NHTSA to investigate Tesla Autopilot recall

Tesla Autopilot investigation overview: 

• Who: The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot recall. 
• Why: The Tesla recall did not properly resolve Autopilot issues, the NHTSA said.
• Where: NHTSA is based in Washington, D.C.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening an investigation into the Tesla Autopilot recall after the NHTSA found the recall was not sufficient in fixing issues with the system.

The Tesla recall involved 2 million vehicles including model year 2017-2023 Tesla Model 3, 2012-2023 Tesla Model S, 2016-2023 Tesla Model X and 2020-2023 Tesla Model Y vehicles.

The NHTSA autopilot safety probe, launched in August 2021, identified at least 13 Tesla crashes involving at least one death and many more involving serious injuries where “foreseeable driver misuse of the system played an apparent role,” according to the Tesla investigation.

There were 54 serious injuries in Autopilot crashes involving potential driver misuse, Reuters reported.

The NHTSA found that, in 467 crashes analyzed up until Aug. 30, 2023, there were 211 crashes that could have been stopped by an attentive driver, 111 cases where Autosteer was “inadvertently disengaged by driver’s inputs” and 145 where the vehicle left the road during low-traction situations such as wet roads.

“Crash and human factors assessment showed that Autopilot controls did not sufficiently ensure driver attention and appropriate use,” the NHTSA Tesla Autopilot investigation report says. “At the same time, peer analysis and vehicle evaluations established that Autopilot invited greater driver confidence via its higher control authority and ease of engagement.”

Tesla investigation: Autopilot system allowed for ‘weak driver engagement,’ increased crashes

The initial Tesla Autopilot investigation said that the “weak driver engagement system was not appropriate for Autopilot’s permissive operating capabilities.”

The investigation, like Tesla’s Defect Information Report, said that the Tesla system warnings and controls were not sufficient for a driver assistance system that “requires constant supervision by a human driver.”

The deeper Tesla investigation from NHTSA will include increased crash analysis to supplement the initial report and include vehicle evaluations of the autopilot system and how it “may exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the driver’s supervision.”

NHTSA said that it has collected additional data to create the new Tesla Autopilot investigation report.

Do you own a vehicle that was included in the Tesla Autopilot recall? Let us know in the comments.

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