First Impressions of Tesla FSD V14.3.4: Improvements and Regressions

Karan Singh

Tesla has begun rolling out FSD v14.3.4 to early-access testers, and the initial impressions seem extremely positive. The new release includes fun features like FSD Streak Celebrations, as well as the much-awaited Actually Smart Summon for Cybertruck. Tesla also included a bevy of new FSD and navigation-related UI features in this latest build, helping to round it out.

The overall day-one consensus from early-access testers across the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck has been great, so let’s take a look at all the feedback in detail.

Improved City Driving

The biggest noticeable difference with v14.3.4 is the reduction in low-speed indecisiveness. Previous versions, particularly v14.3.3, had frequent issues with steering wheel jitter at low speeds. Testers have noted that this hesitation appears to be resolved in this version, resulting in much more confident low-speed driving in cities and other built-up areas.

This is best seen when navigating active construction zones. Previous versions would often tap the brakes repeatedly when encountering construction signs or flashing lights. Now, v14.3.4 processes complex visuals like this decisively, meaning it stays smooth.

Mad Max is Mad Again

For those who favor Mad Max’s faster, more assertive driving style, v14.3.4 brings back a sharper, more aggressive edge to the speedy profile. Real-world feedback from testers notes that Mad Max feels very confident once again, shedding the oddly passive behavior it had learned in recent point releases.

On dense city streets, Mad Max is far more confident with lane changes and cuts through heavy traffic just like it does on the highway. The assertiveness feels more human-like and natural, so it stays far smoother than previous iterations.

Pulling Over

Tesla has also introduced a dedicated "Pull Over" parking option, replacing the "Curbside" option.

The difference is immediately visible when testers tried out the new option. The previous Curbside behavior would park at a relatively nearby location, but often not anywhere near the destination's marked entrance.

The new Pull Over option selects the actual physical entrance of your destination, identifying parking aprons, drop-off loops, or clear roadside spaces near the final destination that are far more reliable than the older option.

Robotaxi-Ready UI

Beyond the updates to the neural networks, the updated user interface makes the entire experience feel more like Robotaxi. The updated destination pop-ups, front-and-center routing confirmations, and predictive arrival notifications provide a more passenger-centric experience.

Missing Turns

However, as an early-access build, the software is not without regressions. A prominent issue reported by testers involves FSD missing navigational turns, particularly when attempting to take highway exits. 

While not necessarily a critical issue preventing rollout, it is bad for the user experience to have your vehicle constantly re-routing because it fails to exit the highway or take the correct turn.

Given this issue popping up across the fleet in more rural zones, Tesla may opt to issue another point release before expanding this release.