Observations After Two Weeks with Tesla {Hardware} 4 & Full Self Driving V14 in My 2026 Tesla Mannequin Y

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I lived by means of nearly 7 years of quite a few releases of Tesla’s Full Self Driving (FSD) because it progressed in my 2019 Mannequin 3 utilizing “{Hardware} 3” (HW3), lastly reaching FSD V12. Elon Musk promised yearly that each one of us Tesla house owners with HW3 would see Degree 4 self-driving within the subsequent 12 months. L4 means you’ll be able to learn a e book or fall asleep whereas FSD safely drives your automobile. It by no means occurred! In 2023, HW4 with a considerably improved laptop and considerably improved cameras was launched in all new Teslas. In 2025, considerably improved FSD V14 was launched, however just for HW4 vehicles. In my 2019, I used to be caught on FSD 12. We obtained occasional bug repair releases, however there have been nearly no prospects of additional enhancements in FSD. I used to be “caught” in my 2019 Mannequin 3 till it was totaled in an accident on Might 9, 2026. I had overridden FSD 12, which might have prevented the accident.

Now I’m driving a base stage 2026 Tesla Mannequin Y that has HW4, Tesla’s most superior laptop and cameras. Due to this fact, I now have FSD 14. By the best way, FSD 14 retains monitor of the proportion of driving time you might be utilizing it. My spouse and I had all the time obsessively used FSD, however now I’m not overriding it. I wait patiently when it makes a lifeless cease at a cease signal and I exploit the ~1.3 seconds it takes to start out once more to look left and proper. It by no means misses cross site visitors, however I’m “supervising” anyway.

What’s going to my new automobile do for me that my outdated automobile wouldn’t?

• Verbally or by texting, you give the navigation your vacation spot and FSD V14 will extraordinarily precisely drive you there, typically with no interventions. You select between Sloth, Chill, Normal, Hurry, and Mad Max modes. Sloth retains you proper on the pace restrict. Normal places you 5 mph over (however no dashing tickets). Mad Max can attain as much as 30 mph over the pace restrict. Then, after selecting a type of, you sit there “supervising” whereas FSD V14 drives your automobile like a superb chauffeur. FSD V14 not often makes a mistake that you could appropriate. For those who decide a mode constant together with your wants, FSD V14 not often comes to a decision that you simply wish to change.
• FSD will now deal with the start your journey. It would again you out of your storage and out of your driveway to the road or go away your parking spot in a parking zone and discover its means out of the lot to the road. It has accomplished this efficiently for me many instances now.
• FSD will deal with the tip of your journey. It would park on the road or discover a place in a parking zone and park in it or pull into your driveway and park in an inexpensive spot. Parking in a public parking zone is a a lot iffier course of. You’ll be able to’t specify a handicapped spot and it gained’t seek for the perfect spot closest to the shop/workplace, and many others. I’ll describe a few of its different failures later.
• FSD V14 nonetheless works even with bikes on a rack in again. FSD V12 reported that the rear digital camera was obscured and refused to operate when bikes have been on a rack on the again. Unusually, with FSD V12, it was essential to cowl the rear digital camera to get it to work with bikes on the again.

The 2 photographs under illustrate how far now we have are available in 74 years. On styling, perhaps not up to now.

What are among the errors FSD 14 nonetheless makes? The GPS that the Tesla navigation makes use of to find your car is just correct to about 15 ft. Tesla’s navigation additionally will depend on Google Maps, which aren’t all the time correct or updated. With out the exact location of your car and exact maps, you’ll be able to’t anticipate FSD 14 to park precisely. Listed below are among the errors I’ve seen:

• Getting into the right deal with of our dwelling in St. George, Utah, FSD V12 took us to a trailer park one avenue away. It was crucial to make use of the deal with throughout the road to get us to the entrance of our home. I feel FSD 14 would make the identical mistake, however I haven’t tried it but.
• Getting into the right deal with of our home in Three Lakes, Wisconsin, FSD 14 takes us to a home the following avenue over. Solely after we dropped a pin in the midst of our driveway wouldn’t it take us to the right deal with.
• We requested FSD 14 to take us to COSTCO Wholesale in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. FSD did not discover a parking place as a result of the Google map Tesla is utilizing exhibits solely a inexperienced area at that location regardless of the truth that the COSTCO has been there for 3 years.
• We requested FSD 14 to go away the Rhinelander Airport and it proceeded to take us the improper means on a one-way loop across the airport!
• Leaving the Bikes and Boards parking zone in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, the navigation (following the blue line) mentioned to go left, however FSD 14 made us flip proper. I assume it will have finally discovered the Culver’s restaurant we specified, however solely on a roundabout route.
• FSD V12 would often decide a lane inconsistent with the navigation at a cease mild. (For instance, the navigation would specify straight and FSD would decide the flip lane.) I’ve heard reviews that FSD V14 nonetheless has this downside. Navigation wouldn’t work with out having the placement of each highway and avenue within the nation within the information base. I don’t assume this will likely be solved till the database has the lanes correctly marked for each intersection within the nation.

What’s the hooker on Tesla’s new vehicles?

For those who don’t pay the $99/month, you don’t get steering help for the primary time with Tesla vehicles! This implies steering your self even on lengthy journeys on Interstate highways. You solely get traffic-aware pace (cruise) management. Observe: Even the low-ball Toyota Corolla rental automobile that I had after I had my accident had steering help. Tesla is attempting to “blackmail” you into paying an additional $99/month. This doesn’t have an effect on me as a result of I’m hooked on FSD. Nevertheless, I do know folks with Teslas who’ve by no means used the FSD they paid for and solely use steering help on the open highway. For individuals who can’t afford FSD, you can be lacking a vital function.

What’s nonetheless on the listing of capabilities to be added to FSD 14? (If some have already been added, please let me know within the feedback.)

• Slowing to twenty mph for flashing lights (when energetic) at school zones.
• Parking in your storage.
• Parking in a selected parking area in a parking zone or storage.
• Parking in handicapped parking locations when authorized and obtainable.
• Choosing the drive-through lane for quick meals, ATM, or at different enterprise areas.
• Slowing in any respect pace bumps.
• Slowing for the acute storm sewer dips that now we have in Utah.

What’s going to Tesla FSD by no means do? 

Tesla’s FSD won’t ever drive you in actually dangerous climate or actually low visibility. Not like Waymo and another self-driving programs which have radar, Tesla eradicated its unique radar that might see by means of fog and now depends completely on visible-light cameras. Elon’s premise: if people can drive with eyes that solely work with seen mild, then his system would achieve success with solely visible-light cameras. Nevertheless, this implies vehicles driving with Tesla’s FSD will likely be parked on the facet of the highway with human passengers in them when visibility is absolutely dangerous.

What’s the holy grail for Tesla Full Self Driving?

That might be enhancing FSD to a degree that it’s making fewer errors and having fewer accidents than human drivers. Then FSD would not have to be “Supervised” and can be rated as L4. At this level, it will be morally crucial to make it authorized to drive with out supervision, perhaps even required. Or … perhaps it will nonetheless be even safer with a human watching over it.

For those who discover any of my articles useful to you, please use my referral hyperlink when shopping for a brand new Tesla: https://ts.la/arthur73734 (be sure you use it whenever you make your order).

Tesla retains altering this system however right here’s the newest: If you’re shopping for a brand new Tesla Mannequin 3 or Y and use my hyperlink, you’ll get 2 months of free Full Self Driving (a ~$200 worth) on high of the one month that comes free with each new Tesla. For a Cybertruck, you’ll get $1,000 off your buy value.