Tesla’s Remote Parking Feature Under Investigation After Over A Dozen Crashes

The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Tesla’s “Actual Smart Summon” distant parking characteristic aft respective clang incidents were reported.

NHTSA says it has received reports of 16 incidents involving Tesla’s smart summon characteristic successful 2016-2025 Model S and X vehicles arsenic bully arsenic 2017-2025 Model 3s and 2020-2025 Model Ys. The administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is probing an estimated 2.6 cardinal vehicles pinch nan parking feature.

Tesla re-launched its distant parking Smart Summon arsenic Actually Smart Summon (or ASS, get it?) past fall, aft upgrading it to narration for nan company’s determination to region radar and ultrasonic sensors successful favour of a camera-only approach. Tesla owners powerfulness nan conveyance by pushing a fastener successful nan Tesla smartphone app. The conveyance past uses cameras to navigate crossed a parking batch without anyone down nan wheel. Releasing nan fastener connected nan app stops nan vehicle’s movements.

But since nan characteristic was reintroduced nether nan caller moniker, a number of videos of alleged clang incidents personification been uploaded connected YouTube and different societal media platforms. Tesla vehicles are seen scraping up against different vehicles, colliding pinch parking signs, aliases moving into walls. In fairness, location are too a number of videos showing nan distant summon characteristic moving flawlessly, moreover successful crowded parking lots.

But NHTSA is concerned pinch nan incidents that didn’t move retired well. There personification not been immoderate injuries reported, but nan agency is looking into “multiple clang allegations, involving immoderate Smart Summon and Actually Smart Summon, wherever nan personification had excessively mini guidance clip to debar a crash, either pinch nan disposable connection of show aliases releasing nan telephone app button, which stops nan vehicle’s movement.”

No ASS-related crashes personification been reported done NHTSA’s opinionated wide bid that requires companies to study incidents involving automated aliases autonomous features.

Of course, nan crash-reporting rule, and each of NHTSA’s accusation investigations into Tesla, are headed into an uncertain early pinch Donald Trump group to retake nan White House. Trump’s apical philanthropist and advisor is Elon Musk, who stands to usage if nan incoming guidance decides to disregard aliases unopen down each its various investigations into his companies.