The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a formal warning to Tesla, urging the company to clarify its messaging around the capabilities of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. In the letter the NHTSA expressed concern that Tesla’s social media posts may mislead consumers into believing that their vehicles can function autonomously without driver oversight, creating potential safety risks.
According to a letter dated November 5, 2024 and addressed to Tesla’s Field Quality Director, Eddie Gates, the NHTSA highlighted several instances where Tesla’s promotional materials appear inconsistent with federal guidelines and Tesla’s own manuals, which emphasize that FSD requires active driver supervision. According to the claims in the email, the NHTSA believes posts on Tesla’s X (formerly Twitter) account often depict drivers using FSD in ways that suggest hands-off functionality.
NHTSA contends that these portrayals may create unrealistic expectations among drivers, potentially leading to disengagement from critical safety tasks, including braking and steering.
Among one of the examples cited was an April 2024 post where a Tesla driver reportedly used FSD to travel to the hospital during a heart attack, with the vehicle handling the journey without input from the driver. While this story emphasized the FSD system’s convenience, it inadvertently conveyed an impression of autonomy that may not reflect the actual limitations of Tesla’s technology, the NHTSA alleges.
FSD V12 helped owner get to the hospital when he needed immediate medical attention https://t.co/d70VfBs0gl
— Tesla (@Tesla) April 11, 2024
NHTSA’s Gregory Magno, Division Chief for Vehicle Defects, voiced concern that Tesla’s FSD advertising conflicts with its stated commitment to maintaining driver engagement.
“Tesla’s posts may encourage viewers to see FSD as a chauffeur or robotaxi, rather than a partial automation system requiring driver oversight,” Magno said. He emphasized that Tesla’s FSD system, despite its advanced features, is not designed to perform all driving tasks autonomously, particularly in challenging conditions like sun glare or fog, situations for which the NHTSA has recently launched an investigation following a fata crash.
Tesla has until December 18 to formally respond to NHTSA’s letter and clarify its autonomous driving claims. Failure to comply could result in fines up to $135.8 million.
You can read the full email below.
