The U.S. Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has expanded its probe into Tesla’s Full Self-Drive (FSD) software, upgrading it from a preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis-the highest level of scrutiny.
The investigation now covers approximately 3.2 million vehicles and includes six additional crashes linked to FSD activation under degraded visibility conditions such as glare, fog, and dust. Initial findings suggest the system failed to detect impaired camera performance or alert drivers before collisions.
Among the 13 incidents reviewed, multiple involved high-speed freeway collisions, first responder vehicles, and a fatal pedestrian strike in Issaquah, Washington, in November 2023. All cases occurred with ADAS engaged.
NHTSA emphasized that the updated FSD system-released after a 2023 fatal accident-still does not reliably warn drivers when visibility degrades significantly.