California launches investigation against Tesla over autopilot safety issues and false advertising

The California Attorney General's office has launched an investigation against Tesla and is looking into safety issues with the company's autopilot feature as well as its marketing practices.

Here's What We Know

The investigation was reported by Tesla car owner Greg Wester, who received a call from California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Bonta asked Wester about his complaint to the US Federal Trade Commission in August 2022 about the "phantom braking" problem, and also sought his opinion on the company's false claims about the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's claims about the fully unmanned capabilities of the company's vehicles go back to 2016. Back then, he claimed that all new electric cars would have the necessary hardware to do so. But in reality, the company has yet to actually implement the promised features.

Also, several California residents have sued Tesla over the fact that their cars brake abruptly in autopilot mode for no reason. This problem is referred to as "phantom braking".

In addition, a number of incidents involving Tesla are being investigated by the US Department of Justice and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Source: The Verge