The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Thursday it has launched an investigation into 2.88 million Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system following more than 50 reports of traffic safety violations and multiple crashes.
The driver-assistance feature, which still requires driver attention and intervention, has “induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws,” according to the NHTSA. The agency said it received reports of Tesla vehicles using FSD driving through red lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane changes.
The preliminary evaluation marks the first step before a potential recall if the agency determines the vehicles pose an unreasonable safety risk. In total, NHTSA said it is examining 58 reports involving FSD-related safety issues, including 14 crashes and 23 injuries.
The investigation comes amid heightened scrutiny from Congress and follows the recent confirmation of a new NHTSA administrator on September 18. The agency also said it will assess FSD’s behavior near railroad crossings after lawmakers, including Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal, cited rising reports of near-collisions.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) began the rollout of a software update to FSD two days ago. The NHTSA last launched a probe in October 2024 into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles with FSD following four crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one fatal collision in 2023.