A 95-year-old Tesla Model Y owner recently shared his one-month verdict on the car — and his takeaway is surprisingly straightforward: Full Self-Driving is the best thing about it. His experience cuts through the noise of spec debates and software changelogs to answer a question that matters to a lot of families: can FSD actually make driving safer and less stressful for older owners?
What exactly did he say about FSD?
After one month with his Model Y, the owner called FSD the single best part of the vehicle. He praised it across the board — lane keeping, traffic handling, and navigating turns — describing the overall experience as "extremely safe." His summary for people his age: "It's a good idea." That's not a hedged endorsement. For someone who has been driving for roughly seven decades, that kind of confidence in an automated system carries real weight.
What is 'Actually Smart Summon' and why did it stand out to him?
Actually Smart Summon lets your Tesla navigate a parking lot and come to you — no driver required. You trigger it from the Tesla app, and the car threads its way through parked vehicles, pedestrians, and lot obstacles to reach your location. For older owners, the practical value is obvious: no long walks across large parking lots, no maneuvering out of tight spaces. Tesla launched the feature in September 2024, and as of May 2026, FSD V14.3.3 increased its top speed by 33% — from 6 mph to 8 mph — on vehicles with Hardware 4 (AI4) compute.
Is this an isolated story, or are older drivers broadly finding value in FSD?
It's part of a clear pattern. According to multiple reports from early 2026, an 84-year-old owner named Rico completed a 900-mile winter road trip in his 2026 Model Y and rated FSD a "10 out of 10," saying it made long drives noticeably more relaxing. A 93-year-old woman featured in a March 2026 video described her FSD-assisted trips as "uneventful" — a word that, in this context, is high praise. The common thread across these accounts is reduced fatigue and greater confidence, particularly on highways and in unfamiliar areas.
How safe is Actually Smart Summon, really?
The NHTSA closed its investigation into Actually Smart Summon on April 6, 2026, after reviewing approximately 2.59 million vehicles. The finding: zero injuries, zero fatalities across all reported incidents — only minor property damage in some cases. That's a meaningful data point for anyone weighing whether to trust the feature in a busy parking lot. The regulatory review is closed, and the safety record held up under scrutiny.
Does FSD require a lot of technical knowledge to use?
Not really. FSD is engaged through the steering wheel stalk or a touchscreen button, and the car handles the rest — steering, braking, lane changes, and responding to traffic signals. The driver remains responsible and must be ready to take over, but the system is designed to be intuitive rather than demanding. Actually Smart Summon is operated entirely from the Tesla app with a single press-and-hold gesture. The learning curve is low, which is likely part of why owners in their 80s and 90s are finding it accessible rather than intimidating.
What should families of older Tesla owners know?
FSD is a subscription or one-time purchase add-on — it doesn't come standard on every Model Y. If an older family member is considering a Tesla primarily for the assisted-driving capability, it's worth confirming FSD is included or budgeting for it separately. Hardware 4 vehicles get the full benefit of recent speed improvements to Actually Smart Summon. It's also worth noting that FSD still requires an attentive driver; it is not a fully autonomous system, and Tesla's own guidance emphasizes that the driver must remain engaged at all times.
The 95-year-old owner's review is a reminder that FSD's value isn't only measured in lap times or 0-60 numbers. For a growing segment of Tesla owners, the technology is quietly delivering something more fundamental — the ability to keep driving, safely, for longer. That's a use case Tesla's own marketing rarely leads with, but real owners keep surfacing it on their own.
Marcus covers Tesla's software releases, FSD rollouts, and OTA changes. Background in automotive engineering. Based in Austin.
Sources verified at publish time. Spotted an inaccuracy? Email editorial@basenor.com.
