Lawsuit: Tesla autopilot feature accelerated on its own, causing crash

Tesla instructs drivers to keep their hands on the wheel when Autopilot and Full Self-Driving is engaged, but not all drivers do. — Dreamstime/TNS

A 2017 Tesla Model S sedan on autopilot mode suddenly began to accelerate on its own as it headed toward a highway offramp, ran off the road and crashed into a tree, according to a lawsuit filed by the driver.

Tesla’s autopilot mode, which the electric carmaker claims allows its vehicles to steer, accelerate and brake automatically in their lanes, is “at best a work in progress,” the lawsuit says.