The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving tech after receiving reports that the software caused vehicles to run red lights or cross into wrong lanes.
The probe, which identified more than 50 reports of these kinds of violations (four of which led to injuries), is one of the first specifically targeted at Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) driver assistance software. The NHTSA previously opened an investigation into FSD in October 2024 after receiving reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions.
The federal safety agency in April 2024 closed an investigation into Tesla’s less-capable Autopilot system after identifying 13 fatal crashes related to the misuse of that software. A separate investigation into the efficacy of the fix Tesla issued to Autopilot remains open.
The new investigation was opened the same week that Tesla released the latest version of the software, which CEO Elon Musk has spent months hyping up. This new version is supposed to incorporate training data that Tesla acquired during its limited robotaxi pilot, currently underway in Austin, Texas.
The safety agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said on Thursday that it has received at least 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla’s FSD software failed to stop the car or stay stopped at red lights. In addition, ODI said it identified six reports from Tesla under the agency’s Standing General Order for Crash Reporting (SGO), which requires companies to submit information about crashes involving autonomous or partially autonomous cars.
ODI said it has already worked with Maryland’s Transportation Authority and its State Police to determine if some of the red light problems are repeatable, since “multiple subject incidents occurred at the same intersection in Joppa, Maryland.” Tesla has already “taken action to address the issue at this intersection,” according to the NHTSA.
ODI also said on Thursday it had identified 18 complaints, two media reports, and two SGO reports from Tesla about instances in which FSD “entered opposing lanes of travel during or following a turn, crossed double-yellow lane markings while proceeding straight, or attempted to turn onto a road in the wrong direction despite the presence of wrong-way road signs.”
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ODI said it has identified six complaints, one media report, and four SGO reports where a Tesla with FSD engaged drove straight through an intersection from a turn lane, or turned from a through lane.
“Some of the reported incidents appeared to involve FSD executing a lane change into an opposing lane of travel with little notice to a driver or opportunity to intervene,” ODI wrote.
ODI opened what’s known as a “Preliminary Evaluation,” one of the first steps it can take on the way to requiring a recall. The agency said it typically tries to complete these investigations within eight months, although it’s unclear if the federal government shutdown would affect the timeline.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year reportedly made dramatic cuts to NHTSA’s vehicle automation safety staff.
