The autonomous driving system Full Self-Driving (FSD) da Tesla has been under investigation by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) since last year.
Now, the regulatory body has decided to expand the investigation already underway, including more complex assessments of its performance in low visibility conditions, an investigation that is being carried out by the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI).
According to the agency Reutersthe main objective is to verify whether the system responsible for identifying limitations in the vehicle’s cameras works correctly when alerting the driver to take control.
Recent agency documents indicate possible flaws in a feature called “degradation detection”, especially in scenarios with glare or the presence of particles in the air, which reduce visibility.
The tool was developed to monitor the performance of cameras and indicate when autonomous driving is no longer reliable. Even so, in some episodes analyzed, the system would not have noticed these adverse conditions or alerted the driver adequately before the accidents.
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After a fatal accident involving the FSD in 2024, the Tesla began developing an update for the system. However, as NHTSA argues, it is not clear which vehicles received these improvements.
The most recent investigation, launched in October 2025, continues an investigation initiated by the agency in 2024. Large-scale recalls were recorded, impacting practically the entire fleet of cars in the Tesla in the USA.
Although the Tesla continued to promote the development of more advanced driving systems, NHTSA’s research could disrupt the company’s plans by establishing new rules and regulations associated with autonomous driving modes.
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