South Korea clamps down on Tesla drivers for unlocking restricted full self-driving feature, $15,000 fines and prison possible sentences

The drivers allegedly modified their Teslas to activate Full Self-Driving on cars that had not received South Korean approval. They used devices that connected to the vehicle’s CAN bus, the internal network linking electronic control units. The alleged goal was to defeat Tesla’s regional software lock.

Some suspects reportedly bought modules from Europe or China. One IT worker built a device from information found on GitHub. The group also exchanged online advice about hiding activation records, apparently to avoid detection. Police confiscated 21 suspected unlock devices after the transport ministry referred suspicious activations in April.

The investigation identified 80 Tesla drivers. Tesla was separately working to detect the devices remotely and disable FSD access on affected vehicles. The alleged modifications could bring criminal penalties because South Korea’s Motor Vehicle Management Act prohibits unauthorized software changes that might affect vehicle safety.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving, or FSD (Supervised), is a driver-assistance feature that can be enabled only on vehicles and in markets cleared for it. The article does not list every capability. It does report concerns that FSD could misunderstand driving conditions or operate differently from a driver’s intentions.

A regional restriction means Tesla’s software prevents activation in a particular market. The restriction is not necessarily a different computer: the article says Tesla uses the same computer across its cars, even when the feature is not locally approved. The lock instead controls access based on regional approval.

In South Korea, FSD began being offered in late 2025, but only on US-built Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck vehicles. Shanghai-built Model 3 and Model Y cars still lacked the required local certification. Unauthorized modules allegedly bypassed that software restriction, creating legal and safety concerns.

South Korean authorities have identified 80 Tesla drivers who allegedly forced FSD onto vehicles not cleared for the feature. Police also confiscated 21 devices reportedly used to defeat Tesla’s regional software restriction. The investigation followed suspicious activation reports sent by the transport ministry.

The pool of potentially eligible cars is much larger than the group under investigation. Carisyou Data Lab figures cited by MK indicate that 47,458 of South Korea’s 229,311 Teslas were eligible for FSD. That represents 20.7% of the country’s Tesla fleet.

The eligibility estimate is not presented as an official final count. It reflects figures cited in the report, while the investigation focuses on alleged unauthorized activations. Tesla has also been detecting unlock devices remotely and disabling FSD access on affected vehicles, adding a separate layer of enforcement.

The difference comes from South Korea’s vehicle certification rules and the origin of each Tesla model. Tesla began offering FSD in South Korea in late 2025, but only on US-built Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck vehicles. These models skip local safety certification under the Korea-US free trade agreement.

Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in South Korea are built at Tesla’s Giga Shanghai factory. Unlike the eligible US-built models, they have not yet passed the required local certification. As a result, Tesla’s regional software lock keeps FSD unavailable on those cars.

This creates an unusual gap because Tesla reportedly installs the same computer in every car, whether or not FSD is approved locally. Some owners allegedly used imported or self-built CAN-bus devices to bypass the lock. Authorities treated those changes as potentially safety-relevant software modifications.

South Korean prosecutors are using the Motor Vehicle Management Act, which bans unauthorized software changes that could affect vehicle safety. Drivers accused of bypassing Tesla’s regional restriction could face a maximum of two years in prison, a fine of up to 20 million won, or roughly $15,000.

The safety concern is not merely technical access. A police official said FSD might fail to properly recognize driving conditions or operate differently from the driver’s intentions. That risk is especially important because the modified cars had not received local approval for the feature.

Tesla has also warned owners that unauthorized modifications could void warranty coverage and leave them liable for crashes. The company began remotely detecting unlock devices in April and disabling FSD access on affected vehicles. Thus, owners face possible criminal penalties, safety exposure, warranty loss, and reduced access to FSD.

A car’s CAN bus is the internal communication network connecting electronic control units. A device attached to it can interact with messages exchanged among those systems. In this case, the reported unlock modules allegedly used that connection to get around Tesla’s regional software lock and switch FSD on.

The key enabling detail is Tesla’s use of the same computer across its cars. The article says the company builds the same computer into every vehicle, whether or not FSD is approved locally. That means an unapproved car may contain hardware capable of running the feature, while software restrictions prevent normal access.

The devices did not represent official approval. They allegedly changed how the car handled activation, which is why prosecutors classify the conduct as an unauthorized software modification. Tesla has responded by remotely detecting unlock devices and disabling FSD access on affected vehicles.

Vehicle safety certification is a regulator’s assessment that a vehicle meets required safety standards before it is sold or a feature is approved. In this case, South Korean certification affects whether Tesla can offer FSD on particular models. The article links approval to vehicle origin and the Korea-US free trade agreement.

Software matters because it can change vehicle behavior without replacing physical parts. A system controlling or assisting driving may recognize conditions, respond to inputs, or act differently after a software change. South Korean police specifically warned that FSD might fail to recognize driving conditions properly or operate differently from the driver’s intentions.

That is why unauthorized activation can trigger regulatory concern. Model 3 and Model Y cars from Giga Shanghai had not passed local certification, while some US-built models could use FSD. Bypassing the restriction does not substitute for the regulator’s review and may create legal consequences.