The Feds Are Looking Into All The Tesla ‘Smart Summon’ Crashes

David Tracy
Thursday 9:55am Filed to: THE MORNING SHIFT

The feds are looking into Tesla’s troublesome Smart Summon feature, the Model 3 is crushing it in the Netherlands, Toyota is revamping a sedan plant to keep up with SUV demand, a glimmer of hope among poor sales numbers and more for The Morning Shift of Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019.

1st Gear: The Feds Are Looking Into Tesla’s ‘Smart Summon’ Issues
Tesla’s clever, but also apparently-flawed Smart Summon feature is now being scrutinized by the U.S. government’s auto regulatory arm, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Reuters reports.

Tesla says its new Smart Summon feature allows owners to, with just the press (and hold) of a button on a smartphone app, “enable their car to navigate a parking lot and come to them or their destination of choice, as long as their car is within their line of sight.”

The system seems like a fun and sometimes useful idea, but a number of users have voiced complaints, even shooting video of their vehicles getting confused and, in some cases, crashing into objects at low speeds. Smart Summon is supposed to use the vehicle’s sensors to detect and avoid obstacles.

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