U.S. ends probe into Tesla remote driving feature after software updates

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Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS

The U.S.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Monday it ‌closed a probe into nearly 2.6 million Tesla vehicles ​over a feature allowing users to move cars remotely ⁠after finding it was linked only to low-speed incidents.

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The agency opened the probe into the “Actually Smart Summon” feature in early 2025 after reports of ‌several crashes.

The system allows users to move vehicles over short distances in parking areas or on private ‌property, using a smartphone app.

The agency concluded that the ‌feature ⁠was linked primarily to low-speed incidents resulting in minor ⁠property damage and said it had reports of about 100 crashes but no injuries or fatalities.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Most reported ​incidents involved vehicles striking obstacles such ‌as parked cars, garage doors or gates, often early in a Summon session when visibility or situational awareness was limited, NHTSA found.

No incidents were reported that involved a major crash, ‌air bag deployment or a vehicle being towed away, it ​said.

The agency said the low frequency and severity of the incidents did not warrant further action.

Tesla addressed ⁠issues through a series of software updates aimed at improving obstacle detection, camera blockage identification and vehicle response to dynamic objects such ‌as gates, the regulator said.

The updates also sought to reduce errors caused by environmental factors such as snow or condensation affecting cameras.

NHTSA last month separately upgraded a probe into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system to an “engineering analysis,” a more advanced stage that typically precedes a potential recall and expanded the review to about 3.2 million ‌vehicles.

Tesla’s driver-assistance and self-driving features remain under regulatory scrutiny over concerns about crashes, visibility ​limitations and whether the systems adequately warn drivers in real-world conditions.

In October, NHTSA opened an investigation into 2.9 ⁠million vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving system over more than 50 ⁠reports of traffic-safety violations and a series of crashes.

The auto safety agency said FSD has “induced vehicle behavior that violated ‌traffic safety laws.” NHTSA and Tesla have had a series of meetings over the issue in recent months.

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