Tesla is being investigated by California's attorney general over the safety of its Autopilot feature and complaints of false advertising, according to a CNBC report.
CNBC obtained materials from Greg Wester, owner of a 2018 Tesla Model 3, who filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission in August 2022 about the safety of his vehicle. In the complaint, he alleged that the autopilot function of the car's driver assistant would brake suddenly, a phenomenon known as “phantom braking.” He also said he felt cheated by Tesla's so-called full self-driving program, a premium feature for which he paid thousands of dollars, according to the CNBC report.
The California attorney general's office followed up with Wester during the second quarter of 2023 to interview him about the complaint filed with the FTC. Additionally, this month the bureau's consumer protection division sought information from an unnamed former Tesla employee who worked in the FSD program for an “unspecified but active investigation” into Tesla, according to the CNBC report.
The attorney general's office declined to comment. The FTC and Tesla could not immediately be reached for comment.
To date, no Tesla is capable of driving itself. Autopilot, a feature intended for highway driving, is an advanced driver assistance program that allows a vehicle to turn, change lanes, accelerate and brake. Full self-driving is advertised as a more advanced technology that can supposedly stop at traffic lights and stop signs and turn at intersections.
Regulatory agencies have been investigating Tesla's automated technology for years. Several deaths have been linked to Autopilot software. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has several open investigations, including an investigation into why Teslas appear to crash disproportionately into emergency vehicles parked on the side of the road. The agency has not set a public timeline for a determination.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles says it is also investigating the matter.
