Tesla faces consumer complaint in South Korea over FSD sales
South Korean consumer groups have filed a complaint against Tesla, alleging the company marketed its FSD software for vehicles that cannot legally support the feature.
A South Korean consumer advocacy group is filing a formal complaint against Tesla with the Korea Fair Trade Commission. The group alleges that Tesla has misled tens of thousands of consumers by aggressively marketing its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software for vehicles that were known to be ineligible for the feature.
Data provided to the South Korean parliament indicates that only about 20% of Teslas registered in the country are equipped to run FSD, with the capability primarily limited to U.S.-made units. However, the majority of Tesla vehicles sold in South Korea are manufactured in China, representing over 170,000 units sold since 2023. Tesla has collected significant revenue for the software despite not having regulatory clearance.
Critics point to marketing materials that promised the feature was "coming soon," while failing to disclose that local safety regulations—such as mandatory hands-on-wheel requirements—precluded the system's operation. The South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has noted that the current FSD configuration does not meet local safety standards.
The consumer group is requesting that regulators impose an injunction to stop the sale of the software for ineligible models and move to issue administrative fines against the automaker.