Tesla has officially discontinued its Autopilot driver-assist feature in the US and Canada, pushing users toward a $99-per-month Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscription for features that were previously included as standard on its vehicles.
As a result of the change, first spotted by Electrec, drivers will now lose free access to Autosteer, a feature that keeps the vehicle centered in its lane and helps it navigate curves. Not all of Autopilot’s features are disappearing for users without a subscription. Drivers will still be able to access features such as Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, which maintains the vehicle at a set speed and follows traffic at a safe distance. However, users who want to retain access to Autosteer will need to pay for a $99-per-month FSD subscription.
Until February 14, drivers can also purchase FSD as a one-time $8,000 upgrade, which in theory grants lifetime access to the software. FSD also offers more advanced functionality than Autopilot, including support for urban environments like city streets and tasks such as lane changes and parking. It uses more cameras, sensor data, and computing power than Autopilot.
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Paying $8,000 for lifetime access may not initially seem appealing, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said prices for the subscription are likely to rise as FSD’s capabilities advance.
Tesla did not officially announce why it chose to remove Autopilot, but the move comes amid the threat of a potential ban in California, as well as a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into the feature.
In December, California’s Department of Motor Vehicles threatened Tesla with a 30-day sales suspension in the state if it failed to stop using the terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” in its marketing, arguing they were misleading and violated state law. Tesla was given a 60-day deadline to take action before the suspension would take effect.
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Autopilot has also been a main point in several costly lawsuits for Tesla. In August 2025, the EV maker was found liable for $249 million in damages after a Florida court ruled that Autopilot was partially responsible for the death of a young woman in Key Largo, Florida, though Tesla is set to fight the decision.
Amid falling sales in the US, Tesla indicated it may be looking to drive up subscription revenue from features like FSD. One milestone included in Elon Musk’s controversial $1 trillion CEO performance award is reaching 10 million active FSD subscriptions, Teslarati notes.
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