U.S. auto safety regulators have granted Tesla additional time to respond to a federal investigation regarding potential traffic law violations involving its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has extended the deadline for Tesla’s key responses to February 23, providing a five-week extension to allow the company to manually review thousands of internal records related to the probe.
The investigation, initiated in October, is part of a larger federal examination into Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance systems and the company’s marketing and deployment of FSD technology. NHTSA issued a comprehensive information request to Tesla in December, seeking data on consumer complaints, field reports, crashes, lawsuits, and internal assessments concerning alleged traffic violations while FSD was active.
To date, the agency has received 62 consumer complaints and identified additional media reports and crash data relevant to the investigation. Tesla informed regulators in a January 12 filing that 8,313 records still required review, with the company’s team processing approximately 300 records per day. Tesla cited the need for additional time to ensure accuracy and completeness, particularly given the simultaneous NHTSA probes into other issues such as delayed crash reporting and door handle failures affecting the Model 3 and Model Y.
The specific focus of the FSD probe revolves around reports indicating that vehicles operating with the FSD software engaged may have breached traffic laws, including improper lane usage and failure to obey traffic controls. While the investigation does not imply misconduct, it could result in further regulatory action if safety-related defects are uncovered.
The extension granted to Tesla highlights the increasing regulatory scrutiny on its driver-assistance technology as FSD continues to be implemented by more users. This ongoing investigation underscores the importance of ensuring the safety and compliance of autonomous driving systems as they become more prevalent on the roads.