© Unsplash/Carter Baran
Should Tesla change its update method and modify its user manuals? On TikTok (via Gizmodo), a driver recounts her ordeal lasting 40 minutes stuck in his car, all in blazing heat which potentially put his life in danger. It all starts when Janel notices that an update is available for her Tesla.
It's very hot, the vehicle is in direct sunlight – but she doesn't worry too much about it since the vehicle estimates the installation time at only 24 minutes. So she presses the button and the installation starts. Except that instead of taking around twenty minutes, the installation turned into a real nightmare. During this, in fact, no functionality, even basic, of the vehicle is available.
How did this owner get stuck in her Tesla while& #8217;it was dangerously hot
This includes opening and closing the doors via electronic triggering. So, while she no longer has air conditioning or access to anything, the owner remains stuck in the car – and called a tow truck, the temperature quickly rising to more than 46°C in the passenger compartment. All this time, it was still possible for him to use the manual (mechanical) opening of a door.
However, the Tesla manual specifies that this mechanism must under no circumstances be used when the vehicle still has electricity. She therefore preferred to avoid damaging the door, which could potentially have cost her a repair. Even if staying in a car in such heat can be life-threatening. Particularly in the south of the United States, for example, such as in Nevada where the temperature in the shade exceeds 50°C in some summers.
As for itself, the Tesla manual does not require occupants to leave the cabin during a software update. Simply content to block the installation if certain modes such as Sentinel or Dog mode are active. Quite the opposite of competing brands, underlines Gizmodo – like Lucid. The Air manual requires the manufacturers to exit when an update is triggered.
By contrast, the manufacturer linked to the figure of Elon Musk is content to encourage owners to carry out frequent updates “so as not to initiate an update in an unsuitable environment”, remind our colleagues. In any case, Janel's misfortune does not seem to have damaged her preference for the brand.
She explains in another reel TikTok that she plans to keep the same car for several years. Even if it seems wise for this driver like all Tesla owners to avoid staying in the car during the next updates in light of this story .
@brianna__janel
Replying to @Ma Qing guyssss i know it wasn't my best moment. Plz be kind 🫶🏼 #teslatok #tesla
♬ original sound – brianna | 2025 FLANGE
- When’a update is in progress in a Tesla, nothing works anymore, including opening and closing the doors.
- An owner did the cool, stuck inside for over 40 minutes while inside.
- The temperature has risen up to almost 50°C.
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