That assumes a working cellular modem. Tesla has already lost connectivity with pre-June 2015 models in the the US. Long term we can expect all onboard cellular modems to become outdated as cellular networks evolve in various countries.
You can install updates over Wi-Fi. Actually, my BMW only updates over Wi-Fi or my phone’s cellular, the cellular in the car only applies to certain services (remote unlock, preconditioning, etc…). I’m not sure what Tesla is doing, but using the car’s cellular connection for an update isn’t the only possible option.
This feels like a solved problem, since you have an app for your car on your phone, although I guess you could disable notifications for that app. Upgrading your cellular connection on your car gives you remote services back, it’s useful for that alone, but recall notifications can just be routed through the app so I don't think I would miss much.
It's normally automatic, but there's quite a few edge cases.
Tesla's manufactured pre-June 2015 (which is still quite young for a car) are losing OTA updates because AT&T ended 3G coverage in 2022. They can be updated, but not everyone is going to do so regularly.
Overuse of a warning, hoping to make everyone take everything seriously, can cause alert fatigue and be just as dangerous as underuse.
If someone investigates "millions of cars recalled" headlines/letters, believing it'll require action on their part (as the standard non-NHTSA meaning of "recall" suggests), only to repeatedly find issues like a font size fix that they already automatically received (and the manufacturer can see that they already received/acknowledged, but had to send the letter regardless) then they're likely to give less weight to the next recall.
I've had multiple recalls handled by the dealer during normal service appointments without being aware of the issue. It's a normal part of car ownership, the only risk here is the number of software related recalls not their nature.
OTA updates have theoretical upsides, but in practice result in worse software being released on day one. Unfortunately, this has meaningful safety consequences.
I mean, it is, but having to schedule an appointment, drop off the vehicle at the service center, pick it it up later, vs it gets magically fixed over the air while the vehicle is sitting in your driveway, is a huge difference of logistics. So there needs to be new language.
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[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 60.2 ms ] threadThe formality of a recall will get people to update who wouldn't normally bother which is why you need to take this stuff seriously.
Tesla gives deadline to force software updates on owners who have been resisting them: https://electrek.co/2020/02/14/tesla-force-software-updates-...
Tesla's manufactured pre-June 2015 (which is still quite young for a car) are losing OTA updates because AT&T ended 3G coverage in 2022. They can be updated, but not everyone is going to do so regularly.
If someone investigates "millions of cars recalled" headlines/letters, believing it'll require action on their part (as the standard non-NHTSA meaning of "recall" suggests), only to repeatedly find issues like a font size fix that they already automatically received (and the manufacturer can see that they already received/acknowledged, but had to send the letter regardless) then they're likely to give less weight to the next recall.
OTA updates have theoretical upsides, but in practice result in worse software being released on day one. Unfortunately, this has meaningful safety consequences.