The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a federal investigation into aftermarket driver assist devices following five crashes involving comma.ai products. The incidents resulted in three deaths and 11 injuries. Founded by George Hotz, who gained fame jailbreaking iOS and hacking Play Stations, comma.ai began in 2015 modifying vehicles to offer advanced driver assistance.

Hotz initially modified his own Acura before attempting to sell the system to Tesla. After regulatory scrutiny began in 2016, the company shifted strategy, releasing open-source software and hardware plans on Git Hub. This allowed users to build their own devices.

The Comma Neo and openpilot software eventually supported various Honda and Acura models. By 2020, the $999 device was rated higher by Consumer Reports than any original equipment manufacturer system. The investigation focuses on devices that augment native advanced driver assistance systems, specifically those plugged into vehicles' ODB ports.