Investigation Escalates, Targeting Safety of Tesla’s Vision-Only System
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has upgraded its investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system to an Engineering Analysis phase and demanded Tesla submit an internal document titled 'Radar Saves Us.' This move is seen as a critical step in determining whether Tesla released FSD despite being aware of safety risks associated with its vision-only system. The investigation encompasses approximately 3.2 million Tesla vehicles in the U.S. that have used FSD, including nine crashes that occurred in low-visibility conditions such as sun glare, dense fog, or airborne dust, resulting in one fatality and one injury.
On July 2, 2026, NHTSA issued a 24-part information request to Tesla, explicitly naming the 'Radar Saves Us' document and demanding related internal communications, test records, and data. The document was initially submitted by Tesla during an earlier preliminary investigation by NHTSA, but the agency now considers its contents directly relevant to FSD’s performance in low-visibility conditions. Investigation documents state the file is 'particularly relevant' to Tesla’s awareness of the limitations of its vision-only system in such environments and how those limitations correlate with the conditions of the crashes.
NHTSA upgraded the probe to an Engineering Analysis (EA26002) in March 2026, marking the final step before a potential recall or case closure. Tesla must respond to all requests by August 12, 2026, or face civil penalties of up to $27,874 per day, with a total cap near $139 million for non-compliance.
Tesla’s Removal of Radar Raises Safety Concerns
In May 2021, Tesla began removing front-facing radar from its vehicles, followed by the elimination of ultrasonic sensors in 2022, fully transitioning to a camera-only system known as 'Tesla Vision.' This decision has drawn scrutiny over the system’s safety in low-visibility conditions. The title of the 'Radar Saves Us' document suggests it may contain Tesla’s internal analysis of the advantages of radar-assisted systems. If the document confirms Tesla was aware that radar or radar-vision fusion technology could address blind spots in its vision-only system but chose to remove radar anyway, it could result in significant legal liability.