Tesla misled South Korean customers about automated-driving tech, consumer group alleges

What happened

A South Korean consumer advocacy group plans to file a complaint with the Korea Fair Trade Commission, alleging Tesla misled customers by selling Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software that most locally registered vehicles cannot legally use. Tesla charged 9.043 million won per purchase; about 20% of its South Korean vehicles can use the software.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

If regulators find Tesla’s advertising misleading, the company could face pressure to change how it sells or describes the software in South Korea. That may also affect revenue from lump-sum software purchases and costs tied to certification, customer remedies, or regulatory responses.

Analyst inference

The complaint focuses on a gap between software sales and legal eligibility: US-made vehicles can use the system under recognized safety standards, while most locally sold Teslas are made in China. Tesla has only recently begun seeking certification for those China-made vehicles.

Confirmed

What to watch

1. The advocacy group says it plans to submit its complaint to the Korea Fair Trade Commission; whether it files and what claims it formally presents remain important next steps. Proposed
2. The commission says it launched a probe earlier this year into Tesla’s FSD advertising; any findings or required changes could clarify the company’s sales obligations. Confirmed
3. Watch whether certification for China-made vehicles progresses, since broader legal eligibility could expand the number of South Korean customers able to use software they purchased. Analyst inference

Evidence

• Original source link unavailable