Most Tesla vehicles are equipped with multiple cameras. These enable a series of advanced functions such as AutoPilot, a built-in dash cam, a video security system known as Sentry Mode, and eventually will be part of the Full Self Driving system. Tesla has been a leader in implementing these kids of advanced features before any other automaker, partially due to the ability to update the vehicles software “over the air”.  Recently, due to customer request, Tesla added a safety feature known as Blind Spot Camera that allows owners to have images from the fender mounted rear-facing cameras to be shown while making lane changes. What should have been a useful safety feature has been made effectively useless on earlier vehicles due to light leakage from a turn signal repeater that is also part of the camera unit obscuring most of the image at night. An example of this is in the lower right of the photo. This is a result of defective design of the camera/repeater module. Tesla has repeatedly tried to claim that this is a “characteristic of the product”, and not a defect. Tesla has since “design-enhanced” these modules so that this issue no longer occurs on newer vehicles. If the module was not defective, then why were they “design-enhanced” to rectify this exact issue? Customers with older, but still UNDER WARRANTY, vehicles are being told that that must now pay to “upgrade” their camera/repeater modules in order for this safety feature to work properly. Or, alternatively, to just turn the feature off. This is not a solution. Tesla’s refusal to admit to what is obviously a design defect and replace these under warranty is unacceptable and potentially unsafe. Tesla should, and could easily afford to, do the right thing for their customers and resolve this issue under warranty. 

UPDATE: multiple owners have reported that Tesla has replaced these cameras under warranty for this issue, while others are being told they need to pay $400 to “upgrade” them.