Is Tesla Summon Free? What Most People Get Wrong

So, you’re standing in a rain-soaked parking lot, staring at your Model 3 across a sea of puddles, and you’re thinking: Man, it would be awesome if this car just drove itself to me. You open the app, look for that "Summon" button, and then it hits you. Is this actually a free perk of owning a Tesla, or are you about to get hit with another monthly bill?

Honestly, the answer isn't as simple as a yes or no, but if you’re looking for the short version—no, it's definitely not free for most people.

Tesla's software lineup has changed more times than a tech startup's pitch deck. It's confusing. One year a feature is included in a package, the next year that package doesn't exist, and the year after that, it's a "supervised" subscription. If you bought your car thinking every cool trick in the manual was part of the sticker price, you're not alone in your frustration.

Is Tesla Summon Free in 2026?

Let's get the big one out of the way. Tesla Summon is not free. It never really has been, unless you count those brief promotional windows or the lucky folks who snagged a referral bonus.

To get your car to pull out of a tight garage (Basic Summon) or navigate a parking lot to find you (Actually Smart Summon, or "ASS" as Tesla cheekily calls it), you have to pay. As of early 2026, the landscape has shifted significantly. Elon Musk recently announced that the one-time $8,000 purchase for Full Self-Driving (FSD) is being phased out in favor of a subscription-only model starting February 14th.

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Currently, here is how the math breaks down:

• FSD Subscription: $99 per month.
• Enhanced Autopilot (Legacy): If you already have this old package, you have Summon, but Tesla doesn't sell this as a standalone anymore.
• Basic Autopilot: This comes free on every new Tesla. It includes traffic-aware cruise control and lane steering. It does NOT include Summon.

Basically, if you didn't pay extra for the software "brain" of the car, your Tesla is staying right where you parked it.

The Confusion Over "Basic" Autopilot

A lot of new owners get tripped up here. Every Tesla leaves the factory with "Autopilot." It sounds fancy, right? And it is—it handles the highway like a pro. But "Basic Autopilot" is essentially just high-end cruise control.

Summon—both the "dumb" version that just goes straight and the "Actually Smart" version that steers around shopping carts—is gated behind the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) tier.

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The Cost of Convenience: $99 a Month?

So, is it worth a hundred bucks a month just to avoid walking twenty feet in the rain? Probably not. But Summon isn't sold by itself. You’re paying for the whole FSD suite. This includes:

1. Auto Lane Change: The car switches lanes on its own when you click the blinker.
2. Autosteer on City Streets: It takes corners, handles stop signs, and navigates traffic lights.
3. Autopark: The car identifies a spot and wiggles itself in while you watch.
4. Actually Smart Summon (ASS): The car unparks itself and drives to your GPS location.

If you’re a power user who commutes an hour each way, $99 might feel like a steal. If you just want to show off the Summon feature to your friends at a barbecue once, it’s a pretty expensive party trick.

Hardware Matters: Why Some Cars Can't Summon At All

Here is a kicker: even if you want to pay, your car might not be able to do it.

For a long time, Tesla removed ultrasonic sensors (those little circles on the bumpers) and moved to "Tesla Vision," which relies entirely on cameras. For a while, Summon just... disappeared for those cars. It took a long time for the software to catch up to the hardware change.

If you have an older Tesla with Hardware 3 (HW3), you might find that the newest versions of Smart Summon feel a bit sluggish compared to the newer Hardware 4 (AI4) vehicles. In 2026, the gap is getting wider. Some experts, and even frustrated owners on Reddit, have noted that HW3 is struggling to keep up with the processing requirements of the latest "v13" software updates.

"I bought it for $7k in 2020 and it was nowhere ready... The biggest benefit to me in 2025 were visualizations looking cooler." — Reddit user seriousspoons

How to Actually Get Summon for "Free"

Okay, so I said it's not free. But there are a few loopholes. Sorta.

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• Referral Credits: Tesla often brings back referral programs. If you convince a friend to buy a Model Y using your link, you can sometimes earn three months of FSD for free. This is the only legitimate way to get Summon without opening your wallet.
• Used Car "Lottery": If you're buying a used Tesla from a third-party dealer or a private seller, check the "Software" tab on the touchscreen. If the previous owner bought FSD outright (before the subscription-only switch), it usually stays with the car. You’re paying for it in the car's resale value, but you won't have a monthly bill.
• The 30-Day Trial: Tesla occasionally pushes out a one-month free trial of FSD to the entire fleet to boost subscription numbers. If you just bought your car, keep an eye on your notifications.

Is It Actually Safe?

This is where things get "kinda" dicey. Summon is technically in "Beta" (or Supervised status). You are legally responsible for whatever the car does.

If your Tesla summons itself right into the side of a parked Lexus because it didn't see a thin trailer hitch, that’s on you. The app requires you to hold down a button the entire time the car is moving. If you let go, the car stops. This is Tesla's way of making sure you’re actually watching and not just scrolling TikTok while your car wanders the parking lot.

Common Summon Failures

• Poor GPS: If your phone's GPS is jumping around, the car will get confused and stop.
• Slopes: Summon hates steep inclines. Anything over a 10% grade and the car will likely give up.
• Private Property Only: Legally, you aren't supposed to use Summon on public roads. It's meant for driveways and parking lots.

Actionable Steps for Tesla Owners

If you're hovering over the "Subscribe" button in your Tesla app, do this first:

1. Check Your Hardware: Go to Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Information. If you don't have at least Full Self-Driving Computer (HW3), your Summon experience will be subpar or non-existent.
2. Look for the February 14th Deadline: If you're reading this before mid-February 2026 and you really want to own the feature forever, you might want to buy the $8,000 package before it disappears and becomes a permanent monthly bill.
3. Test the Trial: Wait for a holiday. Tesla almost always gives out free trials around end-of-quarter or major holidays like Christmas or the 4th of July. Use that time to see if your garage or workplace parking lot is actually compatible with the software.
4. Evaluate Your Ownership Length: If you plan on keeping your Tesla for less than seven years, the $99/month subscription is actually cheaper than buying the $8,000 package outright (when it was available). Don't let the "ownership" lure trick you into overpaying for software that doesn't transfer to your next car.

Summon is a glimpse into the future, but right now, it’s a premium feature with a premium price tag. It's not a "free" perk, and honestly, until it can handle a crowded Costco parking lot on a Saturday morning without a panic attack, it's a luxury, not a necessity.