One Manager Overseeing 38 Vehicles: Safety Oversight Collapse
Javier Medrano, a former Tesla self-driving test fleet manager, recently filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit in Houston federal court, exposing severe safety management failures in the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) test fleet in Houston. Medrano alleged that Tesla increased the number of vehicles and operators under his supervision from 15 to 38 in mid-2024, far exceeding Tesla’s internal 15:1 safety oversight ratio. As a result, he was solely responsible for 38 test vehicles operating around the clock in three shifts, leading to a complete breakdown in safety oversight.
In the lawsuit, Medrano stated that he initially oversaw 15 test vehicles and operators. However, Tesla expanded his management scope to 38 vehicles without adding staff, creating a 38:1 operator-to-manager ratio. By comparison, Tesla’s mandated safety baseline is 15:1, and other cities’ test fleets typically have multiple safety supervisors. Houston, however, relied solely on Medrano. He described the workload as “impossible for one person to handle,” preventing him from effectively auditing in-vehicle camera footage, conducting ride-along tests, or investigating incidents.
The lawsuit documents revealed that test drivers worked an average of 60 to 80 hours per week and remained on call during weekends. Medrano recounted that by March 2025, he was on the verge of physical and mental collapse due to chronic sleep deprivation and overwork. He even sent an urgent request for time off, which went unanswered. He further alleged that when he raised staffing shortages with leadership in February 2025, the company issued a performance ultimatum instead of hiring additional help. An HR representative even suggested he set his phone to “Do Not Disturb” rather than addressing the understaffing issue.
Sleep Deprivation Leads to Incident: Medrano Claims “No Memory” of Issuing Unsafe Instructions
At 2:05 a.m. on March 30, 2025, a Tesla self-driving test vehicle struck a pedestrian in Houston. Medrano claimed that when he received the accident notification, he was severely sleep-deprived and “half-asleep” while handling the call, issuing unsafe instructions he later had “no memory” of. The test operator remained at the scene for about an hour before leaving. Medrano argued that the incident highlighted Tesla’s severe safety oversight failures, yet the company blamed him for “failing to delegate effectively.”
Tesla fired Medrano on May 1, 2025. The Autopilot director cited his inability to manage the team as the reason for termination. Tesla also revoked a stock award that was set to vest just days after his dismissal. Notably, after Medrano’s termination, Tesla promoted one of his subordinates to manager and brought in two additional team leads from Dallas to support the Houston fleet, addressing the staffing shortages he had long requested. This move was widely interpreted as an acknowledgment of the understaffing issue.
Medrano now works for a rival electric vehicle company and is seeking reinstatement, back pay, and compensation in the lawsuit. The case emerges as Tesla rolls out its driverless Robotaxi service in Houston and Dallas, underscoring potential risks in the company’s self-driving test management. If Medrano’s allegations are true, Tesla’s Robotaxi testing program in Houston was effectively overseen by a single exhausted manager responsible for 38 vehicles operating 24/7, far exceeding the company’s own safety standards.
Tesla officially launched its Robotaxi service in April 2025, with Medrano overseeing the preceding test phase. The lawsuit documents show that Tesla expanded the test fleet without increasing supervisory staff, instead concentrating safety responsibilities on one individual, ultimately leading to the incident. The case not only exposes gaps in Tesla’s self-driving test management but also raises questions about its “move fast” development approach. Tesla has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
