Tesla is once again at the center of a major safety investigation by U.S. federal regulators, raising fresh concerns about the reliability of its much-touted full self-driving (FSD) technology. But here’s where it gets controversial: despite the company's bold promises, there are numerous reports of Tesla vehicles running red lights or driving on the wrong side of the road—sometimes leading to crashes and injuries—while operating under this system.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has officially announced a probe involving 58 documented incidents where Tesla’s vehicles violated traffic laws during full self-driving mode. In many of these cases, drivers said their cars didn’t warn them about the unexpected and dangerous actions, highlighting a concerning lack of communication from the system.
This investigation covers almost 2.9 million Teslas equipped with the FSD feature. It’s important to note that Tesla currently offers two versions: a Level 2 driver-assistance system called “Full Self-Driving (Supervised),” which requires drivers to remain fully attentive, and an experimental version that does not need driver intervention—something Elon Musk has long promised but has yet to fully deliver.
The controversy deepens given Tesla’s recent legal troubles. In August, a jury in Miami determined that Tesla bore partial responsibility for a fatal 2019 crash involving its Autopilot technology—a system distinct from full self-driving—and the company was ordered to pay more than $240 million in damages. Tesla has announced plans to appeal this ruling.
This latest investigation adds to a growing list of NHTSA probes into Tesla’s driver-assistance features, which have been linked to multiple accidents and fatalities. While Tesla insists that its systems require human oversight and are not fully autonomous, these incidents raise challenging questions about safety and accountability.
In addition to the FSD investigation, NHTSA is also examining Tesla’s “summon” feature, which lets cars drive autonomously to pick up their owners—yet this feature has reportedly caused minor collisions in parking lots. Another probe launched last year involved 2.4 million Teslas using driver-assistance features that struggled in poor visibility conditions, including a tragic incident where a pedestrian was killed.
Further scrutiny came in August when NHTSA began investigating Tesla’s alleged failure to report crashes promptly to regulators, as mandated by federal rules. This pattern of delayed reporting could potentially conceal the true scale of the problems.
Investigations like these often result in vehicle recalls, stirring debate over whether Tesla’s innovative technology is advancing too quickly without proper safeguards. Musk faces mounting pressure to prove that his company’s latest driver-assistance updates have not only addressed past flaws but are so reliable that drivers can essentially trust the system without constant vigilance. He has claimed that hundreds of thousands of Teslas with full self-driving capabilities, including robotaxis, will hit the roads by the end of next year.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s stock took a hit, dropping 2% on Thursday amid the growing scrutiny.
What do you think? Should regulators clamp down harder on Tesla’s ambitious self-driving plans, or is innovation worth the risk? How much responsibility should Tesla bear when its technology malfunctions? Join the conversation and share your thoughts below.
