Tesla is once again in the regulatory spotlight, and this time the investigation carries some serious weight. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a new probe into the Full Self-Driving Supervised (FSD) system, linking it to 58 crashes, some resulting in fires and injuries.
The automaker, long hailed as a pioneer in self-driving technology, now faces mounting legal and regulatory pressure. After years of controversy surrounding Autopilot and Full Self-Driving, Tesla recently lost its first wrongful-death lawsuit, marking the first time the company has been found partially liable for a fatal crash. Soon after, Tesla settled two additional wrongful-death cases, while the California DMV accused it of misleading customers about the true capabilities of its driver-assistance systems.
Now, the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened a preliminary evaluation to determine the scope and safety risks of two specific FSD behaviors: Tesla vehicles driving through intersections despite red lights; cars changing lanes into oncoming traffic.
So, the world’s “smartest car” seems to have a few issues following the basic rules of the road. According to federal reports, these incidents have led to 14 fires and 23 injuries so far. Several of the cases occurred in Joppa, Maryland, where multiple crashes happened at the same intersection. Tesla reportedly rolled out a software update to address the issue, but it remains unclear whether the company informed the NHTSA beforehand.
The agency is also investigating situations where FSD allegedly steered vehicles into opposing lanes without warning, leaving drivers with little to no time to react, a troubling scenario for a feature marketed as “Full Self-Driving”.
The NHTSA says it will also explore other hazardous situations, such as vehicle behavior near railroad crossings, an area of growing concern among lawmakers and safety advocates. In total, the investigation covers roughly 2.9 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD “Supervised” or “Beta”.
