US Investigates Tesla's 2.6 Million 'Smart Summon' Accident Cases

Remote Control Function ASS Safety Accident
Road Traffic Safety Bureau Preliminary Investigation Launched

U.S. transportation authorities have launched an investigation into safety incidents caused by Tesla's remote vehicle summon feature.

On the 7th (local time), according to CNN and others, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it has begun a preliminary investigation targeting 2.6 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the Smart Summon (ASS) autonomous driving feature in the United States.

EPA Yonhap News

Released in September last year, ASS is a remote control function that allows users to move their vehicle to their location via a smartphone app. NHTSA explained the background of the investigation by stating that reports were received indicating that when using the ASS feature, vehicles failed to detect poles or parked cars, and users had insufficient time to avoid collisions.

Previously, in 2023 in Houston, a Tesla Model 3 collided with another parked vehicle while using Smart Summon, and in September last year, a Model Y in Henderson, Nevada, suddenly made a left turn and hit a parked vehicle.

NHTSA plans to evaluate the maximum speed and gaze requirements of ASS through this preliminary investigation, and also explained that it will investigate the impact of remote control via the app, connection delays, and system performance under unexpected conditions.

The vehicles under investigation are Tesla models equipped with the Full Self Driving (FSD) autonomous driving software: 2016?2025 Model S and Model X, 2017?2025 Model 3, and 2020?2025 Model Y.

This is not the first time Tesla has been investigated by authorities due to functional defects. In October last year, NHTSA also launched a preliminary investigation related to pedestrian fatality incidents occurring during Tesla's FSD operation. In December 2023, Tesla recalled 2 million vehicles to fix defects in its autonomous driving assistance system, 'Autopilot.'

Major foreign media noted that this announcement came ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump's second administration. Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, who has become a key figure in the next administration, has maintained a critical stance toward NHTSA's actions.

Meanwhile, on the New York Stock Exchange that day, Tesla's stock closed at $394.36, down about 4% from the previous session.