Update, August 19, 2026: NHTSA PE25012 is a Preliminary Evaluation of FSD (Supervised) and FSD (Beta) traffic-law behavior — red lights and wrong-way / opposing-lane moves. Opened Oct. 7, 2025; public the 9th. A PE is not a recall. Later Tesery files on other NHTSA actions (including a separate Model Y close) are different case numbers.
On October 9, 2025 Reuters and others reported that NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation had opened a probe covering about 2.88 million Tesla vehicles with FSD after 58 reports, including 14 crashes and 23 injuries. The agency’s public ID is PE25012. NHTSA case page. ODI opening resume (PDF). Reuters, Oct. 9, 2025. The population is FSD-equipped cars, not “every Tesla ever built.” The defect theory is that FSD may have induced traffic-law violations — not that the cars lack motors.
Key facts
- Case: PE25012, Preliminary Evaluation, ODI.
- Population cited: ~2.88–2.9 million Tesla vehicles with FSD (Supervised) and FSD (Beta); model years in the resume span mid-2010s through 2026-model cars including S/3/X/Y and Cybertruck in contemporaneous summaries.
- Complaints NHTSA listed: 58 reports; 14 crashes; 23 injuries; red-signal and wrong-direction / opposing-traffic lane-change allegations.
- What this is not: A recall order, a finding of defect, or a ban on FSD.
A PE vs a recall
NHTSA opens PEs to ask questions. Some close with no action; some become EAs or recalls. Tesla can still sell FSD (Supervised) while PE25012 is open. Do not merge this file with Autopilot crash PEs or with later Senate letters about Tesla’s FSD statistics (Tesery: 5-second window note). Those are other documents.
FAQ
Did NHTSA say FSD is illegal?
No. It said it is investigating reports that FSD induced traffic-law violations.
Does this cover Autopilot without FSD?
The opening package is FSD (Supervised) and FSD (Beta). Autopilot-only probes are separate.
Should owners turn FSD off?
NHTSA did not issue an owner notification to disable FSD in the Oct. 9 opening. Supervision was already required.
For U.S. owners: a PE does not change the duty to supervise, and it is not a recall letter in your glovebox.
Featured photo: Tesla Autopilot/FSD camera cluster (file photo of the driver-assistance hardware in PE25012, not a crash scene). Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Related: Later Senate FSD-data letter · Different NHTSA case: Model Y close
