The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into approximately 2.6 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the "Actually Smart Summon" feature, following reports of crashes linked to this remote control capability.

The NHTSA opened the inquiry after receiving multiple complaints indicating that the Actually Smart Summon feature, launched last September, failed to detect obstacles while maneuvering vehicles, leading to accidents. Specifically, at least four incidents were reported where Tesla vehicles operated under this feature were unable to notice posts or parked cars, which resulted in crashes; in some instances, users reportedly lacked adequate reaction time to prevent the incidents (BBC, Reuters).

The investigation will evaluate various aspects of Actually Smart Summon, including its maximum speed while engaged, performance under different conditions, and the impact of remote control via the mobile app on connectivity delays. This marks the second significant investigation into Tesla's autonomous driving features, following another investigation into 2.4 million vehicles linked to the Full Self-Driving (FSD) software after some serious collisions were reported, including a fatal incident in 2023 (USA Today, The Hill).

Tesla has informed users that Actually Smart Summon is intended for private use in familiar areas and its operation is disabled on public roads, which further complicates the investigations into its safety. The company did not provide immediate comments following the probe announcement.

As scrutiny intensifies over Tesla's automated driving technology amid its ambitions for self-driving capabilities, the regulatory focus reflects ongoing concerns regarding the safety and reliability of such innovations (BBC).