Overview
- Tesla influencers Justin Demaree (Bearded Tesla Guy) and Josh West set out to showcase an unassisted drive from San Diego to Jacksonville.
- Their Model Y with AI4 hardware and FSD version 13.9 ran over debris the system failed to recognize, halting the trip roughly 100 kilometers in.
- Suspension and other chassis components were damaged, no injuries were reported, and only about 2.5% of the planned 3,800-kilometer route was completed.
- The incident highlights limitations of Tesla’s camera-only sensing approach and reinforces the system’s status as level‑2 driver assistance with the driver legally responsible.
- The failure echoes long-running gaps between autonomy claims, including Elon Musk’s 2017 coast‑to‑coast pledge, and growing legal scrutiny such as a recent Florida ruling tied to Autopilot.