Tesla software · 2026.38

Tesla update 2026.38: what’s new, build by build

Halloween Mode, Supercharger site maps for older cars, sharper visuals, headlight levelling and, in North America, FSD v14.3.12–13. Which builds reach Europe, and what is easy to miss.

Rolling out in Europe

Editorial review · first published · Tesla documentation and dated tracker reports; observation dates are retained

Short answer

2026.38 is the autumn branch. 2026.38.3.2 is the wide release that trackers see in Germany, the UK and France, with Halloween Mode, Supercharger site maps for Intel-era cars, sharper car visuals and headlight levelling on specific cars. The 2026.38.5 builds add FSD (Supervised) v14.3.12 and v14.3.13 and Automatic Collision Evasion, but had only been seen in North America, Ukraine, Australia and New Zealand by 30 October. Rolling out since 29 October: 2026.38.6, a fix build that trackers already see in Germany and across Europe; also listed: 2026.39.6 with FSD v14.2.2.6.

What’s new

In our own words, grouped by what you will notice. The marks show where trackers reported a feature; a question mark means no source says.

Tracker report
AMD

Halloween Mode

Works all year. Ghost Costume dresses the car on screen in a sheet, turns traffic lights into pumpkins and tints lane lines purple. Trick or Treat plays spooky sounds and flickers the lights when someone walks up to the parked car. Plus a schedulable light show, photo-booth frames and four Halloween wraps.

WhereToyboxHalloween Mode

Easy to miss Trick or Treat switches off Sentry Mode, the alarm and walk-away locking while it runs. Lock the car yourself.

Europe North America
Tracker report

Emergency Drive Away

Tesla documents this last-resort feature for immediate personal danger in its US Model Y manual. Read the complete vehicle-specific instructions; this summary is not an operating procedure. The manual limits it to Tesla Superchargers and the United States.

WhereUS Model Y (2020–2024) manual; last resort only

Easy to miss Activation requires a Tesla inspection even without driving away. Use can cause injury and damage; Tesla receives short camera clips. Tracker country tags do not establish availability or permission outside the United States.

USA only Europe
Tracker report

Set Arrival Energy

Choose the battery level you want to arrive with; trip planning keeps that reserve. Needs the Tesla app 4.58 or later.

WhereTesla appLocationdestinationSet Arrival Energy

Easy to miss Check the phone app version too. An up-to-date car with an old app will not show it.

Europe North America
Tracker report
Intel

Supercharger site maps

A drawn plan of the stalls, each marked available, occupied or out of order, at selected pilot sites. AMD cars had it already; 2026.38 brings it to Intel-era Model S, X, 3 and Y.

WhereNavigationSuperchargerView Site Map

Easy to miss No map at your Supercharger? Check whether the site is in the pilot; a missing map alone does not establish a failed update.

Europe North America
Tracker report
AMDHW3

Sharper car visuals

Higher-quality images of your own car on the centre display. Purely cosmetic; driving and sensing do not change.

WhereAutomatic on the centre display

Easy to miss Listed for Model 3 and Y with an AMD infotainment computer and HW3: both conditions, not one.

Europe North America
Tracker report

Dynamic headlight levelling

The low beams re-aim themselves to the road and nearby traffic, to light further without dazzling others. Listed for Model 3 and Cybertruck, “specific vehicles” only; Tesla names no model years.

WhereAutomatic, on specific vehicles

Europe North America
Tracker report
HW4HW3

FSD (Supervised) v14.3.12 and v14.3.13

A retrained model with a new vision encoder, an AI compiler rewrite Tesla credits with 20 % faster reactions, decisive parking, and one model shared by Smart Summon, FSD and Robotaxi. After a takeover you can say why; the car shows your intervention-free distance. HW3 cars get the distilled v14.3 Lite.

WhereBuilds 2026.38.5.x only

Easy to miss v14.3.13 shipped with the same notes as v14.3.12, so read it as fixes. The 20 % is Tesla’s own figure.

North America Australia / NZ Europe
Tracker report
HW4

Automatic Collision Evasion

While you drive yourself, the car can engage FSD on its own if it sees a frontal collision coming that braking alone would not avoid, or judges you badly distracted. A chime sounds; braking or firm steering takes over again.

WhereHW4 cars with FSD; no separate switch named

Easy to miss Needs an FSD purchase or subscription with Automatic Emergency Braking and FSD enabled.

North America Europe

Easy to miss

One branch, two kinds of builds

A car on 2026.38.3.2 and one on 2026.38.5.11 share the same base. The .5 builds add the FSD version on top. The cited tracker observations include .3.x and .6 installs in Germany; they do not describe every European car.

Intel cars get the costume, not the party

Full Halloween Mode needs the AMD computer. Intel-era cars receive only the Halloween wraps and licence plates, which the official notes do not mention.

FSD v14 Lite reached the oldest Model S and X

From 2026.38.5.1, Intel-era Model S and X got FSD v14.3 Lite for the first time, with a reduced set: Speed Profiles yes, but no Arrival Options, starting from Park, reversing or Summon.

Australia got a profile North America did not

The 2026.38.5.5 notes for Australia and New Zealand list a MAD MAX speed profile and Brake Confirm off by default. The North American notes list only the new SLOTH profile.

Grok quietly dropped its beta label

An undocumented change in 2026.38. Nothing else about Grok changed for Europe in this branch.

“Security improvements” is all you get

Every build here repeats the same line about important security fixes. Neither Tesla nor the trackers say what was fixed.

2026.39.6 appeared with FSD v14.2.2.6

Listed on 29 October with the 2026.38 features and FSD v14.2.2.6, the FSD version of the earlier 2026.33.100 build seen in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Only a handful of cars in the sample and no countries shown yet.

Every build on this branch

Tesla’s main software line 2026.39.6 · FSD v14.2.2.6, listed 29 Oct 2026.38 Everyday builds: Europe and worldwide .3 .3.2 .6 FSD builds: North America, Australia .5.1 .5.11
How the 2026.38 builds relate. Europe gets the red line.
  1. 2026.38first listed

    Base branch: site maps for Intel cars, sharper visuals, headlight levelling, security fixes.

  2. 2026.38.3first listed

    Adds Halloween Mode, Emergency Drive Away (USA) and Set Arrival Energy.

  3. 2026.38.3.1first listed

    Point release, same features.

  4. 2026.38.5 · .5.1FSD buildfirst listed

    FSD v14.3.12 (HW4) and v14.3 Lite (HW3), Automatic Collision Evasion. North America; .5.1 also Ukraine.

  5. 2026.38.5.10 · .5.11FSD buildfirst listed

    FSD v14.3.13, unchanged notes. The current North American FSD build.

  6. 2026.38.5.5 · .5.6FSD buildfirst listed

    FSD v14.3.12 for Australia and New Zealand, HW4 only.

  7. 2026.38.3.2Wide releasefirst listed

    The wide release, seen in Germany, the UK, France and the USA. Only new note: security improvements.

  8. 2026.38.6 · .6.1Just listedfirst listed

    Rolling out since 29 October, to cars on 2026.38.3.2. First installs in the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Germany, Taiwan and the USA. Trackers list security fixes and no new documented feature.

  9. 2026.39.6Just listedfirst listed

    2026.38 features plus FSD v14.2.2.6. Very few cars so far.

Dates are when Not a Tesla App first listed each build, not when your car gets it.

Questions

What is in Tesla update 2026.38.6?

No new documented feature: trackers list security fixes, plus the Halloween Mode, site maps and other 2026.38 items for cars that did not have them yet. It started rolling out on 29 October to cars on 2026.38.3.2, with early installs in the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and other countries. 2026.38.6.1 appeared the same day.

Is 2026.38 available in Germany?

Yes. Trackers show 2026.38.3.2 (first listed 22 October) installed in Germany, the UK, France and the United States. 2026.38.6 appeared on 29 October in several European countries.

Does 2026.38 bring FSD v14 to Europe?

German availability is not established by the cited tracker sample as of 30 October. The FSD v14.3 builds (2026.38.5.x) had been seen only in North America, Ukraine, Australia and New Zealand. A 2026.39.6 build listed on 29 October carries FSD v14.2.2.6 instead; which countries get it is not shown yet.

What is Emergency Drive Away?

A last-resort feature documented in the US Model Y manual for immediate danger at a Tesla Supercharger. Activation requires inspection even without driving away. Read the complete manual; use can cause injury and damage.

Why is Halloween Mode missing on my car?

Most often because the car has the older Intel infotainment computer: those cars only get the Halloween wraps and plates. See our Halloween Mode page for the checks.

Sources

Tesla documentation

Tracker reports and press

Summaries in our own words, not Tesla’s release notes. Features depend on model, hardware, market and software version; the notes in your car take precedence. Release dates are when public trackers first listed a build, and their country data are samples. Handlefree is independent and not affiliated with Tesla, Inc.

Keep reading

Tesla Halloween Mode: what it does, and why it may be missingIntel or AMD? HW3 or HW4? Check your Tesla’s computersUpdate installed, feature missing? Check these five thingsTesla update 2026.33: FSD builds and other reported changes
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