The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into approximately 2.6 million Tesla vehicles following reports of several crashes linked to a feature that permits remote vehicle control.

The NHTSA initiated the investigation on Monday after receiving reports of four crashes associated with Tesla’s Smart Summon and Actually Smart Summon features. The NHTSA explained both features enable users to remotely move their vehicles using a mobile app.

Each of the four reviewed incidents involved Tesla vehicles using Actually Smart Summon and failing to identify stationary objects like posts or parked cars, which led to the crashes, according to the NHTSA.

Back in October, the NHTSA began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles that featured Full Self-Driving (FSD) software following reports of four accidents, one of which was fatal in 2023.

Here’s what you need to know about this investigation, along with the Tesla models that are involved.

Understanding Actually Smart Summon

Actually Smart Summon, which has taken the place of Tesla’s initial Smart Summon feature, allows users to “summon” their vehicles using a mobile app, as demonstrated in a tutorial video released by Tesla in October.

The NHTSA received 12 complaints related to Smart Summon alleging crash scenarios similar to those experienced by Actually Smart Summon users, often leaving little time for them to respond.

The agency stated, “ODI is aware of numerous crash claims involving both Smart Summon and Actually Smart Summon, where users had insufficient reaction time to avert a collision, either due to limited visibility or by releasing the phone app button, which halts the car’s movement.”

Focus of the NHTSA Investigation

The NHTSA will not only investigate the crash aspects of Actually Smart Summon but also examine its functionality and overall performance in vehicles with FSD and those in trial offers.

The agency will also assess the maximum speed a vehicle can reach while the Actually Smart Summon feature is active, particularly on public roads. Their preliminary evaluation will review the remote operation through the app, as well as any connectivity delays and the performance of the system under unexpected circumstances.

Following this preliminary evaluation, the NHTSA must decide whether to upgrade the investigation to an engineering analysis before considering a recall, as reported by Reuters.

Which Tesla Models Are Affected?

The investigation covers Tesla vehicles equipped with full self-driving features from the following model years:

• Model S: 2016-2025
• Model X: 2016-2025
• Model 3: 2017-2025
• Model Y: 2020-2025