CNET Review of the 2021 MY - Nearly great, critically flawed

[Edge]

I saw CNET's recent review of the 2021 MY where the tagline reads "The Tesla Model Y seems like the complete package, but its active safety suite is so fundamentally flawed that the whole dish is completely ruined."

Among the issues listed, the author didn't like the lack of a heads up display, phantom breaking, the removal of radar sensors, rear bumper getting scratched easily by chains when using the toe hitch, fogging in the taillights and water leaking into the frunk.

As a current 2020 M3 owner and a backordered MY customer, I have a few questions from this community around these comments.

1. I do experience phantom breaking from time to time but I assume my vehicle has the radar sensors. Has anyone seen an increase in this issue with those sensors removed or is that not relevant?
2. Is the water leaking into the frunk issue really an issue? I remember reading about that ages ago and thought it was fixed
3. The fogging tailights should be a warranty issue, no?

While my gut reaction to this was that the author overreacted a bit but thinking about it more, if phantom breaking is really as bad as he says it is (multiple times an hour), I can certainly see why he felt that way.

Thoughts?

 

[Wolfhausen]

HUD would be nice, but I am not experiencing many issues with phantom braking or water intrusion in the frunk or rear hatch.
Maybe the reviews sponsor is VW.

 

[Jjrss]

Ive had my MYLR since March/April timeframe, has radar and lower lumbar. Phantom braking has been greatly reduced, and is only really set off by shadows on the road.

Ive not seen the trunk leak, but if you have your hatch set to open 100% on a rainy day, it will drip into the trunk area. And if you park on a downhill slope a lot of water will collect in the weather stripping seam between the hatch and roof as well as the base of the hatch glass.

I haven't had light fogging either.

My biggest qualm with the car is the overall lack of material quality as well as service agents causing additional damage whenever they repair something. I blame the parts quality more than the service agents. Nothing about the car gives me the impression it could outlive more than a single battery swap. They designed obsolescence into the car.

 

[DanDi58]

Some of this stuff - the lack of a HUD and the bumper scratching - seem like nits to me, reasons to not like the car vs real issues. I've had no frunk leaks. I have radar so can't comment on the vision-based system, although there are threads here that discuss that. Haven't had an issue with taillights fogging although that is certainly not unique to Tesla.

 

[Yelobird]

Hmmm chains can scratch car paint. Who would have knew! Lol. As the big three start dipping their toe in the EV market goofy agenda articles like this will ramp up. Big whoop

 

[jsight]

If the frunk is leaking, it is likely not adjusted right. I've never seen water in there even after driving through hard rain.

The phantom braking can be a real problem though, and this forum is full of anecdotal reports that it is much worse with the vision only configuration.

 

[Yelobird]

If the frunk is leaking, it is likely not adjusted right. I've never seen water in there even after driving through hard rain.

The phantom braking can be a real problem though, and this forum is full of anecdotal reports that it is much worse with the vision only configuration.

Fairly certain even if you have radar they re not using it! When they moved to vision only all software updates followed suit. I’m betting you can unplug radar and it would do nothing.

 

[Fourdoor]

I saw CNET's recent review of the 2021 MY where the tagline reads "The Tesla Model Y seems like the complete package, but its active safety suite is so fundamentally flawed that the whole dish is completely ruined."

Among the issues listed, the author didn't like the lack of a heads up display, phantom breaking, the removal of radar sensors, rear bumper getting scratched easily by chains when using the toe hitch, fogging in the taillights and water leaking into the frunk.

As a current 2020 M3 owner and a backordered MY customer, I have a few questions from this community around these comments.

1. I do experience phantom breaking from time to time but I assume my vehicle has the radar sensors. Has anyone seen an increase in this issue with those sensors removed or is that not relevant?
2. Is the water leaking into the frunk issue really an issue? I remember reading about that ages ago and thought it was fixed
3. The fogging tailights should be a warranty issue, no?

While my gut reaction to this was that the author overreacted a bit but thinking about it more, if phantom breaking is really as bad as he says it is (multiple times an hour), I can certainly see why he felt that way.

Thoughts?

#1 If I hadn't figured out I can use "speed limit mode" as a work around, I would have sold my car over the phantom braking issue. On my daily commute (30 min each way) I have a minimum of 5 phantom brake events on a light traffic day, up to dozens on a heavy traffic day. The TACC system only works "good" (not excellent) on divided limited access freeways. On a two lane highway it is beyond annoying, into the dangerous if anyone is behind you category. I use "speed limit mode" as a poor mans work around, treating it like "dumb" cruise control. I think Tesla can mitigate the phantom braking on HW 3.0- (minus is for the removal of radar) with software updates over time... but without a hardware upgrade it is a trade off between eliminating phantom braking events and safety. If there really IS a car in my lane about to head on into me, I would like the car to respond... but I don't think Tesla will be able to do this with cameras only. If you don't drive on two lane highways, TACC is not really an issue. The easiest solution would be to make "dumb" cruise control selectable on the driving screen.

#2 I haven't seen any evidence of this... but I have only had a few rainy days since buying the car and I didn't open the frunk right after driving in the rain... even if it does happen I suspect it would be a warranty repair.

#3 No evidence of this on my car, but it would be a warranty repair if it did happen.

Keith

PS: There are known issues that you didn't bring up. The spoiler on my MYP is starting to come off and will have to be re-attached eventually... seems like this is a design flaw relying on double sided tape to hold these on. Just because it will be a warranty "repair" doesn't mean that it isn't annoying to have a known flaw be ignored in the production process.

 

[Big Dog]

Some of this stuff - the lack of a HUD and the bumper scratching - seem like nits to me, reasons to not like the car vs real issues. I've had no frunk leaks. I have radar so can't comment on the vision-based system, although there are threads here that discuss that. Haven't had an issue with taillights fogging although that is certainly not unique to Tesla.

Agree. I'd love to hear of one manufacturer who has paint that will not chip/scratch when hit by banging chains. A leaky trunk is an adjustment issue, but fair game since a $50k plus car should not leak upon delivery.

 

[Fourdoor]

Fairly certain even if you have radar they re not using it! When they moved to vision only all software updates followed suit. I’m betting you can unplug radar and it would do nothing.

I have to disagree on this. My co-worker with a M3 SR+ thought I was crazy when I would talk about phantom braking being a problem (he drives on the same two lane highways I drive) until he was accepted into the FSD Beta system... NOW he has the same problems I have. The FSD Beta is a "pure vision" system, but the older radar equipped cars are still using the radar (for now) unless they opt into the FSD Beta system. Now, if he dropped his subscription to FSD would his radar be re-activated? Beats me!

Keith

 

[Fourdoor]

Agree. I'd love to hear of one manufacturer who has paint that will not chip/scratch when hit by banging chains. A leaky trunk is an adjustment issue, but fair game since a $50k plus car should not leak upon delivery.

None. Paint chips when you hit it with a chain and everyone knows it... except Tesla apparently.

Most manufacturers are smart enough to put unpainted plastic, or metal around a receiver hitch so it isn't an issue.

Keith

 

[Flybuddy]

I don't think the tow chains rubbing are a big issue. Would be nice if Tesla addressed it but not easy if you want the hidden plate in the bumper. Easily fixed on our end by placing some rubber material or split heater hose over the chains.
As far as CNET goes, it's a possibility that if Tesla advertised with them or bought back the right to use a positive review (which CNET has done), then they may not have nitpicked.

 

[Ogre]

I saw CNET's recent review of the 2021 MY where the tagline reads "The Tesla Model Y seems like the complete package, but its active safety suite is so fundamentally flawed that the whole dish is completely ruined."

Among the issues listed, the author didn't like the lack of a heads up display, phantom breaking, the removal of radar sensors, rear bumper getting scratched easily by chains when using the toe hitch, fogging in the taillights and water leaking into the frunk.

As a current 2020 M3 owner and a backordered MY customer, I have a few questions from this community around these comments.

1. I do experience phantom breaking from time to time but I assume my vehicle has the radar sensors. Has anyone seen an increase in this issue with those sensors removed or is that not relevant?
2. Is the water leaking into the frunk issue really an issue? I remember reading about that ages ago and thought it was fixed
3. The fogging tailights should be a warranty issue, no?

While my gut reaction to this was that the author overreacted a bit but thinking about it more, if phantom breaking is really as bad as he says it is (multiple times an hour), I can certainly see why he felt that way.

Thoughts?

I don’t get phantom braking enough to even mention it. I might have seen it a dozen times where it was noticeable and bad in the 9 months I’ve owned it. My car has radar and I think still uses the older stack and I’ve heard the vision only stack is more prone to phantom braking so kind of same boat as you.

No issues with leaking in the frunk and I live in a very rainy area in Oregon. I have heard of others with the issue, but it is a fixable problem and should be something Tesla service can address.

No idea about fogging taillights, seems like a warrantee though.

My view of media reviews on Tesla has gotten pretty jaded, so I just tend to ignore most of them. The guys from Electrek have had significant issues with phantom braking on the vision only stack and I trust them a lot more, so that issue is something to be concerned about.

 

[Ogre]

I don't think the tow chains rubbing are a big issue. Would be nice if Tesla addressed it but not easy if you want the hidden plate in the bumper. Easily fixed on our end by placing some rubber material or split heater hose over the chains.
As far as CNET goes, it's a possibility that if Tesla advertised with them or bought back the right to use a positive review (which CNET has done), then they may not have nitpicked.

The hitch mount on the Model Y is very tucked in. I use mine for a hitch rack and like that it is that way, but if I were rowing with chains, I’d probably want some 3M protective wrap in that area. It’s just generally very very tight compared to any other hitch setup I’ve used.

 

[jsight]

Fairly certain even if you have radar they re not using it! When they moved to vision only all software updates followed suit. I’m betting you can unplug radar and it would do nothing.

Nah, we still have radar as long as we aren't in the fsd beta. You can tell as the restrictions are different.

 

[roblab]

This is why I don't subscribe to CNET.