Drivers can be distracted playing games while the vehicle is in motion, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said, following a New York Times report earlier this month.
“We are aware of driver concerns and are discussing the feature with the manufacturer,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement.
The feature raises fresh questions about whether Tesla is compromising safety as it rushes to add new technologies.
The automaker also reported a big jump in revenue, to $13.8 billion from $8.8 billion a year ago, as sales of the Model Y continue to rise.
In a letter, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reminded Tesla that federal law requires automakers to initiate recalls if they find defects that pose a safety risk.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said battery fires in Tesla’s electric vehicles when no crash was involved were “rare events.”
A 2019 crash in Florida highlights how gaps in Tesla’s driver-assistance system and distractions can have tragic consequences.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is aware of 11 crashes since 2018 when Tesla vehicles operating under Autopilot control have hit emergency vehicles.
The automaker has told owners of the 51,000 vehicles, from the 2017 to 2019 model years, to take precautions until defects are remedied.
The automaker has told owners of the 51,000 vehicles, from the 2017 to 2019 model years, to take precautions until defects are remedied.
