NHTSA Complaint #11560977 — 2023 TESLA MODEL Y

While using adaptive cruise, Tesla requires that the beta automatic windshield wiper function be enabled. When this function is active, the windshield can quickly become smeared due to false positive detections, or even during accurate moisture detection though the driver’s vision is not impaired enough to warrant wiper usage. The driver has no ability to disable this feature in favor of their own judgment for determining when the windshield should be safely cleared. Even having put only 7000 miles on my 2023 Tesla Model Y, I have been in multiple situations where the wipers turn on unexpectedly and smear the windshield. Situations which are especially dangerous are when driving directly into sunlight, and in cold weather conditions when the wipers smear freezing moisture in my field of view. When these dangerous situations occur, my view of the roadway and surrounding vehicles is impaired for a few seconds while I manually activate the windshield fluid cleaning system. I have raised this issue with Tesla‘s service department twice and both times have been told there is no way to disable the automatic windshield wiper function while using adaptive cruise control, and that their developers are both aware of and working on the problem.