In sweltering summer, leaving a pet in a parked car can quickly turn deadly. So when Tesla introduced its innovative Dog Mode feature, designed to alleviate this risk of your pet overheating by keeping the vehicle's interior at a safe temperature, the Elon Musk brand became the ideal vehicle choice of pet owners.
However, recent reports of malfunctions in this critical feature have raised alarming concerns. Imagine the horror of trusting technology to safeguard your furry friend's well-being, only to discover that it has failed, leaving your beloved pet in a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. This chilling scenario has become a reality for some Tesla owners, highlighting a significant flaw in a system that many rely on for the safety and security of their pets.
The Flaw In The System
Much to the chagrin of dog lovers who drive, a recent software update could cause problems with the popular Dog Mode feature. As a result, leaving your canine companion in the car, even briefly, might be risky now.
A signature feature of Teslas, Dog Mode ensures pets stay comfortably cool inside the car while owners are out. According to InsideEVs, a recent Tesla software update (version 2024.20.1) intended to enhance performance in hot weather is causing problems for some pet owners.
The update, ironically labelled with "hot weather improvements," might be having the opposite effect. A Model Y owner on Reddit reported using Dog Mode and setting the temperature to a cool 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the outside temperature was warm at 86 degrees, the owner received an alert after 10 minutes indicating a "Problem with Dog Mode." The Reddit user mentioned that when they retrieved their dog, the car's interior temperature had already climbed to 84 degrees and continued rising.
Dog Mode Malfunction Raises Concerns For Tesla Owners
This issue extended beyond Dog Mode, as the owner also mentioned problems with the car's general climate control system during their drive. The owner contacted Tesla support about the problems.
In response, Tesla acknowledged that these issues with Dog Mode and the climate control system were "known characteristics" of the current software update. "...our remote test did confirm a firmware issue with dog mode at this time, still under investigation [...] please refrain from using dog mode for the time being," Tesla Service replied.
Introduced in 2019, Dog Mode is a clever feature that keeps the car's climate comfortable for pets left inside. To avoid misunderstandings by passersby, a message on the Tesla's sizeable central screen assures them that the pet is safe and comfortable while the owner is away.
This feature likely prevented some concerned bystanders from mistakenly breaking car windows. However, it's important to remember that Dog Mode isn't meant to be a long-term pet sitter. If the car's battery falls below 20 percent while Dog Mode is on, owners will be warned to return to the vehicle.
While the faulty software isn't affecting many Teslas, its isolated nature can be even more concerning. Thankfully, the problem isn't limited to just Dog Mode - reports indicate similar issues with Camp Mode and Keep Climate On as well.
All these features (Dog Mode, Camp Mode, and Keep Climate On) share a common function: keeping the car's inside temperature stable while parked. The issue lies with the climate control system when the car is idle.
There have also been reports of similar issues in May, where a woman reportedly got stuck in her Tesla for 40 minutes in 115-degree heat during a software update. Tesla hasn't announced a fix for this issue yet, but the electric car company led by Elon Musk continues to push for their vehicle lineup and recently released a new video on its manufacturing page.
Tesla Silent On Fix While Promoting Giga Berlin
This video gives viewers a glimpse into a typical workday for an employee at their Giga Berlin factory. Tesla released a nearly three-minute video on their manufacturing page this week. The video titled "A Day at Giga Berlin" follows an employee through a typical workday at the factory in Grünheide, Germany. The video shows the employee's commute, work tasks, and the end of their shift.
This isn't Tesla's first glimpse into life at Giga Berlin. Earlier this year, they released a video featuring employee interviews, and they've consistently shared videos showcasing the factory's production process. Last year's video offered a tour of the assembly departments.
In April, Tesla went through significant workforce reductions, with reports suggesting the entire advertising team was let go. This came amidst concerns raised by a former engineer about potential safety issues with the Cybertruck, echoing problems she flagged a decade ago with the Model S.
Interestingly, despite these developments, Tesla has continued to promote itself through social media content, including the recent Giga Berlin video.
