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Tesla Owners Complain About Life-Threatening Heating Issues With Their EVs

In moderate climates, heating is just a matter of comfort. In all other places where temperatures go well below 0ºC (32ºF), that feature means life or death. Many Tesla owners are complaining about the lack of heating with Model Y and Model 3 units. We spoke to two of them. The first was Mark, who prefers not to reveal his full name.
Tesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real danger 8 photos
Photo: Mark
Tesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real dangerTesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real dangerLauri Orrainen said he could not recommend Tesla anymore with his Model 3 presenting heat pump problemsTesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real dangerTesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real dangerTesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real dangerLauri Orrainen said he could not recommend Tesla anymore with his Model 3 presenting heat pump problems
This Tesla customer lives in Saskatchewan, Canada, but he picked up his Model Y in Calgary because his home state did not have a Tesla delivery location at the time. Trusting the EV maker’s promise that the Model Y would be the best Tesla ever in cold climates, Mark just enjoyed his electric crossover until winter said "hi."

“January 2021 came, and we had no heat in our cabin unless plugged in or standing still. The car was first towed mid-February to Saskatoon literally days after the opening of that location. After a four-week stay in the service center, we got our car back, having had a major rebuild of the heat pump system, replacing a part called the Super Manifold.”

The Super Manifold is one of the components that Sandy Munro was most impressed with when he and his team tore down a Model Y – that and the Octovalve. Both are part of the heat pump system that made the electric crossover more efficient. It seems nobody asked if it would also be more effective. In Mark’s case, it was not.

“The car seemed fixed, but the worst of winter was over by mid-March. To Tesla's credit, they paid for the tow from Estevan to Saskatoon and a rental for the entire time. However, Tesla does expect you to retrieve the vehicle at your own expense.”

Tesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real danger
Photo: Mark
When the weather got cold again, Mark had to schedule the regular maintenance and learned about the “need to replace the sensors in the heating system as part of a service bulletin.” This issue is reported by other Tesla owners on Twitter.

“This work was performed in the third week of December as the earliest I could travel the 450 kilometers (279.6 miles) to my service center. Everything seemed great for the first few days while we traveled for our Christmas holiday.”

Things got dangerous when Mark and his family tried to get back home.

“Driving between Moose Jaw and Regina at -30ºC (-22ºF), we experienced no heat in our cabin. I thought if we could make it to Regina – where the only tow company certified for Tesla is – so we'd call Roadside Assistance and get help again.”

Luckily, Mark and his family made it there, but the description of what they went through makes the word “luckily” gain a broader meaning.

“It was a very, very cold drive that only was made possible using hand and foot warmers and blankets. My family was in the car and my youngest – 9 years old – started to complain of stabbing pains in her feet. It was a horrible experience and one I have vowed never to replicate. The car was towed the next day (December 27) from where it was parked in Regina.”

Tesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real danger
Photo: Mark
The car was with the Saskatoon Tesla Service Center from December 31 until January 6. Mark lives far from it, so he asked a relative to pick up his car and drive it halfway to a family member’s house. The fact that this relative got there without issues made Mark confident: the Model Y owner thought it was finally and definitely fixed.

“Before my relative got the car back, it was cold-soaked overnight, unplugged at -30ºC. The technician heated it up fine the next morning. After he tested it, they pulled it inside the shop to charge for the trip home.”

Mark was informed that the Super Manifold was replaced for a second time, as well as the expansion valves and AC lines. A front louver was also fixed.

“I could not make it to pick up the car immediately due to a blizzard, so the car sat at the family member’s house plugged in outside for two nights on 110V, which was all that was available. On January 9, I drove my rental to go get my car after the storm cleared. We set the car to precondition and tried to follow all the recommendations sent out by Tesla.”

Mark’s happiness did not last for long.

“Five minutes before returning the rental car, my family member called me and said the 'no cabin heat' warning returned. My heart sunk. Luckily, I still had the rental, so we all met back at the house. I called roadside assistance once again to schedule another tow."

Tesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real danger
Photo: Mark
When we interviewed Mark, he was waiting for the tow truck and wishing Canada had a lemon law.

“I was informed late today the car will be getting another rebuild of the heat pump system. I have been informed even engineers have been working to figure out what is wrong with it. If that doesn't qualify it as a lemon, I don't know what does. All totaled, our Model Y has been in service now for 39 days and counting. Understandably, I am pretty much finished with this particular car.”

From being an EV advocate, the experience with the Model Y made Mark consider going back to ICE vehicles.

“I am no engineer or expert, but in my limited experience, it is my belief these cars have fundamental design flaws in terms of extremely cold climates. At a minimum, a backup resistive heating system should be included in cold-climate-destined cars to prevent the sort of life-threatening situations my family and I found ourselves in. Most traditional cars come with a ‘cold-climate package.’”

Mark is part of a big EV organization in Saskatchewan, and he knows more Tesla customers are having problems with the heat pump.

“Roughly a third to half of the people with Teslas containing heat pumps are experiencing some sort of issues ranging from minor to extreme like mine. Tesla should be issuing a public recall on this. Elon has been silent on the issue.”

Tesla Model Y heating system fails at freezing temperatures and puts family in real danger
Photo: Mark
One of these owners is Tyler Selvig. He bought his brand-new 2022 Tesla Model Y in November 2021 and took it from Saskatoon to Regina for the Christmas holidays without issues. On his way back and with his two kids – both under 3 years old – in the EV, he started the trip back on December 29. After 45 minutes, the heating systems stopped working.

Lucky was also on Selvig’s side. His father-in-law was following behind him with a truck. The Tesla owner put his son and his daughter inside the truck to keep them warm and called Tesla Service. He was warned that it was a widespread problem, which did not make him feel less frustrated. It was -40ºC (-40ºF).

In a tweet tagging Elon Musk and Tesla, Selvig said that the issue could have killed his family. He argued that if this is a known issue, Tesla should have warned him so that he did not put his family at risk.

“The car was in service at the Saskatoon dealer, and they were waiting for parts until the engineers at Tesla HQ told them to replace the Super Manifold. I got the car back, and it seems to be working great.”

Selvig did not hear about a technical service bulletin on the issue – as Mark did – but he added essential pieces to the puzzle. Apparently, the problems started after an OTA (over-the-air) update took place a while after his trip to Regina. This is why it would have only occurred on his way back home.

“The technicians here told me they hope there is a future fix to avoid this with software updates. It sounds like the intake valves/louvers for the heat pump can get frozen open and then potentially cause the valves in the Octovalve to fail.”

Lauri Orrainen said he could not recommend Tesla anymore with his Model 3 presenting heat pump problems
Photo: Lauri Orrainen
The problem is international. Lauri Orrainen, from Finland, tweeted that his Tesla Model 3 is still at a Service Center after three weeks with heat pump problems. The lack of chrome suggests it is part of the refreshed vehicles presented after October 2020, and the lack of badges implies it is a Standard Range Plus. In other words, Orrainen's car may have been made in China. We have tried to contact him to confirm the information but have not heard from him so far.

If you have had issues in cold weather with your Tesla, please get in touch to tell us more about what happened. So far, it seems that Tesla released a software update without properly testing it, but older problems such as the ones Mark had in January 2021 may reveal that the heat pump system was not tested enough to ensure it works at very low temperatures. Perhaps it is a mix of both things. Tesla may have shared information with you that may explain what is affecting many other owners apart from Mark and Selvig.

In Mark's case, the disappointment may mean he will not own a Tesla again – or any other electric car.

“We do love our Tesla for many reasons, but I am at my wit’s end. I am considering selling our car once given back to us from the service department and purchasing an internal combustion engine (ICE) car again.”

For a company that states it puts safety and "the mission" to make cars go electric above all else, this is a massive backfire. Proper testing prevents that regular customers face life-threatening risks such as freezing to death. Exposing them to that very possibility is not the best way to win their trust.

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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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