Tesla owners of brand-new Model 3 and Y cars plagued with heating issues in dead of winter

Owners of brand-new 2021 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are reporting serious issues with the heating system, which is just giving up in the dead of winter.

Sources are telling us that it’s a fairly widespread issue.

Tesla and the cold

Tesla is often accused of being a “California company” that doesn’t design cars for cold climates.

The truth is that Tesla vehicles perform very well in the cold when it comes to driving performance.

Electric powertrains provide a lot of torque and enable powerful all-wheel-drive through dual motor drivetrains, which can be extremely useful in winter conditions. However, Tesla has run into some issues when it comes to day-to-day use in extreme cold.

During the Model 3’s first winter, we reported on the vehicle showing some significant flaws like the windows, the handle, and the charge port freezing shut.

Tesla has addressed those issues, but a new one has now surfaced.

Tesla’s heating system issue in new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles

Several Tesla owners are currently reporting that the heating has simply stopped working in their vehicles during cold weather.

Nathalie Desrosiers only had her brand-new Model 3 for a week before the climate system stopped pushing hot air, which is less than ideal in Québec in December, to say the least.

She told Electrek that Tesla took her car into service, loaned her another car and didn’t explain the issue, but the company said she probably won’t have her car back before January 11.

That’s because the issue is quite widespread and Tesla’s service centers in Québec are busy working on many vehicles with the same problem, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Furthermore, Tesla forums and Facebook groups in northern regions, like in Québec, where Tesla vehicles are popular, are currently flooded with new Tesla Model 3 owners having the same issue with their heating system.

Could it be Tesla’s new heat pump?

The source of the problem is currently unclear, but it seems to only affect Model Y vehicles and brand-new Model 3 vehicles, which are both equipped with Tesla’s new heat pump system.

In March 2020, Tesla launched Model Y, and it was the first vehicle to feature a new “Octovalve” and heat pump system, which is proving more efficient than resistive heating.

With the first deliveries only happening in California, the electric SUV is now going through its first real winter, and the new 2021 Model 3, which now also includes the same heat pump system as the Model Y, is starting to be delivered.

We will update if we can get more information about the situation.