NHTSA opens preliminary probe into Tesla FSD after red-light crashes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday it has opened a preliminary investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the company's Full Self Driving software after receiving more than 50 reports that the system caused cars to violate traffic laws, including running red lights and entering lanes of opposing traffic. The inquiry covers roughly 2.88 million vehicles and follows reports of multiple crashes and injuries linked to the software's behavior.

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said the agency received about 58 reports alleging traffic-safety violations while FSD was engaged, including 14 crashes and 23 injuries. In a filing, the agency said the software had "induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws," noting incidents in which vehicles drove through red signals, crossed double yellow lines, moved into opposing lanes during or after turns, or attempted turns into roads in the wrong direction. The investigation is a Preliminary Evaluation, a step that can lead to further action, including a recall, if investigators determine the system poses an unreasonable risk.

Among the complaints, NHTSA identified six reports in which a...