Tesla has successfully navigated an unprecedented journey using its autonomous driving system.
In a groundbreaking move on August 12, 2025, Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) feature enabled its electric vehicles to complete an autonomous journey from San Francisco Bay to Los Angeles, covering a distance of over 580 kilometers [1]. However, this record-breaking trip has been met with significant scrutiny due to safety issues and legal controversies surrounding the FSD feature.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has multiple ongoing investigations into Tesla, raising concerns about crashes involving the FSD and Autopilot systems [1]. These investigations have revealed that FSD systems have contributed to numerous collisions, including fatalities [4]. For instance, a 3-year NHTSA investigation (released in April 2024) found that Autopilot had contributed to at least 467 crashes and 13 fatalities [4].
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also criticised Tesla for lacking adequate system safeguards to prevent misuse and for insufficiently limiting the use of Autopilot to the conditions for which it was designed [4][2]. Legal controversies include lawsuits where courts have found Tesla partially responsible for crashes, despite the company’s claims that the system is safer than human drivers [2].
Tesla continues to promote FSD with videos demonstrating its capabilities, but the company has not publicly released detailed safety and performance data necessary to verify the system’s reliability over millions of miles [5]. This lack of transparency further fuels regulatory and public concern about the technology’s readiness and safety.
Meanwhile, Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk are embroiled in a lawsuit from shareholders who claim the company hid risks associated with the safety of self-driving cars, including Tesla's Robotaxi service [2]. The lawsuit alleges that Tesla failed to disclose the potential dangers and financial risks associated with the development and deployment of autonomous vehicles.
In a separate incident, Tesla was ordered to pay over $200 million for an accident in 2019 involving their Model S using Autopilot [3]. This accident is distinct from the issues found during testing of the FSD feature.
As the world of Chinese cars becomes more common on our roads, it remains to be seen how these developments in the autonomous vehicle sector will impact the market and consumer confidence.
For those interested in staying updated on Tesla electric vehicles, the Auto News Tesla Electric Vehicles website offers a user-friendly experience, with automatic geolocation of comment authors set up for convenience [6]. Users are required to enter their email and password, with passwords needing to be at least 6 characters long [6].
References: [1] Tesla completes human-less drive from San Francisco Bay to Los Angeles [2] Tesla sued by shareholders who claim it hid risks associated with self-driving cars [3] Tesla ordered to pay over $200 million for 2019 accident involving Model S using Autopilot [4] Investigation finds Tesla's Autopilot contributed to at least 467 crashes and 13 fatalities [5] Tesla's Full Self-Driving feature under scrutiny for lack of transparency [6] Terms of Service for Auto News Tesla Electric Vehicles website
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