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- Sep 3, 202695% CONFIDENCEfrom static.nhtsa.gov
NHTSA Opens an Audit of the Cybercab's Safety Self-Certification
- NHTSA opened Audit Query AQ26002 on 3 September 2026, the day Tesla began commercial Cybercab service in Austin, Texas[1][2][5]
- The audit examines the process and technical data Tesla relied on when it self-certified that the Cybercab, which has no steering wheel, pedals or mirrors, meets all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)[1][2][5]
- It will consider how far Tesla's certification depended on determinations that certain FMVSS do not apply to the Cybercab[1][5]
- The query was prompted by public information and covers an estimated 1,000 Cybercabs[3][5]
- A special order dated 10 September 2026 requires Tesla to answer under oath by 30 September 2026, with questions on FMVSS Nos. 101, 102, 111, 126 and 135[2]
- Tesla told NHTSA it certified the vehicles as compliant and plans to expand deployment gradually to more vehicles and locations[5]
- NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said the agency supports automated vehicles but must "ensure that all of our laws are followed"; the agency is rewriting the standards in eight rulemakings, but existing standards remain in force until then[1][4]
- Automakers self-certify without advance approval; Tesla did not seek a Part 555 exemption, the route Amazon's Zoox took, which caps exempt vehicles at 2,500 a year[3][4]
- The audit is not a recall and does not assess how well the Cybercab drives itself[3][4]
References 588% CONFIDENCE
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- [1]90%nhtsa.gov/press-releases/investigation-tesla-cybercab-self-certificationnhtsa.gov· Posted Sep 23, 2026· Starts Sep 3, 2026· 21% of score
NHTSA's[2] special order states: "On September 3, 2026, NHTSA opened Audit Query (AQ) 26002 to evaluate Tesla's basis for certifying that its Cybercab vehicle complies with all applicable FMVSS." No time of day is given, so the pin is all day.
- [2]95%Special Order Directed to Tesla, Inc. - AQ26002 Tesla Cybercab FMVSS Certificationstatic.nhtsa.gov· Published Sep 10, 2026· Starts Sep 3, 2026 ✓· 20% of score
NHTSA's[1] own special order states "On September 3, 2026, NHTSA opened Audit Query (AQ) 26002 to evaluate Tesla's basis for certifying that its Cybercab vehicle complies with all applicable FMVSS"; the official filing that dates the event, which the undated press release does not.
- [3]85%NHTSA Opens Audit Into Tesla Cybercab Hours After Austin Ride Launchmotor1.com· Published Sep 7, 2026· 20% of score
Motor1 says "NHTSA[1][2] opened Audit Query AQ26002 on September 3, 2026 targeting about 1,000 Cybercabs in Austin" and explains the self-certification and exemption paths.
- [4]80%Feds Are Auditing How Tesla Certified a Car With No Steering Wheeltopspeed.com· Published Sep 7, 2026· 20% of score
TopSpeed reports that regulators "responded the same day" Tesla began charging Cybercab fares on September 3, 2026, opening AQ26002, and notes it is not a recall.
- [5]90%Tesla Cybercab is already under NHTSA investigation after launchelectrek.co· Published Sep 4, 2026· 20% of score
Electrek quotes the ODI filing: an Open Audit Query numbered AQ26002, "prompted by public information", "opened September 3" and covering an estimated 1,000 Cybercabs.
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