Tesla Makes Driver Feedback Mandatory for FSD Takeovers
SkimNews Take
Mandatory feedback on interventions suggests Tesla is shifting from passive data collection to actively soliciting qualitative input, aiming to understand the *why* behind disengagements as much as the *when*.
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- Tesla rolled out software update 2026.2.9.9 (FSD v14.3.2) in late April that makes the driver‑feedback prompt stay on screen indefinitely until a response is given.
- Tesla removed the previous timeout and dismiss button, requiring drivers to choose from Preference, Discomfort, Navigation, or Critical, or record a voice note, to clear the prompt.
- Tesla has iterated the feedback dialog three times, adding “Navigation” after “Other” and shrinking the dialog in version 2026.2.9.10 to stop blocking other screen controls.
- Tesla says the mandatory feedback improves its AI pipeline by providing cleaner training data from nearly half a million FSD subscribers who generate $546 million in annual recurring revenue.
- Drivers report the persistent prompt can distract them during safety‑critical moments and that the limited categories often don’t match the actual reason for intervention, leading to random selections.
- Electrek notes the only quick way to dismiss the prompt is to double‑tap the steering‑wheel microphone, sending an empty voice note—a hack rather than a built‑in feature.
Why it matters: Tesla secures a larger, cleaner data stream for its FSD AI by forcing half‑million paying users to label every takeover, but drivers lose a distraction‑free interface and may submit junk data, threatening the quality of the training set for future updates.
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