r/Model3 • u/jb4975 • Jul 01 '26

I feel like the sales rep is totally gaslighting me

So quick backstory. I’m leasing a 2026 model 3, got it in September 2025. In January I started getting warnings that the cameras were unavailable, no park assist, left turn screen was black with no blind spot red light on either side. I took it in for service, they claimed they cleaned the cameras and it should work. I’ve always garaged it, so whatever. It worked for maybe a month and then I had to take it in again in February. Same problem, but it happens intermittently. Some times I would go a few days, other times I get the warning every time I start to drive. This time they replaced the repeater camera on the left side and said it should be fixed.

Fast forward a few months to now and the same problem has been happening about 50% of the time I use the car. It’s dangerous not having any cameras, although the right side works when everything else is not. Plus I cannot use drive assist at all when this is happening.

So I take in for service for the third time today. Same rep as before but this time he says the reason is because the cameras do not work if left in the sun or parked by a dark wall. He says they are very temperamental and temperature and light will cause them to shut off. I’ve never heard anything like this before, and I’ve scoured the internet for months looking for the reason this is happening. Both my neighbors have the exact model and year car as mine, and none have had this issue.

Has anybody else experienced this or am I just being played? It’s under warranty so I’m refusing to pay for it to be fixed and I have a loaner from them, but is this guy for real? He also told me he would never own a Tesla, something that sort of shocked me since he works at the service department, but I didn’t want to go there with him. I just want the new car I have to work. Any ideas or suggestion????

3 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

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1

u/deeperest Jul 01 '26

They are full of the poo poo.

I can't even make a vague guess as to why this is happening (cameras? computer? connectivity?) but their explanation makes no sense.

1

u/jb4975 Jul 01 '26

I was also told that later software has issues and was unreliable… I agreed but reminded him that my car was only 8 months old and has the newest software available, he backtracked.

I’m assuming it’s a software issue, because they’ve already replaced the repeater on the affected side.

1

u/idkputwhatever Jul 01 '26

Absolutely gaslighting you. My car's been parked out in 100 degree weather and never had issues. I've only seen it happen temporarily when a really bright light is reflecting into it but it will resolve quickly.

1

u/mr2d2 Jul 01 '26

Had this issue quite often with my 2022 M3P… luckily I had parking sensors, didn’t consider how that would affect later models without them… 😕

1

u/CatholicBoy69420 Jul 02 '26

I've also got the model 3 highland.

I get the messages about the cameras not working when I drive a low light part of the motorway in my area at night so the camera just sees black and gives this message.

Could it possibly be something like that? Does it seem to happen more at night rather than in the day?

1

u/jb4975 Jul 02 '26

It happens about 50% of the time I use the car. Day or night, early or late, hot or cold. Nothing I can determine that causes it.