Tesla Driver Claims Model Y Ordered Him to Pull Over, Shut Down Despite Full Charge

Tesla Driver Claims Model Y Ordered Him to Pull Over, Shut Down Despite Full Charge

Tom Exton runs the YouTube channel TGE TV, which has more than 242,000 subscribers. A quick glance at Exton’s channel is all it takes to understand he’s quite the collector, and though he tends to lean toward sleek sports cars, he also owns a Tesla Model Y. The SUV has been the topic of discussion regarding Tesla’s overarching safety issues ever since an incident Exton experienced in the Model Y on Thursday.

“Safe to say horror stories of Tesla cars being appalling seem true,” Exton tweeted Thursday morning. “Brand new fully charged car just cut out on the motorway. Had to use emergency door release to get out, which somehow broke the driver window.”

Exton says he’d been driving for about 15 minutes when the Tesla’s center touchscreen suddenly read, “Pull over safely: vehicle shutting down.” Exton followed the screen’s instructions and then realized he wouldn’t be able to exit the vehicle normally, as Teslas’ doors (and windows) require power to open. He ended up using the door’s emergency mechanical release handle to exit, which presented its own problem: Because the window couldn’t drop to accommodate the door frame, the driver’s window broke.

Tesla Driver Claims Model Y Ordered Him to Pull Over, Shut Down Despite Full Charge

According to Exton, the Model Y claimed to have a 216-mile range left on its battery at the time of the incident. He also says the vehicle was only three days old. Though Tesla reportedly offered Exton a hotel room for the night after waiting more than two hours for roadside assistance, he wasn’t offered a courtesy vehicle while the Model Y was repaired.

This is merely the latest in a series of functional blunders on Tesla’s part. This year alone, Tesla has been slammed for its cars’ faulty windows and dubious “full self-driving” system. Tesla owners have been coming out in droves to reveal their vehicles’ quality and safety issues, including shoddy trim, battery problems, and weird bubbles in the upholstery. This isn’t new; Consumer Reports’ 2020 vehicle reliability study found that Tesla’s reliability score steadily declined after drivers became vocal about poorly-fitted body panels and human hair stuck in their vehicles’ paint.

Continue reading

Chromebooks Gain Market Share as Education Goes Online
Chromebooks Gain Market Share as Education Goes Online

Chromebook sales have exploded in the pandemic, with sales up 90 percent and future growth expected. This poses some challenges to companies like Microsoft.

AMD Smashes Revenue Records as Zen 3, Xbox Series X, PS5 Ramp Up
AMD Smashes Revenue Records as Zen 3, Xbox Series X, PS5 Ramp Up

AMD's Q3 2020 results are in, and the results are excellent for the company, in every particular.

Starlink Beta Speed Tests Put Traditional Satellite Internet to Shame
Starlink Beta Speed Tests Put Traditional Satellite Internet to Shame

According to data from Ookla Speedtest and analyzed by our colleagues at PCMag, Starlink is living up to its lofty speed claims.

Third-Party Repair Shops May Be Blocked From Servicing iPhone 12 Camera
Third-Party Repair Shops May Be Blocked From Servicing iPhone 12 Camera

According to a recent iFixit report, Apple's hostility to the right of repair has hit new heights with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.