New Tesla Model Y FSD camera cleaning system demonstrated on the 2025 Juniper refresh

Dirty HW3 or HW4 cameras have been a pet peeve of many a Tesla owner who tried to use Autopilot, FSD, or simply park in adverse weather conditions.

The Tesla car cameras often fog up, freeze, or simply get covered in dirt, sleet, or snow, impacting any and all driver-assist features to the extent that people wished Tesla didn't give up on LiDARs in favor of its camera-based Vision approach. As one Reddit user puts it:

It's a huge problem on ALL their cars. Autopilot just doesn't work reliably when the cameras are dirty, and I've been saying for years now that they need weather mitigation on all the cameras if they insist on FSD being the solution to their desires. Other car makers have put washers on their cameras, why did Tesla resist doing the same?

Tesla did address the dirty FSD camera issue, just not for the rear camera that seems to get soiled more often than the other lenses around its cars, and drivers often had to apply a camera cleaning kit. It equipped the Cybertruck with a lens washing and heating system, but only for the front bumper camera that was, until recently, exclusive to Tesla's inaugural electric pickup.

Thankfully, that camera washing solution has now made it over to the Model Y Juniper facelift that is about to be released in March. The first 2025 Model Y reviews have now tested the front bumper camera washer action and, hopefully, the lens also has the heating element of the Cybertruck to melt the ice or snow in winter conditions without having to go out of the Model Y Juniper.

As for its dirty rear cameras, Tesla recently informed that a "comprehensive cleaning solution" is being prepared, though it stayed mum on the details.