• by Tanya Gazdik , December 18, 2025

A California judge ruled late Tuesday that Tesla engaged in “deceptive marketing” in reference to its so-called “Full Self-Driving” system.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is giving the automaker 60 days to address the issues prior to an imposition of a penalty or else it will be subject to the 30-day suspension of its dealer license.

“Tesla can take simple steps to pause this decision and permanently resolve this issue — steps autonomous vehicle companies and other automakers have been able to achieve in California’s nation-leading and supportive innovation marketplace,” says DMV Director Steve Gordon in a release. 

According to Tesla’s marketing materials “the system is designed to be able to conduct short and long-distance trips with no action required by the person in the driver’s seat,” according to the Los Angeles Times. 

The ruling is big news in a case that has been ongoing for years.

"Tesla has repeatedly changed its wording around FSD, first calling it Full Self-Driving Capability, then changing that to Full Self-Driving (Supervised) to emphasize the need for a driver to supervise the vehicle,” according to electrek. “The court noted these changes, and then said it would not be a burden to force Tesla to change its marketing further to clarify that its cars do not drive themselves.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta originally sued electric car manufacturer Tesla over wildly exaggerated claims of “autopilot” and “full self-driving capability” in their vehicles’ marketing materials in 2021. 

“Indeed, Tesla drivers thinking their cars could fully drive themselves have been responsible for real-life car crashes and multiple fatalities," notes SFist.com. “Heck, even here in the Bay Area we’ve seen ‘full self-driving’ fools just riding in the backseat as the car drove, or even literally asleep at the wheel."

Elon Musk's companies usually respond to press inquiries by sending a poop emoji. 

But this time around Tesla has retained FGS Global to respond. 

“This was a ‘consumer protection’ order about the use of the term ‘Autopilot’ in a case where not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem,” the firm said, “Sales in California will continue uninterrupted.”