Federal regulators are investigating nearly 3 million Teslas following reports of crashes linked to the automaker’s self-driving technology.
The US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Thursday it was focusing on incidents in which Teslas failed to stop at red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road — sometimes slamming into other vehicles and causing injuries.
It’s the latest effort from regulators to scrutinize Elon Musk’s electric car maker, which has faced federal probes for over three years.
This time, the NHTSA says it is focusing on 58 cases that resulted in 14 crashes and 23 injuries.
The probe was described as a preliminary evaluation that could escalate into a recall if the agency finds problems that threaten public safety.
The 2,882,566 vehicles being investigated have Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving,” or FSD, feature, which is intended to complete driving maneuvers while requiring the driver to keep paying attention.
In many of the cases cited by NHTSA, drivers complained that their Teslas didn’t give them adequate warnings about unexpected behavior, according to the agency.
“This review will assess any warnings to the driver about the system’s impending behavior; the time given to drivers to respond; the capability of FSD to detect, display to the driver, and respond appropriately to traffic signals; and the capability of FSD to detect and respond to lane markings and wrong-way signage,” NHTSA stated.
The agency said it would also investigate how “Full Self-Driving” functions when “approaching railroad crossings.”
NHTSA had already been probing “Full Self-Driving” in some 2.4 million Teslas after the feature was blamed for four crashes, including a deadly 2023 incident.
That investigation has focused on how the feature worked during reduced roadway visibility.
The agency has also been probing Tesla’s “smart summon” feature, which lets drivers move their parked cars towards them remotely, since January.
Tesla did not immediately answer a Post request for comment on the new investigation.
The automaker notes on its website that both autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” “are intended for use with a fully attentive driver who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment.”
Last year, Musk implemented a “hard requirement” that all potential Tesla buyers in North America receive a demonstration of “Full Self-Driving” before receiving their vehicles.
With Post wires
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