I'm afraid I have to add myself to the list of people experiencing this ear pressure/pain while driving the Model Y. We took a quick 10 mile drive right after the car was delivered last week, and I noticed it right away. It was so distracting that I couldn't even focus on evaluating the driving dynamics of the car, which is why we took the car for a drive in the first place. For me, it wasn't unbearable, but it was really irritating and definitely gave me a headache. After a week of driving around, I can't deny that this is a real issue.
Thanks to everyone that has contributed to this thread. Nobody else in my family is having the same experience as me, so it was nice to get some validation to prove to myself that I wasn't going crazy. I have had the problem on every drive - even short ones, but it's worse on rougher roads. There is a lot of great info in this thread, but no definitive solution to the problem. It may be that different people have different sources of discomfort, or perhaps some combination of sources. I'm going to list out all the potential causes of the problem that I am experiencing, in order of what I hope the source might be:
1) Hatch buffeting - I think this has been the issue for lots of people, and it's a pretty easy fix if that's the case. I had this problem with my Model S eight years ago, and I was able to fix it by adjusting the rubber stoppers as many have recommended. After about a dozen attempts to do this with my new Model Y, I have decided this is not the issue for me. At least, it's not the only issue. There is no adjustment I have been able to make that gets rid of the problem. Also, I have the issue even when the windows are rolled down, so it can't be just air pressure changes from hatch buffeting. I also remember being able to hear the buffeting with my Model S, and with the Y I'm not hearing it as much as feeling it in my ears. There might still be something wrong with the hatch, but it will require a more involved adjustment than the rubber stoppers - maybe the latch height that someone suggested or even realigning the hinges somehow. Or maybe the hatch just flexes in place and that's causing a problem. I have a service center appointment next week, and maybe they will put in those additional rubber blocks so I will see if that makes any difference. I will also try to get a Model Y loaner to see if I have the same problem in a different Y.
2) Tire ride/noise - Someone else suggested that this was the problem (sorry, there have been so many posts in this thread that I can't remember who said what) and I think that's definitely a contributing factor for me. My Y was delivered with the tires (the standard 19" Continental Procontacts) inflated to 42 psi. I had been driving around like that until this morning when I lowered the pressure to 39 psi. This seemed to make a real difference with the ear pain. I don't know if it's because of noise from the tires, or just the fact that the less inflated tires smooth out the ride a bit. I had ordered the winter tire package from Tesla even before I took delivery of my car, but I'm not sure I want to make that investment now until I know if I can keep this car for the long term. If I do decide to keep the winter tires, I will have Tesla put them on at the service appointment and will see if those tires have any impact on this ear pain issue. I'm going to drive the car with my current tires at the lower pressure until the day of my service appointment. Then I will re-inflate them and see if I notice a big spike in ear pain.
3) Heat pump/AC/battery coolant circulation - There are lots of things that might be running even the car isn't moving. This probably isn't the issue for me. I have spent a lot of time just sitting the car while I was fiddling with settings or listening to music. I also did an overnight car camp with my son. Camp mode with the AC and heat pump were running all night and I had no issues at all. While this is probably not my issue, I could see how a defect in one of these systems could cause persistent audible (or inaudible) pain. My old Model S had an AC unit that vibrated so badly I thought the panels might fall off the car.
4) Bolt/Weld/Seal issue - Maybe something somewhere in the car isn't secured the way that it should be. This could be anything, and given how fast Tesla is trying to crank out Model Ys, I'm sure plenty of cars get shipped with problems. If that's the problem with my car, it could be something that's easy to detect and fix, or impossible to detect and fix. Impossible means I will have to get rid of the car.
5) Suspension/Body/Design - I'm really hoping this isn't the problem, even though many people on this thread have provided some pretty good evidence that this might be the case. My own testing is pointing to this as well. The ride on the Model Y is pretty stiff, and that's by design. Maybe there is just something about the design of the car and the interior volume that causes the car to resonate with a low-frequency booming while driving.
I feel bad for those that have had to get rid of their Model Ys because of this issue. We might be doing this same thing if we can't find a resolution. The would be a shame because the Model Y is the perfect car for our family in many ways. Even if I can figure out a way to make this go from painful to tolerable, that still won't be good enough. The Model 3 that I traded-in was the best car I have ever owned. I enjoyed every single drive in that car. Even just sitting down in the car made me happy. It's pretty hard to go from that to a car that I will just tolerate for the extra cargo space. If Tesla can't resolve this issue for me, I will take the financial hit from selling my new Model Y and get myself a new Model 3.
Good luck to everyone that is dealing with this same issue. Keep us posted on any progress that you make towards finding a solution. I will do the same.
