National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) News

U.S. Closes Ford SUV Exhaust Odor Probe Without Seeking Recall

U.S. auto safety regulators on Monday closed a six-year-old investigation into 1.47 million Ford Explorer SUVs over reports of exhaust odors in vehicle compartments and exposure to carbon monoxide without seeking a recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) …

NHTSA Investigating if Hertz Rented Unrepaired Recalled Vehicles

U.S. auto safety regulators said on Tuesday they are investigating if Hertz rented unrepaired recalled vehicles to customers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a filing made public on Tuesday it was in receipt of information that …

Safety Probe Opened Into Autonomous Driving System in GM’s Cruise Vehicles

U.S. auto safety regulators said Friday they have opened a formal safety probe into the autonomous driving system in vehicles produced by General Motors’ robotaxi unit Cruise LLC. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has received notices …

NHTSA Confirms New Ford Death Due to Faulty Air Bag Inflator

U.S. auto safety regulators on Thursday confirmed a new death tied to a defective air bag inflator in a 2006 Ford Ranger pickup and reiterated urgent calls for owners to get their vehicles repaired. Chrysler parent Stellantis earlier this month …

New Data Suggests Dangerous Driving Trend Is Slowing, Slightly

Preliminary traffic data provides some hope that a rash of unsafe driving habits spawned by traffic-free roads during COVID-19 business shutdowns is beginning to abate. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that for the second quarter of 2022, from …

Tesla Recalls Nearly 1.1 Million Vehicles to Update Window Reversing Software

Tesla is recalling nearly 1.1 million U.S. vehicles because the window automatic reversal system may not react correctly after detecting an obstruction, increasing the risk of injury. The electric vehicle manufacturer told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) it …

U.S. Traffic Deaths in First Half 2022 Hit 16-Year High

U.S. traffic deaths rose 0.5% in the first half of 2022 to 20,175, the highest number killed in the period since 2006, according to an early estimate released by U.S. regulators. Traffic deaths have jumped after pandemic lockdowns ended as …

U.S. Seeks Information From Tesla on In-Car Camera in Autopilot Probe

U.S. auto safety regulators on Thursday asked Tesla Inc. to answer questions about its in-car camera intended to monitor driver awareness as part of a probe into 830,000 Tesla vehicles that employ the carmaker’s advanced driver assistance system called Autopilot. …

U.S. Traffic Deaths Hit 20-Year-High in Early 2022

U.S. traffic deaths jumped about 7% in the first three months of 2022 to 9,560, the highest number of people killed on American roads in a quarterly period since 2002, regulators said on Wednesday in a preliminary estimate. Traffic deaths …

U.S. Agency Probes Tesla Crashes That Killed 2 Motorcyclists

Two crashes involving Teslas apparently running on Autopilot are drawing scrutiny from federal regulators and point to a potential new hazard on U.S. freeways: The partially automated vehicles may not stop for motorcycles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent …