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Tesla to roll out software update to fix windshield defrosting issue on 26k vehicles

(Credit: Jerry Rig Everything)

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Tesla is rolling out an over-the-air software update that would allow the company to address a windshield defrosting issue present in vehicles that are equipped with a heat pump. A total of 26,681 vehicles are affected by the issue, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Safety Recall Report. 

Vehicles that are part of the “recall” include 2021-2022 Tesla Model S, 2020-2022 Tesla Model Y, 2021-2022 Tesla Model 3, and 2021-2022 Tesla Model X. The US regulator noted in its Safety Recall Report that a software error in the affected vehicles may cause a valve at the cars’ heat pumps to open unintentionally, resulting in refrigerant being trapped inside the evaporator. This could adversely affect a vehicle’s defrosting performance. 

 

While the issue is quite notable, Tesla notes that it is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to the affected vehicles’ heat pump issue. 

A chronology of the heat pump issue was outlined in the NHTSA’s Safety Recall Report. As per the document, Tesla began rolling out firmware release 2021.44 and subsequent releases through firmware release 2021.44.30.6 to affected vehicles on or about December 10, 2021. Later that month, the company started receiving complaints from customers about the loss of heating performance in extreme weather conditions. 

An investigation to find the root cause of the issue was commenced then. By January 11, 2022, it was determined that the lack of software command to close the Electronic Expansion Valve (EXV) after communication interruptions in firmware release 2021.44 through 2021.44.30.6 was a potential cause of the problem. Software update 2021.44.30.7 and later releases, which reintroduced a software command to close the EXV, was rolled out on January 15, 2022, as a precautionary measure. 

Tesla Model 3, Model Y HVAC investigation in Canada still ongoing after 171 consumer complaints

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Following discussions with the NHTSA’s Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance and Transport Canada about consumer complaints, Tesla conducted tests to assess the compliance of new vehicles delivered with the software command found in firmware release 2021.44 through 2021.44.30.6. Unfortunately, the results of these tests revealed that new vehicles delivered with firmware release 2021.44 through 2021.44.30.6 may still present issues in worst-case scenarios.

After confirming the root cause of the issue, a recall determination was made for the affected vehicles on January 26, 2022, the final day of the compliance tests. The affected vehicle population for the recall was then expanded out of an abundance of caution on February 7, 2022, to incorporate vehicles that are currently running firmware release 2021.44 through 2021.44.30.6, but are yet to install firmware release 2021.44.30.7 or later. 

The remedy for the issue was outlined in the NHTSA’s Safety Recall Notice. As per the document, the fix for the issue would be rolled out through firmware release 2021.44.30.7. The update, similar to Tesla’s other key patches for its vehicles, would be released over-the-air and completely free of charge. 

“Firmware release 2021.44.30.7 and later releases remedy the condition by reintroducing a software command to close the EXV, thereby preventing refrigerant from entering the evaporator. No further action is necessary from owners whose vehicles are equipped with firmware release 2021.44.30.7 or a later release. 

“Tesla does not plan to include a statement in the Part 577 owner notification about reimbursement for pre-notice repairs to owners since all of the affected vehicles remain covered under the new vehicle warranty, and owners will receive the remedy free of charge with an OTA firmware release.”

The NHTSA’s Safety Recall Report for Tesla’s heat pump issue can be viewed below. 

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RCLRPT-22V050-2023 by Simon Alvarez on Scribd

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla surges Robotaxi fleet ahead of Cybercab launch event

Tesla’s unsupervised robotaxi fleet quietly grew sevenfold in three weeks just before Cybercab Day arrives.

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Tesla’s unsupervised Robotaxi fleet has grown far faster than the public numbers suggested, and the timing lines up with the company’s biggest autonomy showcase yet. According to data compiled by the crowdsourced Robotaxi Tracker, Tesla now has nearly 200 vehicles operating without a safety monitor across Austin, Dallas and Houston, yielding a roughly 7X increase in about three weeks.

The jump lands four days before this week’s Tesla Cybercab launch event in Austin, where the company plans to show off its purpose-built, two-seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals in a live commercial setting for the first time. Stick with us on X and Facebook for live reporting from the event.

The strategic logic is straightforward. Tesla has spent the past year scaling Robotaxi in small, deliberate steps, first widening geofences, then extending operating hours, then quietly growing fleet size, usually with little advance notice. Ashok Elluswamy told investors on the Q2 earnings call that the program had logged more than 380,000 unsupervised miles with zero notable incidents, a safety record the company has leaned on to justify moving slowly. Critics have used the flip side of that caution, a fleet that appeared stuck around two dozen vehicles for months, as evidence that Tesla’s driverless ambitions were outrunning its actual deployment.

A fleet quietly scaling to nearly 200 vehicles right before Cybercab Day undercuts that argument without Tesla having to say anything about it directly. It also sets up the event to do double duty. Rather than simply introducing new hardware, Tesla can point to an operating base of unsupervised Model Ys already running at meaningful scale, then argue the Cybercab, which uses the same underlying Full Self-Driving stack according to earlier coverage of the fleet’s software upgrades, is a natural next steps. Tesla has separately been registering the two-seat Cybercabs with Texas regulators this week, with the count climbing from seven to 45 in a matter of days.

The two ramps, one in software-driven Model Y deployment and one in physical Cybercab registrations, are happening in parallel rather than in sequence. That suggests Tesla wants Thursday’s event to land as proof that the robotaxi business is already running at scale, not just a reveal of a new vehicle shape. Whether the unsupervised numbers hold up once Cybercabs start mixing into the same fleet is the detail worth watching once the event wraps.

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Tesla Cybertruck windshield protection just got cheaper

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is lowering the monthly price of its Cybertruck Windshield Protection Plan from $35 to $25. The new rate will apply to the first payment on or after October 1, 2026. Tesla has told subscribers that all other benefits stay the same.

The plan covers unlimited repairs for chips and minor cracks on the front windshield. It also includes one full replacement every 12 months at no extra charge. Additional replacements in the same year carry a $100 deductible. Service is performed with Tesla glass and camera calibration, which matters because Autopilot and Full Self-Driving rely on those lenses behind the windshield.

There is no long-term contract. Coverage applies only to the front glass and does not include collision, vandalism, or weather damage.

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The Cybertruck’s large, complex windshield has been more expensive to replace than glass on Tesla’s cars, which is why the pickup started at a higher subscription price. The $10 monthly cut reduces the annual cost from $420 to $300. Tesla has not publicly explained the change. The timing coincides with a year of claims data after the plan was extended to the Cybertruck.

Tesla sells several related protection products as monthly subscriptions through the Tesla app. The Windshield Protection Plan is also offered on other models. Model 3 and Model Y currently cost $16 a month. Those passenger-car rates are unchanged in the latest Cybertruck notice.

The Wheel and Tire Protection Plan covers road-hazard damage such as potholes, nails, and debris. Repairs are unlimited. Each wheel or tire replacement appointment has a $25 deductible. Pricing varies by model and whether the vehicle is a Performance version. Tesla is raising some of those rates on the same October 1 date.

Reported examples include Model 3 Performance moving from $16 to $24 and Model Y Performance from $20 to $24. Cybertruck wheel-and-tire coverage has been listed at $20 a month for the standard configuration.

A separate Luxe Package bundles four years of windshield coverage, wheel-and-tire coverage, and recommended maintenance on certain new Model S, Model X, and Cyberbeast orders, although the Model S and X are now defunct.

Tesla also offers an Extended Service Agreement after the basic vehicle warranty ends. That product covers many Tesla-manufactured parts rather than glass or tires. Together, the plans give owners a menu of targeted, cancel-anytime coverage instead of relying only on auto insurance.

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Tesla Cybercab fleet grows in Austin ahead of launch event

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Credit: Teslarati

UPDATE: The number has now been updated to 45 units, up from 7!

Tesla is bolstering its Cybercab fleet with the State of Texas’s regulatory bodies ahead of the planned launch of the all-electric ride-hailing vehicle this Thursday.

Seven purpose-built Tesla Cybercabs have been added to Texas’s official automated vehicle registry, appearing in the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System (TxMCCS) public lookup just three days before Tesla’s invite-only Cybercab launch event in Austin on September 3.

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The records, visible through TxDMV’s Motor Carrier and Automated Motor Vehicle Operator Lookup, list seven 2026 Tesla Cybercabs under Tesla Robotaxi, LLC. Their VINs begin with the 5YJA prefix, distinct from the 7SAYG Model Y robotaxis that already dominate Tesla’s Texas fleet.

Community trackers that scrape the same public database recorded the new entries on August 31, bringing Tesla’s authorized Texas robotaxi total to 276 vehicles: 269 Model Ys and the seven Cybercabs:

Texas Senate Bill 2807, which took effect in late May 2026, created a self-certification framework for commercial Level 4 operations. Operators file through TxMCCS, attest to SAE Level 4 capability, maintain insurance, and keep an active vehicle list.

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Tesla completed that process months earlier for its existing Model Y Robotaxi service, which has carried paying passengers in Austin, Dallas, Houston and other markets. Adding the Cybercabs to the same authorization means the new two-seat, steering-wheel-free vehicles are now legally recognized for commercial use on Texas roads.

The timing is deliberate as Tesla scheduled the September 3 event at its Austin campus after sending invitations to selected Robotaxi riders and other guests. The company has described the evening as a chance to “experience the future of full autonomy” and plans to livestream it.

Production Cybercabs, which lack pedals and a steering wheel, have been rolling off the Giga Texas line for months; some earlier examples still carried temporary driver controls for data collection. Registering a small fleet of the finished design immediately before the public event signals that Tesla intends to move the purpose-built vehicle from factory and test tracks into the same Robotaxi app already used by Model Y passengers.

The seven units remain a tiny fraction of Tesla’s overall Texas authorization and far smaller than competing fleets. Registration does not automatically equal unsupervised public rides; it is the legal prerequisite.

Still, the sudden appearance of Cybercab VINs in the state’s lookup system, after a year of Model Y-only listings, is the clearest official confirmation yet that Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi hardware is entering the regulatory pipeline at the same moment the company is preparing to show it to invited guests and a global livestream audience.

Whether those seven vehicles appear at the September 3 event or begin carrying passengers shortly afterward, their presence in TxMCCS marks a concrete regulatory step that has been anticipated since the Cybercab concept was first revealed.

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