NHTSA complaint #11378667

Owner complaint summary

MY CAR IS A 2020 MODEL Y, DELIVERED ON JUNE 27, 2020. THIS FALL, I'VE HAD AN ISSUE CROP UP THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED IN THE PAST (AT LEAST FOR MODELS S, X AND 3 BEFORE MARCH 31, 2019). THE PROBLEM IS THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS (SPECIFICALLY ON 11/26/20) WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS AND WITH HUMID AND COOL WEATHER (HERE IN IOWA) I'VE HAD A REPORT ON MY DISPLAY INDICATING THAT THE B PILLAR CAMERA IS OBSCURED. THIS, OF COURSE, WOULD DISABLE AUTO DRIVE (INCLUDING AUTO LANE CHANGE) BUT I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT THIS BLIND SPOT MAY MEAN THAT LANE CHANGE PROTECTION DURING TRAFFIC AWARE CRUISE CONTROL (I.E. *NOT* AUTO DRIVE) WILL NOT WORK, OR NOT BE VERY EFFECTIVE, EITHER. THE ONLY FORMAL REFERENCE I CAN LOCATE FOR THIS PROBLEM IS SERVICE BULLETIN SB-20-12-002 BUT THE REMEDY PROPOSED THERE HAS APPARENTLY BEEN IMPLEMENTED ON ALL PRODUCTION VEHICLES STARTING ON MARCH 31, 2019. WELL, THAT SOLUTION FOR THIS DESIGN DEFECT CLEARLY DOES NOT WORK. ON NOVEMBER 26, 2020 (THE DATE OF THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE ON MY MODEL Y), I REQUESTED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. THIS WAS BASED ON THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM GIVEN THE DISPLAY WARNING I RECEIVED WHICH REQUESTED THAT I STOP THE VEHICLE AND CLEAR THE OBSCURATION IMMEDIATELY. UPON STOPPING, A GLANCE AT THE B PILLAR CAMERA LOCATION SHOWED THAT THE ISSUE WAS ONE OF CONDENSATION ON THE INSIDE OF THE PROTECTIVE GLASS OVER THE CAMERA (SEE ATTACHED). FROM ONLINE FORUMS, IT'S CLEAR THAT I'M FAR FROM ALONE IN HAVING THIS ISSUE. MY SERVICE APPOINTMENT DATE WAS ORIGINALLY SET FOR DECEMBER 17, 2020 BUT HAS BEEN CANCELED AS OF TODAY. THE SERVICE CENTER HANDLING MY REQUESTS IS SAYING THAT THIS IS "NORMAL" OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AND, WHILE THE CAMERA MAY BE OPERATING AS DESIGNED, I DISAGREE THAT IT SHOULD BE WORKING THIS WAY SINCE IT REMOVES BLIND SPOT AWARENESS FROM THE VEHICLE'S SOFTWARE SYSTEM AND THE OCCURRENCE IS RANDOM.