A Tesla Model Y owner in Indiana was pulled over by police for an unusual reason: confusion over the vehicle’s factory taillight design. The stop highlights how Tesla’s refreshed Model Y, known internally as Juniper, with its unconventional rear light bar, is already challenging assumptions about what compliant vehicle lighting is supposed to look like on North American roads.
According to Steven, who shared his experience on Facebook, the officer thought the taillights were off entirely, even though the vehicle’s red rear light bar was clearly illuminated. Steven explained that the car was brand new, with just 1,100 miles on it, and pointed out that the red light bar functions as the taillight. He also demonstrated that the brake lights and turn signals were fully operational.
Despite this, the officer said the area around the brake lights “should be illuminated,” issued a warning, and advised him to get it fixed—though no ticket was written.
“Just got pulled over for my tail lights not being ‘on’ i told the officer it’s brand new. It has a 1100 miles. I told him the red light bar is the tail light. The brake lights, both turn signals and red bar was on/worked. He told me the where the brake lights are it should be illuminated there also. He gave me a warning and told me to get it fixed. Had anyone else had this kind of issue?” (via Tesla Oracle)
The confusion stems from the Juniper refresh’s unconventional taillight setup. Rather than projecting light directly outward like most vehicles, the rear light bar uses a downward-facing, indirect glow. While unfamiliar at first glance, it remains clearly visible to drivers behind the vehicle. Tesla also integrated small vertical illuminated strips on the outer edges of the taillights to help define the car’s width and improve visibility.
Tesla has previously addressed the legality of the design. During an appearance on Jay Leno’s Garage, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen and Lead Engineer Lars Moravy explained the nuances of the regulations and that the Model Y Juniper’s rear lighting meets all requirements.
“The regulation [Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Part 108] is how much lumens come off the surface, but it never defines what kind of surface that has to be,” Moravy said. “The amount of light you see, actually meets the requirement.”
