A survey of more than 8,000 consumers also found that buyers are twice as likely to be turned off by Full Self-Driving as they are persuaded by it.
Tesla’s stock fell for a second straight session on Thursday and extended losses after the bell amid some discouraging news related to its push into autonomous vehicles.
Americans are growing increasingly wary of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology. A new survey of more than 8,000 people found that nearly half think the feature should be outright illegal, and far more say it pushes them away from buying a Tesla than draws them in.
Just 14% of those surveyed said FSD makes them more likely to purchase a Tesla, while 35% said it makes them less likely to do so. After being asked further questions about the technology, the negative response grew even stronger.
The findings also show broad public support for tighter regulation. Two-thirds of consumers believe Tesla should compensate victims of crashes involving Autopilot or FSD, while 78% want regulations requiring Tesla ads to depict proper use, such as drivers keeping their hands on the wheel.
Nearly half of the respondents said the name “Autopilot” itself is misleading.
Safety Debate: LiDAR vs. Cameras
On safety, consumers expressed a preference for autonomous vehicles equipped with both LiDAR and cameras — the approach taken by rivals like Waymo — rather than Tesla’s camera-only system. While 70% favored using both, 71% said the government should mandate it.
Earlier this week, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated on a podcast that autonomous vehicles require a combination of LiDAR, radar, and cameras to achieve “superhuman levels of safety,” citing Waymo’s system as proof.
He added that a camera-only approach like Tesla’s might get there eventually but was “very difficult” in the near term.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk quickly pushed back on X, arguing extra sensors increase risk due to “sensor contention” and insisting Tesla’s camera-based system is ultimately safer. Musk has long dismissed LiDAR as a “fool’s errand.”
Brand Positivity And Legal Pressures
Tesla’s brand image has also declined sharply. The company’s net brand positivity score dropped to -15, the only EV maker in negative territory, while Toyota and Honda remain the most positively viewed. Trust in Tesla fell to -12, and the share of consumers labeling its vehicles “not family friendly” rose to 47%, well above competitors.
The report lands as Tesla battles lawsuits and mounting regulatory pressure over crashes tied to its driver-assistance systems. In one recent case, a Florida jury held the company liable for a deadly 2019 Autopilot accident and ordered it to pay $243 million in damages.
Global Push: FSD Expansion To Australia
At the same time, Tesla continues to push FSD into new markets. On Thursday, the company announced that it will begin rolling out its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system in Australia, marking the first right-hand-drive country to receive the technology.
The launch will begin with Model 3 and Model Y vehicles equipped with Tesla’s latest Hardware 4 system and will cost A$10,100 ($6,560), accompanied by a 30-day free trial for new buyers.
Tesla said there were “no regulatory blockers” to the launch, which follows years of testing in Europe and video demonstrations in Australian cities. It has also outlined plans for further expansion in Europe and a broader release in China later this year, pending approvals.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Tesla was ‘bullish’ amid ‘normal’ message volume.
Tesla’s stock has declined 14.3% so far in 2025.
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