Winter is hardly kind on any car, but the Tesla Model 3 is reportedly experiencing a major problem in cold weather.
Electrek reports that Canadian owners in Quebec, specifically, are having issues with the door handles, windows and charge ports as a cold wave sweeps the region. Currently, Winter Storm Avery is rolling through the area, dipping temperatures down into the 20 degree (Fahrenheit) range.
Here’s the problem: the Tesla Model 3 has door handles that sit flush inside the door. Normally, you press one end of the door handle, and the other pops out. Then, you can pull on the exposed door handle to actually open the door. The windows are supposed to roll down slightly as you open the door as well.
However, in freezing whether, the handles are difficult to actually pop out. In the video below, Electrek Editor-in-Chief Fred Lambert has the same problems with his own Tesla Model 3. He filmed his issues after letting the car sit outside on a brisk, 20-degree day.
Lambert notes that owners in the Northeast also have the same issue in cold temperatures. Despite preheating the car before trying to unlock it, the door handles didn’t budge without tremendous effort. He did manage to get the front driver window down enough to open the door. However, it reportedly won’t go up and down properly anymore.
Happily, Tesla did tell Electrek that they’re looking into the issue. In the meantime, one workaround for those who are having issues getting into their Tesla Model 3 is to preheat the cabin for a longer period of time. We’ll see how the issue progresses as the Model 3 heads through its first winter with owners.
Video credit: Electrek
