Tesla is under federal investigation for failing to report crashes involving its partially autonomous driving technology in a timely manner, intensifying scrutiny on the automaker’s self-driving ambitions.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said automakers are required to report crashes involving advanced driver-assist features “within one or five days” of an incident. But Tesla was filing reports “several months or more” after crashes occurred. The company told regulators that the delays stemmed from a data collection issue that has since been corrected. Still, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation has opened an audit to verify that Tesla is now complying fully with the rules.
The requirement traces back to a standing general order (SGO) issued in 2021. The mandate compels automakers and robotaxi companies to disclose crashes involving both fully autonomous vehicles and Level 2 driver-assist systems. Under the order, any collision must be reported if an automated driving system was engaged within 30 seconds of impact.
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Since the rule came into force, Tesla has disclosed over 2,300 crashes to the federal government. An analysis of the data reveals Tesla accounted for 40 out of 43 fatal crashes reported under the SGO, underscoring its outsized role in accidents tied to semi-autonomous systems.
Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) features are categorized as Level 2 technology, which requires a driver to remain attentive and ready to take control at all times. By contrast, Alphabet’s Waymo operates Level 4 technology in its robotaxi fleet — vehicles capable of navigating without human intervention.
This contrast has fueled criticism of Tesla’s approach. While Elon Musk has dismissed lidar technology — the backbone of Waymo’s autonomous navigation — as unnecessary and inferior to Tesla’s camera-based system, accident records tell a different story. Waymo’s robotaxis have logged millions of autonomous miles in U.S. cities with a significantly lower crash rate than Tesla’s Level 2 systems, highlighting a growing divide in safety performance.
Despite the controversies, Tesla has been pushing forward with its robotaxi trials in select U.S. states, including California, Nevada, and Texas. Earlier this year, Musk touted Tesla’s “AI-powered robotaxi fleet” as a disruptive leap for urban mobility. However, industry veterans remain unconvinced.
John Krafcik, the former CEO who guided Waymo’s evolution from a Google research lab into a commercial ride-hailing company, cast doubt on Tesla’s much-hyped rollout. Speaking to Business Insider, Krafcik — now a board member at Tesla rival Rivian — dismissed Tesla’s pilot service in the Bay Area as little more than “a rebranded Uber with employees inside the car.”
“Please let me know when Tesla launches a robotaxi — I’m still waiting,” he said. “It’s (rather obviously) not a robotaxi if there’s an employee inside the car.”
Krafcik’s skepticism mirrors concerns among auto analysts and regulators who argue that Tesla’s push for Full Self-Driving is outpacing its technology. Unlike Waymo, which has secured approval to operate fully driverless rides in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, Tesla’s so-called robotaxi still requires safety drivers and faces mounting questions over its readiness for real-world deployment.
NHTSA, meanwhile, has floated changes to the 2021 reporting rules, proposing to scale back some requirements. But for Tesla, the audit signals a broader concern: whether the company is being transparent about the risks tied to its autonomous driving systems as it races ahead in an industry where safety records are becoming as important as innovation.