U.S. opens probe into nearly 2.9 million Tesla vehicles over FSD traffic violations

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said connected Thursday that it is opening an probe into 2.88 cardinal Tesla vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving strategy implicit much than 50 reports of traffic-safety violations and a bid of crashes.

The car information bureau said FSD - an assistance strategy that requires drivers to wage attraction and intervene if needed - has "induced conveyance behaviour that violated postulation information laws."

The bureau said it has reports of Tesla vehicles utilizing FSD driving done reddish postulation lights and driving against the due absorption of question during a lane change.

Recall could travel if NHTSA finds information risks

In total, NHTSA is reviewing 58 reports of issues involving postulation information violations erstwhile utilizing FSD, including 14 crashes and 23 injuries.

The caller probe comes amid increasing scrutiny of Tesla's precocious operator assistance strategy from Congress and weeks aft a caller NHTSA head was confirmed.

Tesla, which did not instantly respond to a petition for comment, issued a bundle update to FSD this week.

NHTSA said it has six reports successful which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, "approached an intersection with a reddish postulation signal, continued to question into the intersection against the reddish airy and was subsequently progressive successful a clang with different centrifugal vehicles successful the intersection."

NHTSA said 4 crashes resulted successful 1 oregon much injuries.

The probe - a preliminary valuation - is the archetypal measurement earlier the bureau could question a callback of the vehicles if it believes they airs an unreasonable hazard to safety.

A operator successful Houston successful 2024 told NHTSA that FSD "is not recognizing postulation signals. This results successful the conveyance proceeding done reddish lights, and stopping astatine greenish lights."

The ailment added: "Tesla doesn't privation to hole it, oregon adjacent admit the problem, adjacent though they've done a trial thrust with maine and seen the contented with their ain eyes."

NHTSA besides said it volition reappraisal FSD behaviour erstwhile approaching railroad crossings. Last month, Democrat Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal cited a increasing fig of reported near-collisions successful urging the bureau to investigate.

Tesla's FSD, which is much precocious than its Autopilot system, has been nether probe by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the bureau began an enquiry into 2.4 cardinal Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD aft 4 reported collisions successful conditions of reduced roadway visibility, specified arsenic prima glare, fog oregon airborne dust, including a 2023 fatal crash.

Tesla says FSD "will thrust you astir anyplace with your progressive supervision, requiring minimal intervention" but does not marque the car self-driving.

Tesla's different automated conveyance features person besides drawn bureau scrutiny.

In January, NHTSA opened an probe into 2.6 cardinal Tesla vehicles implicit reports of crashes involving a diagnostic that lets users determination their cars remotely.

NHTSA is besides reviewing Tesla's deployment of self-driving robotaxis successful Austin, Texas, launched successful June.