- A Tesla on Autopilot crashed on a forked road in Yosemite, reportedly the 5th to lose control there.
- Drivers have noted times the Full Self-Driving software mistook the moon for a traffic light.
- Tesla's software has a ways to go before it can fully function without driver assistance.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Tesla's self-driving and autopilot technology faces several hurdles before it can live up to its name.
In July, numerous Tesla owners took to social media to report how their Full Self-Driving software had been tricked by anything from the moon to billboards and Burger King signs. Now, one Tesla driver says a road in Yosemite is throwing off Tesla's Autopilot function.
While Tesla's FSD software requires an add-on cost of $10,000 upfront, or $199 per month, the Autopilot function comes standard with all Teslas. Autopilot enables a car to steer, accelerate, and brake automatically within its lane. The function does not replace the role of a driver, but is intended to make driving easier and cut down on accidents. Each Tesla comes equipped with multiple cameras and sensors to help guide the car.
The driver, known on Reddit as BBFLG, posted about his experience in a Reddit thread. He said his Tesla Model X crashed into a boulder when it tried to navigate the forked road.
At the point when the one lane veered into two lanes the Tesla attempted to go straight. The driver said on social media that he had two hands on the steering wheel and took back control from the autopilot function, but was unable to turn the wheel as the car hit the gravel shoulder of the road.
No airbags were deployed, and the car was only going 25 miles per hour, but the vehicle was incapable of moving from the spot. BBFLG said the experience cost him over $1,000 just to move the vehicle from the scene of the accident to a Tesla Body Center in Arizona.
BBFLG posted a picture of the accident on Reddit.
The driver provided video proof of the accident from his Tesla cameras to Insider, as well as online. He said on Reddit that he was told by park rangers that his car was the fourth Tesla to crash on the site. BBFLG said he was sent pictures of a fifth Tesla that also crashed in the same spot shortly after his accident occured on July 25.
National Park Police did not respond to a request for confirmation from Insider, but BBFLG said on social media that several locals told him that their Teslas have also faced difficulty navigating the road.
Tesla's Autopilot has come under scrutiny in the past. At least three Tesla drivers have died since 2016 while driving with Autopilot engaged. In two of the accidents, the vehicle failed to stop for tractors that were crossing the road. In the third instance, the car hit a concrete divider on the highway. Despite the crashes, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly said the system helps make the cars safer than competitors.