The internet is still oscillating between confusion and pure rage. Tesla has quietly updated its US configurator to strip the Autopilot suite, specifically the Autosteer function, from all new Model 3 and Model Y orders. If you were hoping your shiny new $59,130 Performance trim would help you stay in your lane, think again. You’re back to steering the car entirely by yourself. Welcome to 2012: manual labor is officially back in style.
Previously, Tesla’s Autopilot was a two-part harmony of Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) and Autosteer. While TACC remains, Autosteer has been evicted from the standard package. Now, the final checkout page for these vehicles shows only Traffic Aware Cruise Control as an included feature, alongside a tantalizing 30-day trial of Full Self-Driving (FSD). It’s a classic “first hit is free” strategy, aimed at nudging buyers toward a $99 monthly subscription that Elon Musk hints will only get more expensive as the software “improves”.
The irony is thick enough to clog a Supercharger. In 2026, even a base Toyota Corolla LE, a car that costs less than $25,000, comes standard with lane-keeping assistance. Yet, Tesla is receiving “super pathetic” and “ridiculous” reviews from Reddit and X users who feel the brand is moving backward. Musk, however, seems unbothered. When questioned on X, he ignored the Autopilot nerf entirely, focusing instead on how FSD prices will inevitably rise.
Why the sudden hostility toward standard features? Follow the money, specifically the $1 trillion CEO “Performance Award”. One of the tranches for Musk’s massive payday requires Tesla to hit 10 million active FSD subscriptions. By removing a beloved free feature like Autosteer, Tesla creates a artificial “need” for the paid FSD package.
It’s a bold strategy to force a 50% global adoption rate, but for many buyers, it’s just another reason to start looking at other brands for their next electric vehicle.
