Tesla Driverless Parking Tech Investigated for Safety Concerns

Tesla is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) again – this time over its Actually Smart Summon (ASS) parking feature.

ASS, which was launched in September, supposedly allows Teslas to autonomously navigate car parks after being summoned to their owner via app, without anyone necessarily being in the vehicle.

But the NHTSA has opened a probe into the technology amid concerns that it struggles to recognize specific obstacles.

The NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation resume, published on the NHTSA website, summarized: “The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 1 complaint [Vehicle Owner Questionnaire, or complaint] alleging that an Actually Smart Summon session resulted in a crash and has reviewed at least 3 media reports of apparently similar crashes. 

“All four incidents involve the subject Tesla vehicles operating in Actually Smart Summon failing to detect posts or parked vehicles, resulting in a crash.”

ASS replaced an earlier version of the tech known as Smart Summon, which effectively became inactive when Tesla removed radar and ultrasonic sensors from its cars and switched to a camera-only approach.

Smart Summon is also under investigation, with the NHTSA resume continuing: “ODI has received 12 Smart Summon related VOQs [Vehicle Owner Questionnaires, or complaints] alleging crash typology similar to the crashes experienced by users of Actually Smart Summon during sessions with little time for operators to react.”

Related:Tesla Rolls out Improved Self-Driving Parking Tech

According to the NHTSA, owners reported that the tech offered them too little time to prevent a crash, either with the available line of sight or by releasing a button on the Tesla app. Nobody has been injured in any of the incidents.

There are a handful of videos online that depict Smart Summon mishaps, and in 2022 one famous clip that showed a collision with a jet that went viral.

The agency also pointed out that Tesla had not reported any of the incidents via the Standing General Order for crashes involving autonomous or automated tech, which obligates automakers to inform the NHTSA of all crashes on public roads. Recent reports suggest that this “self-reporting” system could potentially be axed by the incoming Trump administration – a concern for many given that Tesla CEO Elon Musk enjoys such a close relationship with the incoming President.

An estimated 2,585,000 vehicles made since 2016 will be covered in the NHTSA probe, including the Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y.

Tesla has faced intense scrutiny from the NHTSA in recent years, with the agency looking into a number of issues involving cars fitted with its automated tech including a number of fatal crashes and performance in low visibility.

Related:Tesla Axes Radar Sensors on Model S and Model X

Tesla has not yet commented publicly on the latest investigation.