Can Tesla Disable and or Lock you out of the car?

bluesideup

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
662
Display Name

Display name:
bluesideup
Hi everyone.
If True, How? You must have some direct communication, other than your own Phone?
 
The car comes with a card key. Also another phone that is authorized to drive the car can remotely authorize anyone to drive the car.
 
So if you have no cell service the car can't drive?
 
Dave: Open the doors, Tesla.
Tesla: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Dave: What's the problem?
Tesla: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Dave: What are you talking about, Tesla?
Tesla: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
 
It's a secret part of the purchase agreement. In the event of a national emergency, the Tesla's will self-drive to become part of the national reserve automotive fleet.
 
So if you have no cell service the car can't drive?
Cell service is only required to interact with the car from the App. Unlocking and driving is via Bluetooth (phone) or NFC (key-card).
 
Last edited:
Sure. The software can be updated remotely, so they could update the software and brick the car.
 
I'm torn on a lot of this new technology. On one hand I like what it can do- using my phone as my car key sounds really convenient for example. Self driving on long trips sounds amazing...

OTOH, just the knowledge that the manufacturer could hypothetically take control of my car(or by extension anyone else) is pretty unsettling.
 
On a serious note, if people let car manufacturers become as unregulated as software companies have been, you won't actually ever own the car. You'll buy it, but lease the maintenance, which will be proprietary to the vehicle in terms of the updates, and pricing may be determined by how you drive the vehicle at the end of each year. Then, they'll sell the data about where you go, and when.
 
Hi.
Thanks everyone for the input.
I can see that there is a distinct crowd forming, like the benz, beamer... crowd there is a new group the musk? crowd.
They will like their cars regardless of how it performs, how reliable, expensive... it is.
I cannot find any data about the Magnets, armature. wire... motor in general.
Assuming that everyone switches to electric, and the technology, build.. remain the same how long will it be before we run out of all the needed materials that seem to be very limited.
Add to that some change in the attitude of the environmentalists, when they realize that they are not as green and friendly as they think, and that the Global warming is Not controlled by us humans, the attitude towards Musk / electric cars changes, and the gov stops subsidizing, will they survive?
I am very skeptical, and in addition if you can lock me out of my car, you will never sell me one, or if you gave me one for free I would not drive it. I think that is pathetic, I will never forget that poor guy that got locked out. He said that if he broke the window he still could not started it?
 
If True, How? You must have some direct communication, other than your own Phone?

You really think Musk is putting all those Starlink satellites up just to bring broadband to rural areas?...nope...it is laying the groundwork for a fully autonomous interlinked driving system.
 
Hardly unique to Tesla. Anybody driving a Chevy produced in the past decade that has OnStar or a Dodge/Ram with their UConnect version of the same. All these cars have cell phones built in and remove start/disable/position reporitng, etc... is all a "feature" of their automation.
 
Wait until you have to pay a monthly fee to use your heated seats!

I've heard manufacturers are considering such things. They are seeing how software companies are going to subscription models versus outright purchase. With a remote connection, they could charge you monthly for additional options on your vehicle such as heated seats, remote start, adaptive cruise, etc. A good bit of that stuff is either already possible with installed components and just requires activation digitally, or would be cheap to install versus what they could charge over the life of the vehicle.

Soon you will never own anything, only rent it from the big corporations. Granted its often been said the same about houses and land, you only rent it from the government. Don't believe me, quit paying your property taxes and see how long you still own it!
 
Hi.
Thanks everyone for the input.
I can see that there is a distinct crowd forming, like the benz, beamer... crowd there is a new group the musk? crowd.
They will like their cars regardless of how it performs, how reliable, expensive... it is.
I cannot find any data about the Magnets, armature. wire... motor in general.
Assuming that everyone switches to electric, and the technology, build.. remain the same how long will it be before we run out of all the needed materials that seem to be very limited.
Add to that some change in the attitude of the environmentalists, when they realize that they are not as green and friendly as they think, and that the Global warming is Not controlled by us humans, the attitude towards Musk / electric cars changes, and the gov stops subsidizing, will they survive?
I am very skeptical, and in addition if you can lock me out of my car, you will never sell me one, or if you gave me one for free I would not drive it. I think that is pathetic, I will never forget that poor guy that got locked out. He said that if he broke the window he still could not started it?

Well, global warming is actually caused by releasing millions of years of carbon storage in a 40 year span. Humans were just the biological glitch that enabled the release. But not to worry, humans will bear most of the pain for their culpability in this so it all balances out.
 
Hardly unique to Tesla. Anybody driving a Chevy produced in the past decade that has OnStar or a Dodge/Ram with their UConnect version of the same. All these cars have cell phones built in and remove start/disable/position reporitng, etc... is all a "feature" of their automation.
As of a couple years ago OnStar was pretty trivial to permanently disable physically so it can't do anything. I expect later versions will be more integrated into the vehicles so that can't be done any more. I suspect Tesla is already there so it can't be disabled.
 
There was a loan company that disabled cars when you were behind on your car payments. A few cars suddenly were disabled while on the highway.
 
Back
Top