Tesla’s Dog Mode left pets at risk
Tesla has recently pushed out an update for their Dog Mode feature, to fix a potentially lethal bug
Dog Mode was created to regulate the temperature of the car’s cockpit, allowing your pet to stay safe and cool while left in the car. A message also shows on the touchscreen display, explaining to passersby that the dog is fine and the owner will be returning to the car very soon.
The problem would arise when the user manually adjusted the A/C control. Any manual adjustments would override Dog Mode, potentially leaving pets at risk.
Elon Musk responded to a tweet from a concerned owner which highlighted the flaw, with the word “fixing” and, two days later, the automaker sent out an over-the-air update which corrected the issue.
Tesla has been known to respond to bugs and issues in their self-driving cars with immediacy. Elon Musk has fielded queries and concerns on Twitter, using the social media platform to directly engage with Tesla’s customer base on a personal level.
In 2018, a report found that the Model 3’s braking distance was underperforming. Musk responded directly to concerns across social media and sent an over-the-air update just days later, improving the braking distance by 19 feet.
