A Tesla Inc. owner, Brianna Janel, alleged that she was locked inside her car during a software update, leading to a dangerous situation. The incident has sparked a debate about the safety of Tesla’s software updates.
What Happened: Janel, a popular TikToker, said she was “roasting like a freakin’ chicken” in her Tesla for 40 minutes during a software update. The car was parked in the sun, and the internal temperature reached 115°F.
The Tesla’s user manual warns against opening the doors or windows during an update, as it could damage the vehicle.
In a series of videos, the TikToker said that she anticipated the software update to take 24 minutes, as indicated on the vehicle’s internal screen. This timeframe was supposed to allow her to complete a work call while awaiting her Chick-fil-A order. However, she found herself still confined inside the vehicle even after concluding her call, reported Business Insider.
“When your car is updating, you’re stuck in your car if you activate it while you’re in here,” Janel said in her first video.
“So I did that and now I’m stuck in my car literally dripping sweat — like dripping sweat — and inside my car, it’s 103 degrees.”
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Janel, who had owned her Tesla for six years, decided to wait out the update despite the extreme heat, fearing she might damage the vehicle. She eventually managed to exit the car and warned others not to update their Teslas while inside.
“I made it out of my car — look, I’m sweating. I’m literally dripping sweat; you can see it on my face,” she said eventually. “I just got stuck in my car as it was updating for 40 minutes, and the interior is 115 degrees. The AC has never felt so good and I’ve never felt better.”
Commenters on her video were divided, with some blaming Janel for not using the emergency manual release and others blaming Tesla for a “huge safety issue.”
Why It Matters: This incident adds to the growing concerns about the safety of Tesla’s vehicles. Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA launched an engineering analysis into the steering rack parts of Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y after reports of loss of steering control.
Before that, Tesla recalled nearly 200,000 vehicles due to a rearview camera issue caused by software instability. These incidents have raised questions about the safety of Tesla’s software and the potential risks associated with software updates.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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