Are there forced software updates?

[Marsnaut]

I know many people have been upset about the new UI. I personally have opted not to update my software as I'm happy with the current state of affairs. I'm on version 2021.44.6.

I was wondering if Tesla forces a software update after a certain period of time. I assume not because updates take quite some time and you might get stuck somewhere. However, I could imagine a situation where they prevent your ability to drive without updating to a certain software version (e.g. due to safety concerns). I've been keeping on top of the software updates and haven't found anything particular exciting for me to update.

Curious about your thoughts and if anyone else is holding out like me.

 

[jjrandorin]

I know many people have been upset about the new UI. I personally have opted not to update my software as I'm happy with the current state of affairs. I'm on version 2021.44.6.

I was wondering if Tesla forces a software update after a certain period of time. I assume not because updates take quite some time and you might get stuck somewhere. However, I could imagine a situation where they prevent your ability to drive without updating to a certain software version (e.g. due to safety concerns). I've been keeping on top of the software updates and haven't found anything particular exciting for me to update.

Curious about your thoughts and if anyone else is holding out like me.

There are people with model 3s that have not updated in over a year. With that said, if you take your car in for service, tesla has a clause in the warranty about updates and warranty service. If its something that not connected to software, you are probably ok, but "most" things in this car are software related.

https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/tesla-new-vehicle-limited-warranty-en-us.pdf

(relevant part from page 10 of the new vehicle warranty document:

I am certainly not interested in the slightest in the "But tesla cant do this" discussion. I am just posting what they have in the warranty information, to provide a somewhat answer to the thread question. Any "but they cant do that" is something between the person and tesla, or the persons lawyers and teslas lawyers, or arbitrators if they didnt opt out of arbitration.

 

[kavyboy]

Yes, there are forced updates. At least, it happened to me on my Model S, and I have heard other people state the same.
Besides just pushing out games and UI changes, the updates may be done to conform to local laws. I remember that Hong Kong cars all got updates, no avoiding it, when the laws there changed. So yes, short of pulling out the SIM card, never connecting to WiFi, and not making service appointments eventually an update will come your way. It may take years, though.

 

[Tam]

Curious...

I did not and I still don't want to update my 2017 Model X to V11 so I refused to give consent on the car's screen.

Nevertheless, it still did it without my consent.

I have not consented to any additional updates since then but it has consistently updated on its own after a while.

It has continued to update on its own to 2022.4 as of 1/31/2022 and I made sure not to consent at all.

It has asked me to upgrade again for the last few days but I have consistently refused.

Today, when I woke up, it has automatically updated to 2022.4.5 without my consent again.

It might work for someone but in my case, it has forced upgrades after a few days.

 

[AlexHung]

I did not and I still don't want to update my 2017 Model X to V11 so I refused to give consent on the car's screen.

Nevertheless, it still did it without my consent.

I have not consented to any additional updates since then but it has consistently updated on its own after a while.

It has continued to update on its own to 2022.4 as of 1/31/2022 and I made sure not to consent at all.

It has asked me to upgrade again for the last few days but I have consistently refused.

Today, when I woke up, it has automatically updated to 2022.4.5 without my consent again.

It might work for someone but in my case, it has forced upgrades after a few days.

These may be related to recent NHTSA “recalls” so Tesla has no choice but push software updates out.

 

[Boza]

After reading the V11 posts here I disconnected WiFi and diligently refused update. One evening the clock turned black and the next morning I had to open the windows in sub-freezing weather and drive with my head out of the window until I found a place to pull out and fiddle with the new defogging controls of my $100k+ technologically advanced car.
There are a number of treads that discuss the topic. The resistance is futile!

 

[smogne41]

I have not updated since right before the 2020 Holiday update in my 2018 Model 3. So a little over a year. I took it off of WiFi, and they have downloaded 3 updates over LTE that I was able to refuse (the nags would go away after a week or 2 each time). However I don't have a heat pump or any software 'recall' issues, and I don't have FSD or even AP/TACC so I suspect there are no critical items that they feel the need to force it to my car. Everything I use still works perfectly (nav, supercharging, and slacker/streaming audio). I can't speak to any of the other entertainment stuff, since I have never used it. I have also not had the car in for service. I expect to eventually have an update forced, probably when they do the backup camera wiring harness recall work unless I get a really cool mobile tech for that).

 

[kavyboy]

I have not updated since right before the 2020 Holiday update in my 2018 Model 3. So a little over a year. I took it off of WiFi, and they have downloaded 3 updates over LTE that I was able to refuse (the nags would go away after a week or 2 each time). However I don't have a heat pump or any software 'recall' issues, and I don't have FSD or even AP/TACC so I suspect there are no critical items that they feel the need to force it to my car. Everything I use still works perfectly (nav, supercharging, and slacker/streaming audio). I can't speak to any of the other entertainment stuff, since I have never used it. I have also not had the car in for service. I expect to eventually have an update forced, probably when they do the backup camera wiring harness recall work unless I get a really cool mobile tech for that).

Pretty much my story as well. I'm on 2020.12.11.5 and keep the car off WiFi. I haven't seen an update nag in many months. It'll be a sad day when that update comes through.

 

[OxBrew]

Also still on 2021.44.6, the best vintage v10 (has waypoints, but just can't reorder them.)

Car downloaded 2021.44.30.7 and tried for almost 2 months to get me to install it, just ignored it, and changed the password on my wifi (forgetting wifi in the car, and turning it off both only worked for a day. it would reconnect on its own. Had to change the pw in our router.).

Now it's saying I need to connect to wifi in order to DL 2022.4.5.1. Ha! I win, for now....

IDK, v11 is getting pretty close to ok. I won't be upset enough to make any stink about it at this point, if it does somehow get forced on me. I might ask nicely for certain features back, just as a sort of vote for them, but mostly just live with it.

 

[EVRider-FL]

Bear in mind that if you keep the car off WiFi to avoid updates, you won’t get updated maps/navigation data either.

If you have a downloaded update waiting to be installed, it’s easy to unintentionally schedule it to install overnight, and I’ll bet some of the forced installs were actually caused by that. Since installing an update makes the car unavailable, I don’t think Tesla would force updates without good reason. For example, suppose someone goes into labor and can’t get driven to the hospital because the car is updating.

 

[Transformer]

Another way updates get installed is when your dear spouse taps "Software Update" in the app, expecting that to update the app. Just sayin'.

 

[OxBrew]

Another way updates get installed is when your dear spouse taps "Software Update" in the app, expecting that to update the app. Just sayin'.

Yeah, I had formal training sessions with wife and 2 kids, and explained that divorce and disownment had joined the chat. Joking!! Or am I????? They got the picture, paid attention for the one minute it took to explain it.

 

[ScoobyDoo82]

Yes, there are forced updates. At least, it happened to me on my Model S, and I have heard other people state the same.
Besides just pushing out games and UI changes, the updates may be done to conform to local laws. I remember that Hong Kong cars all got updates, no avoiding it, when the laws there changed. So yes, short of pulling out the SIM card, never connecting to WiFi, and not making service appointments eventually an update will come your way. It may take years, though.

What SIM card? Lol, Tesla/ATT use digital CDMA SEID’s.. The id is tied to the hardware, there is no sim in our cars.

 

[Sir Surfalot]

What SIM card? Lol, Tesla/ATT use digital CDMA SEID’s.. The id is tied to the hardware, there is no sim in our cars.

In Australia (where I am), the model 3 definitely uses a SIM card - it’s on a board up behind the glove compartment.

My car was delivered with a faulty SIM card installed and I watched the mobile service person change it.

 

[uberanalyst]

I went for 4 years without updating the software on my 2015 Model S, because by staying on old Version 7.1 of the software I could retain actual hands-free Autopilot (Version 1.0 based on Mobile-Eye chipset technology, not a Tesla-developed neural net). Whenever I took the car in for service, including fixing a rear door handle that wouldn't pop out, or even to replace the main rear drive motor (under warranty), I told the Tesla service center not to update the software -- and they complied.

A downside of not upgrading car software is that eventually I lost use of the Tesla iPhone app, since it could no longer communicate with the car (the protocol changed). But streaming music and maps still worked just fine.

What finally forced me to upgrade software was when the memory chip in my original MCU (Version 1) wore out -- like happened to most other older Model S cars -- and I was forced into installing new MCU2 screens.

So now when driving my Model S I have to hold the wheel like everyone else to avoid nags.

 

[kavyboy]

What SIM card? Lol, Tesla/ATT use digital CDMA SEID’s.. The id is tied to the hardware, there is no sim in our cars.

Have a look at Where is the SIM card located?. There are pictures and everything. Most definitely a SIM card in my car.

 

[Transformer]

This kind of forced the holiday update for me:

Doesn't the car use the T-Mobile network in California?

Tesla fixed the main problems with V11 by now. I haven't yet checked speedometer size & contrast.

People said you can bump the sliders up/down by tapping on the line, but it didn't work with the temperature or brightness slider (IIRC). Which ones does it work for?

It there a way to test out the wipers temporary panel in the garage without spraying wiper fluid or dry-wiping?

 

[jhn_]

This kind of forced the holiday update for me:
View attachment 771003

Doesn't the car use the T-Mobile network in California?

Tesla fixed the main problems with V11 by now. I haven't yet checked speedometer size & contrast.

People said you can bump the sliders up/down by tapping on the line, but it didn't work with the temperature or brightness slider (IIRC). Which ones does it work for?

It there a way to test out the wipers temporary panel in the garage without spraying wiper fluid or dry-wiping?

I just got this message as well today and had to update from my pre-holiday update build I was holding onto in my Model 3.

 

[Boza]

Tesla fixed the main problems with V11 by now. I haven't yet checked speedometer size & contrast.

Three major problems remain - defogger/defroster, seat warmers and map night contrast. I am not even sure if they will ever fix those, given the attention to immature things like car icon color.

 

[EVRider-FL]

Doesn't the car use the T-Mobile network in California?

I thought Tesla used AT&T everywhere in the US. Is it even possible to use different networks in different states?