Tesla is being investigated for not reporting crashes involving its partially autonomous driving features, Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Autopilot, to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) within the mandated timeframes. NHTSA requires automakers to report crashes involving advanced driver assist systems within one to five days, but Tesla was submitting reports several months late due to a data collection issue that the company claims to have resolved. The investigation stems from a general order established in 2021, which obliges companies to report incidents where automated driving systems were active within 30 seconds of a crash. To date, Tesla has reported over 2,300 crashes, including 40 out of 43 fatal crashes involving such technologies under this rule. Tesla's Level 2 systems require constant driver attention, distinct from Level 4 autonomous systems like those from Waymo. NHTSA is conducting an audit as part of standard procedure and is considering revisions to ease some reporting requirements.
