Whether you love Tesla’s misleadingly named “Full Self-Driving” semi-autonomous driver aid suite or think it contributes to the downfall of contemporary society, there’s no doubt that it’s one of the best systems of its kind on the market, and according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, it’s about to get even better with a small change that will make a big difference to your daily drive.
Musk said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that pothole avoidance is “coming soon” to FSD-equipped Teslas, something first promised in April 2019. It’s not surprising that we’re still waiting more than seven years later, because while Tesla FSD is able to avoid obviously pronounced variances in a road surface, like debris and other obstacles, mapping a 3D image of a pothole is much more difficult.
More Comfortable FSD Operation, Potential Repair Cost Savings
Coming soon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 31, 2026
FSD users have been requesting the ability for the system to avoid potholes for a long time because driving through them disturbs an otherwise serene driving experience. When a human is in full control of a car, they can see and steer around potholes, but when FSD is in charge, occupants, including the driver, are not necessarily as focused on the road, and that makes the sudden drop in ride quality particularly jarring. Should Tesla be able to get FSD subscribers’ vehicles to avoid potholes, not only will riding in a Tesla be more comfortable, but it will save vehicle owners on alignment and repair costs, such as for tires, wheels, and suspension components. It’ll also be welcome to non-owners who use Tesla’s upcoming robotaxi, the Cybercab, scheduled for launch on September 3, though it’s unclear if Musk’s promise of pothole avoidance coming soon is meant to hint at the function appearing with this week’s launch.
Autoblog’s Take
Tesla
Tesla fans will celebrate pothole avoidance when it eventually arrives, while naysayers will argue that it should be more important for Tesla to focus on making its FSD system safer in general. The middle-ground stance is that this is a step in the right direction, and if Tesla can achieve this goal, the lessons learned will doubtless contribute to a more astute digital “eye” for FSD, which should mean increased safety. Granted, Tesla sometimes provides OTA updates that seem to compromise safety, but pothole avoidance ought to have no compromises. Hopefully, Musk will provide more information on Thursday with the Cybercab launch, but he’s often used the word “soon” to hype up features or even products that we’re still waiting to see, so don’t hold your breath.
