Tesla is now taking radars out from customer cars during routine service checks

[Redaktion]

Tesla owners are complaining that the service technicians that work on their cars on unrelated matters are removing the radars that their cars came with. They cite reasons as varied as power consumption or water ingress for the service bulletin from Tesla that mandates they remove the parts from customer vehicles.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Tesla-is-now-taking-radars-out-from-customer-cars-during-routine-service-checks.716774.0.html

[Joe Trojan]

If they are going to remove something you paid for make sure they return the parts to you.

[A Tesla owner]

Removal in the first place was a stupid decision.

Removal from cars that have them and use them is a stupid decision.

Removal from cars that have them, even if disabled by a software update is a waste of tech time. They can just as easily be re-enabled. Plus when Tesla inevitably develops an in house solution, like patents and other documents point to them doing for the radar systems that got removed in new vehicles and disabled in all, Tesla will re-enable the old USS alongside their inhouse suspiciously-the-same-just-slightly-cheaper-and-Tesla-badge-only USS.

Tesla does a lot for the environment, can't deny that. But optimizing their own waste has never seemed like a priority. ie selling down reusable components vs trashing them, like old FSD & infotainment computers. Or in this case, deciding to trash 12 USS per vehicle they service already equipped with them. And you don't even get the only tiny benefit of not having them in that situation; the lack of 12 holes in the bumpers where the USS are mounted covered by small color matched covers. Almost every car has them, because every modern car uses USS, so I've personally never paid one bit of attention to them on my Y. But some people are frothing at the mouth for the uninterrupted bumper (besides you know, the tow hitch holes....). I just want functional features. Not aesthetic features with function to be figured out later.

[btjandra]

I wonder Tesla is removing radars and parking sensors to refit cars who needed replacements and save BOM cost.

[Ivanp]

Wouldn't this be considered theft, to remove an item on a vehicle that wasn't part of a repair or recall? No other car manufacturer that I'm aware of has ever done something like this. I guess Tesla likes class action lawsuits and throwing away money.

[Cow]

But it's an upgrade!

Tesla owners should be well conditioned on bending over.

[Phil Mateleven]

It weird. The sensors on my Hondas have always worked and Honda hasn't disabled them as an upgrade. I feel like Honda is cheating me out of something.

[Elon M]

Simply not true. The amount of time and resource put into removing the radar system is not worth it for the battery saved just for the consumer. 

[Haste347]

Further proof that companies view purchases as leases, and you don't actually own the item you pay top dollar for.
This needs a class action to both bring this to light and slap the companies that do this on the wrist.

[Patricia O'Kelley]

Once you purchase the Tesla, it's YOUR PROPERTY, if they remove the radar without your permission, call the POLICE and charge them with THEFT of a car part and they will need to put it back in and get it into working condition or sue. The entire car is the PROPERTY of the buyer.

[Tim E]

Dear Tesla and Elon Musk,

When buying a Tesla, the buyer is not purchasing a license to drive your Tesla, they're buying the entire physical car. You have no right to disable or remove features after the sale.

Imagine if one of your battery partners decided to remotely remove features from your battery assembly without your consent. Or visited the battery factory for a service and decided to remove a few components without your consent. I'm sure you wouldn't be happy, and neither are your customers as you're doing the exact same thing to them.

After being on-board with EVs at first, I'm starting to see that they're not really better for the environment, cost more initially, cost more to fuel, limited charging availability, charging anxiety, and now remotely (or physically) removing features I paid for without my consent.

[Ajaks]

Well let me decide what to do with my own radar that I purchased with my hard earned money and was, no doubt, included in that price tag!  Maybe I want to be the one to sell it to a scrap yard or something.

[Royal Whitney]

This appears to be similar to purchasing an iPhone. After purchase, features are continuously added or taken away with  installation of each software update; at their discretion not the owners'. Feels like there's no choice. So, I guess, shop for another brand. However, I'm sure there will be pro's & cons with every type of phone.

When a car company sends out recall notices, what's your reaction? These are not always life-threatening but the company is obligated to keep the consumer up-to-date on its research & discoveries.

If Tesla owners are being notified at service time (ie: it's a line item) then it's not theft.

This is the wave of the future. However, take an inventory. What do most of us actually 100% "own" anyway?

[BrazilRules]

I want to see how Tesla drones will try to spin this into a positive thing. Will have to give them a 10 for mental gymnastics.

[David Rivera]

Tesla is removing the radar sensor because they aren't necessary anymore. The cameras are better suited for providing more information that radar sensors can't in avoiding you backing into an object. Radar sensors can't see small objects like trailer hitches that can cause major damage to your car. The fact that they will also be turned off via update soon makes them a moot point.