NHTSA gives Tesla extra time to answer Full Self-Driving probe

Federal regulators granted Tesla additional time to respond to a broad request for documents and data as part of an ongoing probe into the automaker’s Full Self-Driving software, underscoring the complexity of investigating advanced driver-assistance systems at scale.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved a five-week extension in mid-January 2026, moving a key response deadline to Feb. 23, 2026. The extension allows Tesla to complete a manual, record-by-record review of thousands of internal files that the company said were necessary to identify incidents potentially tied to FSD use.

The agency opened a preliminary evaluation in October after receiving numerous reports alleging that Teslas operating with FSD engaged in traffic-law violations. The information request issued in December sought a wide range of materials, including consumer complaints, field reports, crash records, lawsuits and internal assessments related to alleged violations while the system was engaged.

Regulators have logged at least 62 consumer complaints and identified additional media and crash reports that they believe may be relevant to the evaluation. Accounts assembled for the probe include incidents in which vehicles reportedly ran red lights, drove on the wrong side of the road and, in some cases, struck other vehicles and caused injuries. Some drivers told investigators their cars gave no warning before behaving erratically; Tesla maintains that FSD requires active human supervision and that drivers are repeatedly warned the system cannot operate the vehicle without alert oversight.

Tesla asked for more time in a Jan. 12 filing, saying 8,313 internal records remained to be reviewed and estimating its teams could manually process about 300 records per day. The company cited the manual review burden and the risk that the original timetable might produce rushed or incomplete responses. Tesla also said the effort was complicated by simultaneous federal inquiries into other matters, including separate investigations into delayed crash reporting and reports of inoperative exterior door handles.

NHTSA approved the extension to permit the manual examination of the outstanding documents but did not signal any change to the scope of its review. The preliminary evaluation remains active, and agency officials retain the authority to expand the probe, open a formal investigation, seek enforcement actions or pursue recalls based on the findings that emerge from Tesla’s submissions and any additional evidence the agency uncovers.

The extension comes against a backdrop of shifting business strategy and softening deliveries at Tesla. Days before regulators approved the extra time, the company’s CEO confirmed that its Full Self-Driving offering would shift to a subscription-only model. The automaker also reported fourth-quarter deliveries of 418,227 vehicles, a year-over-year decline of about 16 percent, and full-year deliveries of 1,636,129 vehicles, down roughly 9 percent.

The new submission deadline is Feb. 23, 2026. What follows will be a detailed review by NHTSA of Tesla’s records and any corroborating evidence that can clarify whether the software’s real-world behavior poses regulatory or safety problems that require more aggressive enforcement.