Tesla has quietly shortened the strikeout forgiveness window for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system in the latest 2025.32+ software update, reducing the time from seven days to just three and a half.
In the early days of FSD Beta, the strikeout period was at first an undetermined amount of time and could last more than a month as drivers would have to wait for the next software update to regain access to the feature and have their strikeout counter reset to zero. As the technology matured, the strikeout period was reduced to 2 weeks, and most recently, 1 week.
The latest change, spotted in the updated online Owner’s Manual by Not a Tesla App, has now reduced it to just 3.5 days, or half a week.
Understanding Tesla’s “Strikes”
Tesla’s driver monitoring system is designed to ensure that drivers remain attentive when using FSD. If the system detects that a driver is not paying attention—such as ignoring prompts to keep their hands on the wheel or eyes on the road—it issues what Tesla refers to as a “strike.” Accumulating too many strikes in a short period can temporarily suspend the driver’s access to FSD.
Previously, Tesla gave owners a full week before a strike was forgiven, provided no new strikes occurred during that period. Under the new rules, the forgiveness period has been cut in half to 3.5 days, meaning a driver can return to a clean record faster, but also faces a narrower margin for error if inattentiveness happens again.
A Shorter Reset, But Higher Stakes
At first glance, the update appears to make Tesla’s system more forgiving. Strikes now expire in just three and a half days instead of an entire week, which allows attentive drivers who make an occasional mistake to clear their record more quickly. For many owners, this shorter cooldown could feel like a practical improvement.
The reality, however, is a little more complicated. If another strike occurs before the 3.5 days have elapsed, the countdown resets from that new strike, effectively extending the penalty period. Under the previous 7-day rule, a driver who received one strike on a Monday and another on Friday would still see the first strike forgiven by the following Monday. Under the new system, the same scenario would push the forgiveness out to Saturday, because the second strike resets the clock.
This change means careful drivers who rarely trigger strikes will benefit, but those who repeatedly miss alerts or disengage from monitoring requirements could find themselves caught in a cycle of resets, leading to longer periods without access to FSD.
Tesla’s move highlights the company’s ongoing effort to balance safety with customer satisfaction as it continues to expand access to FSD. Critics have long argued that the strike system is sometimes too aggressive, penalizing drivers for minor lapses or false detections. Proponents counter that the strict rules are essential to prevent misuse of semi-autonomous features.
Have you ever received a strikeout? Let us know in the comments below.
