NEW YORK — U.S. authorities have initiated an investigation into approximately 2.6 million Teslas following reports of accidents linked to Tesla’s technology, which enables drivers to remotely maneuver their vehicles to their location or another spot via a mobile application.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) disclosed on Tuesday that Tesla has not reported any of these incidents. The company is obligated to inform the NHTSA about any accidents occurring on “publicly accessible roads” that involve vehicles utilizing its autonomous driving technology.
This latest inquiry comes in the wake of another investigation that was started in October, focused on the “Full Self-Driving” system after incidents were reported in poor visibility conditions, including one event that resulted in a pedestrian’s death. This prior investigation encompasses 2.4 million Teslas manufactured between 2016 and 2024.
Tesla did not provide a response to inquiries for comment on Tuesday. One driver has lodged a complaint after an accident while employing Tesla’s “Actually Smart Summon” technology, and the NHTSA is examining three additional similar events based on news reports. The agency is currently reviewing a total of 12 incidents reported by users of this technology.
According to the NHTSA, the involved vehicles failed to identify stationary objects and other parked cars. Regulators indicated that these vehicles collided with objects due to the drivers having insufficient reaction times to avert a crash, whether from the available visibility or by releasing the app button that halts the vehicle’s movement.
In late afternoon trading on Tuesday, shares of Tesla Inc., headquartered in Austin, Texas, fell by more than 4%. Elon Musk has expressed concerns regarding U.S. regulations, arguing that they are excessively burdensome and hinder progress in the development of self-driving cars. Experts in ethics are apprehensive that with Donald Trump as President-elect, Musk may advocate for reduced oversight for Tesla, which recently experienced its first annual sales decline in over a decade.
Musk contributed an estimated $250 million to Trump’s presidential campaign and is a regular visitor at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, assisting in the vetting of cabinet nominees and meeting with international leaders. Trump has appointed Musk to lead an advisory panel, the Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with suggesting where to cut costs, personnel, and reduce regulations in federal agencies.
On Tuesday, the NHTSA announced its plans to assess the maximum speeds that Teslas can attain with the use of the “summons” functionality, alongside evaluating controls on public roads and line of sight requirements. Additionally, the agency will investigate potential “connectivity delays” with the app that might increase stopping distances for the vehicles.
Tesla’s Model 3 owner’s manual states that the “summons” feature is intended exclusively for use in parking areas and driveways on private property, and it is deactivated on public roads.
The current investigation pertains to Model S and X vehicles from 2016 to 2025, Model 3 from 2017 to 2025, and Model Y from 2020 to 2025 that are equipped with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving driver assistance system.
