Tesla insiders say they wouldn’t ride in FSD‑controlled cars

Tesla’s former data labellers and a self‑driving engineer told Reuters they would not ride in a vehicle running Full Self‑Driving (FSD), saying they have “all seen it fail” and that the system routinely exceeds speed limits【1】. Seven of the nine specialists interviewed flat‑out refused to board a Tesla under FSD control, with one remarking he wouldn’t ride even if paid. Their criticism comes as the company’s Texas robotaxi fleet remains at just 42 cars, far short of Elon Musk’s promise of 1,000 new robotaxis each month after launch【1】.

Musk’s recent earnings‑call admission that pre‑2023 vehicles equipped with the older Hardware 3 computer cannot achieve fully unsupervised FSD adds weight to the insiders’ concerns. He said the hardware simply lacks the capability and offered owners a discounted trade‑in or a hardware swap at “micro factories”【2】. The statement undermines years of marketing that all Tesla cars sold since 2016 possessed the necessary hardware for full autonomy, a claim many owners now view as a “bait and switch”【2】.

The backlash is not limited to former employees. Long‑time owners who paid thousands for FSD are voicing frustration, with some filing lawsuits and others joining a European petition that has gathered nearly 4,000 verified Tesla owners seeking legal action after the Netherlands rollout excluded Hardware 3 models【2】. The convergence of insider testimony, hardware limitations, and mounting consumer lawsuits suggests the promised autonomous future is farther off than the company’s public narrative admits.

If Tesla’s robotaxi rollout stalls and its FSD software cannot be safely deployed on existing vehicles, the company faces a credibility gap that could erode both investor confidence and consumer demand for its premium autonomy features. The real question is whether Tesla can deliver a viable, unsupervised self‑driving system before regulatory scrutiny and market pressure force a recalibration of its long‑standing autonomous ambitions.