Sorry about one paragraph
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.