A Cybertruck owner in New Mexico says Tesla's Full Self-Driving system steered his vehicle away from a head-on collision with an oncoming pickup truck. Clifford Lee was driving at 75 mph on Highway 54 when the incident occurred. He escaped uninjured after the system intervened at the last moment.
Clifford Lee, a Tesla Cybertruck owner, was traveling at approximately 75 mph on a two-lane stretch of Highway 54 in New Mexico with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged. According to a report from CBS Austin, an oncoming pickup truck suddenly crossed the center line into his lane, leaving only seconds to react.
FSD intervened by steering the Cybertruck toward a narrow opening near the guardrail. The maneuver was so precise that the pickup merely clipped the Cybertruck's side mirror, avoiding a full collision. Lee walked away uninjured but was left shaken.
"I almost got killed," Lee told CBS Austin. "I was shaking uncontrollably for a while."
Tesla's FSD is classified as an SAE Level 2 driver-assistance system, requiring constant driver attention and supervision. It builds on the standard Autopilot features, including Navigate on Autopilot, Auto Lane Change, and Autopark. The software is an $8,000 option on models like the Cybertruck, Model 3, and Model Y, and is included in the Luxe Package for Model S and Model X.
The incident comes amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny of FSD, with reports of vehicles running red lights or entering opposing lanes, and some lawsuits. Critics argue the "Full Self-Driving" name is misleading, leading legacy automakers to decline licensing it. However, this case illustrates the system's potential in critical moments.
Recent updates include FSD v14 in November 2025, which brought full features like reversing and advanced parking to the Cybertruck. The latest version, v14.2.2, rolled out in December 2025, improved the neural network vision encoder. Tesla has also introduced user-friendly changes, such as defaulting new drivers to "Sloth Mode" and allowing texting under certain conditions. The company is testing unsupervised FSD with its Robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas.
