Tesla has started deploying its latest software update, 2025.2.6, and with it the company is introducing a new feature that uses a radar unit that has remained dormant for over three years in some Model Y vehicles. The feature is also expected to come to the Model 3 Highland refresh and the Cybertruck.
Tesla is well known for continuously improving its vehicles, adding and replacing parts whenever needed, unlike legacy automakers who wait for a new model year to implement changes. These changes can have an immediate impact on the new owners, often positive like when they upgraded the self-driving computers from AI3 to AI4, but also sometimes negatively like when lumbar support was removed from the front passenger seat.
Now we are learning about a change Tesla made to the Model Y all the way back in 2021, and to the re-engineered Model 3 and Cybertruck since their respective debuts. Starting in late 2021, Tesla has been quietly installing radar units in the front headliner of the Model Y, just above the rear-view mirror. Now they are turning on this radar unit to better detect passengers in the first row.
“The first-row cabin sensing system has been updated to use cabin radar, which is now standard in all new 2025 Model Ys. Your Model Y was built pre-equipped with the necessary hardware, allowing Tesla to bring this technology to your vehicle,” the release notes of software update 2025.2.6 read.
As the name implies, this new feature is only for the detection of passengers in the first row. In the Owner’s Manual, Tesla says “cabin radar can detect the presence of people inside the vehicle and use the measurements to determine occupancy. Cabin radar supports certain vehicle and safety features, such as occupancy detection for the front passenger seat.” While Tesla previously used seat sensors for this purpose, the radar will be more accurate and enable dynamic airbag deployment based on passenger size and positioning.
The release notes above are from a Model Y, but according to the Model 3 Highland and Cybertruck manuals, they both feature the same cabin radar unit, so we should also see this feature come to both of those vehicles. Interestingly, the manuals for the Model S/X have no mention of the radar unit, so it looks like they will be left out of this feature.
Which Model Ys Have Cabin Radar?
According to the Model Y Owner’s Manual, this cabin radar is available for 2022 and later Model Y vehicles, manufactured as of approximately early November 2021. Tesla also provides this image to show where the radar is located behind the headliner, and also another image from the Service Manual giving a closer look at the unit itself.
Is This The Same As 4D Radar In The New Model Y?
As you might have read on Drive Tesla last week, company engineers announced 4D cabin radar for the new 2026 Model Y. It was noted that the system in the new Model Y can also detect occupants in the second row and monitor heart rate and breathing. If you accidentally leave a child or pet in the second row, this life saving technology will be capable opening the windows, turning on HVAC, sending alerts through the mobile app to the owner, and even calling 911 if necessary.
This second-row sensing is expected to be activated for the new Model Y in a Q3 software update. It is unclear if this will also be activated on older Model Ys and the new Model 3.
Will Tesla Add This as a Retrofit?
The answer to this question appears to be no, but also maybe. Earlier this week a Drive Tesla reader reached out to us about a message they received in the mobile app. Titled “Cabin Radar Replacement,” Tesla said they were offering a free cabin radar replacement so they could “receive the Spring 2025 software update.” At the time we didn’t know what it was about, but with the release of 2025.2.6, we do now.
They own a 2023 Model Y Long Range, which should have the cabin radar installed as per the Owner’s Manual, however it clearly does not. While we haven’t been able to confirm this, we suspect there was a period of time in 2023 when Tesla was unable to install these radar units, likely due to a parts shortage, and is now reaching out to these owners to offer a free replacement.
Have you received the same message? Let us know in the comments below, including when your Model Y was built.
