Autopilot Disabled When Sold

[kw_testla]

Hello all,

I am looking to buy my brothers used model 3. He has the autopilot package, but I remember reading an article a while back about tesla disabling the autopilot after it was sold to a dealership. I was just curious if anyone knows if they disable autopilot or if this was just weird specific case? I don't want to buy it and then find out they will disable my autopilot.

Thanks in advance

 

[jjrandorin]

If he is selling it directly to you, as a private party sale, you should be fine.

 

[JulienW]

You must mean FSD. AP is standard except on the special order SR (not SR+). AP is NEVER removed for any reason since it is a standard feature.

 

[smalls]

My understanding is that as long as the vehicle never passes through Tesla's hands during the sales process (buying used directly from Tesla), you should be ok with private sales or even dealership sales.

 

[Knightshade]

Yeah only when Tesla gets ownership back can/do they remove stuff the previous owner paid for.

The only feature that doesn't transfer with private sale is lifetime free supercharging (which only applied to a small number of Model 3s anyway and was explicitly described as lifetime of the original owernship, not of the car itself.... only much older S/X got lifetime-of-car supercharging)

 

[suttonlr]

You must mean FSD. AP is standard except on the special order SR (not SR+). AP is NEVER removed for any reason since it is a standard feature.

It hasn’t always been standard

 

[Brisket5652]

My understand is that tesla will disable it when you change the login/user on their website.

I asked tesla about this as I wanted to give my TM3 to my son when he turns 16, and they told me the only way to ensure he keeps fsd is to keep the user myself.

 

[JulienW]

It hasn’t always been standard

Don't believe Autopilot was ever an option on the original (17/18) Model 3. Originally EAP or FSD were the options. Don't believe AP was every an option. However the OP stated Autopilot in the title and in the tread and doesn't say EAP or FSD.

So if the Model 3 has AP it will not be removed for any reason by Tesla.

 

[BEPA400]

Don't believe Autopilot was ever an option on the original (17/18) Model 3. Originally EAP or FSD were the options. Don't believe AP was every an option. However the OP stated Autopilot in the title and in the tread and doesn't say EAP or FSD.

So if the Model 3 has AP it will not be removed for any reason by Tesla.

Unless its AP is part of the EAP package. Then the AP could be removed along with the rest of the EAP package. (I assume, by logic)

You could say ‘if the model 3 has AP AND does not have EAP, it will not be removed for any reason by Tesla’

because, well, who likes simple..


Edit.. AP alone was an option in 2019.. Twitter

 

[BEPA400]

Scratch that.. I’m pretty sure AP was an option by itself, somewhere around when I bought in June 2019. I think it was March 2019?

 

[Knightshade]

My understand is that tesla will disable it when you change the login/user on their website.

I asked tesla about this as I wanted to give my TM3 to my son when he turns 16, and they told me the only way to ensure he keeps fsd is to keep the user myself.

Absolutely untrue. Tesla can not remove paid features if they never take back ownership of the car.

They can't even remove free/lifetime features if they were originally provided with a promise of lasting life of the car if they never take back ownership of the vehicle (premium connectivity for those who bought before July 2018 for example- the FAQ at tesla.com explicitly points this out in fact)

 

[Knightshade]

Scratch that.. I’m pretty sure AP was an option by itself, somewhere around when I bought in June 2019. I think it was March 2019?

Basic AP, EAP, and two different versions of FSD (depending on if you had AP or EAP as your 'base' option) have all been sold as individual items at various times.

Basic AP became standard on all new model 3s (other than the $35,000 SR) in April 2019 (and they raised the price of all such cars by $2000 at the time, so really basic AP became a mandatory $2000 option is what happened)- but it remained (and remains today AFAIK a paid option for cars previous to that that don't have any paid AP or EAP or FSD on the vehicle.

 

[BEPA400]

Basic AP, EAP, and two different versions of FSD (depending on if you had AP or EAP as your 'base' option) have all been sold as individual items at various times.

Basic AP became standard on all new model 3s (other than the $35,000 SR) in April 2019 (and they raised the price of all such cars by $2000 at the time, so really basic AP became a mandatory $2000 option is what happened)- but it remained (and remains today AFAIK a paid option for cars previous to that that don't have any paid AP or EAP or FSD on the vehicle.

Yup AP alone was an option April 2019.. when I bought mine.. Twitter

also discusses AP pricing here Tesla says 'Automatic driving on city streets' including responding to traffic lights/stop signs coming this year - Electrek

 

[GZDongles]

Absolutely untrue. Tesla can not remove paid features if they never take back ownership of the car.

They can't even remove free/lifetime features if they were originally provided with a promise of lasting life of the car if they never take back ownership of the vehicle (premium connectivity for those who bought before July 2018 for example- the FAQ at tesla.com explicitly points this out in fact)

Thank you! I see this misconception everywhere but there's really no basis for it.

 

[VT_EE]

You will be fine. Tesla is not allowed to remove a feature you paid for when you sell it to someone else.