3 Million Teslas Under Investigation For Dangerous Driving Using FSD

NHTSA has received more than 50 complaints alleging that FSD—Tesla’s most advanced driver-assistance feature—“induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws.” The agency is currently examining 58 separate cases, including 14 crashes and 23 injuries.

Among the reports are multiple incidents of Teslas driving through red lights, making illegal lane changes, or colliding at intersections. Six of the reported crashes involved vehicles running red lights; four of which resulted in injuries.

Tesla vehicles are entering opposing lanes of travel during or following a turn, crossing double-yellow lane markings while driving straight, or attempting to turn onto a road in the wrong direction despite the presence of wrong-way road signs. NHTSA has also received complaints of FSD proceeding straight through an intersection in a turn-only lane or executing a turn at an intersection in a through lane despite clear lane markings or signals.

Tesla promotes Full Self-Driving as an advanced driver-assistance system capable of handling everything from lane changes to parking, though it still requires human supervision. The system has always struggled when conditions are less than ideal, and most people are really bad at paying attention once you let them off the hook.

Unlike competitors that rely on lidar, radar, and camera fusion, Tesla's FSD uses cameras alone. The decision leaves the system vulnerable to blind spots and environmental factors. Regulators also don’t consider FSD to be a true self-driving system, as it still requires a human driver to remain alert and intervene when needed.

Other complaints alleged that FSD did not provide warnings of the system's behavior. One driver from Houston told regulators that the system "is not recognizing traffic signals. This results in the vehicle proceeding through red lights and stopping at green lights."

NHTSA calls the inquiry a “preliminary evaluation,” the first step in a process that could result in a recall if the agency determines the system poses an unreasonable safety risk. Tesla has not commented publicly on the investigation, but did recently issue a new software update for FSD.

The investigation adds to a growing list of safety reviews involving Tesla’s semi-automated driving features.

In late 2024, regulators opened a separate probe into 2.4 million Teslas after crashes in poor visibility conditions, including a fatal accident. Earlier this year, NHTSA began investigating Tesla’s remote vehicle-movement function and its experimental robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas.

Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.