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Magyar'Pinching' Tesla car windows can be app-controlled again as Close on Lock option returns
Back in the fall, Tesla logged a "pinching power windows" issue under a recall filing for a faulty automatic window reversal system, affecting the aforementioned models. Reportedly discovered during routine testing, the NHTSA-issued recall affected over a million vehicles of the 2017-2022 Model 3, the 2020-2021 Model Y, and the 2021-2022 S/X model years.
Affected Tesla owners were supposed to start receiving the recall notices in November, followed by an OTA update to fix potential issues. In January, however, Tesla sent a notice that a number of automated window closing features will be nixed until a solution is found for a closing window that "may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury."
Due to recent federal regulations, certain automatic window features will not be available until further development. The following window features will not be available:
- Rolling window(s) up/down with physical switches unless vehicle has been authenticated for drive by pressing brake pedal
- Remote window features (i.e., Vent and Close) in the Tesla mobile app
- Feature to automatically close windows upon lock
- Automated closure of windows upon entry to Car Wash mode
The solution that would allow reactivation of some of these in compliance with federal regulations has apparently been present since Tesla's February 2023.2.12 software update as it is listed as present there in its support pages.
Software version 2023.2.12 or later includes the remedy that ensures compliances of the vehicle’s automatic window reversal system to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 118, Section 5. The updated software began rolling out over-the-air (OTA) to affected vehicles beginning February 15, 2023.
It is now being activated on the server side and gradually rolling out to owners who started getting notifications that their Tesla "has access to new window features."
The update addresses all remote windows functions available directly from the app, such as Vent and Close, as well as the Close Windows on Lock option that has to be turned on from the Controls -> Locks menu.
