They included descriptions such as “Autopilot” and “Fully self-driving capability” and used wording such as “All you have to do is get in and tell your car where to go…Your Tesla will determine the optimal route, navigating city streets, complex intersections and freeways,” the suit said.
Another claim that the California DMV was misleading read, “The system is designed to be capable of short and long trips with no action required from the person sitting in the driver’s seat.”
“These advertisements are a deceptive practice” under the California Civil Code, the DMV complaint said.
Tesla generally does not respond to requests for comment.
Tesla issued disclaimers as early as June warning that features still require active driver supervision, which contradicts “misleading labels and claims,” the complaint added.
Tesla’s advertising actions could cause it to temporarily lose its manufacturer’s license and special plate number in California, the complaint warned.
Of 497 total crashes studied by NHTSA, 43% of those caused by driver assist technologies took place in California, the data shows.
Tesla is 15 days old respond to the complaint in order to avoid a decision by default.
The Los Angeles Times was the first outlet to report the complaint.
CNN’s Matt McFarland contributed to this report.