--- title: "Tesla Reportedly Under Criminal Investigation for Claiming Its Cars Can Drive Themselves" description: "Justice Department Investigation Tesla is reportedly under criminal investigation by the Justice Department over its misleading marketing of its driver assistance system called Autopilot, Reuters reports. According to Reuter's sources, the department launched an undisclosed probe last year, investigating more than a dozen crashes involving Tesla's notorious driver assistance feature. Several of them have ended […]" date: "2022-10-26" modified: "2022-10-26" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-reportedly-criminal-investigation-self-driving" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "autopilot" - "elon musk" - "full self-driving" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Reportedly Under Criminal Investigation for Claiming Its Cars Can Drive Themselves ![Tesla is reportedly under criminal investigation by the Justice Department over its misleading marketing of its driver assisatence system Autopilot.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Death Drive Tesla is reportedly under criminal investigation by the Justice Department over misleading marketing of its driver assistance system called Autopilot, [*Reuters* reports](). According to *Reuter*'s sources, the department launched an undisclosed probe last year, investigating more than a dozen crashes involving Tesla's notorious driver assistance feature, some fatal. While we've heard of other regulators such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [also investigating]() the company over the same issue, a criminal probe could signify an even higher level of scrutiny for the electric car company. ## Take the Wheel The news also comes a week after [Musk announced]() during an earnings call that an upcoming version of the company's dubiously-named "Full Self-Driving" feature would allow owners to drive "to your work, your friend’s house, to the grocery store without you touching the wheel." Musk also said that "it won't have regulatory approval at that time," adding that he hopes to eventually convince regulators that it is indeed safe. It sounds like the DOJ investigation is looking at Autopilot rather than Full Self-Driving, but autonomous vehicles are clearly part of his vision — which means this probe represents a threat. **READ MORE:** [Exclusive: Tesla faces U.S. criminal probe over self-driving claims]() \[*Reuters*\] **More on Autopilot:** *[Overwhelming Majority of Automated Driving Deaths Caused By Tesla Vehicles]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()