NHTSA probes Tesla robotaxis

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary evaluation on October 7, 2025 into Tesla vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving, saying it was examining whether the system executed maneuvers that could violate traffic laws. In an Office of Defects Investigation resume, the agency said the probe was prompted by consumer complaints, standing general order crash reports and media reports. The investigation covers Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD (Supervised) or FSD (Beta), an estimated population of 2,882,566 vehicles. The NHTSA filing says the agency is assessing “the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences” of FSD behavior that includes proceeding through red traffic signals and driving into the opposing lane of traffic. The document says Tesla characterizes FSD as an SAE Level 2 partial automation system that requires a fully attentive driver to remain engaged in the driving task at all times. ODI said its focus includes whether certain driving inputs “forestall the driver’s supervision” when they are unexpectedly performed. (static.nhtsa.gov) The agency’s incident summary lists 58 total reports tied to the traffic-violation probe, including 14 crashes, 10 injury incidents and 23 reported injuries. The same filing says ODI identified two recurring scenarios: vehicles entering intersections against red signals and FSD-commanded lane changes into opposing traffic. No fatalities are listed in that investigation summary. A separate NHTSA investigation was escalated last month to an Engineering Analysis covering an estimated 3,203,754 Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD. (static.nhtsa.gov) That probe focuses on whether Tesla’s degradation detection system adequately recognizes reduced roadway visibility and warns drivers in time to respond. NHTSA says the affected vehicles include 2016-2026 Model S and Model X, 2017-2026 Model 3, 2020-2026 Model Y and 2023-2026 Cybertruck vehicles equipped with FSD. The Engineering Analysis filing says Tesla’s FSD relies exclusively on vision-based cameras and related software to detect and respond to the roadway ahead. NHTSA said Tesla began developing an update to the degradation detection system on June 28, 2024, after a fatal crash report submitted under the standing general order, and that ODI did not yet have information on when the update was deployed or which vehicles received it. (static.nhtsa.gov) Reuters reported on May 12, 2026 that Tesla’s robotaxi service in Austin, Dallas and Houston was still showing signs of a beta rollout, with long waits, limited vehicle availability and inconvenient drop-off points. In one Dallas test, Reuters said a reporter spent nearly two hours trying to complete a trip that would normally take about 20 minutes, after repeated app messages citing “high service demand” or no nearby rides. Tesla did not respond to Reuters requests for comment for that report. (static.nhtsa.gov) NHTSA had already sought information from Tesla about its robotaxi plans in a May 8, 2025 information request tied to the reduced-visibility FSD investigation. In that letter, the agency said it wanted more information about Tesla’s development of technologies for use in robotaxi vehicles and said it understood Tesla planned to operate a fleet of Model Y vehicles in Austin in June 2025, with possible expansion to other cities later that year. NHTSA later sent follow-up questions after reviewing Tesla’s June 19, 2025 response. (auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com) NHTSA’s next steps are laid out in its own process. The preliminary evaluation into traffic-law violations can advance, close without action or lead to a recall request, while the Engineering Analysis remains open in the agency’s investigations database. Tesla’s responses, if any, would typically appear in NHTSA investigation records and related filings posted by the agency. (nhtsa.gov) (static.nhtsa.gov)