California judge certifies Tesla class action alleging self-driving mode lacks full autonomy

Tesla self-driving class action overview:

• Who: A California federal judge certified a class action lawsuit against Tesla.
• Why: The class action alleges that Tesla made false claims about the full self-driving capabilities of its vehicles.
• Where: The Tesla class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

A California federal judge has certified a class action lawsuit against Tesla over allegations that the electric vehicle company made false claims about the full self-driving capabilities of its vehicles.

U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin certified the Tesla class action lawsuit as a class action on Aug. 18, 2025. 

The lawsuit was first filed by plaintiff Thomas LoSavio in September 2022. It alleges that Tesla made false claims about the full self-driving capabilities of its vehicles, which led consumers to pay thousands of dollars for a feature that was not yet available.

LoSavio claims that Tesla CEO Elon Musk made several public statements in 2016 and 2017 that suggested that Tesla vehicles would be able to drive themselves across the country by the end of 2017. However, this capability has not yet been delivered, the Tesla class action lawsuit says.

Tesla has denied the allegations, arguing that its vehicles are equipped with the hardware necessary for full self-driving mode, but that the software is still under development.

Judge trims proposed class definitions in Tesla lawsuit

The certified class includes all California residents who purchased or leased a Tesla vehicle and paid for the full self-driving package between Oct. 20, 2016, and July 31, 2024.

The court found that LoSavio had met the requirements for class certification, including showing that there are common questions of law and fact that predominate over individual issues and that LoSavio is a typical and adequate representative of the class.

However, Judge Lin trimmed some of the proposed class definitions, narrowing class periods and excluding purchasers or subscribers of an enhanced autopilot package.

The judgement also certified an injunctive class made up of members from the opt-out and pre-arbitration classes who stated that they would like to buy or subscribe to the full self-driving in the future, but who can’t rely on the technology’s future advertising or labeling.

The Tesla class action lawsuit is seeking damages for consumers who purchased the full self-driving package, as well as injunctive relief to prevent Tesla from making similar false claims in the future.

The case is expected to go to trial in 2026.

Tesla is currently facing another class action alleging the company violated California privacy law by tracking visitors to its website without their consent.

What do you think of the allegations made in this Tesla class action lawsuit? Join the discussion in the comments.

The Tesla self-driving class action lawsuit is In re: Tesla Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Litigation, Case No. 3:22-cv-05240, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The plaintiffs are represented by Julie L. Fieber, Frank M. Pitre, Thomas E. Loeser and Makena A. Kershaw of Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy LLP, Francis A. Bottini Jr. of Bottini & Bottini Inc. and David S. Casey Jr., Gayle M. Blatt and P. Camille Guerra of Casey Gerry Francavilla Blatt LLP.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Oscar Mayer turkey bacon recall sparks class action against Kraft Heinz
• Johnson & Johnson agrees to settle class action over Neutrogena Skin36
• 10 class action settlements you can claim in September 2025
• Southwest Airlines sued over ‘fake’ sale emails