Tesla is now a subject of a fresh investigation conducted by the California attorney general's office. The probe aims to examine safety concerns surrounding the company's Autopilot feature and its marketing practices.
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GRUENHEIDE, GERMANY - JULY 17: A car drives past the Tesla logo outside the Tesla factory on July 17, 2023 near Gruenheide, Germany.
Tesla Is Facing Probe Over Autopilot Concerns
As part of the California attorney general's investigation, CNBC reported that authorities are actively seeking input from customers and former employees regarding concerns related to Autopilot safety issues and alleged false advertising claims.
The investigation came to light after California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office contacted Greg Wester, a Tesla owner, regarding his previous complaint to the Federal Trade Commission in August 2022.
The complaint revolved around issues with "phantom braking" in Wester's Tesla while driving on highways and what he perceived as misleading assertions about the capabilities of the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.
This phantom braking issue is when the car unexpectedly applies the brakes without any evident cause while using Tesla's driver assistance system, particularly Autopilot.
In addition to the complaint about "phantom braking," Wester expressed feeling misled by Tesla regarding the premium driver assistance option, the FSD. He had paid a significant amount for this feature, only to be dissatisfied with its performance and perceived misrepresentation.
In the second quarter of this year, Wester received a voicemail from an analyst representing Bonta's office who sought an interview to discuss the concerns he raised in his previous complaint.
Market Watch reported that this exchange prompted the ongoing investigation into Tesla and the growing interest in addressing Autopilot safety issues and alleged false advertising complaints.
As a result of this complaint and other similar concerns, the California attorney general's office has launched an investigation into Tesla, seeking information from customers and former employees about Autopilot safety issues and potential false advertising complaints.
Also Read: Tesla Crashes Now Under Investigation by NHTSA-Autopilot, FSD the Culprits?
Other Investigations
In addition to the ongoing investigations into Tesla's Autopilot system, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also looking into numerous incidents wherein Tesla vehicles equipped with Autopilot have collided with stationary emergency vehicles.
As part of its scrutiny, the agency has compelled the company to conduct a recall affecting over 360,000 Tesla electric vehicles (EVs) with FSD beta installed.
However, it's worth noting that the recall is primarily a mandatory software update rather than a traditional vehicle recall. These developments underscore the regulatory scrutiny and safety concerns surrounding Tesla's advanced driver assistance features.
Tesla's Promises for Autopilot System
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been making claims about the fully driverless capabilities of his cars since as early as 2016, asserting that all new Tesla EVs would come equipped with the necessary hardware.
However, The Verge reported that the company had faced delays in delivering this promise, prompting Tesla to give drivers a "one-time" transfer of their purchased upgrade to their next EV from the company.
With its vision of fully driverless vehicles, Tesla is now facing several legal and regulatory battles over safety issues with its EVs.
Related Article: Tesla Autopilot Under Multiple Federal, State Investigations Regarding its System-Why?
