A TikToker got locked inside of her Tesla $TSLA Model 3 for 40 minutes in the hot sun while it was installing a software update, and as of this writing her video has over 10.7 million plays after a single day of being online. Before you go jumping to conclusions about her ineptitude, Brianna Janel was actually following the rules laid out by Tesla.
According to the Tesla owner’s manual, “Vehicle functions, including some safety systems and opening or closing the doors or windows, may be limited or disabled when installation is in progress and you could damage the vehicle.” Janel chose to heed Tesla’s warning and did not attempt to open her doors or windows during the installation process for fear of damaging her vehicle, but this seems like a very dangerous oversight on Tesla’s part that she was able to be stuck inside at all.
The door mechanisms on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are electrically operated, and under normal circumstances are opened from the inside using a simple button to unlatch the door. Should the vehicle have no power, these models do have auxiliary manual cable release levers also found on the door panel, but Tesla warns against using the manual mechanism, citing that it should only be used when the car has no power. Janel said she was aware of this option but didn’t want to risk damaging her car, and she felt confident that she could stick out the heat.
In contrast to Tesla’s potentially dangerous warnings, Lucid $LCID Motors requires all occupants to exit the vehicle before the installation process begins, and the Lucid Air owners manual states that owners will not be able to lock or unlock the doors during an update. The Air will start a two-minute countdown when an owner chooses to install an update, giving them enough time to get out prior to the update beginning.
The Tesla owners manual states that the car will not initiate a software update if Keep Climate mode, Dog Mode, Sentry Mode or Camp Mode are engaged, but it fails to require vehicle occupants to exit the vehicle before the debilitating installation process begins. Tesla also recommends owners install software updates as soon as possible, which could cause some owners to feel obligated to initiate an update in a compromised environment.
Janel said her car estimated the install would only take 24 minutes, but it actually took 40 minutes, which was long enough for her car’s interior to reach 115 degrees. In a follow-up video, her caption states that she was afraid to mess up her car by getting out during the installation. She claims to have owned a Tesla for six years, and she said she will continue to own her car for many years, despite this experience.
Tesla needs to either require that all occupants exit the vehicle before beginning a software install, or at least alter its verbiage to prevent incidents like this from occurring, especially as we approach a summer with higher global temperatures than ever before. If someone living in a town like Phoenix, Arizona or Las Vegas, Nevada were to face the same situation, it could pose a more serious health risk. If there are any Tesla owners reading, please make sure you are not parked in direct sunlight when you initiate a software update if you are going to remain in the car.