Tesla’s ‘Mad Max Mode’ Has The Government’s Attention – And Not For A Good Reason
Tesla, despite being at the vanguard of self-driving tech, hasn’t cultivated what you would call an overtly favorable reputation in the eyes of federal agencies. On the contrary, the company’s autopilot and full self-driving (FSD) stack has attracted numerous investigations over the years in the wake of accidents, some of which were fatal. Now, the carmaker is again testing the limits of how far it can go with a controversial Mad Max mode, which essentially speeds up the car through traffic so that you can reach your destination faster. Naturally, days after its rollout with the Tesla FSD V14.1.2 update, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now launched an inquiry into it, as per The Washington Post.
Just received @Tesla FSD V14.1.2 on my Model Y. This version debuts a new feature called Mad Max mode.
“Introduced new speed profile MAD MAX, which comes with higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than HURRY.”
This is the third FSD software release in just the last 8… pic.twitter.com/92hnJyplgh
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) October 16, 2025
“NHTSA is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information. The human behind the wheel is fully responsible for driving the vehicle and complying with all traffic safety laws,” the agency was quoted as saying by Reuters. Tesla’s update notes describe it as a new option that “comes with higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than HURRY.” According to Tesla’s driver manual, the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) package lets users pick between Standard, Chill, and Hurry driving modes. Drivers can also specify the rise above the speed limit (in percentage points), if they deem it necessary to go beyond that to match the movement of the traffic. The Mad Max mode is a step ahead of the Hurry driving profile, which makes the car move with a sense of urgency.
Not the best time for mad adventure
Jetcityimage/Getty Images
So far, based on the user testimonies shared online, the newly added Mad Max mode sounds like a controversial idea. “FSD accelerates and weaves through traffic at an incredible pace, all while still being super smooth. It drives your car like a sports car,” wrote one user, accompanied by a video of their Tesla car with Mad Max mode enabled after the big V14 update. Another user highlighted that Mad Max mode is suited for heavy traffic congestion, but on open roads, “it’s going to speed like crazy.” But it comes with an explicit warning. “You are responsible for the speed of the vehicle at all times, whether Autopilot is engaged or not,” notes Tesla.
Interestingly, Tesla has been working on Mad Max mode since 2018, but has only released it years later. In another video shared by industry watcher Sawyer Merrit, he can be seen driving the car in a zone with a 65mph speed limit, but the Tesla is cruising at 84mph. Merrit notes that Mad Max mode won’t take the car beyond 85mph. Mad Max mode comes at a rather curious time for Tesla.
In the second week of October, the NHTSA launched yet another investigation into the Full Self-Driving tech that has logged over 50 crashes and traffic safety violation incidents. According to the agency, it has taken cognizance of reports of Tesla cars running red lights and making risky lane changes when the FSD system is enabled. So far, Tesla hasn’t officially detailed whether there are any special safeguards in place for the Mad Max mode, which is known to drive more aggressively.
