The short answer
Tesla's record for the VIN names the Autopilot computer: AP04 is hardware 4 and APH4 is hardware 3, the Full Self-Driving computer. Hardware 4 came in during 2023 on Model S, Model X and US-built Model Y, and in North America with the redesigned 2024 Model 3, so the model year alone does not settle it for a car built around then: the record does, and so does the car, under Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Information. The free check on this site reads it from the record for any VIN.
Why it matters
Hardware 4 runs Tesla's full FSD (Supervised) software. In April 2026 Tesla said Hardware 3 cannot run unsupervised FSD, and that customers who bought FSD would be offered a discounted trade-in or a computer and camera upgrade. It has published no prices or dates, nor whether a later owner qualifies. Since July 2026 Tesla has been releasing a reduced version, FSD v14 Lite, to Hardware 3 cars. If the listing prices in Full Self-Driving, find out which computer it runs on first.
The codes on Tesla's record
The record names the newest Autopilot hardware the car has, by code. APH0 is none: the first Model S, built before September 2014. APH1 is hardware 1.0, from September 2014. APH2 is hardware 2.0, from October 2016, the first with the eight-camera suite. APH3 is hardware 2.5, from August 2017. APH4 is hardware 3.0, the Full Self-Driving computer, fitted new from about March 2019 on Model S and X and April 2019 on Model 3. AP04 is hardware 4: from about February 2023 on Model S and X, late May 2023 on Model Y built in Fremont and Austin, the Cybertruck from its launch, and the redesigned 2024 Model 3 in North America. Model Y built in Shanghai and Berlin got it in 2024.
Hardware 1.0 and no hardware at all rule Full Self-Driving out: Tesla never offered an upgrade from either.
When the record and the build year disagree
Tesla updates the record when hardware is changed, so it can name hardware newer than the car. Hardware 3.0 was not fitted new before about March 2019 on Model S and X, or April 2019 on Model 3, so on a car built before then it was fitted later. Tesla says a car on hardware 2.0 or 2.5 with Full Self-Driving bought is eligible for a free upgrade to 3.0; owners who subscribed have paid for it. So a pre-2019 car on hardware 3.0 usually had Full Self-Driving bought or subscribed at some point. Whether it has it now is a separate question, and the Software screen answers it.
The other computer: MCU1, MCU2 or Ryzen
Buyers also ask about the media computer, the one behind the touchscreen. Model S and X built until early 2018 left the factory with the original unit, MCU1: Tesla's memory-chip recall says Model S and Model X built on or after March 2018 do not have its 8GB eMMC. From then until the 2021 redesign they have an Intel Atom unit, and the redesigned Model S and X an AMD Ryzen one. Model 3 and Model Y in North America moved from Intel Atom to AMD Ryzen at about the end of 2021, and on cars built from late 2021 Tesla's record names it: VC00 is Intel Atom, VC01 is AMD Ryzen.
Tesla sells an upgrade from MCU1 to an Intel Atom unit with an LTE modem, and it may not show on the record. The car names its processor under Controls, Software, Additional Vehicle Information. One more check on an early Model S: Tesla says Model S built before June 2015 without an LTE modem lost app features, live maps and over-the-air updates, except on Wi-Fi, when AT&T ended 3G in February 2022, so ask whether its modem or media computer was upgraded.