They included and used descriptions such as “Autopilot” and “Fully Self-Driving Capability”. “All you have to do is get in the car and tell your car where to go… Your Tesla will navigate city streets, complex intersections and highways to determine the optimal route,” the suit says.
“The system is designed to perform short and long-distance trips without requiring any action by the person in the driver’s seat,” said another California DMV allegation of deception.
The DMV complaint states that under the California Civil Code, “these advertisements constitute a deceptive practice.”
Tesla does not typically respond to requests for comment.
Tesla has published warnings since June that the features still require active driver controls, contradicting “misleading labels and claims,” the complaint added.
The complaint alleges that Tesla’s advertising actions could cause it to temporarily lose its manufacturer’s license and special license plates in California.
According to the report, 43% of the 497 total crashes studied by NHTSA were caused by driver assistance technologies in California.
Tesla has 15 days to answer the complaint to avoid a default judgment.
The Los Angeles Times was the first news outlet to report the complaint.
CNN’s Matt McFarland contributed to this report.
