Technology
Elon Musk’s Tesla Battles Lawsuit for Advertising Autopilot that Caused Accidents
Tesla sued by drivers for false advertisement of the functionality of its autopilot and FSD Software feature
American multinational automotive and clean energy company, Tesla has been recently sued by drivers alleging that the company falsely advertised its autopilot and FSD Software feature.
The lawsuit which was filed in the California Northern District Court disclosed that Tesla’s ADAS systems is causing a lot of problems to its owners where the vehicles often run on red lights, miss turns, and veer into traffic, which has cost owners thousands of dollars to fix.
One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Briggs Matsko, stated that he paid $5,000 for his 2018 Tesla Model X to get Enhanced Autopilot.
In his complaint, he alleged that the automotive company and its CEO Elon Musk have been deceitfully advertising its ADAS tech as either fully functioning or close to being “solved” since 2016, despite knowing full well that the capabilities of Autopilot and FSD don’t live up to the hype.
His lawsuit reads; “Although these promises have proven false time and time again, Tesla and Musk have continued making them to generate media attention, to deceive consumers into believing it has unrivaled cutting-edge technology, and to establish itself as a leading player in the fast-growing electric vehicle market”.
This lawsuit follows a string of other complaints and allegations, including increased attention and inquiries from state and federal agencies.
This is not the first time Tesla has been slammed in a lawsuit as California’s Department of Motor Vehicles also accused the automotive company in July of false advertisement of its autopilot and FSD Systems.
Last month August, another owner of a Tesla Model 3 filed a lawsuit against the automaker alleging that a defect in Autopilot caused unintended braking.
Tesla’s autopilot has been advertised with capabilities such as traffic-aware cruise control and lane assist, smart summon, etc.
Meanwhile, Tesla on its website had advised drivers using autopilot to stay alert and maintain control of the vehicle at all times, a statement most owners claimed contradicted the functionality of those features advertised by the company.