The U.S. government has opened a formal investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot partially automated driving system, saying it has trouble spotting parked emergency vehicles.
The investigation covers 765,000 vehicles, almost everything that Tesla has sold in the U.S. since the start of the 2014 model year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the action Monday in a posting on its website.
The agency says it has identified 11 crashes since 2018 in which Teslas on Autopilot or Traffic-Aware Cruise Control have hit vehicles with flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board or cones warning of hazards.
The investigation covers Tesla’s entire current model lineup, the Models Y, X, S and 3 from the 2014 through 2021 model years.
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Autopilot has frequently been misused by Tesla drivers, who have been caught driving drunk or even riding in the back seat while a car rolled down a California highway.
The agency has sent investigative teams to 31 crashes involving partially automated driver-assist systems since June of 2016. Such systems can keep a vehicle centered in its lane and a safe distance from vehicles in front of it. Of those crashes, 25 involved Tesla Autopilot in which 10 deaths were reported, according to data released by the agency.
