The NHTSA recently concluded an investigation into the Tesla Autopilot system that it had initiated in 2021. However, the agency is now examining a recall implemented by Tesla in December, aimed at improving driver attentiveness. Out of the 467 remaining crashes, the ODI identified three categories of trends: collisions where an attentive driver could have taken action to avoid or mitigate the crash, roadway departures due to driver disengagement of Autosteer, and roadway departures in low traction conditions.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, Tesla held discussions with the NHTSA and issued a Defect Information Report along with a recall applicable to all Tesla vehicles. The NHTSA pointed out that during its investigation (EA22002), it found at least 13 crashes involving fatalities or serious injuries, wherein driver misuse of the system seemed to have played a role. The NHTSA has expressed concerns regarding post-remedy crash events and the preliminary test results of vehicles that have undergone the recall.