Tesla Adds Automatic Collision Evasion to FSD in New Update

Tesla has begun rolling out its 2026.27.6 software update, which introduces a new Automatic Collision Evasion safety feature. The update, which started reaching some vehicles on September 8, 2026, also includes Full Self-Driving v14.3.9.

According to the release notes, the Automatic Collision Evasion feature will activate Full Self-Driving to try to keep the vehicle safe and then continue driving. It engages in two specific scenarios while the driver is operating the car manually. The first is when a frontal collision is imminent and braking alone may not avoid it. The second is when the vehicle detects the driver is not sufficiently attentive to the road, such as reaching toward the back seat, or if Full Self-Driving (Supervised) may have been unintentionally disengaged.

The addition is similar to collision avoidance systems from other automakers like Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. Tesla's system, however, pioneers evasive steering intervention while the driver is in manual control mode.

FSD v14.3.9 and v14.2 Lite

Alongside the safety feature is the rollout of FSD v14.3.9. The source, Teslarati, reports this version has no additional release notes compared to its predecessor. In initial drives, the outlet's impression was that general operation was great, but parking remained a pain point.

Tesla is also distributing v14.2 Lite, which has identical release notes to a previous version but appears to contain refinements and improvements in behavior and performance.

V14 Lite Nears Older Model S and X

A separate but related development concerns the long-awaited arrival of the FSD v14 Lite software stack for older Hardware 3 Model S and Model X vehicles. Tesla's Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, indicated the rollout was expected imminently. Speaking at the Cybercab launch, Elluswamy told reporter Ryan McCaffrey he thought the build for those models "was supposed to go out last week."

These are pre-refresh flagship models built around Tesla's older Autopilot computer, known as HW3 or AI3. Tesla stopped installing this computer in new vehicles years ago. Model 3 and Model Y vehicles with the same hardware began receiving v14 Lite in late June 2026, with a wider North American expansion in July and an early launch in South Korea.

V14 Lite is a distilled version of the current v14 driving stack, compressed to run on the older hardware. Tesla describes the process as distillation, with the resulting network being roughly 15 percent of the original size. The company has stated that HW3 cannot support unsupervised Full Self-Driving or robotaxi operation due to memory and bandwidth limits.

The software brings several new features that had been missing for S and X owners. Official notes for the first Lite build added parking, unparking, and reversing functions, along with arrival options for lots, streets, driveways, or curbsides. It also introduced always-available speed profiles and start-from-park engagement, plus claimed improvements in handling merges, forks, pedestrians, traffic lights, and cut-ins.

A follow-on build in mid-July added more of the Hardware 4 interface, including a standalone Self-Driving app and the ability to start a trip from Park without a brake-pedal confirmation. Elluswamy called that version the one "likely going to wide release."

Cybertruck Camera Update

In a separate product update, Tesla has made a small but significant change to the Cybertruck's side repeater cameras. Lead engineer Wes Morrill revealed a revised camera housing now in production at Gigafactory Texas.

The new housing uses passive geometric changes to create airflow disturbances that better keep water off the lens while driving. Morrill stated the update provides a "pure vision improvement" at "no cost penalty" compared to the previous part. The change aims to address issues where water droplets degrade the image used by Autopilot and Full Self-Driving for lane changes and blind-spot monitoring.

Early production Cybertrucks sometimes had cameras that collected water in wet weather, leading owners to wipe them manually or face temporary restrictions on driver-assistance features. The new design avoids the cost and complexity of adding active systems like washers, which Tesla has used on some other models and Cybercab prototypes.