ReportWire

Tag: Auto safety

  • Edmunds puts sedans Nissan Sentra and Toyota Corolla to the test

    There is a lot of talk about affordability in 2026, and it can certainly apply to new vehicles. Many of the latest SUVs and electric vehicles are simply too expensive for people. Buying used is an option, but that means you’ll lose out on getting a full warranty and, of course, that new-car smell. Thankfully, a few automakers still offer inexpensive new sedans priced under $25,000.

    Nissan has redesigned its 2026 Sentra, which is the smallest and least expensive sedan in the brand’s lineup. Nissan has given the car a new look and an interior makeover, featuring improved materials and a large digital display atop the dashboard. It’s a prime competitor to the venerable Toyota Corolla. The latest Corolla generation has been around for a while, but Toyota has spruced up the 2026 version with a few more standard features. Which of these small sedans is the better buy? Edmunds’ auto experts have tested both to find out.

    The Corolla and Sentra come with four-cylinder engines, but the Corolla’s makes more power. Rated at 169 horsepower, the Corolla hustled from zero to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds in Edmunds’ testing. That’s a bit leisurely but still nearly 1 second quicker than the 149-horsepower Sentra, which requires a heavy foot to keep up with highway traffic. The slower Sentra is also less efficient than its Toyota rival. It gets up to an EPA-estimated 33 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The Corolla gets up to 35 mpg combined and delivered even better results in Edmunds’ real-world driving.

    The Corolla has other advantages, too. It’s also available as the Corolla Hybrid, which gets up to an EPA-estimated 50 mpg combined. All-wheel drive is also available. It’s only offered with the Corolla Hybrid, but it may appeal to you if you have to frequently drive in wintry conditions. The Sentra doesn’t offer a hybrid powertrain or all-wheel drive.

    Winner: Corolla

    For 2026, Nissan overhauled the Sentra’s interior, adding dual 12.3-inch displays for digital gauges and infotainment spanning half the dashboard. The wide-screen array comes standard on all but the base trim. By comparison, the Corolla feels years behind with its standard 8-inch display or optional 10.5-inch touchscreen. Both models come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration and optional wireless phone charging and upgraded audio systems.

    These sedans are similar in the standard advanced driver assist features they offer. These include blind-spot warning and adaptive cruise control with lane centering that can apply light steering corrections to help you keep the car centered in its lane. However, the Sentra takes it further with available features that include enhanced functionality for adaptive cruise control in stop-and-go traffic, rear parking sensors and a high-definition surround-view camera system. It’s an impressive bundle of features for the money.

    Winner: Sentra

    Compact cars are tight and tidy by definition, but the Toyota and Nissan are roomier than they look. The Sentra has the edge with more elbow room and front legroom thanks to a slightly longer, wider body, but its sleek roof pinches rear headroom, which taller passengers will notice. Both models come with cloth upholstery to start and synthetic leather on higher trims, but the Sentra’s cabin looks and feels fresher from its recent redesign. The Nissan’s front seats are also among the best in any compact car for keeping you comfortable on long drives.

    The Sentra’s 14.3-cubic-foot trunk is large enough for a couple of suitcases and carry-ons. The Corolla’s smaller 13.1 cubic-foot trunk might force you to abandon one of those bags, but you can always opt for the Corolla Hatchback, which beats both with nearly 18 cubic feet of cargo space.

    Winner: Sentra

    The Nissan Sentra starts at $23,845, including the destination fee. The Corolla starts at $24,120 with destination; getting the Corolla Hatchback or Corolla Hybrid will cost approximately $1,500 to $1,900 more. Not only is the Sentra slightly more affordable, it also comes with the larger touchscreen, enhanced cruise control and more trunk space. Moving up to the Sentra SV trim — about $500 more than the base Corolla — adds a few more features, including the larger digital gauge cluster.

    But when it comes to performance and efficiency, the Corolla is king. Its stronger engine makes a difference in traffic, and its superior fuel economy can help with saving on gas in the long term.

    Winner: tie

    Edmunds officially scores the Sentra slightly higher than the Corolla. But your decision might come down to what you want most. If fuel economy and power are priorities, the Corolla is worth paying a little extra for. But the Sentra otherwise edges it out with superior roominess, utility and technology.

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    This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

    Dan Frio is a contributor at Edmunds.

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  • Toyota recalls 162,000 trucks over faulty screens

    Toyota announced Friday it would recall about 162,000 pickup trucks in the United States after it was discovered that the vehicles’ multimedia displays could compromise driver safety

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  • Ford recalls more than 270,000 electric and hybrid vehicles due to roll-away risk

    Ford is recalling more than 270,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in the U.S. because of a parking function problem that could lead to them rolling away.

    The Detroit automaker said that the recall includes certain 2022-2026 F-150 Lightning BEV, 2024-2026 Mustang Mach-E, and 2025-2026 Maverick vehicles. At issue is the integrated park module, which may fail to lock into the park position when the driver shifts into park.

    Ford said that it will implement a park module software update for free.

    Vehicle owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 for additional information.

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  • FACT FOCUS: Trump said weaker gas mileage rules will mean cheaper cars. Experts say don’t bet on it

    DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump this week announced plans to weaken rules for how far automakers’ new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, set under former President Joe Biden.

    The Trump administration said the rules, known formally as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards, are why new vehicles are too expensive, and that cutting them will drive down costs and make driving safer for Americans.

    The new standards would drop the industry fleetwide average for light-duty vehicles to roughly 34.5 mpg (55.5 kpg) in the 2031 model year, down from the goal of about 50.4 mpg (81.1 kpg) that year under the Biden-era rule.

    Here are the facts.

    Affordability

    TRUMP: EV-friendly policies “forced automakers to build cars using expensive technologies that drove up costs, drove up prices and made the car much worse.”

    THE FACTS: It’s true that gas mileage standards have played a role in rising vehicle prices in recent years, but experts say plenty of other factors have contributed, and some much more.

    Pandemic-era inventory shortages, supply chain challenges, tariffs and other trade dynamics, and even automakers’ growing investments in their businesses have also sent prices soaring. Average prices have also skewed higher as automakers have leaned into the costly big pickups and SUVs that many American consumers love.

    President Donald Trump speaks during an event on fuel economy standards in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

    The average transaction price of a new vehicle hit $49,105 in October, according to car shopping guide Edmunds.

    A Consumer Reports analysis of vehicles for model years 2003 to 2021 — a period in which average fuel economy improved 30% — found no significant increase in inflation-adjusted vehicle prices caused by the requirements. At the same time, it found an average of $7,000 in lifetime fuel savings per vehicle for 2021 model year vehicles compared with 2003. That analysis, done primarily before the coronavirus pandemic, attributed much of the average sticker price increase to the shift toward bigger and more expensive vehicles.

    Cutting the fuel economy standards is unlikely to provide any fast relief on sticker prices, said Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds’ head of insights. And while looser standards may eventually mean lower car prices, their lower efficiency means that those savings could be eaten up by higher fuel costs, she said.

    Ending the gas car?

    TRUMP: Biden’s policies were “a quest to end the gasoline-powered car.”

    THE FACTS: The Biden administration did enact several policies to increase electric vehicle adoption, including setting a target for half of new vehicle sales in the U.S. to be electric by 2030.

    The Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act included tax incentives that gave car buyers up to $7,500 off the price of an EV and dedicated billions of dollars to nationwide charging — funding that Trump tried to stop. The Biden administration increased fuel economy requirements and set stricter tailpipe emissions limits.

    While those moves sought to help build the EV market, there was no requirement that automakers sell EVs or consumers buy them. And gasoline cars still make up the vast majority of the U.S. market.

    EV charging

    TRUMP: “We had to have an electric car within a very short period of time, even though there was no way of charging them.”

    THE FACTS: While many potential EV buyers still worry about charging them, the availability of public charging has significantly improved in recent years.

    Biden-era funding and private investment have increased charging across the nation. There are now more than 232,000 individual Level 2 and fast charging ports in the U.S. As of this year, enough fast charging ports have been installed to average one for every mile (1.6 kilometers) of National Highway System roads in the U.S., according to an AP analysis of data from the Department of Energy.

    However, those fast charging stations aren’t evenly dispersed. Many are concentrated in the far West and the Northeast, where sales of EVs are highest.

    Experts note that most EV charging can be done at home.

    Safety

    TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY SEAN DUFFY: The reduced requirements will make drivers “safer on the roads because of all the great new technology we have that save lives.”

    THE FACTS: Newer vehicles — gas and electric — are full of advanced safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping, collision warnings and more.

    Duffy suggested that consumers will be more likely to buy new vehicles if they are more affordable — meaning fewer old cars on the streets without the safety technology. This assumes vehicle prices will actually go down with eased requirements, which experts say might not be the case. Besides, high tech adds to a vehicle’s cost.

    “If Americans purchased more new vehicles equipped with the latest safety technologies, we would expect overall on-road safety to improve,” Edmunds’ Caldwell said. “However, it’s unclear whether easing fuel-economy standards will meaningfully increase new-vehicle sales.”

    The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an independent automotive research nonprofit, also says electric or hybrid vehicles are as safe as or safer than gasoline-powered cars.

    Another part of safety is public health. Efficiency requirements put into place to address the 1970s oil crisis were also a way to reduce pollution that is harmful to humans and the environment.

    “This rollback would move the auto industry backwards, keeping polluting cars on our roads for years to come and threatening the health of millions of Americans,” said Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All campaign. “This dangerous proposal adds to the long list of ways the Trump administration is dismantling our clean air and public health protections.”

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    Associated Press data journalist M.K. Wildeman contributed from Hartford, Connecticut.

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    Follow Alexa St. John on X: @alexa_stjohn and reach her at [email protected]. Read more of AP’s climate coverage.

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    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • Ford recalls more than 200,000 Bronco and Bronco Sports for instrument panel failure

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than 200,000 Bronco and Bronco Sport vehicles because an instrument panel can fail, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Federal auto safety regulators said that the instrument panel may not display at startup, leaving the driver without critical safety information.

    The recall includes 128,607 Ford Bronco Sports, model years 2025-2026 and 101,002 Ford Broncos, also model years 2025-2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

    Ford is not aware of any injuries caused by the instrument panel failure.

    Owners will be notified by mail beginning Dec. 8 and instructed to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealership to have the software updated.

    The NHTSA recall number is 25V540.

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  • Honda recalls 256,600 Accord Hybrids due to software error that may lead to loss of drive power

    NEW YORK (AP) — Honda is recalling more than 256,600 of its Accord Hybrid vehicles across the U.S., due to a software error that may result in sudden loss of drive power.

    According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall covers certain Honda Accord Hybrids between the 2023 and 2025 model years. The error may cause part of these cars’ internal software to reset while driving, increasing the risk of crash or injury.

    To address the error, Honda dealers will reprogram the software free of charge. The NHTSA’s recall report noted that owner notification letters are scheduled to go out on Jan. 5 — but a spokesperson for American Honda confirmed Tuesday that the improved software is available now.

    Drivers can see if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site or Honda’s recall lookup. Impacted Accord Hybrid owners may also contact Honda’s customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

    Honda estimates that 0.3% of the 256,603 Accord Hybrids it’s recalling have the issue, which impacts the vehicles’ integrated control module central processing unit, the NHSTA’s recall report notes. In a statement, American Honda said that “improper software programming by a supplier” caused the error.

    The automaker first received a report of the issue in March 2024, per the recall report, and investigated the issue over the last year. As of Nov. 6, Honda had received 832 warranty claims — but no reports of related injuries between mid-December of 2022 and the end of October this year.

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  • Honda recalls 256,600 Accord Hybrids due to software error

    Honda is recalling more than 256,600 of its Accord Hybrid vehicles across the U.S., due to a software error that may result in sudden loss of drive power

    NEW YORK — Honda is recalling more than 256,600 of its Accord Hybrid vehicles across the U.S., due to a software error that may result in sudden loss of drive power.

    According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall covers certain Honda Accord Hybrids between the 2023 and 2025 model years. The error may cause part of these cars’ internal software to reset while driving, increasing the risk of crash or injury.

    To address the error, Honda dealers will reprogram the software free of charge. The NHTSA’s recall report noted that owner notification letters are scheduled to go out on Jan. 5.

    It’s unclear whether the software remedy will be available before then. The Associated Press reached out to American Honda press contacts for further information Tuesday.

    In the meantime, drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site or Honda’s recall lookup. Impacted Accord Hybrid owners may also contact Honda’s customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

    Honda estimates that 0.3% of the 256,603 Accord Hybrids it’s recalling have the issue, which impacts the vehicles’ integrated control module central processing unit, the NHSTA’s recall report notes. In a Tuesday statement, American Honda said that “improper software programming by a supplier” caused the error.

    The automaker first received a report of the issue in March 2024, per the recall report, and investigated the issue over the last year. As of Nov. 6, Honda had received 832 warranty claims — but no reports of related injuries between mid-December of 2022 and the end of October this year.

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  • Cities and states are turning to AI to improve road safety

    As America’s aging roads fall further behind on much-needed repairs, cities and states are turning to artificial intelligence to spot the worst hazards and decide which fixes should come first.

    Hawaii officials, for example, are giving away 1,000 dashboard cameras as they try to reverse a recent spike in traffic fatalities. The cameras will use AI to automate inspections of guardrails, road signs and pavement markings, instantly discerning between minor problems and emergencies that warrant sending a maintenance crew.

    “This is not something where it’s looked at once a month and then they sit down and figure out where they’re going to put their vans,” said Richard Browning, chief commercial officer at Nextbase, which developed the dashcams and imagery platform for Hawaii.

    After San Jose, California, started mounting cameras on street sweepers, city staff confirmed the system correctly identified potholes 97% of the time. Now they’re expanding the effort to parking enforcement vehicles.

    Texas, where there are more roadway lane miles than the next two states combined, is less than a year into a massive AI plan that uses cameras as well as cellphone data from drivers who enroll to improve safety.

    Other states use the technology to inspect street signs or build annual reports about road congestion.

    Every guardrail, every day

    Hawaii drivers over the next few weeks will be able to sign up for a free dashcam valued at $499 under the “Eyes on the Road” campaign, which was piloted on service vehicles in 2021 before being paused due to wildfires.

    Roger Chen, a University of Hawaii associate professor of engineering who is helping facilitate the program, said the state faces unique challenges in maintaining its outdated roadway infrastructure.

    “Equipment has to be shipped to the island,” Chen said. “There’s a space constraint and a topography constraint they have to deal with, so it’s not an easy problem.”

    Although the program also monitors such things as street debris and faded paint on lane lines, the companies behind the technology particularly tout its ability to detect damaged guardrails.

    “They’re analyzing all guardrails in their state, every single day,” said Mark Pittman, CEO of Blyncsy, which combines the dashboard feeds with mapping software to analyze road conditions.

    Hawaii transportation officials are well aware of the risks that can stem from broken guardrails. Last year, the state reached a $3.9 million settlement with the family of a driver who was killed in 2020 after slamming into a guardrail that had been damaged in a crash 18 months earlier but never repaired.

    In October, Hawaii recorded its 106th traffic fatality of 2025 — more than all of 2024. It’s unclear how many of the deaths were related to road problems, but Chen said the grim trend underscores the timeliness of the dashboard program.

    Building a larger AI database

    San Jose has reported strong early success in identifying potholes and road debris just by mounting cameras on a few street sweepers and parking enforcement vehicles.

    But Mayor Matt Mahan, a Democrat who founded two tech startups before entering politics, said the effort will be much more effective if cities contribute their images to a shared AI database. The system can recognize a road problem that it has seen before — even if it happened somewhere else, Mahan said.

    “It sees, ‘Oh, that actually is a cardboard box wedged between those two parked vehicles, and that counts as debris on a roadway,’” Mahan said. “We could wait five years for that to happen here, or maybe we have it at our fingertips.”

    San Jose officials helped establish the GovAI Coalition, which went public in March 2024 for governments to share best practices and eventually data. Other local governments in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas and Washington, as well as the state of Colorado, are members.

    Some solutions are simple

    Not all AI approaches to improving road safety require cameras.

    Massachusetts-based Cambridge Mobile Telematics launched a system called StreetVision that uses cellphone data to identify risky driving behavior. The company works with state transportation departments to pinpoint where specific road conditions are fueling those dangers.

    Ryan McMahon, the company’s senior vice president of strategy & corporate development, was attending a conference in Washington, D.C., when he noticed the StreetVision software was showing a massive number of vehicles braking aggressively on a nearby road.

    The reason: a bush was obstructing a stop sign, which drivers weren’t seeing until the last second.

    “What we’re looking at is the accumulation of events,” McMahon said. “That brought me to an infrastructure problem, and the solution to the infrastructure problem was a pair of garden shears.”

    Texas officials have been using StreetVision and various other AI tools to address safety concerns. The approach was particularly helpful recently when they scanned 250,000 lane miles (402,000 kilometers) to identify old street signs long overdue for replacement.

    “If something was installed 10 or 15 years ago and the work order was on paper, God help you trying to find that in the digits somewhere,” said Jim Markham, who deals with crash data for the Texas Department of Transportation. “Having AI that can go through and screen for that is a force multiplier that basically allows us to look wider and further much faster than we could just driving stuff around.”

    Autonomous vehicles are next

    Experts in AI-based road safety techniques say what’s being done now is largely just a stepping stone for a time when a large proportion of vehicles on the road will be driverless.

    Pittman, the Blyncsy CEO who has worked on the Hawaii dashcam program, predicts that within eight years almost every new vehicle — with or without a driver — will come with a camera.

    “How do we see our roadways today from the perspective of grandma in a Buick but also Elon and his Tesla?” Pittman said. “This is really important nuance for departments of transportation and city agencies. They’re now building infrastructure for humans and automated drivers alike, and they need to start bridging that divide.”

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  • From guardrails to potholes, AI is becoming the new eyes on America’s roads

    As America’s aging roads fall further behind on much-needed repairs, cities and states are turning to artificial intelligence to spot the worst hazards and decide which fixes should come first.

    Hawaii officials, for example, are giving away 1,000 dashboard cameras as they try to reverse a recent spike in traffic fatalities. The cameras will use AI to automate inspections of guardrails, road signs and pavement markings, instantly discerning between minor problems and emergencies that warrant sending a maintenance crew.

    “This is not something where it’s looked at once a month and then they sit down and figure out where they’re going to put their vans,” said Richard Browning, chief commercial officer at Nextbase, which developed the dashcams and imagery platform for Hawaii.

    After San Jose, California, started mounting cameras on street sweepers, city staff confirmed the system correctly identified potholes 97% of the time. Now they’re expanding the effort to parking enforcement vehicles.

    Texas, where there are more roadway lane miles than the next two states combined, is less than a year into a massive AI plan that uses cameras as well as cellphone data from drivers who enroll to improve safety.

    Other states use the technology to inspect street signs or build annual reports about road congestion.

    Hawaii drivers over the next few weeks will be able to sign up for a free dashcam valued at $499 under the “Eyes on the Road” campaign, which was piloted on service vehicles in 2021 before being paused due to wildfires.

    Roger Chen, a University of Hawaii associate professor of engineering who is helping facilitate the program, said the state faces unique challenges in maintaining its outdated roadway infrastructure.

    “Equipment has to be shipped to the island,” Chen said. “There’s a space constraint and a topography constraint they have to deal with, so it’s not an easy problem.”

    Although the program also monitors such things as street debris and faded paint on lane lines, the companies behind the technology particularly tout its ability to detect damaged guardrails.

    “They’re analyzing all guardrails in their state, every single day,” said Mark Pittman, CEO of Blyncsy, which combines the dashboard feeds with mapping software to analyze road conditions.

    Hawaii transportation officials are well aware of the risks that can stem from broken guardrails. Last year, the state reached a $3.9 million settlement with the family of a driver who was killed in 2020 after slamming into a guardrail that had been damaged in a crash 18 months earlier but never repaired.

    In October, Hawaii recorded its 106th traffic fatality of 2025 — more than all of 2024. It’s unclear how many of the deaths were related to road problems, but Chen said the grim trend underscores the timeliness of the dashboard program.

    San Jose has reported strong early success in identifying potholes and road debris just by mounting cameras on a few street sweepers and parking enforcement vehicles.

    But Mayor Matt Mahan, a Democrat who founded two tech startups before entering politics, said the effort will be much more effective if cities contribute their images to a shared AI database. The system can recognize a road problem that it has seen before — even if it happened somewhere else, Mahan said.

    “It sees, ‘Oh, that actually is a cardboard box wedged between those two parked vehicles, and that counts as debris on a roadway,’” Mahan said. “We could wait five years for that to happen here, or maybe we have it at our fingertips.”

    San Jose officials helped establish the GovAI Coalition, which went public in March 2024 for governments to share best practices and eventually data. Other local governments in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas and Washington, as well as the state of Colorado, are members.

    Not all AI approaches to improving road safety require cameras.

    Massachusetts-based Cambridge Mobile Telematics launched a system called StreetVision that uses cellphone data to identify risky driving behavior. The company works with state transportation departments to pinpoint where specific road conditions are fueling those dangers.

    Ryan McMahon, the company’s senior vice president of strategy & corporate development, was attending a conference in Washington, D.C., when he noticed the StreetVision software was showing a massive number of vehicles braking aggressively on a nearby road.

    The reason: a bush was obstructing a stop sign, which drivers weren’t seeing until the last second.

    “What we’re looking at is the accumulation of events,” McMahon said. “That brought me to an infrastructure problem, and the solution to the infrastructure problem was a pair of garden shears.”

    Texas officials have been using StreetVision and various other AI tools to address safety concerns. The approach was particularly helpful recently when they scanned 250,000 lane miles (402,000 kilometers) to identify old street signs long overdue for replacement.

    “If something was installed 10 or 15 years ago and the work order was on paper, God help you trying to find that in the digits somewhere,” said Jim Markham, who deals with crash data for the Texas Department of Transportation. “Having AI that can go through and screen for that is a force multiplier that basically allows us to look wider and further much faster than we could just driving stuff around.”

    Experts in AI-based road safety techniques say what’s being done now is largely just a stepping stone for a time when a large proportion of vehicles on the road will be driverless.

    Pittman, the Blyncsy CEO who has worked on the Hawaii dashcam program, predicts that within eight years almost every new vehicle — with or without a driver — will come with a camera.

    “How do we see our roadways today from the perspective of grandma in a Buick but also Elon and his Tesla?” Pittman said. “This is really important nuance for departments of transportation and city agencies. They’re now building infrastructure for humans and automated drivers alike, and they need to start bridging that divide.”

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  • Chrysler recalls 320K Jeep plug-in hybrids due to faulty battery that can catch fire

    Chrysler is recalling more than 320,000 Jeep plug-in hybrid vehicles due to a faulty battery that can fail and lead to a fire, U.S. traffic safety regulators said

    WASHINGTON — Chrysler is recalling more than 320,000 Jeep plug-in hybrid vehicles due to a faulty battery that can fail and lead to a fire, U.S. traffic safety regulators said.

    Chrysler, which is owned by Netherlands-based Stellantis, is aware of 19 reports and 1 injury potentially related to the issue.

    Owners of the vehicles, which include 228,221 Jeep Wranglers model years 2020-2025 and 91,844 Jeep Grand Cherokees model years 2022-2026, are being advised to park the vehicles outside and away from structures until a remedy for the problem is determined. Vehicle owners are also being told not to charge their vehicles, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Agency said.

    Interim notification letters are expected to be mailed to vehicle owners by December 2, 2025, with additional letters to be sent once the final remedy is available.

    The number for the recall is 68C and owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Vehicle Identification Numbers for this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 6, 2025. Vehicles that were previously recalled for the same issue under previous recalls will need to have the new remedy performed, the NHTSA said.

    The batteries were manufactured by Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Samsung SDI America.

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  • Nation’s largest fleet of police Cybertrucks to patrol Las Vegas

    LAS VEGAS — The nation’s largest police fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks is set to begin patrolling the streets of Las Vegas in November thanks to a donation from a U.S. tech billionaire, raising concerns about the blurring of lines between public and private interests.

    “Welcome to the future of policing,” Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a recent press conference, surrounded by the Cybertrucks while drones hovered overhead and a police helicopter circled above him.

    The fleet of 10 black-and-white Cybertrucks of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with flashing lights and sirens are wrapped with the police department’s logo. About 400 officers have been trained to operate the trucks that will use public charging stations.

    The all-electric vehicles are equipped with shotguns, shields and ladders and additional battery capacity to better handle the demands of a police department, McMahill said.

    The donation has raised concerns from government oversight experts about private donors’ influence on public departments and the boost to the Tesla brand. The department is the latest U.S. city to turn to Tesla models even as Elon Musk ’s electric vehicle company has faced blowback because of his work earlier in the year to advance the president’s political agenda and downsize the federal government.

    McMahill noted the trucks will help keep officers safer because they are bulletproof, while Metro’s other squad cars are not. Each Cybertruck is valued at somewhere between $80,000 and $115,000 and will be used to respond to calls like barricades and shootings in addition to regular patrols.

    The Cybertrucks also offer unique benefits such as a shorter turn radius, he said.

    “They look a little bit different than the patrol cars that we have out there, but they represent something far bigger than just a police car,” the sheriff said. “They represent innovation. They represent sustainability, and they represent our continued commitment to serve this community with the best tools that we have available, safely, efficiently and responsibly.”

    The fleet comes amid a roller coaster year for Tesla that has dealt with multiple recalls.

    In March, U.S. safety regulators recalled virtually all Cybertrucks on the road.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall, which covered more than 46,000 Cybertrucks, warned that an exterior panel that runs along the left and right side of the windshield can detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash. Tesla offered to replace the panels free of charge in notification letters sent out in May.

    In late October, Tesla announced another recall of more than 63,000 Cybertrucks in the U.S. because the front lights are too bright, which may cause a distraction to other drivers and increase the risk of a collision.

    Las Vegas officer Robert Wicks with the department’s public information office said all of Tesla’s recalls will have been dealt with before the Cybertrucks patrol the streets. The March recall regarding panel issues was handled before the department received the trucks, he said.

    Federal regulators also have opened yet another investigation into Tesla’s self-driving feature after dozens of incidents in which the cars ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and causing injuries.

    The Cybertrucks modified for the Las Vegas police fleet do not have any kind of self-driving feature.

    Laura Martin, executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Action Fund, said the imposing trucks with their sharp angles “seems like they’re designed for intimidation and not safety.”

    “It just seems like Cybertrucks arriving on the streets of Clark County shows that Sheriff McMahill is prioritizing corporate giveaways and police militarization over real community needs,” she said.

    The donation comes after President Donald Trump earlier this year shopped for a new Tesla on the White House driveway and said he hoped his purchase would help the company as it struggled with sagging sales and declining stock prices.

    Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said now the Las Vegas fleet of another Tesla model “to patrol our communities really draws the next parallel there.”

    Haseebullah also is worried about the Cybertrucks’ surveillance abilities that the public may not be unaware of, and that the fleet might give Tesla access to police data.

    Following the explosion of a Cybertruck outside of Trump’s Las Vegas tower earlier this year, Tesla was able to provide detailed data of the driver inside, including the driver’s movements leading up to the explosion.

    Ed Obayashi, a special prosecutor in California and an expert on national and state police practices, said private donations to law enforcement is not uncommon nor illegal unless a local or state law prohibits it.

    In this case, the donation is a physical piece of equipment, and the money can’t be diverted to something else, Obayashi said. That said, he doesn’t think the trucks provide the department with a specific advantage.

    “There’s not going to be really any distinct or noticeable advantage or benefits, so to speak, other than the fact that it’s a free vehicle and it saves the taxpayers money to replace equipment,” Obayashi said.

    The Las Vegas fleet was a donation totaling about $2.7 million from Ben Horowitz, co-founder of the Silicon Valley venture capital firm known as Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, and his wife, Felicia Horowitz.

    The couple, who live in Las Vegas, have made multiple donations to the department, including between $8 million to $9 million for Project Blue Sky, the department’s implementation of drones throughout the valley. They’ve also donated funds to buy emergency call technology and license plate readers — products from companies in which Andreessen Horowitz invests.

    Ben Horowitz, who has donated to political campaigns for both Democrats and Republicans, was among the investors who backed Elon Musk’s bid to take over Twitter, now known as X.

    His venture capitalist firm also hosted McMahill and Metro Chief of Staff Mike Gennaro on a podcast in November 2024.

    Ben and Felicia Horowitz could not be reached for comment, however in a 2024 blog post, Ben Horowitz described their interest in donating to the department, stressing the importance of public safety and the difficulties public sectors have in budgeting for technology.

    McMahill said the couple wanted to make sure that Las Vegas didn’t “become California when it comes to crime.”

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  • Ford recalls more than 290,000 vehicles in US due to issue with rear camera system

    Ford is recalling more than 290,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the rearview camera system may not display images properly in certain lighting conditions, which could increase the risk of a crash

    Ford is recalling more than 290,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the rearview camera system may not display images properly in certain lighting conditions, which could increase the risk of a crash.

    The recall includes certain 2020-2022 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s safety recall report said that Ford reviewed customer complaint data and warranty information to understand customer occurrences. The automaker said that as of Sept. 20, it was aware of 10 reports, with the first report occurring on Jan. 20, 2022.

    Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition.

    The automaker’s dealers will update the image processing module software of the impacted vehicles for free.

    Interim letters are expected to be sent to vehicle owners on Oct. 20. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, which is anticipated for March 2026. Vehicle owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Individuals may also contact the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

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  • Semi-trailer crashes into a van on a Georgia highway, killing 7

    JACKSON COUNTY, Georgia — JACKSON COUNTY, Georgia (AP) — Seven people were killed in a fiery crash on a highway in Georgia on Monday afternoon when a semi-trailer struck a van and it burst into flames, according to law enforcement.

    The semi-trailer was following too close to the Dodge van on Interstate 85 in Jackson County, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta, when the crash happened, Franka Young, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said in an email. Seven people in the van died at the scene.

    Four other vehicles also crashed in what officials described as a “chain reaction” after the initial collision.

    The identities of the people killed have not be released.

    The crash is being investigated by the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team, according to Young.

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  • US opens Tesla probe after more crashes involving its so-called full self-driving technology

    Federal auto safety regulators have opened yet another investigation into Tesla’s so-called full-self driving technology after dozens of incidents in which the electric vehicle maker’s cars ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometim…

    WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal auto safety regulators have opened yet another investigation into Tesla’s so-called full-self driving technology after dozens of incidents in which its vehicles ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and injuring people.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a filing dated Tuesday that it has 58 incident reports of Tesla vehicles violating traffic safety laws while operating in full self-driving mode. In reports to regulators, many of the Tesla drivers said the cars gave them no warning about the unexpected behavior.

    The probe covers 2,882,566 vehicles, essentially all Teslas equipped with full self-driving technology, or FSD, of which there are two types. Level 2 driver-assistance software, or “Full Self-Driving (Supervised),” requires drivers to pay full attention to the road. The company is still testing a version that does not require driver intervention, something that the automaker’s owner and CEO Elon Musk has been promising to roll out for years.

    The new investigation follows a host of other probes into the FSD feature on Teslas, which has been blamed for several injuries and deaths. Tesla has repeatedly said the system cannot drive itself and human drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.

    Tesla is also under investigation by NHTSA for a “summon” technology that allows drivers to tell their cars to drive to their location to pick them up, a feature that has reportedly led to some fender benders in parking lots. A probe into driver-assistance features in 2.4 million Teslas was opened last year after several crashes in fog and other low-visibility conditions, including one in which a pedestrian was killed.

    Another investigation was launched by NHTSA in August looking into why Tesla apparently has not been reporting crashes promptly to the agency as required by its rules.

    Musk is under pressure to show that the latest advances in its driver-assistance features have not only fixed such glitches but have made them so good drivers don’t even need to look out the window anymore. He recently promised to put hundreds of thousands of such self-driving Tesla cars and Tesla robotaxis on roads by the end of the next year.

    Tesla shares fell 1.4% Thursday.

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  • Toyota recalls nearly 400,000 Tundras, Sequoias due to malfunctioning rearview camera

    Toyota is recalling nearly 400,000 vehicles because the rearview camera may not display when backing up, increasing the risk of a crash, federal traffic safety regulators said

    WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Toyota is recalling nearly 400,000 vehicles because the rearview camera may not display when backing up, increasing the risk of a crash, federal traffic safety regulators said.

    Included in the recall are 2022-2025 Toyota Tundras and Tundra hybrids and 2023-2025 Sequoia hybrids. The number of automobiles in the recall total 393,838, with the non-hybrid Tundra making up more than half of them.

    The camera display malfunction is caused by a software problem, which will be fixed with an update by dealerships free of charge.

    Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 16. Owners can contact Toyota’s customer service at 1-800-331-4331. The numbers for the recall are 25TB10 and 25TA10.

    Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration vehicle safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-888-275-9171), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

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  • Tesla under investigation after parents say faulty door handles trapped their kids in the back

    Car safety regulators opened an investigation Tuesday into possible defects in Tesla doors that have reportedly left parents with children trapped in the back seat and forced to break windows to get them out.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the preliminary probe is focused on 2021 Tesla Model Ys after receiving nine reports of electronic door handles becoming inoperative possibly due to low battery voltage.

    The company run by billionaire Elon Musk has installed manual door releases inside the vehicles but NHTSA noted that a child may not be able to reach or know how to operate the releases. In four cases, the parents had to break the windows to get inside.

    The investigation into Tesla’s most popular model comes after numerous reported incidents in recent years of other problems with opening Tesla doors, sometime trapping drivers in a burning vehicle after accidents and a loss of power.

    In April, a college basketball recruit said he was “fighting time” trying to get out of his Tesla Cybertruck that had caught fire after he had crashed into a tree and was unable to get the doors open. The University of Southern California player, Alijah Arenas, who was induced into a temporary coma after the accident, said he stayed alive by dousing himself with a water bottle as smoke filled the vehicle.

    NHTSA said the investigation is only focusing on the operability of the electronic door locks from outside of the vehicle, not inside, as that’s the only instance in which there is no manual way to open the door. But it also said it will continue to monitor reports of people stuck on the inside — what it calls “entrapment” — and will take further action as needed.

    The current agency investigation covers approximately 174,300 of the midsize SUVs.

    The agency said the incidents appear to occur when the electronic door locks receive insufficient voltage from the vehicle. It said that available repair invoices indicate that batteries were replaced after such incidents took place. Of those who reported incidents, none saw a low voltage battery warning before the exterior door handles became inoperative.

    NHTSA said that its preliminary evaluation will look at the scope and severity of the condition, including the risks that come from the conditions that have been reported to them.

    The agency’s investigation will also assess the approach used by Tesla to supply power to the door locks and the reliability of the applicable power supplies.

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  • Edmunds: How automakers are making recalls easier

    Edmunds: How automakers are making recalls easier

    Vehicle recalls are an important part of automotive safety. But they can also be quite a hassle for owners. Taking your vehicle to the dealership for an unexpected repair or fix is just one more thing you have to plan for. Pleasingly, things are changing. With many of the newest vehicles, some recalls can be taken care of simply by turning your car on.

    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 894 vehicle safety recalls in the United States for 2023. While many recalls require hardware updates, there are others for which an over-the-air, or OTA, software update is the remedy. Edmunds’ car experts review what you need to know.

    What’s an OTA Update?

    An OTA update is pushed out to vehicles via a wireless connection and typically installed automatically, much like getting an update on your smartphone or personal computer. For instance, the 2023 Tesla Model Y has 12 recalls listed on the NHTSA site; at least half of them list OTA updates as the solution. That’s a win-win for the automaker and the consumer because offering a quick and no-cost repair helps the automaker maintain positive customer satisfaction ratings.

    “Vehicles have advanced to a degree we’ve never seen before,” Ivan Drury, an auto analyst at Edmunds, said in an interview with ABC News. He says high-tech features such as self-driving capability and backup cameras are included in a wide swath of issues that recalls cover.

    Today, there are two main categories for software updates. The first refers to the infotainment system, a noncritical segment that receives nice-to-have updates on a regular basis. Drive control, the second category, encompasses driver assist and critical operating systems; those updates are necessary for safe driving.

    More Software Updates Ahead

    Automaker Kia has a robust lineup of electric vehicles and a solid OTA strategy for simple infotainment update rollouts. “With the launch of EV9, we have been able to do multiple software updates to improve the regular functioning software capability,” says Kia connected car expert Sujith Somasekharan. “For example, we improved the battery charging pad to make it more efficient. Updates improve the functionality of the car.”

    General Motors’ latest vehicles are also designed to improve over time with software updates to features like the Super Cruise hands-free driving system, remote commands and infotainment. “Over-the-air updates can enhance performance, cybersecurity and convenience, all from the comfort of home,” says Baris Cetinok, GM senior vice president of software and services product management. “As our technology evolves, GM customers will continue to have the choice of in-person assistance through our extensive dealership network.”

    OTA updates are not just for all-electric vehicles either. For certain 2024 Buick Encore GX, Envista and Chevrolet Trax vehicles, a November 2023 recall describes an issue with the driver information display going blank and prescribes a software update to fix it.

    Dealer Visits Will Still Be a Part of Ownership

    It’s great to know that vehicle OTA updates will increasingly make life easier for consumers. But don’t delete your dealership’s phone number quite yet. The majority of recalls still necessitate an in-person fix. For instance, an airbag deployment issue or engine problem is going to mean a hands-on session with the service department.

    Also, knowing what’s actually a recall or just a software update is tricky. Not every recall is a software update and not every software update is a recall. It’s a different kind of recall if it’s simply an OTA update patch. After all, software updates are pushed out to smartphones all the time. But you can be sure of this: as cars — and especially electric vehicles — become more software-focused, these OTA updates will take a more outsized role than ever.

    Edmunds Says

    Software updates are changing the game for vehicle owners across the board. When a recall is a simple fix, it’s a major time saver. We expect to see the recall process continue to evolve.

    ____________

    This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

    Kristin Shaw is a contributor at Edmunds.

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  • Edmunds: How automakers are making recalls easier

    Edmunds: How automakers are making recalls easier

    Vehicle recalls are an important part of automotive safety. But they can also be quite a hassle for owners. Taking your vehicle to the dealership for an unexpected repair or fix is just one more thing you have to plan for. Pleasingly, things are changing. With many of the newest vehicles, some recalls can be taken care of simply by turning your car on.

    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 894 vehicle safety recalls in the United States for 2023. While many recalls require hardware updates, there are others for which an over-the-air, or OTA, software update is the remedy. Edmunds’ car experts review what you need to know.

    An OTA update is pushed out to vehicles via a wireless connection and typically installed automatically, much like getting an update on your smartphone or personal computer. For instance, the 2023 Tesla Model Y has 12 recalls listed on the NHTSA site; at least half of them list OTA updates as the solution. That’s a win-win for the automaker and the consumer because offering a quick and no-cost repair helps the automaker maintain positive customer satisfaction ratings.

    “Vehicles have advanced to a degree we’ve never seen before,” Ivan Drury, an auto analyst at Edmunds, said in an interview with ABC News. He says high-tech features such as self-driving capability and backup cameras are included in a wide swath of issues that recalls cover.

    Today, there are two main categories for software updates. The first refers to the infotainment system, a noncritical segment that receives nice-to-have updates on a regular basis. Drive control, the second category, encompasses driver assist and critical operating systems; those updates are necessary for safe driving.

    Automaker Kia has a robust lineup of electric vehicles and a solid OTA strategy for simple infotainment update rollouts. “With the launch of EV9, we have been able to do multiple software updates to improve the regular functioning software capability,” says Kia connected car expert Sujith Somasekharan. “For example, we improved the battery charging pad to make it more efficient. Updates improve the functionality of the car.”

    General Motors’ latest vehicles are also designed to improve over time with software updates to features like the Super Cruise hands-free driving system, remote commands and infotainment. “Over-the-air updates can enhance performance, cybersecurity and convenience, all from the comfort of home,” says Baris Cetinok, GM senior vice president of software and services product management. “As our technology evolves, GM customers will continue to have the choice of in-person assistance through our extensive dealership network.”

    OTA updates are not just for all-electric vehicles either. For certain 2024 Buick Encore GX, Envista and Chevrolet Trax vehicles, a November 2023 recall describes an issue with the driver information display going blank and prescribes a software update to fix it.

    It’s great to know that vehicle OTA updates will increasingly make life easier for consumers. But don’t delete your dealership’s phone number quite yet. The majority of recalls still necessitate an in-person fix. For instance, an airbag deployment issue or engine problem is going to mean a hands-on session with the service department.

    Also, knowing what’s actually a recall or just a software update is tricky. Not every recall is a software update and not every software update is a recall. It’s a different kind of recall if it’s simply an OTA update patch. After all, software updates are pushed out to smartphones all the time. But you can be sure of this: as cars — and especially electric vehicles — become more software-focused, these OTA updates will take a more outsized role than ever.

    Software updates are changing the game for vehicle owners across the board. When a recall is a simple fix, it’s a major time saver. We expect to see the recall process continue to evolve.

    ____________

    This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

    Kristin Shaw is a contributor at Edmunds.

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  • Stellantis recalls 1.5M Ram trucks to fix software bug that can disable stability control

    Stellantis recalls 1.5M Ram trucks to fix software bug that can disable stability control

    DETROIT (AP) — Stellantis is recalling nearly 1.5 million Ram pickup trucks worldwide to fix a software problem that can disable the electronic stability control system.

    The recall covers certain trucks from the 2019 and 2021 through 2024 model years, mostly in North America.

    Stellantis said in a statement Saturday that the trucks may have anti-lock brake software that could inadvertently shut down the stability control, which manages the throttle and brakes to avoid skidding.

    If that happens, the company said the brakes would still work. Stellantis said it’s not aware of any crashes or injuries from the problem.

    U.S. safety standards require electronic stability control to work during nearly all phases of driving, the company says.

    Dealers will update software to fix the problem at no cost to owners, who will be notified by letters starting Oct. 3.

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  • US probes whether Tesla Autopilot recall did enough to make sure drivers pay attention

    US probes whether Tesla Autopilot recall did enough to make sure drivers pay attention

    DETROIT — The U.S. government’s auto safety agency is investigating whether last year’s recall of Tesla’s Autopilot driving system did enough to make sure drivers pay attention to the road.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted on its website Friday that Tesla has reported 20 more crashes involving Autopilot and since the recall. The crashes and agency tests raised concerns about the effectiveness of the remedy. The recall involved more than 2 million vehicles, nearly all the vehicles that Tesla had sold at the time.

    The agency pushed the company to do the recall after a two-year investigation into Autopilot’s driver monitoring system, which measures torque on the steering wheel from a driver’s hands. In the probe, the agency was looking at multiple cases in which Teslas on Autopilot ran into emergency vehicles parked on freeways.

    The recall fix involves an online software update to increase warnings to drivers. But the agency said in documents that it has found evidence of crashes after the fix, and that Tesla tried to address problems with additional software updates after the recall fix was sent out. The updates may not have worked.

    “This investigation will consider why these updates were not part of the recall or otherwise determined to remedy a defect that poses an unreasonable safety risk,” the agency wrote.

    A message was left early Friday seeking comment from Tesla.

    NHTSA said that Tesla reported the 20 crashes in vehicles that had received the recall software fix. The agency has required Tesla and other automakers to report crashes involving partially and fully automated driving systems.

    NHTSA said it will evaluate the recall, including the “prominence and scope” of Autopilot’s controls to address misuse, confusion and use in areas that the system is not designed to handle.

    It also said that Tesla has stated that owners can decide whether they want to opt in to parts of the recall remedy, and that it allows drivers to reverse parts of it.

    Safety advocates have long expressed concern that Autopilot, which can keep a vehicle in its lane and a distance from objects in front of it, was not designed to operate on roads other than limited access highways.

    The investigation comes just one week after a Tesla that may have been operating on Autopilot hit and killed a motorcyclist near Seattle, raising questions about whether a recent recall went far enough to ensure Tesla drivers using Autopilot pay attention to the road.

    After the April 19 crash in a suburban area about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of the city, the driver of a 2022 Tesla Model S told a Washington State Patrol trooper that he was using Autopilot and looked at his cellphone while the Tesla was moving.

    “The next thing he knew there was a bang and the vehicle lurched forward as it accelerated and collided with the motorcycle in front of him,” the trooper wrote in a probable-cause document.

    The 56-year-old driver was arrested for investigation of vehicular homicide “based on the admitted inattention to driving, while on Autopilot mode, and the distraction of the cell phone while moving forward, putting trust in the machine to drive for him,” the affidavit said.

    The motorcyclist, Jeffrey Nissen, 28, of Stanwood, Washington, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities reported.

    Authorities said they have not yet independently verified whether Autopilot was in use at the time of the crash.

    On Thursday, NHTSA ended its investigation of Autopilot, citing the recall and the investigation of its effectiveness. The agency said it found evidence “that Tesla’s weak driver engagement system was not appropriate for Autopilot’s permissive operating capabilities.”

    Tesla, the leading manufacturer of EVs, reluctantly agreed to the recall last year after NHTSA found that the driver monitoring system was defective.

    The system sends alerts to drivers if it fails to detect torque from hands on the steering wheel, a system that experts describe as ineffective. Although many newer Teslas have cameras that can watch the driver, they can’t see at night, and independent testing shows that Autopilot can still be used even if the cameras are covered.

    The Associated Press reported shortly after the recall that experts said the fix relied on technology that may not work.

    Research conducted by NHTSA, the National Transportation Safety Board and other investigators show that merely measuring torque on the steering wheel doesn’t ensure that drivers are paying sufficient attention. Experts say night-vision cameras are needed to watch drivers’ eyes to ensure they’re looking at the road.

    Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said NHTSA is looking into where Tesla allows Autopilot to be used.

    The company doesn’t limit its use, even though it was designed to operate on limited access freeways. Tesla, he said, appears to rely on computers to decide whether Autopilot can operate rather than maps that show a vehicle’s location.

    “When you hit that point where you’re in the area where Autopilot wasn’t designed to operate and the car knows it’s in that area, why is it still allowed to engage?” he asked.

    Brooks said NHTSA could seek civil fines and additional fixes from Tesla.

    Government documents filed by Tesla in the December recall say the online software change will increase warnings and alerts to drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel.

    NHTSA began its Autopilot crash investigation in 2021, after receiving 11 reports that Teslas that were using Autopilot struck parked emergency vehicles. In documents explaining why the investigation was ended, NHTSA said it ultimately found 467 crashes involving Autopilot resulting in 54 injuries and 14 deaths.

    Tesla offers two partially automated systems, Autopilot and a more sophisticated “Full Self Driving,” but the company says neither can drive themselves despite their names.

    In investigative documents, NHTSA said it found 75 crashes and one death involving “Full Self Driving.” It’s not clear whether the system was at fault.

    CEO Elon Musk for several years has said “Full Self Driving” will allow a fleet of robotaxis to generate income for the company and owners, making use of the electric vehicles when they would have been parked. Musk has been touting self-driving vehicles as a growth catalyst for Tesla since “Full Self Driving” hardware went on sale late in 2015. The system is being tested on public roads by thousands of owners.

    In 2019, Musk promised a fleet of autonomous robotaxis by 2020 that would make Teslas appreciate in value. Instead, they’ve declined with price cuts, as the autonomous robotaxis have been delayed year after year while being tested by owners as the company gathers road data for its computers.

    Tesla says neither system can drive itself and that drivers have to be ready to take control at all times.

    Neither Musk nor other Tesla executives on Tuesday’s earnings conference call would specify when they expect Tesla vehicles to drive themselves as well as humans do. Instead, Musk touted the latest version of “Full Self Driving” and said that “it’s only a matter of time before we exceed the reliability of humans, and not much time at that.”

    Musk went on to insist that “if somebody doesn’t believe that Tesla is going to solve autonomy, I think they should not be an investor in the company.”

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