After 7 Years of Waiting, “Be Patient”? Tesla HW3 Issue Leads to Billion-Yen Class Action in Europe

📰 News Summary

• A HW3 (Hardware 3) owner in the Netherlands, who paid around ¥1 million for ‘Full Self-Driving (FSD)’ in 2019, reached out to Tesla for an update on its progress, only to receive a response telling them to ‘be patient,’ and the case was closed immediately.
• The EU has granted type approval for ‘FSD Supervised,’ but it only applies to vehicles equipped with the latest ‘AI4’ chip, leaving HW3 vehicles, which were marketed as ‘fully autonomous’ back in 2019, out in the cold.
• In response, over 3,000 HW3 owners from 29 countries have gathered at hw3claim.nl, escalating the situation into a class action lawsuit seeking refunds totaling approximately €6.5 million (around ¥1 billion).

💡 Key Points

• Elon Musk acknowledged in January 2025 that ‘HW3 computers in FSD-purchased vehicles need to be replaced,’ but no hardware retrofit program or refund policy has been outlined to date.
• Tesla has announced the upcoming release of a feature-limited version called ‘v14 Lite’ for HW3 in Q2 2026, but many point out that this differs significantly from the ‘Full Capability’ that users initially purchased.
• EU consumer protection laws are stringent regarding discrepancies between advertised features and actual products, and legal pressure on Tesla is mounting in countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and France.

🦈 Shark’s Perspective (Curator’s View)

The issue of AI hardware obsolescence has finally reached a boiling point, folks! Being told that the chip (HW3) you bought back in 2019, which was marketed as “this will ensure your fully autonomous driving future!” will now only run a Lite version due to “insufficient specs” feels like having your lunch snatched right in front of you—humiliating, to say the least!

The name ‘v14 Lite’ is particularly telling. It seems they’re trying to force a lighter AI model through some ‘math tricks,’ but the performance gap with the latest AI4 is only widening. This is a classic example of historic mismatch, where the pace of AI evolution has outstripped the physical lifespan of cars! I’m on the edge of my seat, curious how Tesla plans to calm this ‘billion-yen outrage’!

🚀 What’s Next?

Tesla may soon be compelled to offer free hardware upgrades or significant refunds to all HW3-equipped vehicles. With the strong backing of EU consumer protection laws, this movement could set off ripples affecting HW3 owners worldwide, including those in Australia and the US.

💬 Shark’s Takeaway

Selling “patience” isn’t an AI company’s job! If you sell the “future,” you have a responsibility to deliver it—it’s the code of honor in the shark world! 🦈🔥

📚 Terminology

• HW3 (Hardware 3): Tesla’s in-house designed AI computer introduced in 2019, touted as sufficient for fully autonomous driving at the time.

• AI4: Tesla’s latest generation AI hardware, boasting significantly higher computational power and serving as the main platform for the current FSD Supervised.

• v14 Lite: The nickname for FSD software that has been simplified and streamlined to operate within the constraints of HW3.

• Source: Tesla tells HW3 owner to ‘be patient’ after 7 years of waiting for FSD