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How to Tell if a Tesla Has Full Self-Driving Download ArticleExplore this Article Sections 1 What is Full Self-Driving in a Tesla? 2 How to Check Self-Driving Subscriptions in a Tesla 3 How to Check Self-Driving Subscriptions in the App 4 How to Tell If a Used Tesla Has Full Self-Driving 5 Can every Tesla have Full Self-Driving? 6 How much does Full Self-Driving cost? 7 How do you upgrade to Full Self-Driving? + Show 4 more... - Show less... Other Sections Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Co-authored by Angel Ricardo and Eric McClure
Last Updated: April 14, 2025 Fact Checked
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This article was co-authored by Angel Ricardo and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Angel Ricardo is the owner of Ricardo's Mobile Auto Detail headquartered in Venice, California. With over 10 years of experience in mobile detailing, Angel continues to attend auto detailing trainings to improve his customer service and auto detailing skills. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 101,486 times.
Thinking about buying a Tesla and wondering how all that self-driving business works? Curious about whether your old Model 3 can be upgraded to become fully autonomous? Tesla doesn’t exactly make all this easy to understand, so it’s reasonable if you’re a little confused. That’s where we come in! In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving features so that you can figure out what your Tesla is capable of once and for all.
Steps
Section 1 of 7:
What is Full Self-Driving in a Tesla?
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1 Full Self-Driving (FSD) refers to a handful of autonomous driving features. Full Self-Driving isn’t actually 100% self-driving. You can’t just get in a FSD car and have it drive for you from point A to point B. However, a FSD Tesla can partially take over for you or help you drive in certain situations.[1]X Trustworthy Source Consumer ReportsNonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing Go to source The FSD features include:[2]XResearch source
Navigate on Autopilot: your car will guide you on to ramps and signal for you.
Auto Lane Change: your car will automatically change lanes on highways.
Autopark: Your car will parallel or perpendicular park for you.
Summon: Your car will self-navigate its way out of a parking spot.
Smart Summon: Your car will avoid objects and find you in a parking lot.
Traffic and Stop Sign Control: Your car automatically slows down and stops at red lights and stop signs.
2 Full Self-Driving (FSD) is different from Autopilot. Tesla’s Autopilot refers to two specific features, which are available on every Tesla made after 2020 for free. FSD features are an addition to Autopilot, kind of like Autopilot 2.0. Older models made before 2020 will require computer upgrades to access these features.[3]XResearch source These two features include:[4]XResearch source
Traffic-Aware Cruise Control: Your car will match the speed of surrounding traffic.
Autosteer: Your vehicle will help you stay in your lane when you’re in cruise control.
Advertisement Section 2 of 7:
How to Check Self-Driving Subscriptions in a Tesla
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Open the software menu in the Tesla to see if the car has FSD enabled. In your Tesla, click the car icon in the bottom right. At the bottom, select “Software.” This will pull up your vehicle’s software features. Depending on the model of your car, you may need to hit “additional vehicle information” after opening the software tab. Here is what the different labels indicate:[5]XResearch source
Autopilot Safety Features: Your vehicle has autopilot, but only kicks on in emergency situations.
Highway Autopilot: The autopilot features are available on the highway only.
Autopilot: The autopilot features are enabled.
Enhanced Autopilot: You have autopilot in addition to some FSD features enabled (but not all of them).
Full Self Driving Capability: Your vehicle has FSD turned on.
If there is no reference to autopilot or FSD, your vehicle has no autopilot or FSD features.
Section 3 of 7:
How to Check Self-Driving Subscriptions in the App
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To check your subscriptions in the app, scroll to the bottom and select “view details.” Open the Tesla app that is paired with the vehicle and scroll all the way to the bottom. Tap “view details” to pull up your vehicle’s software information.[6]XResearch source
It will say “Full Self-Driving Capability” and/or “Autopilot” in the “view details” list. If you don’t see any reference to either of these settings, your vehicle has no autopilot or FSD features.
You can also pull up your vehicle’s other specs in the “view details” tab, including the wheels, interior settings, paint job, and firmware.
Advertisement Section 4 of 7:
How to Tell If a Used Tesla Has Full Self-Driving
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Typically, FSD is only kept in used cars via a private sale. Tesla technically only offers FSD on a per-owner, per-car basis, but it is possible if you purchase the Tesla directly from an individual. The software will stay loaded on the vehicle after the title and deed transfer is complete.[7]XResearch source
If you buy a used Tesla online or from a dealership and Full-Service Driving is offered as a part of the sale, it’s unclear if those FSD features will permanently stay with the vehicle.
Section 5 of 7:
Can every Tesla have Full Self-Driving?
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Yes, every Tesla can have full FSD, but you may have to upgrade your computer. The older Tesla models don’t have the built-in capacity for the newer FSD features. You must have a Full Self-Driving computer 3.0 or older. You can check to see if your vehicle has a 3.0 computer by opening your Tesla’s computer, selecting “controls,” then “software,” and finally “additional vehicle information.”[8]XResearch source
Advertisement Section 6 of 7:
How much does Full Self-Driving cost?
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1 Full Self-Driving is $199 a month if your vehicle has Basic Autopilot. If you’ve got an older Tesla that doesn’t have the Full Self-Driving computer 3.0 or older, your car only comes with the Basic Autopilot package built in. Call your Tesla dealership and make an appointment to have the computer upgraded, and then it will cost $199 a month to turn on FSD.[9]XResearch source [10]XResearch source
The upside of paying the monthly subscription, instead of the up-front flat cost, is that you can cancel the subscription at any time.
2 Full Self-Driving costs $99 a month if your Tesla has Enhanced Autopilot. If you have a newer Tesla that came with the Enhanced Autopilot package, check with your local Tesla dealer to see if you need a computer upgrade (you may or may not depending on the model). Get the upgrade if necessary, and you’ll then be able to pay $99 a month for the FSD features.[11]XResearch source
You’ll need to make an appointment at your local Tesla dealership to get the computer upgraded, if you need one.
3 Alternatively, you can play a flat rate of $12,000 once for FSD in your Tesla. If you do not want to mess around with the monthly costs and you just want to pay a flat price for unlimited Full-Service Driving features, you can pay a $12,000 flat cost to turn the features on. The benefit of doing this is that you’ll be locked in for all FSD updates in the future, which may not be the case for the subscription models.[12]XResearch source
The cost of FSD has gradually increased every year or so since Tesla first rolled out this option, so don’t expect the cost to go down in the future.[13]XResearch source
Advertisement Section 7 of 7:
How do you upgrade to Full Self-Driving?
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1 To upgrade to FSD in the app, tap “upgrades” and then select “subscribe.” Tap the checkbox next to “Full-Service Driving Capability” and hit the subscription button. Then, you can enter your payment details and choose your payment option.[14]XResearch source
The FSD features will only work if you’ve got a 3.0 computer or newer. If your Tesla was made after 2020, you don’t need to worry about upgrading the computer.[15]XResearch source
2 To upgrade to FSD In your Tesla account, go to “manage” and then “buy upgrades.” If you don’t want to use the app, sign into your Tesla account online. Tap “manage,” “buy upgrades,” and “subscribe.” Then, you can manually add the FSD features.[16]XResearch source
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Tips
Some states don’t allow for certain FSD features to be enabled, so if your Tesla can’t do something, there may be a local law against it.[17]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Warnings
If you upgrade to Full-Service Driving, you still have to supervise and monitor your vehicle on the road. It’s not a free ticket to fall asleep at the wheel while you’re in transit.[18]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Co-authored by: Angel Ricardo Auto Technician This article was co-authored by Angel Ricardo and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Angel Ricardo is the owner of Ricardo's Mobile Auto Detail headquartered in Venice, California. With over 10 years of experience in mobile detailing, Angel continues to attend auto detailing trainings to improve his customer service and auto detailing skills. This article has been viewed 101,486 times. 8 votes - 75% Co-authors: 5Updated: April 14, 2025 Views: 101,486 Categories: Cars In other languages Portuguese Japanese
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Download Article Explore this Article Sections 1 What is Full Self-Driving in a Tesla? 2 How to Check Self-Driving Subscriptions in a Tesla 3 How to Check Self-Driving Subscriptions in the App 4 How to Tell If a Used Tesla Has Full Self-Driving 5 Can every Tesla have Full Self-Driving? 6 How much does Full Self-Driving cost? 7 How do you upgrade to Full Self-Driving? + Show 4 more... - Show less... Other Sections Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Co-authored by Angel Ricardo and Eric McClure 
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Co-authored by: Angel Ricardo Auto Technician This article was co-authored by Angel Ricardo and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Angel Ricardo is the owner of Ricardo's Mobile Auto Detail headquartered in Venice, California. With over 10 years of experience in mobile detailing, Angel continues to attend auto detailing trainings to improve his customer service and auto detailing skills. This article has been viewed 101,486 times. 8 votes - 75% Co-authors: 5 Updated: April 14, 2025 Views: 101,486 Categories: Cars In other languages Portuguese Japanese 
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1 Full Self-Driving (FSD) refers to a handful of autonomous driving features. Full Self-Driving isn’t actually 100% self-driving. You can’t just get in a FSD car and have it drive for you from point A to point B. However, a FSD Tesla can partially take over for you or help you drive in certain situations.[1] The FSD features include:[2] 
2 Full Self-Driving (FSD) is different from Autopilot. Tesla’s Autopilot refers to two specific features, which are available on every Tesla made after 2020 for free. FSD features are an addition to Autopilot, kind of like Autopilot 2.0. Older models made before 2020 will require computer upgrades to access these features.[3] These two features include:[4] 
Open the software menu in the Tesla to see if the car has FSD enabled. In your Tesla, click the car icon in the bottom right. At the bottom, select “Software.” This will pull up your vehicle’s software features. Depending on the model of your car, you may need to hit “additional vehicle information” after opening the software tab. Here is what the different labels indicate:[5] 
To check your subscriptions in the app, scroll to the bottom and select “view details.” Open the Tesla app that is paired with the vehicle and scroll all the way to the bottom. Tap “view details” to pull up your vehicle’s software information.[6] 
Typically, FSD is only kept in used cars via a private sale. Tesla technically only offers FSD on a per-owner, per-car basis, but it is possible if you purchase the Tesla directly from an individual. The software will stay loaded on the vehicle after the title and deed transfer is complete.[7] 
Yes, every Tesla can have full FSD, but you may have to upgrade your computer. The older Tesla models don’t have the built-in capacity for the newer FSD features. You must have a Full Self-Driving computer 3.0 or older. You can check to see if your vehicle has a 3.0 computer by opening your Tesla’s computer, selecting “controls,” then “software,” and finally “additional vehicle information.”[8] Advertisement 
1 Full Self-Driving is $199 a month if your vehicle has Basic Autopilot. If you’ve got an older Tesla that doesn’t have the Full Self-Driving computer 3.0 or older, your car only comes with the Basic Autopilot package built in. Call your Tesla dealership and make an appointment to have the computer upgraded, and then it will cost $199 a month to turn on FSD.[9] [10] 
2 Full Self-Driving costs $99 a month if your Tesla has Enhanced Autopilot. If you have a newer Tesla that came with the Enhanced Autopilot package, check with your local Tesla dealer to see if you need a computer upgrade (you may or may not depending on the model). Get the upgrade if necessary, and you’ll then be able to pay $99 a month for the FSD features.[11] 
3 Alternatively, you can play a flat rate of $12,000 once for FSD in your Tesla. If you do not want to mess around with the monthly costs and you just want to pay a flat price for unlimited Full-Service Driving features, you can pay a $12,000 flat cost to turn the features on. The benefit of doing this is that you’ll be locked in for all FSD updates in the future, which may not be the case for the subscription models.[12] 
1 To upgrade to FSD in the app, tap “upgrades” and then select “subscribe.” Tap the checkbox next to “Full-Service Driving Capability” and hit the subscription button. Then, you can enter your payment details and choose your payment option.[14] 
2 To upgrade to FSD In your Tesla account, go to “manage” and then “buy upgrades.” If you don’t want to use the app, sign into your Tesla account online. Tap “manage,” “buy upgrades,” and “subscribe.” Then, you can manually add the FSD features.[16] Advertisement 
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