Overview
- NHTSA said Thursday the 2026 Model Y is the first vehicle to meet its updated driver-assist benchmark under the New Car Assessment Program.
- The benchmark adds four pass/fail checks — pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention — and the Model Y also met the program’s four original criteria for forward crash warnings and braking support and for lane departure alerts.
- The certification covers Model Y SUVs built on or after November 12, 2025, and the results appear as pass/fail checkmarks that do not change a car’s overall five-star crash rating.
- NHTSA finalized these ADAS additions in late 2024 for 2026 models, but a one-year delay to 2027 after lobbying by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation led most automakers to hold off, while Tesla used the 2026 option to self-test and submit results for NHTSA review, with agency-run testing set to begin in 2027.
- Separately, NHTSA is conducting an engineering analysis of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving on about 3.2 million vehicles that examines missed hazards in low-visibility conditions and possible under-reporting of crashes, which is separate from these basic driver-assist checks.