Many owners who purchased a Tesla Model 3 in 2018 don’t have HW3 which is currently required for FSD. But not only that even if you upgrade to HW3 you may not be able to subscribe to FSD. Which is what I was told several times, and other times that Autopilot was required as a purchased.
So while subscribing to FSD was my desire, without Autopilot at the cost of $3,000 you are not able to subscribe to the $99 monthly option.
Why would Tesla require Autopilot since it is just a software update? And not add that in either as part of the FSD or for a slight extra?
To make matters worse, there are many who have reported that they had been able to get the HW2.5 to HW3 upgrade done at no cost. This is a $1,100 upgrade.
Would Tesla have upgraded my HW2.5 to HW3 if I had purchased Autopilot for $3,000?
I asked repeatedly if once I upgraded top HW3 if I would be able to subscribe to FSD, and the answer was yes.
There is certainly confusion from Tesla support agents as well. One call this past week, advised me to wait until my “free” trial of FSD ended and then the FSD subscription option would appear. That made no sense.
So why the different answers?
Is Tesla not able to consolidate their options based on your vehicle configuration?
If FSD is in trial now, then why not allow the FSD subscription after it ends and work an option for Autopilot.
The argument that these options add value to the vehicle after the vehicle is worth about 25% of what we originally paid for it, is not a good one, as spending the $1,100 for the HW3 and being asked to spend another $3,000 is like adding salt to the wound.
I enjoy having a Tesla, regardless of all the issues, but Tesla needs to do better for its customers. Especially long time customers.