2026 Tesla Model X

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Tesla’s Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the system’s ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time to respond. ODI will evaluate the performance of FSD in degraded roadway conditions and the updates or modifications by Tesla to the degradation detection system, including the timing, purpose, and capabilities of the updates, and Tesla’s assessment of their safety impact. Tesla’s FSD is an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that relies exclusively on vision-based cameras and the related FSD software to detect and respond to the roadway ahead, projecting a path forward based on traffic control devices, vehicles, pedestrians, and the roadway itself. When Tesla began transitioning away from using both cameras and radars to an exclusively camera-based approach, known as Tesla Vision, in mid-2021, it developed and implemented a degradation detection system that it deployed by a software update to existing and new Tesla vehicles. On June 28, 2024, the day after Tesla submitted the SGO report of the November 28, 2023 fatal crash listed in this document, Tesla began developing an update to the degradation detection system. At this time, ODI does not have information on when the update was deployed and which vehicles have the updated system. ODI discussed individual incidents and its initial findings during the PE phase of its investigation with Tesla. As part of those discussions, Tesla’s post-incident analysis indicated that the update to the degradation detection system, had it been installed on the vehicles at the time, may have affected 3 of the 9 incidents identified by ODI. Tesla also described internal data and labeling limitations that prevented a uniform identification and analysis of crash events with the subject system engaged. ODI believes this limitation could have led to under-reporting of subject crashes over portions of the defined time-period. Available incident data raise concerns that Tesla’s degradation detection system, both as originally deployed and later updated, fails to detect and/or warn the driver appropriately under degraded visibility conditions such as glare and airborne obscurants. In the crashes that ODI has reviewed, the system did not detect common roadway conditions that impaired camera visibility and/or provide alerts when camera performance had deteriorated until immediately before the crash occurred. Review of Tesla’s responses revealed additional crashes that occurred in similar environments and where the system either did not detect a degraded state, and/or it did not present the driver with an alert with adequate time for the driver to react. In each of these crashes, FSD also lost track of or never detected a lead vehicle in its path. In upgrading PE24031 to an Engineering Analysis (EA), ODI will gather further information on the updated degradation detection system, including the status of updating vehicles and scope of compatible vehicles, the system’s visibility degradation detection capability, and alerts or warnings to the driver. Lastly, ODI will conduct analysis on six recent potentially related incidents. These incidents can be found at NHTSA.gov under the following SGO report identification numbers: 13781-11937, 13781-13211, 13781-13569, 13781-13633, 13781-13693, 13781-13788. The crashes included in the failure report summary can be found at NHTSA.gov under the following SGO report identification numbers: 13781-8004, 13781-7181, 13781-7381, 13781-7767, 13781-7964, 13781-8977, 13781-9267.

In January my parents Tesla in self driving mode drove them straight through a building. The breaks didn't deploy, the airbags didn't deploy and the steering wheel was shaking and unresponsive. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. That said, there was a lot of physical damage to the restaurant/building and the car was completely totaled. We are certain that there were catastrophic failures with the car that caused the accident however the mechanic has informed us that due to her NDA she cannot provide any details about her findings after examining the car. She sent her findings to Tesla who was supposed to issue a report to us and the insurance company, but several months later we still have not received anything. They are well past the 30 days time limit. We cannot get anyone from Tesla to respond to us. There was a police report and the cops, firemen, and mechanics where all absolutely floored that the airbags didn't deploy given the damage to the vehicle. Self driving failed. Breaks failed. Steering failed. Airbags failed. and Tesla has failed to respond.

NHTSA ID

11745992

Incident

Jan 6, 2026

Incident Description: I was driving on the highway using Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) / FSD Supervised at approximately 65+ mph. Traffic conditions were moderate, and weather and visibility conditions were clear. While FSD was actively engaged, my phone began ringing. As I briefly attempted to silence the ringing phone, the FSD system unexpectedly disengaged/canceled during highway driving. I did not receive sufficient audible warning, advance notification, or adequate transition time to safely assume full manual control of the vehicle. There was no meaningful cushion time for driver response before vehicle behavior changed. The disengagement occurred abruptly and created an immediate dangerous situation at highway speed. The sudden transfer of control, without sufficient warning or response time, significantly reduced my ability to react safely. At the time of the incident: - My attention had been on the roadway prior to the phone ringing - I was monitoring the vehicle as required under FSD Supervised - My hands were near the steering wheel - There was no construction, lane merge, or unusual road condition nearby Immediately following the disengagement, the vehicle suddenly drifted and braked, resulting in a collision with the curb/barrier area near the highway bridge. Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved and no secondary collision occurred. I am requesting that Tesla investigate: - FSD disengagement behavior - Warning timing and driver alert mechanisms - System logs and telemetry data - Whether the vehicle generated internal safety/event reports at the time of the incident - Whether the disengagement and transition-to-driver behavior complied with Tesla’s intended safety protocols Relevant evidence preserved: - Tesla dashcam footage - Photos of vehicle damage and scene - Time and location information  - Vehicle data request pending

NHTSA ID

11739929

Incident

May 11, 2026

In April 13th, 2026 while driving from the house through community, I suddenly stopped at the cross roads due to unexpected conditions. During this event, a coffee mug placed in the cup holder tipped over and spilled liquid onto the center console area—near the phone charging pad and critical control panel used for gear selection and essential driving functions. In about 15 minutes after the spill, when I reached the highway at about 70 mph, the vehicle experienced a rapid and severe system-wide failure. The dashboard displayed multiple warnings and errors, including: * “Steering assist reduced – Steering may require increased effort” * “Center console buttons to select gears unavailable – Use touchscreen to select gears – Schedule service” * Repeated alerts indicating braking and system limitations * Conflicting and inaccurate readings, including the speedometer displaying “0 mph” while the vehicle was still moving at highway speed At the same time: * Braking response was severely compromised despite full pedal application * Hazard lights and turn signals were non-functional * Gear selection controls became unavailable or unreliable * Driver assistance and safety systems were disabled * The system issued instructions to “press and hold brake” while braking performance was inconsistent This resulted in a complete loss of situational awareness and control while I was in the car with my older parents and my child. l. I was unable to signal to surrounding vehicles while attempting to maneuver into a narrow emergency lane at highway speed. My family and I had fear for our lives. Critically, the vehicle instructed to exit immediately while we were still in a dangerous roadside position without functioning hazard lights. We were exposed to active highway traffic without any ability to alert others. was eventually able to maneuver the vehicle into the emergency lane under extremely dangerous conditions. The vehicle was towed, and the issue was reported immediately.

NHTSA ID

11734065

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

On April 1st 2026, our brand-new 2026 Tesla Model X, 6-seat configuration, experienced a dangerous third-row seat incident. Our dog slipped into a blind spot beneath/behind the third-row seat while the seat was folded down. After the dog became trapped, the powered third-row seat would not respond, and there was no usable manual release or mechanical way for us to raise the seat and free him. The dog was trapped under the seat and in immediate danger. We drove directly to Tesla Service for an emergency rescue. Tesla personnel informed us that the only way to free the trapped animal was to dismantle and destroy/remove the rear seat assembly. That is what they did. The dog was then taken for emergency veterinary treatment and remains traumatized, with possible physical injury. This vehicle had been delivered only 4 days earlier. In my view, this presents a serious safety/design issue involving the third-row power seat system and the lack of an accessible emergency release when a living occupant or animal is trapped under the seat. The fact that destructive disassembly was allegedly the only way to free the trapped animal raises a serious safety concern. I am requesting that NHTSA review this incident as a potential safety defect involving the third-row seat mechanism, emergency release/access, and occupant/animal entrapment risk. I have photos, veterinary records, and related documentation.

NHTSA ID

11728687

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

Tesla has auto-park in the supervised FSD. My wife was using it to park the car in a public garage and it hit a post. The car was damaged. It was too quick for my wife to intervene. I know it is supervised, but there is no time to intervene when it comes to parking where the spot to park is close to other cars or posts anyway.

NHTSA ID

11722384

Incident

Mar 5, 2026

On some Model S and Model X vehicles, the compression gap of the HVAC drain funnel seal is wider than intended, which may cause water ingress. Inspect the sponge area of the HVAC drain funnel for water ingress. If water ingress is present, rework the HVAC drain funnel seal.