A number of Tesla owners since last December have taken delivery of their car with USB-C ports missing, or the data function of the USB-C ports gone.
If you found this to be the case with your new Tesla, and unsure what to do about the problem, this could be helpful.
For some new owners, it meant no wireless in-car charging for their phone. Some of the affected cars at least have some USB plug somewhere, which could be used for a conventional charging cable.
Many new Tesla owners felt like they were left in the dark and are understandably less satisfied than they should be. The reason for this snafu? The global chip shortage, for one. It’s a subject that’s been covered in loads of threads right here in TMC.
Was this clearly and directly communicated by Tesla well and ahead of time? Perhaps not, or not in the way one would expect from such a respected brand. And I won’t blame you if you’re one of the disappointed customers who received the late-model Tesla Models 3 and Y with the USB-C issue.
It’s unclear exactly how many new Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles were delivered with missing USB ports or with data function disabled. These are brand-new EVs worth from $50k-$70k, so owners do rightfully expect a certain level of connectivity.
Here’s what we know so far: Cars that started getting delivered late last year had been affected.
We all love our USB-C ports. They’re quite a useful invention — a sort of Swiss Army knife of connectivity — data, power, and video capability in a small plug.
But sometimes, manufacturers remove one of the functions.
Was it really due to the chip shortage that made Tesla decide to remove the data function?
Whatever the reason — this missing USB-C outlet or data-removed-from-USB-C episode has become a fact of life for a certain batch of new owners.
It’s an issue raised by many. For one, if you want to use gaming controllers — it’s a no-go. Can’t be done.
Some solutions and then drawbacks
There are a number of solutions:
1. Get someone to retrofit your Tesla by adding a custom module — while this does restore data, there are a few drawbacks:
(a). The power they deliver is reduced from Tesla's original 27W (our testing shows 20W is the most common), which means some Tesla accessories, like hubs — won't work, due to insufficient power.
(b). Also, you can't trust that the modules will be compatible with future software upgrades, or future hardware in cars.
2. The second solution is workable: add data from somewhere else.
(a). This can be done — pretty easily — by getting our 3 Port USB HUB with DashCam Reader
https://www.jowua-life.com/collections/explore-all-products/products/3-port-usb-hub-with-dashcam-reader
(b). You get 2 additional data ports — and still can run the dashcam recorder with the dedicated microSD port on the device.
(c) Best of all, it's compatible with our Multi Device Wireless Controllers. That means 2-player gaming is back!
So it turns out that for every problem, a solution. Jowua has solved it for you.
Grab this device. It's $35 without SD cards, though there are a few bundles if you need one too. We’ve included a coupon code for TMC readers — so just use TMC5 when you make a purchase.
If you found this to be the case with your new Tesla, and unsure what to do about the problem, this could be helpful.
For some new owners, it meant no wireless in-car charging for their phone. Some of the affected cars at least have some USB plug somewhere, which could be used for a conventional charging cable.
Many new Tesla owners felt like they were left in the dark and are understandably less satisfied than they should be. The reason for this snafu? The global chip shortage, for one. It’s a subject that’s been covered in loads of threads right here in TMC.
Was this clearly and directly communicated by Tesla well and ahead of time? Perhaps not, or not in the way one would expect from such a respected brand. And I won’t blame you if you’re one of the disappointed customers who received the late-model Tesla Models 3 and Y with the USB-C issue.
It’s unclear exactly how many new Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles were delivered with missing USB ports or with data function disabled. These are brand-new EVs worth from $50k-$70k, so owners do rightfully expect a certain level of connectivity.
Here’s what we know so far: Cars that started getting delivered late last year had been affected.
We all love our USB-C ports. They’re quite a useful invention — a sort of Swiss Army knife of connectivity — data, power, and video capability in a small plug.
But sometimes, manufacturers remove one of the functions.
Was it really due to the chip shortage that made Tesla decide to remove the data function?
Whatever the reason — this missing USB-C outlet or data-removed-from-USB-C episode has become a fact of life for a certain batch of new owners.
It’s an issue raised by many. For one, if you want to use gaming controllers — it’s a no-go. Can’t be done.
Some solutions and then drawbacks
There are a number of solutions:
1. Get someone to retrofit your Tesla by adding a custom module — while this does restore data, there are a few drawbacks:
(a). The power they deliver is reduced from Tesla's original 27W (our testing shows 20W is the most common), which means some Tesla accessories, like hubs — won't work, due to insufficient power.
(b). Also, you can't trust that the modules will be compatible with future software upgrades, or future hardware in cars.
2. The second solution is workable: add data from somewhere else.
(a). This can be done — pretty easily — by getting our 3 Port USB HUB with DashCam Reader
https://www.jowua-life.com/collections/explore-all-products/products/3-port-usb-hub-with-dashcam-reader
(b). You get 2 additional data ports — and still can run the dashcam recorder with the dedicated microSD port on the device.
(c) Best of all, it's compatible with our Multi Device Wireless Controllers. That means 2-player gaming is back!
So it turns out that for every problem, a solution. Jowua has solved it for you.
Grab this device. It's $35 without SD cards, though there are a few bundles if you need one too. We’ve included a coupon code for TMC readers — so just use TMC5 when you make a purchase.
