The feds are finally getting off Tesla’s back regarding its Actually Smart Summon feature, better known to the internet as ASS. On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officially parked its 15-month investigation into the tech, deciding that the self-driving parking lot party trick isn’t a major safety threat after all.
The investigation kicked off in early 2025 after some Teslas started acting a bit too bold in parking lots, leading to about 100 minor incidents where cars nudged garage doors or scuffed up other bumpers. But after looking at data from 2.6 million vehicles, the NHTSA realized these mishaps were incredibly rare. It turns out most of the “crashes” happened because owners weren’t actually watching their cars or were trying to use ASS in the middle of a Canadian blizzard when the cameras were caked in snow.
Since nobody was hurt and the only thing bruised was a bit of paint and some owner pride, the government decided a recall wasn’t necessary. Tesla also smoothed things over by pushing out half a dozen software updates throughout 2025, making the system much better at realizing when its eyes are dirty or blocked.
While the NHTSA warned that they’re still keeping an eye on things, Tesla is officially in the clear for now and its ASS is squeaky clean.
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