Elon Musk’s 2017 promise of a seamless, fully autonomous drive from Los Angeles to New York has still not been realized by 2025. This situation continues to shake faith in the company’s “Fully Self-Driving (FSD)” system. A new test has revealed that the technology is still not fully utilized. Here are the details.

Tesla’s autonomous driving test fails before reaching its target

Two Tesla shareholders and social media influencers attempted to complete the journey from San Diego, California, to Jacksonville, Florida, using the latest version of FSD (v13.9). However, the test ended dramatically only about 100 kilometers into the planned 4,000-kilometer journey, or 2.5 percent.

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As seen in the video, while the driver has taken his hands off the steering wheel, the passenger notices debris in the distance. Despite having ample time to avoid the collision, the driver apparently didn’t intervene until the last second. The vehicle’s FSD system, unable to detect and maneuver this easily avoidable debris, plowed over it and sustained serious damage.

Post-accident inspections revealed that the Tesla Model Y’s anti-roll bar bracket and suspension components were broken. The vehicle also began emitting numerous warnings. This incident further demonstrates that Tesla’s FSD system is still not fully autonomous, but rather a Level 2 driver assistance system defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), requiring constant driver monitoring. Tesla clearly states this on its website.

This accident demonstrates how far autonomous driving technology has come, and how promises haven’t yet met reality. Elon Musk’s plans for a robotaxi fleet or improvements to the existing FSD system don’t change the fact that drivers must be vigilant at all times.