Graham LaFontaine

Feeling like life is passing far too fast. Need to figure out what's really important and focus on it.

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk @Tesla @WholeMarsBlog @SawyerMerritt
I’ve been posting on this topic for a while now. I purchased a Model 3 with fully paid FSD back in December 2021. People like myself were early adopters who bought into the vision of FSD.
My expectation was that true FSD would arrive in maybe a year or slightly longer. I never considered that there might be a fundamental miscalculation with the hardware requirements that would make it impossible to deliver.
In any case, I definitely agree that any compensation should be reserved specifically for those of us who purchased FSD outright. If you didn’t buy it, you either didn’t fully understand what it was or simply didn’t think you needed it — you just bought a high-quality, state-of-the-art electric car.
The early FSD adopters, however, paid for a product that still hasn’t been delivered after more than four years. Many of us bought our Teslas specifically because of the FSD promise. For me, even the offer of a hardware upgrade feels underwhelming. The best years of my now five-year-old car are behind it, and the trade-in value has tanked largely because of the HW3 limitation.
I’ve been trying to get your attention with posts and reposts. My suggestion is that Tesla should skip the upgrade path for fully paid FSD owners and instead offer us a very compelling discount on a new Tesla, along with the ability to transfer our FSD to the new vehicle.
You need to realize that many of us bought specifically because of FSD and have been out of pocket $10,000+ for almost five years — money that could have been invested elsewhere — plus we’ve taken a huge hit on resale value.
Elon, can you please consider doing something like this for your true long-term supporters? I’m very excited to finally experience FSD in a new Cybertruck.
#glaf001 #FSD #Cybertruck #Tesla

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk @Tesla @WholeMarsBlog @SawyerMerritt FSD on hardware 4 vehicles looks amazing. It would be nice if something could be done for the long term supporters that paid in full and have really nothing to show for it. As a late-2021 HW3 FSD purchaser — now entering my Model 3’s 5th year of fully upfront paid FSD — I (and thousands of early supporters) bought in at a premium because we believed in your vision. You’ve promised we’d be “taken care of” with upgrades if true unsupervised FSD required newer hardware — and we’re still grateful.
The timing of hardware or vehicle upgrade option in the earnings call is curious. : I first posted this exact suggestion for a special vehicle upgrade option specifically for early fully-paid FSD customers on April 19, just 3 days prior to the call. Perhaps just a coincidence. It is a bit frustrating to be continually bombarded daily with posts and videos showing how fantastic FSD performs on HW4 vehicles.
Our aging cars will only have the option of an inferior “lite” version that’s nowhere near what newer owners enjoy on a daily basis. Our vehicles lag far behind HW4 vehicles, and have taken a major resale hit after 4+ years without ever experiencing the functional FSD we paid for. I do not want to wait even longer just to get that on a vehicle whose best years have already passed.
Could Tesla please consider a nicely discounted loyalty upgrade/trade-in program for paid 2021 FSD owners (e.g. a compelling path to a new Cybertruck or current models at a fair rate)? It would be a true win-win — especially now that Cybertruck production has ramped — and would reward the very people who supported Tesla when it mattered most. Early supporters shouldn’t feel left on the back burner. Thank you for considering this. We’re still all-in on the mission.
#glaf001 #FSD #Cybertruck #Tesla

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk @Tesla @WholeMarsBlog @SawyerMerritt Apparently it is. I wish I knew first hand. As a late-2021 HW3 FSD purchaser — now entering my Model 3’s 5th year of fully upfront paid FSD — I (and thousands of early supporters) bought in at a premium because we believed in your vision. You’ve promised we’d be “taken care of” with upgrades if true unsupervised FSD required newer hardware — and we’re still grateful.
The timing of hardware or vehicle upgrade option in the earnings call is curious. : I first posted this exact suggestion for a special vehicle upgrade option specifically for early fully-paid FSD customers on April 19, just 3 days prior to the call. Perhaps just a coincidence. It is a bit frustrating to be continually bombarded daily with posts and videos showing how fantastic FSD performs on HW4 vehicles.
Our aging cars will only have the option of an inferior “lite” version that’s nowhere near what newer owners enjoy on a daily basis. Our vehicles lag far behind HW4 vehicles, and have taken a major resale hit after 4+ years without ever experiencing the functional FSD we paid for. I do not want to wait even longer just to get that on a vehicle whose best years have already passed.
Could Tesla please consider a nicely discounted loyalty upgrade/trade-in program for paid 2021 FSD owners (e.g. a compelling path to a new Cybertruck or current models at a fair rate)? It would be a true win-win — especially now that Cybertruck production has ramped — and would reward the very people who supported Tesla when it mattered most. Early supporters shouldn’t feel left on the back burner. Thank you for considering this. We’re still all-in on the mission.
#glaf001 #FSD #Cybertruck #Tesla

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk @Tesla @WholeMarsBlog @SawyerMerritt As a late-2021 HW3 FSD purchaser — now entering my Model 3’s 5th year of fully upfront paid FSD — I (and thousands of early supporters) bought in at a premium because we believed in your vision. You’ve promised we’d be “taken care of” with upgrades if true unsupervised FSD required newer hardware — and we’re still grateful.
The timing of hardware or vehicle upgrade option in the earnings call is curious. : I first posted this exact suggestion for a special vehicle upgrade option specifically for early fully-paid FSD customers on April 19, just 3 days prior to the call. Perhaps just a coincidence. It is a bit frustrating to be continually bombarded daily with posts and videos showing how fantastic FSD performs on HW4 vehicles.
Our aging cars will only have the option of an inferior “lite” version that’s nowhere near what newer owners enjoy on a daily basis. Our vehicles lag far behind HW4 vehicles, and have taken a major resale hit after 4+ years without ever experiencing the functional FSD we paid for. I do not want to wait even longer just to get that on a vehicle whose best years have already passed.
Could Tesla please consider a nicely discounted loyalty upgrade/trade-in program for paid 2021 FSD owners (e.g. a compelling path to a new Cybertruck or current models at a fair rate)? It would be a true win-win — especially now that Cybertruck production has ramped — and would reward the very people who supported Tesla when it mattered most. Early supporters shouldn’t feel left on the back burner. Thank you for considering this. We’re still all-in on the mission.
#glaf001 #FSD #Cybertruck #Tesla

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk @Tesla @WholeMarsBlog @SawyerMerritt
As a late-2021 HW3 FSD purchaser, I (and thousands of early supporters) bought in at a premium because we believed in your vision. You’ve promised we’d be “taken care of” with upgrades if true unsupervised FSD required newer hardware — and we’re still grateful.
But our aging cars now run on a lighter software stream, lag far behind HW4 vehicles, and have taken a major resale hit after 4+ years without ever experiencing the functional FSD newer owners enjoy daily.
How much longer?
Could Tesla please consider a special loyalty upgrade program for paid 2021 FSD owners? A compelling trade-in path to a new Cybertruck (or current models) at a fair rate would be a true win-win — especially now that Cybertruck production has ramped. It would reward the very people who supported Tesla when it mattered most.
Early supporters shouldn’t feel left on the back burner. Thank you for considering this. We’re still all-in on the mission.
#glaf001 #FSD #Cybertruck #Tesla

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@ChrisIsOnX @elonmusk @Tesla @SawyerMerritt Elon's measure of wealth is more so in the number of ways he can contribute to society than some arbitrary number of dollars. He is very busy but I'm confident that he will do the right thing

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk @Tesla @SawyerMerritt Could Tesla consider loyalty upgrade/trade-in for 2021 paid FSD owners to Cybertruck at fair rate? Win-win with production ramped. Rewards us early backers not back burner. Thank you, still all-in on mission. #glaf001 #FSD #Cybertruck #Tesla 2/2

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk @elonmusk @Tesla @wholemars @SawyerMerritt Late-2021 HW3 FSD purchaser (thousands early supporters) bought premium trusting "taken care of" upgrade promise. Grateful. Cars lag HW4 on lighter FSD stream, resale crushed after 4+ yrs no real FSD. How much longer? 1/2

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk @xAI @grok
Love how Grok is advancing truth-seeking on X! Suggestion: Expand Grok's video analysis to automatically scan all video posts and add a verified badge/label (e.g., "AI-Generated" or "AI-Augmented") when it detects synthetic content.
These videos are super entertaining, but knowing they're AI would help users distinguish fun creations from reality—keeping X as the go-to platform for truth and transparency. What do you think? 🚀
#Grok #xAI

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

I want to be crystal clear: I’m still a massive Elon fan, still believe Tesla makes the best-designed, best-driving, most soulful cars on the planet, and I would buy another one tomorrow if my budget allowed. No other car even comes close for me.
But love doesn’t mean turning a blind eye, especially when it affects current owners and risks scaring off future ones. So here are the hard truths I wish someone had told me louder four years ago — and that I hope Tesla fixes soon:

Total cost of ownership is brutal for early buyers The promised “almost zero maintenance” and super-low running costs are real… but they’re completely drowned out by:Sky-high purchase price in 2019–2021
Insane insurance rates (mine doubled when I switched to a Tesla)
Eye-watering repair costs once warranty ends
Example: My 4-year-old Model 3 needs a new rear window because the defogger grid failed → Tesla quote: ~$1,700. That’s not a typo.
Service is still the weakest link I’ve had both ends of the spectrum:One location repeatedly told me “nothing is wrong, just reboot once a week” when the car would completely shut down while driving and the heat randomly died in winter. Infuriating.
Another time (right before warranty expired) an independent Tesla specialist did a full pre-warranty inspection for a few hundred bucks, found $6,000+ in legitimate issues, and Tesla fixed everything once I handed them the report.
Current status: the “new” heat pump they replaced under warranty a year ago now makes a loud grinding/growling noise intermittently, and rear defrost is still dead. Out of warranty now, so I’m scared to even ask what that will cost.
I’m not writing this to bash Tesla — I’m writing it because I care. Early adopters like me took the biggest financial and emotional risk on the company. We paid huge premiums for FSD that may never fully arrive on our cars, and now even basic repairs feel like ransom demands.
Elon, Tesla team — you’re building the future and I’m still all-in on that future. But please:
Find a way to take care of the HW3 early believers (trade-in credits, discounted HW4 upgrades, something)
Make out-of-warranty repairs sane and transparent
Fix the service experience once and for all
Because right now the cars are magic… until they’re not. And when they’re not, it hurts twice as much because we believed so hard.
Still a Tesla fan for life. Just a slightly bruised one asking the company to love us back the way we loved it first.
#Tesla #FSD #EarlyAdopters

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

any plans to take care of us? #FSD #TeslaEarly FSD buyers paid $10 to 15k+ but are stuck on old hardware with no upgrade path.@elonmusk@Tesla

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

any plans to take care of us? #FSD #TeslaEarly FSD buyers paid $10 to 15k+ but are stuck on old hardware with no upgrade path.@elonmusk@Tesla

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

any plans to take care of us? #FSD #TeslaEarly FSD buyers paid $10 to 15k+ but are stuck on old hardware with no upgrade path.@elonmusk@Tesla

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

As an early FSD buyer, it’s genuinely frustrating to now own an out-of-warranty Tesla whose hardware can’t support true FSD. Early adopters like us didn’t just buy a product—we helped fund the development of this technology and supported Tesla when it needed it most. We played a real role in Tesla’s success.
In my case, I wasn’t wealthy and wouldn’t normally have bought a brand-new car. But my enthusiasm for Tesla—and for Elon’s vision—led me to splurge. I wanted to be part of the movement, part of a future I truly believed in. Early adopters paid more for their cars, and in my situation there were no incentives available unless you purchased the base model, which made the financial commitment even tougher.
That’s why it’s especially disappointing to be left with hardware that can’t deliver on the FSD I paid for. After years of patience and optimism, it feels only fair for Tesla to either upgrade the hardware for those who purchased FSD or offer meaningful compensation.
For perspective, the $10,000 I spent on FSD would be worth about $37,000 today if I had invested it in TSLA instead.
I still believe in Tesla’s mission, but early supporters deserve to be treated fairly.

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

As an early FSD buyer, it’s genuinely frustrating to now own an out-of-warranty Tesla whose hardware can’t support true FSD. Early adopters like us didn’t just buy a product—we helped fund the development of this technology and supported Tesla when it needed it most. We played a real role in Tesla’s success.
In my case, I wasn’t wealthy and wouldn’t normally have bought a brand-new car. But my enthusiasm for Tesla—and for Elon’s vision—led me to splurge. I wanted to be part of the movement, part of a future I truly believed in. Early adopters paid more for their cars, and in my situation there were no incentives available unless you purchased the base model, which made the financial commitment even tougher.
That’s why it’s especially disappointing to be left with hardware that can’t deliver on the FSD I paid for. After years of patience and optimism, it feels only fair for Tesla to either upgrade the hardware for those who purchased FSD or offer meaningful compensation.
For perspective, the $10,000 I spent on FSD would be worth about $37,000 today if I had invested it in TSLA instead.
I still believe in Tesla’s mission, but early supporters deserve to be treated fairly.

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk When does my 2022 model 3 get version 13 in Canada. My car almost never makes a successful left turn in traffic without intervention. I have taken it to service multiple times with this concern. No improvement. Warranty is up soon. I expect they will find issue afterwards

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@MTGrepp Yes

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@IvankaNews_ A

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@IvankaNews_ 👍

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@iamnot_elon A

[Graham LaFontaine @glaf001]

@elonmusk I’m a Canadian but actually more concerned about the US election then our own. Can I vote in the US election?