Tesla Model 3 Owner Accidentally Steals Someone Else's Car Thanks To Tesla App Glitch

Mar. 14, 2023 9:51 AM ET by Anthony Capretto Electric Vehicles / 3 Comments

It also took him a little while to realize the mistake he had made.

A Vancouver man had the unfortunate experience of unintentionally stealing another person's Tesla Model 3 last week. Rajesh Randev is an immigration consultant who lives with his wife and children in the city and spoke with Global Newsabout the bizarre experience that has left him and the other owner scratching their heads.

Randev reported that he was in a hurry the other day as he needed to pick up his children from school. As he approached his car, he found an identical Tesla in the same trim and color parked beside his. He then proceeded to pull up the Tesla app, get in his car, and drive away, only to realize later that he had somehow managed to get into and drive away in another owner's car.

Tesla

It's no secret that Tesla's keyless mobile app has not always been the most reliable means of getting in the vehicle. The system, which in theory simplifies ingress, has left drivers who rely on it stranded in the past. Still, we've never heard a story about the app unlocking a different vehicle for an owner until now.

"Apparently, I found some glitch," Randev told the publication. "I was able to get access, a hold of that person's car, but while I start driving it, I realized there was a crack on the windshield."

This prompted him to call his wife, who said she had no knowledge of the damage. After driving a few more minutes and realizing that things like the charger were not in their usual place in the vehicle, he received a text from a random number asking, "Rajesh are you driving [my] Tesla?"

Tesla

The person then informed him he was driving the wrong vehicle. From there, Randev pulled over to inspect the car and realized that the wheels were different than the ones on his car. After making the startling observation, he called the owner to switch the vehicles back. He grabbed his kids and went back and found the original owner. Luckily, everything turned out alright.

"We were both laughing, and I called the police as well," he added. "The police said they have my statement, but they cannot give me a file number because nothing happened, but if something does happen, to let them know, and they will investigate."

Apparently, the other owner was able to find Randev's name and number on a piece of paper through the window. Without it, who knows how long the situation would have lasted as Randev said the whole situation had already taken an hour and a half.

Tesla

We're happy to hear that there were no immediate direct negative consequences due to the mishap. Still, it is highly concerning if the error indeed originated from the Tesla app.

Randev has said he reached out to Tesla regarding the issue and provided video evidence, but not all of his emails made it through. "The corporate email in North America says the mailbox is full," said Randev.

Not what you want to hear when your $50,000 car could be at risk. We've seen how easily thieves have been able to steal Teslas in the past, taking advantage of the key fob and a phone's proximity to the vehicle.