Tesla faces US probe for delayed crash reporting

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla over delayed crash reporting.

NHTSA found that Tesla, which sells EVs with driver-assistance systems, reported several crashes months after they occurred, potentially violating federal rules that require automakers to disclose such incidents within five days.

The agency said the delays may have resulted from a data collection issue that Tesla claims is now resolved.

NHTSA will audit Tesla’s compliance with crash-reporting requirements, assess the causes and extent of any delays, and check if all relevant incidents and data were disclosed.

Tesla operates a manned robotaxi service in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, but has not launched fully driverless ride-hailing operations.

A third-party site tracking Tesla-involved crashes links at least 59 deaths to incidents where Autopilot or Full Self-Driving features were active.

🔗 Source: CNBC

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Tesla’s regulatory scrutiny follows a multi-year pattern of Autopilot safety investigations

The current NHTSA probe over delayed crash reporting represents the latest chapter in ongoing regulatory oversight that dates back nearly a decade.

Since 2016, Tesla has faced multiple federal investigations into Autopilot-related fatalities, including a 2019 case where a Model 3 driver had no hands on the steering wheel for eight seconds before a fatal crash 1.

By 2020, NHTSA had already investigated 13 crashes involving Tesla vehicles believed to be using Autopilot 2, establishing a pattern of regulatory scrutiny that continues today.

Despite this oversight, Tesla leads the industry in reporting crashes involving Level 2 driver assistance systems, with over 2,300 reported incidents to NHTSA 3.

The company has consistently maintained that its technology improves safety, pointing to a 2017 NHTSA finding that showed Autopilot was associated with a 40% reduction in accidents 4.

2️⃣ Tesla pushes ahead with commercial robotaxi operations despite unresolved reporting compliance issues

The timing of this probe highlights Tesla’s aggressive expansion into commercial autonomous services while regulatory questions about its safety practices remain unresolved.