US grants Tesla more time in Full Self-Driving traffic probe review

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has granted Tesla a five-week extension, moving the deadline to February 23, for responding to a federal investigation into alleged traffic law violations involving its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. Tesla requested the extension to thoroughly review over 8,000 internal records related to incidents potentially linked to FSD use, citing the complexity and volume of documents as well as the strain of managing multiple concurrent federal probes, including investigations into delayed crash reporting and malfunctioning exterior door handles. The NHTSA’s broader review aims to determine whether Tesla’s FSD-equipped vehicles comply with traffic laws and safety standards, with 62 consumer complaints and additional crash reports under analysis. This regulatory development coincides with Tesla’s strategic shift in how customers access FSD. CEO Elon Musk announced that after February 14, Tesla will discontinue outright sales of the software, offering it exclusively via a monthly subscription model. Previously, buyers could purchase FSD for a