Federal safety agency wants answers on Tesla battery fires

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Tesla over alleged battery defects that have reportedly led to fires in the Model S and Model X.

On Oct. 24, the agency sent a letter informing Tesla that it planned to open a defect petition requesting that "certain battery management system software updates" be evaluated in Model S and Model X vehicles sold between 2012 to 2019 in the United States. It also requested information about those updates, as well as details on consumer complaints, lawsuits, and claims related to the alleged defects.