California DMV Accuses Tesla of Exaggerating Hands-free Driving Software Capabilities
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has asked for an administrative hearing that could result in penalties.

Tesla
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has accused Tesla of exaggerating the capabilities of its hands-free driving software. The agency has asked for an administrative hearing that could result in penalties.
Tesla offers three levels of automation on its vehicles. Each level offers different capabilities, but none give consumers a true autonomous vehicle.
Autopilot comes standard equipment on every Tesla vehicle. It includes a smart cruise control that matches the car’s speed to the speed of surrounding traffic and a lane-centering function to keep the car in the center of its lane.
Enhanced Autopilot, a $6,000 option on all Tesla vehicles, which offers the same features as Autopilot but adds the ability to navigate highway on- and off-ramps and highway interchanges without driver input, and to suggest lane changes. This level also includes a self-parking system and a “summon” function that lets owners call the car to them from across a parking lot.
Full Self-Driving costs consumers $12,000. This system lets the car read and react to traffic lights and stop signs with the driver’s “active supervision.” Owners can use this system today but must agree to a series of waivers to activate it. Tesla reports the system is still in “beta testing.”
The California DMV claims Tesla “made or disseminated statements that are untrue or misleading, and not based on facts.” By naming the products “autopilot” and “full self-driving,” the DMV alleges Tesla suggests the systems operate autonomously.
But SAE requires active driver supervision with autonomous capabilities such as those offered by Tesla. The automaker has since added a disclaimer stating “the currently enabled features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.”
A collective group of automotive safety groups have asked the auto industry to agree on standardized names for autonomous systems to avoid confusion.
Tesla has offered up information that explains how Full Self-Driving is “not capable of recognizing or responding to static objects and road debris, emergency vehicles, construction zones, large uncontrolled intersections with multiple incoming ways, occlusions, adverse weather, complicated or adversarial vehicles in the driving path, and unmapped roads.”
California DMV maintains this disclaimer is not enough.
If the DMV prevails in its lawsuit, it could revoke the company’s licenses to make or sell its cars in California.
But in a KMB.com article, a DMV spokesperson hinted the agency wouldn’t take things that far. Instead, will require Tesla to advertise to consumers and better educate Tesla drivers about the capabilities of its ‘Autopilot’ and ‘Full Self-Driving’ features.”
More Dealer Ops

Dealer Debrief: Defection Data & EV Updates
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses how to use defection data to your advantage and the latest on EV sales and charging infrastructure.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.
Read More →
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins
A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.
Read More →
What Market Timing Mistakes Mean for Your Reinsurance Program
When volatility hits, dealer-owned reinsurance programs face a familiar temptation: pull back and wait for calmer waters. New data from BOK Financial shows why that instinct can quietly cost you years of surplus growth.
Read More →
Dealer Ads and the FTC
The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.
Read More →
Used Autos Supply Dwindles
The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.
Read More →
Managing Risk Effectively Through Changing Times
The variables influencing risk pricing have changed significantly over the past five years. Being proactive and responsive to emerging trends is not optional but essential.
Read More →
Survey Reveals What Won't Fix What's Breaking Car Sales
AutoPayPlus says extra-long auto loans are trapping consumers and threatening the dealer trade-in cycle, and that the industry is leveraging the wrong tools to combat high MSRPs.
Read More →
