Not That M3
Member
I agree. They should be more transparent.
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2022 Q2 production Model 3 missing matrix headlights?
- Thread starter E90alex
- Start date
I agree. They should be more transparent.
The difference is you did not pay extra to get Matrix headlights. They are not an upgrade or even listed as a configuration item in your paperwork (at least they are not in mine). Tesla is not really obligated to provide them to you nor would they be obligated to give you a credit for something that they appear to have just started upgrading out of the blue for.
If you ordered an M3P and Tesla decided to not give you the performance upgrades because of parts shortages then you would have grounds to demand a credit.
First time posting here. I have a VIN of 251xxx Delivery date May 17th (my birthday 
)
Ill let you know if mine have the new Matrix lights. Ive yet to see anyone with a 251 VIN
)Ill let you know if mine have the new Matrix lights. Ive yet to see anyone with a 251 VIN
Not That M3
Member
That's how I look at it. I take the good with the bad (although transparency would be better). You're likely to get free software upgrades with Tesla. Over the air recalls\updates are cool. Mobile techs to come out are cool too. Some might say it's an apologist take, I just tend to think I look at the entire picture. There's obviously some things Tesla does well and some things that can be improved upon. I know what I signed up for.
It's nice you can refuse delivery and wait for the next one as well. I'm not sure your standard car dealership would be as accommodating. I think they would say, we can put in another order, you lose your deposit (maybe), and it will take another X months.
And that is by design so they are free to make changes like this without any legal repercussion.
its a good thing to convince oneself so we don't feel cheated and can sleep better at night but the reality is that the lights were an actual upgrade and people who don't get it for some reason should voice their displeasure (it's healthier too)
, perhaps come together and escalate this issue to the media and Tesla itself via Twitter or email signatures so that some remediation is offered either by way of a refund or upgrade to the matrix lights when they are available. This is the way forward, in my humble opinion.Nice! And I share a birthday with you!First time posting here. I have a VIN of 251xxx Delivery date May 17th (my birthday
Ill let you know if mine have the new Matrix lights. Ive yet to see anyone with a 251 VIN
Keep us posted
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It’s like this forum isn’t moderated at all. Can we stay on topic? There’s a handful of users here that really make it a real headache to navigate this forum. If you aren’t happy with your purchase than figure it out. Lose your $250 or sell for a profit, nobody cares. I come here for information on the topics the threads are about, I see the same people crying in multiple threads. Just move on with your life, why do you have to post about it here? Call a friend if you’re seeking validation for your buyers remorse. You guys are weirdos.
@tone228 There's a fine line between good moderation and too much, but otherwise I agree. There's all sorts of parts and feature changes being done by every automaker these days with the shortages going on. Tesla has their own unique way of handling it by minimizing the specs they publish, so yeah they "get away" with just quietly dropping features without recourse, but let's be real, the small $ amounts other automakers sometimes give for features they removed don't really make up for not getting the feature you wanted!
No car or automaker is perfect, they're all far from it. Pick your priorities and go with it. And don't sweat the $250 order fee, I'm not saying it's "right" but anyone stressing over it in the context of a $50k+ car is doing their own mental health a disservice. It's like in poker, that $250 is money in the pot. You paid it already, it's gone, it's not yours anymore. If you still think of money in the pot or that order fee as "your" money to be retrieved then you're going to make bad decisions.
(To continue the poker analogy, if you haven't folded maybe you can still win the pot and get value for the money you put into it. Similarly if you haven't cancelled your Tesla order, you can still choose to accept a car and get value for it [at the cost of buying the car of course]. Or you can fold / cancel your order. I've lost a lot more than $250 in just one bad hand of poker!)
Anyone who wants to feel better about getting the old headlights, come for a ride in my old Model S at night on a dark country road. Trust me you'll feel real good about your Model 3 headlights afterwards, no matter which kind you got.
And based on the autobrights in my Model 3, I can assure you Tesla is a LONG way from rolling out actual selective dimming. Most of you probably won't have the car anymore by the time they may or may not do that. Selective dimming has to pass actual government functionality tests. Autobrights clearly don't or the Model 3 ones wouldn't be enabled at all. 
Oh and one more thought - what if Tesla switches to different matrix LED headlight hardware when they eventually bring it back? If that happens most likely those of us who got the older hardware will never, ever see selective dimming enabled. It's a lot of extra work to write, test, and maintain software for extra generations of hardware, and Tesla will have little incentive to do the extra work for legacy hardware they no longer sell in new cars.
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JCtx
Member
I got my 2021 with the old headlights, and they're still the best ones I've ever owned, plus I think they look better than the new ones personally, so I wouldn't make a big deal out of that. I'd be less happy about not having radar adaptive cruise now (which my car still has, fortunately), in favor of the new camera-based one, and sneaky changes like that, than the old headlights, but to each his own, of course.
I've seen many reports of the same, Model 3 owners who preferred the old non-matrix headlights.
For me these matrix headlights are admittedly the best headlights on any car I've owned, by far...but from comparison photos I've seen that would be true of the older Model 3 headlights as well! (I never owned an older Model 3 and haven't driven any at night to compare firsthand.)
If the matrix headlights actually had selective dimming, or were likely to get it soon, I'd consider the headlight switch a much bigger deal. But that really looks far far away for these cars, and quite possibly never (for cars already built and shipped without it).
Let’s get back to discussing data points for cars and build dates with or without the matrix lights.
This thread isn’t for people to debate which lights are better, or if it’s a big deal to get the old lights or not, or if Tesla is pure evil or the best car company ever.
Plenty of people don’t care which lights they get or they even prefer the old lights. That’s absolutely valid. But a lot of people want the matrix lights, whatever their reasoning may be, and that’s also valid.
Y’all that already have your cars for a while and not have a 2022 on order or recently delivered have no stake in this topic.
This thread isn’t for people to debate which lights are better, or if it’s a big deal to get the old lights or not, or if Tesla is pure evil or the best car company ever.
Plenty of people don’t care which lights they get or they even prefer the old lights. That’s absolutely valid. But a lot of people want the matrix lights, whatever their reasoning may be, and that’s also valid.
Y’all that already have your cars for a while and not have a 2022 on order or recently delivered have no stake in this topic.
TigerNinety
Member
Okay! Datapoint (kinda...).
I had occasion today to stop by the Tesla showroom in downtown DC. After waiting a while for the one person who seemed to be prepared to talk to me (he was talking with another customer, but there was someone else who seemed only to be working on a laptop, not talking to customers; whatever), I finally spoke to the rep about the headlights.
I asked him directly: are matrix headlights a standard feature on M3 Long Range cars? Without hesitation, he said, "yes." He proceeded to walk me over to the Model Y that was on the showroom floor (the other car was a Model S, meh) and pointed out the matrix configuration on that car (yep, I'd noticed).
I told him that some people had recently taken delivery of M3LRs without the matrix headlights and that I had a M3LR on order and that it had an 11 June-16 July EDD and asked, "so my car should have the matrix headlights?" He looked thoughtfully for a few seconds (doing time math in his head) and said, "you know how things can vary with Tesla, but, yes." (a bit of paraphrasing, but not much)
So, it's one rep in one location. And, he dropped the variability caveat. But, he was absolutely unequivocal about the "standard feature" part.
Take it with your preferred size grain of salt....
I had occasion today to stop by the Tesla showroom in downtown DC. After waiting a while for the one person who seemed to be prepared to talk to me (he was talking with another customer, but there was someone else who seemed only to be working on a laptop, not talking to customers; whatever), I finally spoke to the rep about the headlights.
I asked him directly: are matrix headlights a standard feature on M3 Long Range cars? Without hesitation, he said, "yes." He proceeded to walk me over to the Model Y that was on the showroom floor (the other car was a Model S, meh) and pointed out the matrix configuration on that car (yep, I'd noticed).
I told him that some people had recently taken delivery of M3LRs without the matrix headlights and that I had a M3LR on order and that it had an 11 June-16 July EDD and asked, "so my car should have the matrix headlights?" He looked thoughtfully for a few seconds (doing time math in his head) and said, "you know how things can vary with Tesla, but, yes." (a bit of paraphrasing, but not much)
So, it's one rep in one location. And, he dropped the variability caveat. But, he was absolutely unequivocal about the "standard feature" part.
Take it with your preferred size grain of salt....
I too will be picking up in Irvine in the coming weeks - I surmise you'll be doing the same. You can verify if your vehicle will be outfitted with Matrix Headlights by way of providing your VIN to any SA at Tesla Irvine. I'd be very interested to see what you find out. Best of luck with your delivery!First time posting here. I have a VIN of 251xxx Delivery date May 17th (my birthday
Ill let you know if mine have the new Matrix lights. Ive yet to see anyone with a 251 VIN
Definitely take what he said with a huge grain of salt. I doubt anyone at the sales centres knows anything. If you know anyone at the supply chain maybe.
Personally I am just waiting on the news that new batches start coming with new lights again.
After rejecting mine, it’s now showing May 5- May9. That’s a little too soon. I am getting some pressure from the other half to just accept whatever.
Also the 236xxx without new lights had a build date of Apr23. Talk about bad luck.
Just called Irvine
232xxx
4/18 MFG Date
They said will have Global (Matrix) Headlights.
Pickup is tomorrow, so we'll see.
232xxx
4/18 MFG Date
They said will have Global (Matrix) Headlights.
Pickup is tomorrow, so we'll see.
What happened is simple, Hella started making Tesla a better OEM second gen Matrix headlight product for the same price, then they ran into major supply chain issues. Hella itself is notorious for outsourcing and likes to consider itself to be a builder and designer of products using outsourced parts. Most of Hella's supply chains are in China and Eastern Europe. So Tesla was forced to return back to Bosch for the Gen 1 Tesla headlights. If Bosch undercuts Hella pricing in the future and can deliver, we might stick with Gen 1 headlights for the long run.
The old headlights were made by Marelli Automotive Lighting (AL), which Bosch no longer has any ownership in for almost 20 years now.
Both AL and Hella are German-based companies with worldwide supply chains and factories.
Both the AL made reflector headlights and Hella made matrix headlights are made in Mexico, at least from the parts labels I’ve seen on headlights for sale. There could be some secondary factories or different factories for different markets of course.
The limiting factor is most likely the Samsung Pixcell LED chips used in the matrix headlights.
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
Note you can report name calling. Some mods will enforce it especially it is blatantly obvious.
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