The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into 2.56 million Tesla vehicles after several crashes involving the automaker’s “Actual Smart Summon” remote parking feature.
Tesla released Actual Smart Summon, or ASS for short, via software update in September. It allows Tesla owners to use their app to command the vehicle drive itself to them, using only the car’s cameras. The previous version, Smart Summon, also relied on ultrasonic sensors, which are not included on newer vehicles.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received one complaint alleging that the ASS feature resulted in a crash, and has reviewed at least three media reports of similar crashes.
“All four incidents involve the subject Tesla vehicles operating in [ASS] failing to detect posts or parked vehicles, resulting in a crash,” reads the report.
The report also states that the office received 12 Smart Summon related complaints alleging a crash typology similar to the crashes experienced by ASS users, all of which left drivers with little time to react to avoid a crash.
