A Tesla operating the latest available version of its Full Self-Driving system, commonly abbreviated as FSD, came close to colliding with a passing train at an active railroad crossing after failing to stop despite flashing warning signals, the train being visible, and its horn being audible. The driver intervened by braking manually at the last moment to prevent the vehicle from entering the train’s path.
The incident occurred this week, and automotive journalist Lei Xing posted the dashcam recording on the X platform on Tuesday. The recording shows the vehicle approaching the crossing at 9 miles per hour, with the autonomous-driving indicator activated. While the warning lights were operating and the train was visible and audible, the vehicle only reduced its speed and then continued attempting to cross as the train approached.
The Latest Version Did Not Prevent the Behavior
Xing confirmed that the vehicle was running FSD v14.3.7, the latest version of the system Tesla was offering when the report was published, and that it was being distributed to vehicles equipped with the AI4 platform. This point carries additional significance because Tesla introduced FSD v14.3 earlier this year with release notes that indicated improved handling of “rare and unusual objects extending, hanging, or angled into the vehicle’s path.”
Based on the available facts, this update did not prevent the vehicle from heading toward a crossing where clear signals indicated that it should stop, including the warning lights, the train, and the crossing gate. The recording alone does not establish the precise technical cause of the behavior, but it shows that having the latest software version did not guarantee that the danger would be avoided in this case.
Not the First Incident
The report says that Electrek documented at least three cases this year in which FSD attempted to drive a Tesla toward a train or through a railroad barrier. In March, a recording showed a vehicle crossing lowered barriers in West Covina, California, without attempting to brake before the collision. A month later, a Texas owner posted footage of a vehicle breaking through a barrier before a train arrived and had to press the accelerator pedal to get out of the path, while the crossing arm struck the vehicle’s window.
A Tesla in Pennsylvania was also hit by a train in 2025 after turning onto the railroad tracks while “autopilot mode” was activated. NBC News reported that it had documented more than 40 accounts of Tesla vehicles failing at railroad crossings.
Regulatory Investigation Continues
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, opened an investigation into the FSD system in October 2025 after 58 reports of incidents involving running red lights and entering oncoming traffic. The investigation later expanded to include approximately 2.9 million vehicles equipped with the system, in a step preceding a possible formal request for a vehicle recall. Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal also called on the agency to investigate railroad-crossing failures specifically, describing them as a troubling safety risk.
What Matters in Practice?
The incident illustrates the limits of relying on the name “Full Self-Driving” when interpreting the system’s capabilities. Tesla’s own manual states that the driver must remain attentive and ready to take control at any time. For users, this means that the latest version does not eliminate the responsibility to monitor the vehicle and intervene, especially in scenarios whose consequences could be catastrophic within seconds. The open question for regulators is whether these cases represent a repeatable pattern requiring a software fix or a broader safety action.