The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has opened a formal investigation into 416,000 Tesla (TSLA) vehicles over reports of unexpected brake activation tied to its autopilot system.
The preliminary evaluation covers 2021-2022 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the U.S. after the agency received 354 complaints about the issue over the past nine months. NHTSA said the vehicles under review have an advanced driver assistance system that Tesla calls “autopilot” that allows them to brake and steer automatically within its lanes.
The NHTSA said in a news release that: “Complainants report that the rapid deceleration can occur without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle.”
Earlier this month, NHTSA confirmed it was reviewing consumer complaints that Tesla vehicles were activating the brakes unnecessarily. A preliminary evaluation is the first phase before NHTSA can issue a formal recall demand.
In May, Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk said dropping a radar sensor from its partially automated driving system would address the so-called “phantom braking” issue, which some Tesla drivers have long complained about.
Tesla has come under scrutiny from the NHTSA, which is investigating several issues and the electric vehicle manufacturer has issued 10 recalls since last October, including some under pressure from the agency.
In November, Tesla recalled nearly 12,000 U.S. vehicles sold since 2017 because a communication error may cause a false forward-collision warning or unexpected activation of the emergency brakes.
The NHTSA last August opened a formal safety probe into Tesla's autopilot system in 765,000 U.S. vehicles after a series of crashes involving Tesla models and emergency vehicles.
