Quick Takeaways
- Tesla Full Self-Driving investigation faces extended regulatory review by US safety authorities.
- The NHTSA extension gives Tesla additional time to compile extensive FSD-related data.
On January 15, 2026, US auto safety regulators granted Tesla a five-week extension to respond to an ongoing Tesla Full Self-Driving investigation examining whether its vehicles breached traffic laws while the Full Self-Driving system was active.
On January 15, 2026, US auto safety regulators granted Tesla a five-week extension to respond to an ongoing Tesla Full Self-Driving investigation examining whether its vehicles breached traffic laws while the Full Self-Driving system was active.
The review follows a new probe opened on December 3, 2025, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, focused on Tesla’s partially automated driver assistance technology. Regulators requested cumulative data covering how many US vehicles are equipped with FSD, how frequently the feature is used, and whether it has been linked to traffic law violations.
The review follows a new probe opened on December 3, 2025, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, focused on Tesla’s partially automated driver assistance technology.
As part of the investigation, Tesla has been asked to submit a comprehensive set of records, including:
For every crash under review, regulators require a detailed summary outlining both causal and contributing factors. Additional questions address whether FSD was engaged at the time of a crash, what alerts were shown to drivers, and what corrective work Tesla has undertaken through simulations, testing, or system updates.
For every crash under review, regulators require a detailed summary outlining both causal and contributing factors.
The NHTSA has also requested clarity on any hardware or software modifications to FSD, along with a technical explanation of how the system interprets and responds to traffic lights and stop signs. Tesla must further provide its own assessment of the identified risks and system behavior.
Beyond this case, Tesla is already responding to three separate NHTSA probes with deadlines scheduled for January 16, January 23, and February 4. For the latest Tesla Full Self-Driving investigation, the company requested additional time, citing the discovery of 8,313 potentially relevant records related to traffic violations.
Beyond this case, Tesla is already responding to three separate NHTSA probes with deadlines scheduled for January 16, January 23, and February 4.
Tesla informed regulators that it can review and process approximately 300 records per day to determine relevance. Based on this volume, the agency approved an extension, moving the submission deadline to February 23, allowing regulators to continue assessing whether FSD complies with US traffic safety requirements while maintaining driver accountability.
On January 15, 2026, US auto safety regulators granted Tesla a five-week extension to respond to an ongoing Tesla Full Self-Driving investigation examining whether its vehicles breached traffic laws while the Full Self-Driving system was active.
The review follows a new probe opened on December 3, 2025, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, focused on Tesla’s partially automated driver assistance technology. Regulators requested cumulative data covering how many US vehicles are equipped with FSD, how frequently the feature is used, and whether it has been linked to traffic law violations.
The review follows a new probe opened on December 3, 2025, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, focused on Tesla’s partially automated driver assistance technology.
As part of the investigation, Tesla has been asked to submit a comprehensive set of records, including:
- Customer complaints related to FSD behavior
- Field and incident reports involving traffic controls
- Details of lawsuits connected to FSD use
- Internal findings linked to potential violations
For every crash under review, regulators require a detailed summary outlining both causal and contributing factors. Additional questions address whether FSD was engaged at the time of a crash, what alerts were shown to drivers, and what corrective work Tesla has undertaken through simulations, testing, or system updates.
For every crash under review, regulators require a detailed summary outlining both causal and contributing factors.
The NHTSA has also requested clarity on any hardware or software modifications to FSD, along with a technical explanation of how the system interprets and responds to traffic lights and stop signs. Tesla must further provide its own assessment of the identified risks and system behavior.
Beyond this case, Tesla is already responding to three separate NHTSA probes with deadlines scheduled for January 16, January 23, and February 4. For the latest Tesla Full Self-Driving investigation, the company requested additional time, citing the discovery of 8,313 potentially relevant records related to traffic violations.
Beyond this case, Tesla is already responding to three separate NHTSA probes with deadlines scheduled for January 16, January 23, and February 4.
Tesla informed regulators that it can review and process approximately 300 records per day to determine relevance. Based on this volume, the agency approved an extension, moving the submission deadline to February 23, allowing regulators to continue assessing whether FSD complies with US traffic safety requirements while maintaining driver accountability.
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