Senators Ask FTC to Probe Tesla’s Self-Driving Claims Following Crashes

An unsold 2021 Model X sports-utility vehicle sits at a Tesla dealership in Littleton, Colo., on Jan. 24, 2021. David Zalubowski/AP Photo

Two senators on Aug. 18 called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to probe Tesla, alleging that the company exaggerated the capability of its vehicles’ self-driving features and so put the public in danger.

In a letter to FTC chief Lina Khan (pdf), Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said they fear that Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) features “are not as mature and reliable as the company pitches to the public,” leading drivers to believe their Teslas can drive on their own, with “potentially deadly consequences.”