Tesla gets a break on FSD probe, avoids massive fines (for now)
Tesla just scored a five-week extension from US safety regulators to answer questions about its Full Self-Driving (FSD) cars.
The NHTSA is digging into nearly 3 million Teslas after dozens of complaints about the cars running red lights or veering into the wrong lane.
Tesla now has until February 23, 2026, to respond.
What's the NHTSA asking for?
Regulators want a deep dive: lists of every FSD car and software version, usage stats, crash details, lawsuits—basically everything about how FSD handles intersections and lane changes.
For each crash, Tesla must explain what went wrong and what they did to fix it.
Why all the extra time?
Tesla says reviewing over 8,000 records by hand is slow going—plus they're juggling other government probes too.
If they miss this new deadline, fines could stack up fast (think $139 million).
Why does it matter?
This isn't just paperwork; it shows how much pressure Tesla faces as it pushes self-driving tech.
With more federal investigations piling up, Tesla's big dreams for autonomy are definitely under the microscope right now.