutch Tesla owner is trying to unite European customers for legal action. Recently, the Netherlands approved Tesla’s self-driving software, but only for the latest versions, which leaves early adopters behind.
Tesla offers its “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” technology for a $99 monthly subscription, which allows cars to navigate and park, provided the driver is actively monitoring and touching the steering wheel. The vehicles come equipped with the necessary cameras and computers, but older models require constant updates to use autonomous features.
From 2020 to 2021, it became evident that older models needed hardware updates for self-driving capabilities, prompting Tesla to provide some customers with free upgrades, while others faced a $1,000 charge. In 2023, Tesla completed its fourth hardware update, meaning some customers, like Rosavio, are again left with outdated equipment.
Musk stated back in January 2025 that customers with a lifetime full self-driving warranty would need to upgrade their computers again. He acknowledged the challenges of achieving full autonomy, saying, “That’s the honest answer, and it’s going to be painful and difficult, but we’re going to get it done.” He even noted that perhaps it was for the best that fewer people opted for the full self-driving package.
Time and again, Musk has delayed the timelines for delivering on his ambitious self-driving goals. He previously claimed that full autonomy would be achieved in three years back in October 2015, but later adjusted the timeline, indicating it would only take two years, and even speculated in 2016 that a fully autonomous Tesla would travel from Los Angeles to New York by 2017. None of those deadlines were met.
One user on Reddit commented on the situation, reflecting, “Tesla is living in the smoke of a hype machine and that’s about it.” Another user cynically added, “Full Self-Driving? As soon as the humanoid robots are mass produced next week, they should arrive here as soon as possible.”
