Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software faces regulatory investigation

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation announced Friday that it was opening an investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software following reports of four crashes, one of them fatal.
The investigation, which is preliminary, will cover an estimated 2.4 million vehicles.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The NHTSA investigation comes after four reported crashes that occurred “after entering an area of reduced roadway visibility conditions” including “sun glare, fog, or airborne dust.” In one of the crashes, a pedestrian was struck and killed by a Tesla vehicle.
The auto safety regulator will look at the ability of the Full Self-Driving software to detect and respond to reduced roadway visibility conditions. The NHTSA will also investigate whether any other crashes beyond the four reported have occurred.
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The Full Self-Driving software is optionally available in Tesla’s 2016-2024 Model S and Model X vehicles, the 2017-2024 Model 3, the 2020-2024 Model Y, and the 2023-2024 Cybertruck.
Last week, Tesla unveiled a prototype of the Cybercab, described as a fully self-driving taxi with no steering wheel, gas, or break pedals. At the event, held on the Warner Brothers lot in Burbank, California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the fully autonomous cars would be “10 times safer than a human.”
In April, the NHTSA announced that it was investigating Tesla’s Dec. 2023 recall of more than 2 million vehicles to update its autopilot feature after numerous reported crashes. That investigation was opened after the agency found more than 20 crashes involving Tesla vehicles with updated autopilot software.
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at [email protected]