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Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk dances next to a car at the company's factory near Berlin. The California DMV has accused the electric-car maker of false advertising over its self-driving claims. (Getty Images) By Russ MitchellStaff Writer Aug. 5, 2022 1:03 PM PT * Facebook * Twitter * Show more sharing options ShareClose extra sharing options * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * Email * Copy Link URLCopied! * Print The California Department of Motor Vehicles has accused Tesla of false advertising in its promotion of the company's signature Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies. The agency alleges the electric-car maker misled customers with advertising language on its website describing Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies as more capable than they actually are. The company "made or disseminated statements that are untrue or misleading, and not based on facts," the DMV said in a pair of complaints filed with the state Office of Administrative Hearings on July 28. The DMV complaints point to the very names of the technologies, as well as other "misleading" language such as the following, which appears on the Tesla website's Autopilot page: "All you will need to do is get in and tell your car where to go. If you don't say anything, your car will look at your calendar and take you there as the assumed destination. Your Tesla will figure out the optimal route, navigating urban streets, complex intersections and freeways." The remedies proposed by the DMV if it prevails could be severe, including revocation of the company's licenses to make or sell its cars in California. But actual remedies probably would be much softer. A DMV spokesperson said Friday via email that if its action succeeds, "the DMV will ask that Tesla will be required to advertise to consumers and better educate Tesla drivers about the capabilities of its 'Autopilot' and 'Full Self-Driving' features, including cautionary warnings regarding the limitations of the features, and for other actions as appropriate given the violations." One of two DMV complaints against Tesla Advertisement In June, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk underlined the importance of Full Self-Driving to the company. Without FSD, Tesla is "worth basically zero," he said. The Full Self-Driving feature costs $12,000 and purports to automatically pilot the car on freeways, city streets and neighborhood roads; automatically obey traffic signals; and roam a parking lot without a driver to park itself. Despite the name, no car available for purchase by individuals is capable of fully autonomous driving from Tesla or any other company. Tesla cars never could, "and cannot now, operate as autonomous vehicles," the DMV claims assert. Wally Skalij Los Angeles Times NEW DIRECTOR Steve Gordon outside DMV headquarters in Sacramento. Among his challenges: "motor voter" glitches and a decades-old computer system that frequently crashes, adding to customer woes. Business DMV probing whether Tesla violates state regulations with self-driving claims A review of Tesla's claims around its self-driving technology comes after a spate of accidents and videos showing owners 'driving' from the back seat. The DMV notes that Tesla's website states that "the currently enabled features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous." But, the DMV said, the disclaimer "contradicts the original untrue or misleading labels and claims, which is misleading, and does not cure the violation." Tesla's driver-assisting technologies have been popular features that help the carmaker stand out in an increasingly crowded electric vehicle market. But YouTube videos showing its systems placing cars in dangerous situations have drawn attention, including near head-on collisions with trucks and trains that require a driver to yank the steering wheel to avoid a crash. One video appears to show Tesla's sensor system confusing the moon for a traffic light stuck on yellow. Autopilot, a less expensive feature that combines automatic cruise control with automatic steering and automatic lane changes, came under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration when Teslas showed a pattern of plowing into emergency vehicles parked by the roadside. It's unclear how many crashes involve Full Self-Driving technology, and whether any of those crashes have led to death or injury. Tesla's onboard computers are capable of communicating that information over the air to Tesla, but the company doesn't share those data with the public. Recently, Musk claimed that Full Self-Driving had not been a factor in any Tesla crash, although at least eight crash reports submitted by Tesla owners to federal safety regulators indicate otherwise. LA Times Today: What to know about self-driving Teslas -- and crashes Business LA Times Today: What to know about self-driving Teslas -- and crashes Watch L.A. Tesla's response to the DMV complaints, if any, has not yet been made public. Tesla has no media relations office. Musk did not respond to an invitation to tell Tesla's side of the story. --------------------------------------------------------------------- BusinessAutos Newsletter The view from Sacramento For reporting and exclusive analysis from bureau chief John Myers, get our California Politics newsletter. Enter email address[ ] Sign Me Up You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. [gif] Russ Mitchell Follow Us * Twitter * Instagram * Email * Facebook Russ Mitchell covers the rapidly changing global auto industry, with special emphasis on California, including Tesla, electric vehicles, driverless cars and vehicle safety, for the Los Angeles Times. More From the Los Angeles Times * Wind turbines Business The Senate has a climate deal. Now comes the hard part * FILE - The Twitter splash page is displayed on a digital device in San Diego, April 25, 2022. Twitter has filed a response to claims by billionaire Elon Musk that he has legitimate reasons for wanting to back out of his $44 billion deal to buy the social media company. In a counterclaim filed Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, Twitter calls Musk's reasoning "a story, imagined in an effort to escape a merger agreement that Musk no longer found attractive once the stock market--and along with it, his massive personal wealth--declined in value." (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File) Business Elon Musk's countersuit accuses Twitter of fraud * Construction workers help direct traffic outside a residential and commercial building under construction at the Essex Crossing development on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. On Friday, Aug. 5, the Labor Department delivers its July jobs report. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Business America's hiring boom continues as employers add 528,000 jobs in July * Pacific Palisades, CA - August 02: A mural dedicated to Molly Steinsapir, a 12-year-old girl who died in an e-bike crash, is seen on the exterior of the Pierson Playhouse on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 in Pacific Palisades, CA. 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