The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded its investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software, broadening the probe to encompass approximately 3.2 million vehicles, according to Reuters. The escalation, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, centres on how the driver-assistance system performs in poor weather and reduced visibility conditions.
The upgrade in probe status is a material procedural step: an engineering analysis, the stage NHTSA has now entered, typically precedes a formal recall demand or other enforcement action. Tesla has faced multiple NHTSA investigations into its advanced driver-assistance features in recent years, several of which have resulted in over-the-air software updates or recalls.
FSD Supervised, which Tesla charges as a subscription or one-time add-on, has been a central commercial and reputational pillar for the company. CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly cited autonomous driving capability as the primary long-term driver of Tesla's valuation. Any recall campaign affecting the feature would carry both direct cost implications and broader consequences for Tesla's positioning in the autonomous vehicle market, where competitors including Waymo and General Motors' Cruise unit are also under regulatory scrutiny.
