Tesla Self-Driving Technology Is Probed

 

 

“Federal regulators have opened another investigation into Tesla's automated driving technology, saying the system known as Full-Self Driving (Supervised) "induced" some cars to run red lights or to turn into oncoming traffic.

 

The probe, the latest of several to examine Tesla's technology, covers nearly 2.9 million vehicles equipped with the FSD system. Several incidents have resulted in crashes, including some that caused injuries, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a filing published Wednesday.

 

Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment.

 

Tesla and Chief Executive Elon Musk have staked out a vision to transform the electric-vehicle maker into an artificial-intelligence and robotics company, where all new Tesla models are autonomous. The newest investigation by NHTSA highlights a challenge for the regulator: It can't keep tabs on new technology until it is already deployed on public roads.

 

In the past year, NHTSA has announced one investigation into how FSD responds to reduced-visibility conditions and another into a feature that lets Teslas be operated remotely -- while saying it is watching the company's introduction of a robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. Yet another investigation into the adequacy of Tesla's fix for a defect in a less-capable system known as Autopilot also remains ongoing.

 

NHTSA's report cited incidents in which a car with FSD "approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection."

 

Auto safety experts say that NHTSA has limited ability to keep Tesla's tech in check before things can go wrong. NHTSA can privately discuss potential defects with automakers to prompt recalls. It can also lean on the bully pulpit, issuing public statements, or launch a defect investigation, which can take months to complete and possibly lead to a recall.

 

The process works this way because under U.S. law, NHTSA doesn't preapprove new car technologies, like automated driving features. Rather, companies self-certify that each vehicle and its technology meets the agency's car safety standards.

 

NHTSA declined to elaborate on an ongoing defect investigation. But the agency says that once vehicles are on the road, it can investigate incidents for potential safety defects. "Following an assessment of those reports and other relevant information, NHTSA will take any necessary actions to protect road safety," the agency said.

 

If a defect exists, automakers are required to conduct a recall -- and almost all happen voluntarily. That is a result of court cases decided in the 1970s and 1980s that granted NHTSA extensive authority to regulate safety defects on the road, said Matthew Wansley, associate professor at Yeshiva University's Cardozo School of Law.

 

But in some cases, NHTSA decides to open an investigation if it suspects a defect exists and an automaker disagrees. These investigations can take years to complete.

 

The agency would typically hold a public meeting before deciding to order a recall or ask the Justice Department to sue a company to comply with a recall order. But the agency rarely flexes that power. Since 2000, NHTSA has issued only 14 recall request letters, an administrative precursor to a recall order. Those letters represent a tiny fraction of the thousands of recalls issued in that time.

 

Still, the agency has acted swiftly on defects before.

 

In the 1980s, NHTSA investigated problems associated with front-wheel drive cars made by General Motors and complaints about rear brakes locking up. The government took GM to court over the matter before NHTSA's administrative proceedings were complete.

 

NHTSA ultimately lost that case, but Wansley says the agency can act expeditiously on safety defects, like the Tesla cases, if it needs to. "NHTSA's hand here is pretty strong if it chooses to use it," he said.” [1]

 

1. Tesla Self-Driving Technology Is Probed. Felton, Ryan.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 10 Oct 2025: B1.