Two years ago, Tesla decided to remove the radar sensor from the entire lineup. This decision first affected the more affordable Model 3 and Model Y and was later carried over to the plusher Model S and Model X derivatives. And now it seems the automaker is going after older vehicles that are still equipped with radar units.

First reported by The Drive, owners of earlier vehicles have discovered the radar unit sensor is being disconnected during service appointments. Customers, who contacted Tesla Support for other faults, noticed the job listed as a no-cost option on the service estimate.

Because owners need to approve the estimate before the work is carried out, some may not notice the nondescript job. Multiple Tesla drivers have gone through a similar situation, sharing their experience on the Tesla Motors Club forum.

Tesla technicians are simply disconnecting the radar system from the vehicle and the onboard electronics. The radar unit itself remains within the vehicle, but it's not connected to the wiring harness.

Some customers have caught the job task and queried it with Tesla, who removed it from the service estimate. However, in some cases, the task was reportedly readded to the list. One individual who contacted Tesla (see below) was told by a representative that even if the radar sensor remains, a "future over-the-air update is going to disable the radar sensor anyway."

It's a fairly complex procedure and requires the front fascia of the vehicle to be disassembled. If you're interested in the entire process, step-by-step instructions have been shared on Reddit. A Tesla Motors Club forum user expressed frustration over his damaged PPF protection once the job was carried out.

Tesla believes its vehicles can rely solely on the Tesla Vision camera setup, and has even removed ultrasonic sensors from some models. The Vision-based Autopilot system has received criticism over the fact that it's not as good as the radar-backed version. For starters, there's a longer following distance when in traffic. Cruise control and Autopilot reportedly cannot be engaged at speeds of over 85 mph, either, according to one owner.

Some owners have gone so far as to describe the system as "exceptionally inaccurate."

Despite this, Tesla claims most vehicles haven't been using the radar system for some time now. Another user on the Tesla Motors Club forum says they were told their "car hadn't used the sensor once in over three months."

According to a technician, the radar was draining the battery, and, subsequently, was disabled via a software update.

Tesla hasn't given a reason for this sudden desire to disconnect the radar system. However, some believe it could be linked to water ingress issues experienced by owners. It's worth mentioning that the controversial service job is only being carried out on certain vehicles, namely those with Tesla Vision. Older cars aren't affected by this.

Has Tesla made the right decision? That remains to be seen, but it's clear that owners aren't happy. Interestingly, earlier reports suggested that Tesla would implement radar in its vehicles once again, but we're yet to hear any updates about this.