Tesla—Fired Tesla Autopilot manager alleged in lawsuit that overworked, sleep-deprived Houston self-driving test team created 'rolling hazards' on public roads
Former Tesla Autopilot/FSD test operations manager Medrano filed a lawsuit alleging Tesla's Houston test fleet was operated by a chronically overworked and sleep-deprived team, including one instance where a supervisor processed a real-time crash call while asleep due to exhaustion he had formally escalated days earlier. The complaint alleges Medrano raised the safety oversight breakdown to Autopilot Director Pete Scheutzow in February 2025 and was met with a performance-rating ultimatum, had a subordinate promoted into his role in April 2025, and was fired May 1, 2025, with a pending stock award cancelled days before vesting. NHTSA data shows Tesla's Texas robotaxi fleet logged 22 collisions over the prior year, a rate the lawsuit's supporters note is several times Tesla's own human-driver benchmark. Tesla has not responded publicly to the allegations, which remain unproven in an active, self-represented lawsuit.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Protection | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Whistleblower Protection | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.347 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.62)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (2 signals)
Automotive World and Electrek corroborate Houston test fleet safety allegations with NHTSA collision data
Automotive World's coverage notes NHTSA data showing Tesla's Texas robotaxi fleet logged 22 collisions over the prior year -- more than four times Tesla's own benchmark rate for human drivers -- while cautioning the lawsuit's specific allegations remain a contested, unproven one-sided account since Tesla has not responded.
The Independent reports fired Tesla manager's lawsuit alleging self-driving team was overworked and 'rolling hazards'
The Independent's report details the whistleblower complaint by former Autopilot/FSD operations manager Medrano, including the sleep-deprivation incident, his escalation to Director Pete Scheutzow, and his termination on May 1, 2025 with a stock award cancelled days before vesting.