NHTSA News Updates

NHTSA granted Tesla a five-week extension to start addressing a defect investigation into its cars violating traffic laws while its Full Self-Driving system is engaged.

The proposal adds to the growing scrutiny of electric vehicle doors following a series of incidents in which people were severely injured or died when they were unable to escape.

Vehicles equipped with a Mobis tow hitch wiring harness are at risk because the wiring harness may have been installed incorrectly. This recall affects 2022, 2023 and 2024 model years of the Tucson SUV.

Tesla is newly promoting features intended to make it easier for first responders to enter its cars after crashes, following months of scrutiny over the safety of its door designs.

The operating software was updated in all vehicles by Nov. 17. The software may cause the vehicle to pass a stopped school bus even when the red lights are flashing and/or stop arm is extended.

The lawsuit comes weeks after suits filed in Wisconsin and California involving fatal crashes in which occupants allegedly became trapped when the doors wouldn't open.

High-voltage battery packs in Jeep Wrangler and Grand Cherokee models may have been built with cells susceptible to separator damage, according to a notice posted to NHTSA’s website.

NHTSA opened the defect investigation Sept. 15, citing nine complaints submitted as far back as July 2023. Several parents said they were unable to open the Tesla doors to retrieve a child.

NHTSA disclosed in September that it’s investigating whether some Tesla doors are defective, citing incidents in which exterior handles stopped working and trapped  occupants inside.

The latest recall of 6,197 Cybertrucks is due to a potential issue with the installation of an off-road light bar accessory that could detach and increase the risk of a collision.