In re Tesla Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Litigation is a consolidated class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that alleges Tesla misled consumers about the capabilities of its "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) software. In August 2025, a judge certified two classes of California drivers and ruled that their claims of misrepresentation, negligence, and violations of consumer protection laws could proceed, but dismissed the warranty claims. The case is based on allegations that Tesla's marketing, including statements from CEO Elon Musk, exaggerated the system's autonomy, leading drivers to believe it was more capable than it was. 

The case is expected to go to trial in 2026.

Key aspects of the litigation

• What the lawsuit is about: The core of the case is the allegation that Tesla falsely advertised its "Full Self-Driving" software as more capable than it was, failing to have the hardware for truly autonomous driving despite marketing claims.
• Who is involved: The case was filed by several drivers and consolidated into a single class action. The lawsuit was certified to include two classes of California drivers who purchased the FSD package within specific timeframes and opted out of Tesla's arbitration agreement.
• Court's ruling on class certification: U.S. District Judge Rita Lin certified the class-action lawsuit, finding that there was a common question of whether Tesla misled consumers about its self-driving technology. She dismissed the warranty claims but allowed claims based on fraud, negligence, and statutory violations to move forward.
• Allegations against Tesla: The plaintiffs' claims include violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and False Advertising Law, as well as common law claims for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and negligence.
• Tesla's defense: Tesla has argued that its disclosures clearly stated the technology was for "driver assistance" and was subject to regulatory approval, and that the advertising was not misleading.
• Current status: The case is moving forward to the next stages of litigation after the judge's ruling on class certification and the dismissal of the warranty claims.

One original case filing (Matsko v Tesla).
Judicial order allowing class action lawsuit to proceed.