Tesla Must Face Class Action Over Self-Driving Misrepresentation Claims, California Judge Rules

Tesla must face a certified class action by California drivers who allege Elon Musk misled them for eight years about the self-driving capabilities of its electric vehicles, according to Reuters. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin ruled Monday that Tesla’s lack of sensors for high-level autonomy and inability to demonstrate long-distance autonomous driving justified group lawsuits. The classes cover drivers who bought the Full Self-Driving package between 2016 and 2024 and opted out of arbitration. Lin noted Tesla’s unique advertising approach, which relied heavily on its website and Musk’s public statements, as sufficient to establish broad exposure. The judge refused to certify a class of Enhanced Autopilot buyers, saying Tesla’s alleged misrepresentations were immaterial to that product. The case is being heard in the Northern District of California.