Feds investigating Tesla Full Self-Driving after four crashes, one fatality

• The NHTSA is looking at the safety of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system
• Four crashes have been documented while Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system was engaged, one was fatal
• Tesla CEO Elon Musk doubled down on self-driving cars with the Cybercab

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into the Tesla Full Self-Driving driver-assistance system following four documented crashes, including one fatal 2023 crash, reports Reuters.

The investigation, which is the first step before the NHTSA can demand a recall on safety grounds, covers 2016-2024 Tesla Model S and Model X electric cars with the optional system, as well as 2017-2024 Tesla Model 3, 2020-2024 Tesla Model Y, and 2023-2024 Tesla Cybertruck pickups—essentially every vehicle that could be optioned with Full Self-Driving.

The NHTSA said it opened the investigation after four crashes where the system was engaged during reduced-visibility conditions such as sun glare, fog, or airborne dust. This includes a November 2023 crash in which a pedestrian was killed in Rimrock, Arizona, after being struck by a 2021 Tesla Model Y, according to the agency. Another crash under investigation involved a reported injury.

Tesla Model 3 dashboard in Autopilot testing with IIHS [CREDIT: IIHS]

The investigation will include a review of Full Self-Driving’s ability to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.” The NHTSA has also asked Tesla if any other similar crashes have occurred under reduced roadway visibility and whether the automaker has made any updates that may affect Full Self-Driving in such conditions, according to Reuters.

Despite its name, Tesla’s website acknowledges that Full Self-Driving still requires active driver supervision and does not make cars truly autonomous. There are no self-driving cars currently available for consumers to buy.

2024 Tesla Model Y. – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

In 2023, the NHTSA requested that Tesla issue a recall to restrict the behavior of Full Self-Driving, saying the system posed “an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.” Later that year, Tesla disclosed that the U.S. Justice Department had issued subpoenas related to the Full Self-Driving and Autopilot systems. Tesla continues to offer Full Self-Driving as an $8,000 option, down from a high of $15,000 in 2022.

The investigation comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk doubles down on autonomous driving. Earlier this month, Musk staged a showy reveal of an autonomous $30,000 two-seat Cybercab he said would arrive before 2027, as well as a 20-seat autonomous shuttle concept dubbed Robovan.