NHTSA Upgrades Probe into Tesla FSD Over Low-Visibility Safety Risks Affecting 3.2 Million Vehicles

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has upgraded its investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system to the Engineering Analysis phase, covering approximately 3.2 million Model 3, Y, X, S, and Cybertruck vehicles. The probe focuses on whether FSD can effectively detect road conditions and issue timely warnings under low-visibility scenarios such as bright glare, heavy fog, and dust clouds. NHTSA has confirmed multiple crashes—including one fatal collision—where the system failed to provide adequate advance warning, reacting only at the moment of impact. Since Tesla shifted to a vision-only approach in 2021, it has introduced a “performance degradation detection system” through software updates; however, crash data indicates that the system’s warning capabilities remain insufficient. NHTSA will review the status of these system upgrades and analyze six recent crashes potentially linked to the issue. This engineering analysis phase is a critical step preceding a potential recall, though it does not necessarily mean a recall will be ordered.