'Ive waited seven years!': Tesla owners in Europe demand $7,500 refund as
Full Self-Driving is locked out for older vehicles

Date:
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:13:17 +0000

Description:
Anger rises in Europe as Tesla's Full Self-Driving system isn't available on older vehicles, despite years of promises

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Full Self-Driving was recently legalized in the Netherlands Furious Dutch Model 3 owner feels many are being left behind Thousands of participants have joined a growing petition against Tesla There is mounting pressure on Tesla
to compensate buyers after a dutch Model 3 owner took to X to vent his anger at the company for failing to recognize those customers that had already paid for Full Self-Driving (FSD), but cant use it due to owning older hardware.

Mischa Sigtermans, a self-confessed owner of one of the first Model 3
vehicles in the Netherlands, says he paid for Full Self-Driving back in 2019, when Tesla was prepared to take 6,800 (around $7,500) of his money on the promise that highly autonomous driving technology would be available at some point in the near future. I waited 7 years. SEVEN years! the angry owner
wrote on X, followed by a link to a petition he has started that is
attempting to file a collective claim against Tesla. Article continues below You may like Tesla's controversial self-driving tech just got a green light
in Europe Tesla's massive Spring update splits opinion as it leaves older
cars behind Two more high-profile Tesla crashes spark fresh Full Self-Driving controversy Tesla owes me 6.800.And if you're a HW3 + FSD owner, they owe you too.2019. One of the first Model 3 owners in the Netherlands. Paid for Full Self-Driving.The promise: same hardware, software updates will unlock full autonomy. Just wait.I waited 7 years. SEVEN years! pic.twitter.com/zpFW8MUdWp April 14, 2026 Back in 2019, when Sigtermans purchased the Model 3, Tesla publicly advertised that every Tesla is equipped with the hardware needed in the future to make the vehicle fully self-driving in almost all
circumstances.

Seven years later and, despite the technology finally being approved by the Dutch vehicle authority RDW , only those vehicles running the latest AI4 chip will be capable of Full Self-Driving.

What's more, Elon Musk just announced an AI5 chip that is said to be far more powerful than existing technology and will eventually go on to underpin
future iterations of FSD.

The collective claim already has some 2,939 verified participants, with many owners in other European countries eager to join, as they know that their vehicles likely wont be compatible if and when FSD rolls out to wider
European markets. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The more people sign up, the more weight this carries when we sit down with Tesla. Or stand up in court, the collective claim states. Analysis: Legal pressure is mounting on Tesla (Image credit: Tesla) The alleged false advertising claims with regards to Full Self-Driving arent just limited to Europe, as Electrek reports that there is an estimated $100m-$500m in class action lawsuits currently ongoing surrounding the technology.

This is a drop in the ocean compared to the $14.5 billion in lawsuits that Electrek cites if you consider the phantom braking , Autopilot/FSD crashes, wages and hours violations, odometer manipulation, range claims inflation and many more cases that have been widely reported in recent years. What to read next Teslas new AI5 chip won't improve Full Self-Driving anytime soon Teslas Robotaxis are crashing four times more than human drivers Tesla ditches the luxuries but is generous on the performance in new Model Y

However, a staggering four million vehicles have been sold on the promise
that they have all hardware needed for Full Self-Driving, which is rapidly turning out not to be true.

Now, with a growing number of Europeans feeling let down, Tesla might have a new front to be fighting on. Not great timing, as it plans to roll FSD out to the wider European markets. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/ive-waited-sev en-years-tesla-owners-in-europe-demand-usd7-500-refund-as-full-self-driving-is -locked-out-for-older-vehicles


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