The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today it’s launching an investigation into Tesla’s Actually Smart Summon (ASS) feature, affecting 2.6 million vehicles across the manufacturer’s entire lineup. The probe comes after reports of multiple incidents where vehicles using the remote-control parking feature collided with stationary objects.
The investigation encompasses Tesla’s most popular models, including the Model S and Model X (2016-2025), Model 3 (2017-2025), and Model Y (2020-2025). Each vehicle under review comes equipped with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability package, which includes the Actually Smart Summon feature.
Actually Smart Summon (ASS)
According to NHTSA documentation, four separate incidents triggered the investigation, with vehicles reportedly failing to identify and avoid obstacles such as poles and parked cars. The agency noted that users experienced insufficient reaction time to prevent collisions, whether through direct observation or by releasing the control button within the Tesla mobile app.
The regulatory body plans to examine several critical aspects of Actually Smart Summon’s functionality:
- Maximum operational speeds in various environments
- Public road usage parameters
- Line-of-sight requirements for operation
- Smartphone app connectivity and latency issues
- System response to unexpected obstacles
While the NHTSA’s concerns warrant investigation, many Tesla owners report positive experiences with Actually Smart Summon. Daily users of the feature argue that its safety record significantly outperforms human drivers in parking lots, with millions of successful operations logged against the handful of reported incidents.
This investigation represents a critical moment for Tesla’s autonomous features. The outcome could influence future development and implementation of remote vehicle control systems across the automotive industry. Tesla has yet to comment on the investigation, but the company typically maintains its commitment to safety while defending its innovative features.
The spotlight on Tesla ASS might seem concerning, but with only four reported incidents across millions of operations, perhaps this feature isn’t so “summon-what” concerning after all.
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