Elon Musk’s company Tesla appears to be facing new scrutiny. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday that it is opening an investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving (FDS) system over more than 50 reports of traffic-safety violations and a series of crashes.
While Tesla has made significant progress in developing FSD, the technology faces regulatory scrutiny and safety concerns with some accidents linked to its use. As of 2025, Tesla continues refining FSD, aiming for full autonomy in the future, but it remains a driver-assistance tool rather than a complete self-driving solution.
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NHTSA said it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection.”
The NHTSA is examining incidents where Tesla vehicles allegedly ran red lights, made unsafe lane changes, or failed to respond properly to traffic signals, potentially endangering other road users.
The investigation was prompted by a rise in consumer complaints and data collected by NHTSA showing unusual driving behaviors tied to Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance system.
A driver in Houston in 2024 told NHTSA that FSD “is not recognizing traffic signals. This results in the vehicle proceeding through red lights, and stopping at green lights.”
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The complaint added: “Tesla doesn’t want to fix it, or even acknowledge the problem, even though they’ve done a test drive with me and seen the issue with their own eyes.”
The agency aims to determine whether Tesla’s FSD software poses a safety risk and if the company sufficiently warned users about the system’s limitations. Unlike fully autonomous systems, Tesla’s FSD requires drivers to stay alert and ready to intervene at any moment, but some incidents suggest drivers might over-rely on the technology.
NHTSA’s probe involves reviewing vehicle data, crash reports, and Tesla’s internal testing. Depending on findings, it could lead to safety recalls, mandates for software fixes, or stricter regulatory oversight. This investigation highlights ongoing concerns about the readiness and safety of semi-autonomous driving systems as they become more widespread on public roads.