It looks like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has Tesla’s (TSLA) phone number on speed dial as it had reason to call on the EV maker again today.
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Three Strikes
For the third time in a week the NHTSA is querying safety aspects of Tesla’s fleet of cars – this time its driver assistance mode dubbed “Mad Max.”
The NHTSA is understood to be in contact with Tesla over the mode that operates at higher speeds than other versions.
Some drivers on social media report that Tesla vehicles using the more aggressive version of its Full Self-Driving system (FSD) could operate above posted speed limits.
NHTSA said in a statement to Rolling Stone that it is “in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information,” noting that the company’s FSD system still requires “a fully attentive driver who is engaged in the driving task at all times. The human behind the wheel is fully responsible for driving the vehicle and complying with all traffic safety laws.”
Mad Max, which was reintroduced earlier this month, reportedly “comes with higher speeds and more frequent lane changes” than Tesla’s system’s Hurry mode. This feature isn’t new; it was part of the Autopilot mode in 2018 that pre-dated the FSD system.
Critical Period
Its reintroduction comes at a critical time for Tesla and its relationship with the NHTSA.
Earlier this week Tesla said it was recalling 63,619 Cybertrucks over software that makes the front parking lights too bright. This could potentially impair oncoming drivers’ vision and increase the risk of a crash.
It took prompt action and issued an over-the-air software update to fix the issue in the Cybertrucks built between November 13, 2023 and October 11, 2025.
That recall came only days after it was forced to takesimilar action with 12,963 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
They had to be recalled because of a battery pack component defect that could cause a loss of driver power and increase crash risk.
On top of that, earlier this month, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was opening an investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after more than 50 reports of traffic-safety violations and a series of crashes.
The auto safety regulator said that the FSD system, which is designed as a driver assistance feature requiring constant driver attention and intervention when needed, has “induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws.”
In a tricky week for Tesla after reporting mixed Q3 earnings, another safety recall is unwelcome. It is why legal and regulatory issues are such a key risk for innovative firms like Tesla.
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