In late 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated an investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, prompted by over 60 complaints regarding incidents where vehicles either ignored red traffic signals or entered oncoming traffic lanes. This investigation is part of a broader scrutiny of Tesla’s partially automated driver assistance technologies.
This week, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation informed Tesla that it would have an additional five weeks to provide the requested information. The agency’s inquiry requires a comprehensive dataset from Tesla, including details on every vehicle produced and sold or leased in the United States, specifying whether they were equipped with FSD and the version of the software in use.
Furthermore, Tesla must supply cumulative data on the usage of FSD in the U.S., alongside a detailed list of customer complaints, field reports, incident reports, and lawsuits related to FSD’s failure to adhere to traffic laws. For incidents involving crashes, Tesla is required to summarize each case, outlining causal and contributing factors.
Additional inquiries from NHTSA include information on FSD usage in vehicles that have been involved in crashes, any alerts presented to drivers, and details on Tesla’s efforts to address the identified issues. The automaker must also explain its operational theory regarding traffic lights and stop signs, as well as its assessment of the ongoing problems.
The initial request was issued on December 3, with a compliance deadline set for January 19. Non-compliance could result in penalties of up to $27,874 per day, totaling a potential maximum of $139.4 million. However, Tesla requested an extension, citing the winter holiday period and the need to respond to multiple ongoing NHTSA inquiries. The company reported that it identified 8,313 items related to traffic violations but can only process 300 per day to determine relevance.
Consequently, Tesla has been granted an extension until February 23 to fulfill NHTSA’s information request. In a related development, Tesla is altering its FSD pricing structure. Currently available for a one-time payment of $8,000, CEO Elon Musk announced that starting February 14, the only option will be a $99 monthly subscription fee for FSD access.
This article was produced by NeonPulse.today using human and AI-assisted editorial processes, based on publicly available information. Content may be edited for clarity and style.
