On social media, many viewers were stunned after a Tesla owner shared a terrible incident about struggling with frozen door handles.
During a severe winter storm across Canada and the US, several Tesla owners reported being locked out of their cars due to freezing temperatures.
The bitter cold led to door handles freezing shut, leaving owners frustrated and unable to access their vehicles.
Tesla owener struggles with frozen door handles
On the X platform, a Tesla owner shared a terrible incident with their vehicle and gained attention.
On December 23, Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist from Ontario, experienced a frustrating situation when she couldn’t open her Tesla’s door.
The temperature had dropped to “five degrees Fahrenheit”when the door latch froze. Modestino posted a viral video showing her struggles, which gained over 10 million views.
In the video, the car was partially covered in ice, and Modestino humorously wrote: “Bet ya didn’t think of ice in the Tesla design.”
Public reaction to Modestino’s dilemma
Tesla critics quickly took to social media, offering their own critiques and advice.
In the comment selection, many suggested using a phone app to unlatched the door.
While, others criticized the design flaw, stating that traditional car manufacturers have solved such problems for years.
However, some sociall media users critized Modestion for not having a garage to store her $50,000 Tesla.
One person said: My fuel car was frozen shut and my Tesla. Lucky the Tesla had a defrost mode unlike my Mercedes so the Tesla won.
A second wrote: I read this twitter thread, the author had not realised that the car has an auto unlock feature, along with the defrost mode which she hadnt turned on long enough. It actually made me realise just how amazing Teslas are.
While a third commented: Fun fact, all vehicles do this if the weather conditions include freezing rain.
Another added: Surely the Tesla has an app that defrosts the car without having to go outside. Most electric cars have the built in app that not only defrosts but warms the care as well, providing of course that there is some power left in the battery. If your Tesla is parked in your driveway or near a charging point there should not be an issue.
Someone else said: Cars will do this when left out. Mother nature doesn’t give a crap what kind of car you drive.
Additionally, Modestino clarified her tweet, stating that she wasn’t criticizing Elon Musk, but merely pointing out a flaw. She responded, “Not meant to dig Elon. I love my car.”
Additional Tesla owner issue during the winter storm
Modestino wasn’t the only Tesla owner to face trouble during the holiday season. Domenick Nati, a 44-year-old Tesla owner in Virginia, also had issues.
Nati had planned to spend Christmas with his son but was unable to charge his car during the storm.
He tried charging his Tesla S at a supercharger in Lynchburg, but as temperatures dropped below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the car’s battery wouldn’t charge.
Despite waiting several hours, Nati’s car continued to lose charge until it stopped altogether. He even tried charging his car at home, but with no success.
Nati shared a video on TikTok showing his unsuccessful charging attempts. He also tried reaching Tesla customer service but did not receive any response.