NHTSA Closes Investigation into Tesla's Actually Smart Summon Feature

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) closed its investigation into Tesla's Actually Smart Summon feature on Friday. The feature enables Tesla vehicle owners to summon their cars to a specific location without a driver present. NHTSA initiated the probe in January 2025 after receiving reports of several crashes involving the feature.

During the investigation, NHTSA identified 159 incidents related to Actually Smart Summon, including 97 crashes. None of these incidents resulted in injuries or fatalities. The agency determined that the incidents occurred infrequently and were not severe, representing a fraction of 1 percent of millions of sessions using the feature.

Tesla issued several over-the-air software updates during the investigation period. These updates focused on improving the system's detection of camera blockages and dynamic gates. NHTSA's decision to close the preliminary evaluation was based on the low occurrence and low severity of incidents.

" — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (The Hill) NHTSA stated that closing the investigation does not indicate the absence of a safety-related defect. The agency reserves the right to take further action if new information warrants it. The Hill reported that it reached out to Tesla for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

This closure occurs amid ongoing scrutiny of Tesla's autonomous driving technologies. In mid-March 2025, NHTSA upgraded its investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software from a preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis. The upgraded probe examines the software's performance in poor driving conditions and its ability to alert drivers promptly.

NHTSA cited concerns from incident data regarding Tesla's degradation detection system. The system, both in its original deployment and after updates, may fail to detect or warn drivers appropriately under conditions such as glare and airborne obscurants.

This investigation involves a larger scope compared to the Actually Smart Summon probe.

The Actually Smart Summon feature remains available to Tesla owners, subject to ongoing monitoring by NHTSA. Vehicle owners using such features must remain attentive, as the systems are not fully autonomous. Future actions by NHTSA could include reopening probes or issuing recalls if additional incidents arise.

Tesla continues to develop and update its software to address safety concerns identified in investigations.