The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a new investigation into Tesla, this time focusing on potential inaccuracies in how the company reports crashes involving its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems.
The road safety regulator is probing inconsistencies in Tesla’s crash reporting. Federal rules mandate that automakers must report any crashes involving autonomous or driver assistance systems within five days of being notified of the incident. The agency alleges that Tesla has, on multiple occasions, waited months to submit these required reports. This is particularly notable given that Tesla vehicles are equipped with technology designed to automatically record and transmit collision data within minutes of an accident occurring.
Tesla has responded to the allegations by acknowledging a problem, but attributing the delayed reporting to an error within its internal systems. The company states that this technical glitch has since been fixed. Despite this explanation, the NHTSA is proceeding with its investigation. The agency stated it will assess whether any prior incident reports remain unreported and if the reports that were submitted contain all of the required and available data.
The NHTSA’s skepticism appears warranted given the broader context. This is not the only active probe into the electric vehicle maker. The agency currently has other open investigations, including one into Tesla’s remote parking feature which is alleged to have caused a number of crashes. Another investigation is examining the effectiveness of a major software update that was rolled out following a massive recall of over two million vehicles intended to fix Autopilot safety controls.
This scrutiny follows a recent wrongful death case related to an Autopilot crash. During testimony, it was revealed that Tesla had lied and misled both police and plaintiffs in an effort to conceal pertinent data and avoid blame. The company’s track record with its driver assistance systems is also under a microscope due to its crash statistics.
Data shows that Tesla leads all other automobile manufacturers by an enormous margin in the number of crashes involving driver assistance systems that are reported to the NHTSA. From 2021 through 2024, Tesla vehicles were involved in the vast majority of all such reported incidents. The figures are stark, with Tesla accounting for over 2,300 reported crashes during that period. In a distant second place, General Motors reported just 55 crashes involving its driver assistance systems. This significant disparity continues to draw regulatory attention to Tesla’s technology and its implementation on public roads.
