NHTSA closes probe into Tesla’s “Actually Smart Summon,” finds crashes rare and low‑severity

Investigation closed, but not the final word

U.S. auto safety regulators have closed their investigation into Tesla’s remote parking feature, known as “Actually Smart Summon,” after concluding that crashes tied to the feature were both uncommon and typically minor. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stressed that closing the probe “does not constitute a finding that a safety‑related defect does not exist,” and that the agency can reopen the case if new evidence emerges. The feature, released in September 2024, lets owners tap the Tesla app and send their car to them at low speeds — using only the vehicle’s cameras after Tesla removed ultrasonic sensors on newer models.

What the agency found

It has been reported that the inquiry began in January 2025 following dozens of crash reports. NHTSA’s analysis found incidents occurred in a fraction of 1% of millions of Summon sessions and largely involved minor property damage — think bumped gates, dinged parked cars, or nudged bollards. Crucially, there were no reported incidents involving vulnerable road users, injuries, fatalities, or major damage indicated by airbag deployment or tow‑away. Investigators concluded that either the driver or the system failed to fully detect surroundings, often because the app’s camera view limited visibility; snow blocking cameras was also cited as a recurring cause. Tesla has pushed several software updates to improve camera‑blockage detection and object recognition.

What comes next

So where does that leave drivers and regulators? For owners frustrated by a scratched bumper or a balky app demo, the findings are unlikely to feel like a clean bill of health. The real question is whether software patches and user caution will be enough to make a camera‑only approach as reliable in messy real‑world parking lots as it looks in marketing videos. Time will tell — and NHTSA left the door open to revisit the issue if incidents rise.

Sources: techcrunch