Anyone who has the new refresh model have experienced the turning signals being stuck or cannot depress the button? I received my vehicle on Feb 4 and have experienced this at least 4x. I thought it was my finger placement at first but I verified that it wasn't the cause. The signal button was completely depressed and no change lane indication was initiated then given a few seconds later then I can press the button again..
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Turning signal button "stuck"
- Thread starter qwkslvr2b
- Start date
The steering wheel indicator buttons on the new Tesla Model 3 delivered to us Feb 2024 randomly failed upon first press of either button within days of delivery and I immediately laid a case with federal recalls branch. Got to a point where buttons would randomly and totally seize up no matter where they were pressed, sometimes very frantically. Tesla checked data and agreed there was fault thus having to come to our home to replace the steering wheel. Within days the buttons randomly exhibited the same faults. Their tech service person and their driving advisor from another Tesla site came to our town and observed our use of the buttons either not highlighting any use problem or saying we drove the car well. But, not being able to use them to exit roundabouts without taking eyes off the road is ok because you might get used to being able to accept that, keep taking your eyes off the road or continue no bothering at all. Apparently you’re not supposed to feel for the buttons before pressing either because that’s the latest verbal excuse. Unbelievable. There’s a touch line inviting your thumb to feel where the buttons are so you can get ready to press particularly in tight and fast left-right situations. The indicator buttons randomly fail on first press multiple times and sometimes seize up altogether, one event causing a terrifying near miss on a blind corner on a hilly narrow road has now had our Tesla sitting in our garage for weeks. It sat for a week or so whilst we waited for the first service replacement. A word about night driving and the high beam steering wheel “touch button”. After a long hour+ drive at night, the high beam button exhibited similar problems, appearing to randomly cycle in and out of auto when I specifically set it to manual, then not dipping when absolutely necessary or randomly going into auto mode, causing near misses/blinding oncoming drivers. The car doesnt seem to sense impending oncoming traffic about to come over rises even when it is bleedingly obvious bright halo-like light is above the dark rise. In my opinion, after all we’ve gone through so far, these steering wheel so called “touch buttons”, on what appears to be a slightly moving facia, that may be facilitating or conflicting with a distinct physical downward/upwards/forward/backward movement, present an ever-present product safety issue, risk to driver and other road users, a danger and not fit for purpose. When we ordered the Tesla Model 3 back in Sept 2023 we thought it had stalks. Now we’re caught up in what feels like being a guineapig for very unsafe design over function. Already waited more than two months for a fix, now faced with returning it for a full refund. If it was a tv remote control with a dodgy button the remote would have been binned/recycled long ago.
EVRider-FL
Active Member
The left turn signal button on my 2023 Model S yoke wheel didn’t always work, so Tesla replaced the yoke. Other Model S/X owners have reported similar issues. Sorry to hear that Tesla hasn’t addressed that in the new 3.
That is a great post (if a bit difficult to read without paragraphs)!
The fact that this system has faults is troubling but I'm sure they'll be ironed out after all the Guinea Pigs do their part. However, the critical aspect is that these buttons are neither intuitive nor, apparently, designed for safe driving behavior (eyes on the road).
When I taught driver education, I was shocked to learn how few people had an innate sense for which direction to maneuver the turn signal stalk, but, it didn't take long to cement the concept that was clearly intended by the original designers: move the stalk in the same direction you (will) turn the wheel. In essence, if the driver's left hand had its fingers extended (with the middle finger above and ring finger below the TS stalk), as that hand follows the wheel through its arc the appropriate signal would be engaged by the finger which meets resistance. Never having driven one, I presume the same would be true with a RHD vehicle using the right hand (where the manufacturer put the TS stalk on the right).
I'm all for advancement in technology and have no doubt that ergonomics can adapt. If Tesla really wanted to make stalks a thing of the past, however, they should've considered the latter when attempting the former. They could've, for example, put the right turn signal button on the right spoke of the steering wheel or, in keeping with the original design concept of the stalk, put the right turn signal button under the (left) spoke and the left button on top of the (left) spoke so the force of pressing the button would be in the same direction the wheel would turn.
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