Some Tesla Owners Apparently Leave Service Visits Minus One Radar System

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

Tesla often comes under fire for running its business far differently from other automakers, which can lead to interesting outcomes with vehicle performance. The latest story comes to us from a Tesla forum, where The Drive noticed users claiming that the company was removing the radar systems from their vehicles without asking.


Tesla no longer uses radar to guide its Autopilot and other systems, instead relying on cameras to do the work. Some vehicle owners report that the company added line items to their service invoices for radar disconnection and some claim that the company added the line item back after requesting that it be removed. Many people sign the paperwork without looking, so it's possible the change snuck past a number of owners.


Even if Tesla owners manage to avoid having their radar disconnected, the company is expected to release a software update to render the system inoperable. Some owners state that the company is making the move to preserve battery life, as some believe it can drain a small amount of range if left in place.


We’ve known that Tesla planned to do away with radar in favor of camera-only vision for its adaptive cruise and other features. The company touted its “Tesla Vision” system and promised to move away from radar to cameras a couple of years ago. It was an interesting move at the time and is even more questionable now, seeing as how many other automakers are actually increasing the number of sensors and hardware on their vehicles. 


[Image: Tesla]


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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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11 of 22 comments
  • MaintenanceCosts MaintenanceCosts on Jun 08, 2023

    Removing hardware that is already present in a physical machine you bought is theft. Someone affected should sue Tesla for conversion.


    It's just one more example of the sort of sharp business practices that you expect with Elmo at the helm.

    .

    • See 2 previous
    • VoGhost VoGhost on Jun 09, 2023

      Every other article from actual news sources is clear that this is disconnection, not physical removal.


  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Jun 08, 2023

    The dealer knows best. 🙂

    • See 1 previous
    • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Jun 09, 2023

      15 comments and 7 of them from you. Is this The Truth About Your Opinion About Everyone Else's Opinion? Lol

      My statement was a generalization, a rule of thumb if you will. I don't even know what your question means. My nearest Tesla Service Center is located at the Tesla Store. If you have a point, make it. Please don't post an ambiguous query purporting to start a conversation with me.

  • Analoggrotto Analoggrotto on Jun 09, 2023

    As we Tesla owners receive our life energy from the greatest son of the gods of all time, Elon Musk; His cherubs and His nephilim may remove whatever they wish from us for unto him we owe all for our superiority above all the rest of humanity.

    • Zerofoo Zerofoo on Jun 09, 2023

      Anal grotto’s comments are some of the more entertaining comments I’ve read in a while. I hope he/she/it is real and not just AI generated fluff.




  • Zerofoo Zerofoo on Jun 09, 2023

    You will own nothing....

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