Some Tesla owners say the company’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software can struggle with a basic but dangerous scenario: railroad crossings. Multiple drivers, including Italo Frigoli in Texas, report their Teslas failed to recognise lowered crossing arms or flashing lights.

In Frigoli’s case, he had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision, and video reviewed by NBC News supports his account. When NBC accompanied Frigoli for a follow-up test, the software again failed to detect an oncoming train. NBC spoke to six Tesla drivers who described problems with FSD at railway crossings; four of them had videos, and the network found at least seven other videos online showing similar Tesla mishaps at rail crossings since mid-2023.