California DMV threatens to shut down Tesla sales over 'autopilot' false advertising
Source: Los Angeles Times
The California Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend Tesla sales in the state if the electric vehicle company continues to mislead consumers about its driving assistance features, the DMV said Tuesday.
Elon Musk’s Tesla has 90 days to comply before facing a 30-day suspension of its manufacturing and dealer license. The use of the terms “autopilot” and “full self-driving capability” to describe Tesla’s Advanced Driving Assistance Features (ADAS) is false advertising and violates state law, an administrative judge ruled last month.
According to Tesla’s marketing materials for autopilot and Full Self-Drive mode, “the system is designed to be able to conduct short and long-distance trips with no action required by the person in the driver’s seat.”
However, Tesla vehicles cannot operate autonomously and are only safe when used with an alert human driver, the DMV said. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
“The DMV’s decision today confirms that the department will hold every vehicle manufacturer to the highest safety standards to keep California’s drivers, passengers and pedestrians protected,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon in a statement.
Read more: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2025-12-17/california-dmv-threatens-to-shut-down-tesla-sales-false-advertising
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