The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into Tesla’s Actually Smart Summon feature after receiving reports of four crashes involving Tesla electric vehicles with the feature activated. The feature allows Tesla owners to remotely summon their cars using a smartphone app.
According to reports received by the NHTSA, the crashes occurred when the vehicles with Actually Smart Summon activated failed to detect obstacles such as posts or parked cars. Some reports indicated that the users did not have enough time to react and prevent the crashes, either due to limited visibility or delayed response in releasing the app button to stop the vehicle’s movement.
One complaint detailed a Model 3 hitting a parked car with a passenger inside, while another complaint described a Model Y abruptly turning left and colliding with a parked vehicle. These incidents have prompted the NHTSA to open a preliminary evaluation of the feature.
The probe covers Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles from 2016 to 2025, Model 3 EVs from 2017 to 2025, and Model Y crossovers from 2020 to 2025 equipped with the optional Full Self-Driving (Supervised) advanced driver assistance system.
Actually Smart Summon allows users to remotely fetch their vehicles from a distance, such as in a large parking lot, without anyone inside the car. The feature provides a live view of the car’s surroundings on the user’s smartphone and only moves when the user presses a button on the app.
A previous version of the system, called Smart Summon, was released a few years ago but was discontinued due to issues with its readiness for public use. The NHTSA’s investigation will focus on the maximum speed of Actually Smart Summon, its use on public roads, line of sight requirements, control via the smartphone app, potential connectivity delays, and performance in unexpected conditions.
After completing the preliminary probe, the NHTSA will determine whether to upgrade it to an engineering analysis, which could lead to a recall of vehicles equipped with the feature. Tesla has not yet commented on the NHTSA’s investigation into Actually Smart Summon.