Regulators scrutinize Tesla's FSD claims after Elon Musk's posts

In a July 2 request, NHTSA officials cited specific posts from Musk, including one from December 2025 where he stated FSD users could text and drive "depending on [the] context of surrounding traffic." Another cited post read, "This is so cool. Make your espresso on the road while your Tesla drives itself," in response to a video of a Tesla owner using an espresso machine while FSD was engaged. Musk's claims that FSD "can operate in all conditions" and "substantially reduce" the need for driver attention were also highlighted.

The agency is seeking clarification on whether these statements accurately reflect FSD's capabilities and if Tesla has implemented measures to prevent potential misunderstandings or misuse by drivers. This comes despite Tesla's own website and owner manuals emphasizing that drivers using FSD (Supervised) must remain attentive and prepared to take control at all times.

This is not the first instance of regulatory scrutiny for Tesla's driver-assist technologies. The company was previously ordered to pay $242 million in damages related to a wrongful-death lawsuit that alleged misleading advertising of Autopilot, FSD's predecessor. Tesla also reached a settlement to avoid a ban in California after a judge ruled its branding for "Autopilot" and "Full Self-Driving" was misleading.

The current NHTSA investigation into FSD was initiated in October 2024 and was upgraded to an engineering analysis in March. It specifically examines FSD's ability to alert drivers in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog, or dust, following reports of Tesla vehicles crashing in such scenarios. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.