Tesla is fighting to keep crash data involving its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving systems confidential, arguing that making it known would harm its business.
What's happening?
As detailed by Electrek, automakers must report crashes involving advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
Even though Tesla vehicles account for the majority of the reports, Electrek suggests that the company "abuses" the NHTSA's confidentiality rules. As a result, crucial information regarding the crashes is redacted — which is not usually the case for other automakers.
The Washington Post has issued a request for Tesla's ADAS crash data, arguing that the ADAS hardware and software aren't private because drivers can access the information in their vehicles.
However, Tesla has pushed back. In a filing, it says it "would suffer financial and economic harm if the requested information is disclosed," in part because competitors would be able to "draw conclusions as to Tesla's rate of progress" with its autonomous technology.
Why is this important?
Even though Tesla ranks among the five-safest car brands, its autonomous driving technology is giving many consumers serious pause — and for good reason.
The automaker's struggles with the rollout are well-documented. In China, system errors with its Full Self-Driving software resulted in drivers racking up costly traffic violations. In San Francisco, a Tesla robotaxi using the same or similar FSD tech initially stopped at a red light but then proceeded through before the light turned green.
The NHTSA has also opened multiple investigations after crashes involving several of Tesla's autonomous features, according to Reuters.
Nonetheless, Tesla sees its autonomous driving technology as a crucial component to its future success. This month, it intends to roll out its self-driving robotaxis in Austin, Texas. However, critics have argued the launch seems premature, given that Tesla only began testing its robotaxis without a safety driver at the end of May, per Electrek.
What does this mean for Tesla?
Tesla's fight to keep ADAS crash data redacted comes at a tough time for the company, which saw its stocks and global sales fall off a cliff early in 2025 before rebounding a bit last month.
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For sure 👍 While CEO Elon Musk's political activities and leadership in the Department of Government Efficiency weren't the only factors in the slide, they played a major role, souring the brand in the eyes of many who viewed their support for Tesla as a political statement.
Musk's recent public rift with President Donald Trump also did nothing to quell the company's stock volatility and prompted a fresh drop after the rebound, though the stock has since regained most of that latest drop.
Tesla's legal battle with the Post may only add to the doubts that the company can reclaim its position as a tastemaker in a robust EV market.
"The self driving fantasy is 90% of the stock price. Transparency would kill that fantasy," one Electrek commenter suggested.
Ultimately, having more EVs on the road is a good thing from a public health and environmental perspective. EVs are desirable as a more eco-friendly, cost-effective mode of transportation, slashing asthma-linked heat-trapping pollution along with fuel and maintenance bills.
Yet a poorly executed robotaxi launch could not only create another type of public safety concern but also lead to a negative perception of Tesla's technology — self-driven or not.
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