Tesla Being Sued Over Autopilot And Self-Driving Claims In Model S And Model 3

Tesla has been sued in a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the EV automaker of misleading the public with false claims regarding its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving autonomous systems.

Per Reuters, the complaint, which lists Briggs Matsko as the plaintiff, accuses Tesla and CEO Elon Musk of making deceptive claims and false advertisements stating that both technologies as either fully functional or "just around the corner." Both Tesla and Musk, the suit states, knew the technology did not work. Therefore, vehicles like the Model 3 and Model S are unsafe.

Matsko says this was all done to "generate excitement" about its EVs, attract additional investment, increase sales, drive up its stock price, avoid bankruptcy, and become a "dominant player" in EVs. "Tesla has yet to produce anything even remotely approaching a fully self-driving car," said Matsko. He reportedly paid an additional $5,000 for his 2018 Model X to come with Enhanced Autopilot.

The suit, filed in San Francisco, demands unspecified damages for customers who purchased or leased a Tesla since 2016 that came equipped with Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving. The suit further states that Tesla owners who receive software updates "effectively act as untrained test engineers" who found "myriad problems" such as vehicles driving into oncoming traffic, failing to make basic turns and even running red lights.

Tesla did not comment on the suit, which is no surprise considering it shut its media department back in 2020.

Both Autopilot and Full Self-Driving have been controversial since they were launched. Autopilot, in particular, has been the subject of numerous lawsuits that claim the tech is unsafe and does not function as claimed. Tesla and Musk have always defended Autopilot, countering that drivers do not understand what it can and cannot do.