Tesla software update traps TikToker in sweltering heat

Viral TikToks raise alarm about Tesla vehicle, as company announces 10% global layoffs.

A TikToker found herself in a hot mess when her Tesla locked her inside during a software update.

Brianna Janel (@briannajanel) documented the ordeal, saying she expected the update to take 24 minutes. However, it stretched far longer, leaving her trapped.

"When your car is updating, you’re stuck in your car if you activate it while you’re in here,” Janel explained in the viral video. “So I did that and now I’m stuck in my car literally dripping sweat — like dripping sweat — and inside my car, it’s 103 degrees.”

With temperatures potentially reaching 115°F inside a car on a 75-degree day, the situation grew concerning. Tesla's manual warns against opening doors or windows during updates to avoid vehicle damage, leaving Janel with little choice but to wait.

"I’m slightly freaking out, I hope I don’t run out of air. I can’t open up the doors or the windows otherwise, I could potentially damage my car,” she said.

Comments were divided, with some blaming the user for not using the emergency release and others criticising Tesla for the potential safety hazard. Janel, a Tesla owner for 6 years, had never updated the car while inside before.

After 30 minutes, she decided to stick it out. "I made it out of my car — look, I’m sweating. I’m literally dripping sweat; you can see it on my face,” she said in an update. "I just got stuck in my car as it was updating for 40 minutes, and the interior is 115 degrees. The AC has never felt so good and I’ve never felt better.”

@brianna__janel

Replying to @mm I’M FREE. Thank you for your concerns. Some of you were telling me there was a way I could’ve gotten out but I was afraid to mess up my car. Thats why i said i was stuck lol #tesla #teslatok

♬ original sound - brianna | 2025 BRIDE

Despite the incident, Janel loves her Tesla but warns others: “Do not update it when you’re sitting in the car. Stick to updating it at 2 a.m. like I used to do it.”

Meanwhile, a Tesla Cybertruck owner's viral TikTok video has also exposed a potentially dangerous design flaw in the recently-released electric vehicle. Jose Martinez ("el.chepito1985") demonstrated how the accelerator pedal's rubber trim can slip off and become wedged, causing the pedal to stick.

Martinez claims the pedal became stuck while he was driving, and even after slamming on the brakes, the Cybertruck continued to accelerate. The video has garnered millions of views on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), sparking widespread concern.

@el.chepito1985

Replying to @martymcflycpt this comment and others stating this can't happen are wrong. Here is how the pegal was stuck down. I guess it wasn't clear in the last video. #cybertruck #tesla #cyberbeast #stopsale

♬ original sound - el.chepito

 

@el.chepito1985

Just a quick update. Well that escalated quickly. #cybertruck #tesla #daveskylark

♬ original sound - el.chepito

The incident caught the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), who are now investigating the issue.

Reports also suggest Tesla has unexpectedly delayed Cybertruck deliveries due to this accelerator problem.

This isn't Cybertruck's first controversy. Owners have previously reported injuries from its sharp edges.

The price of Tesla stocks dipped by 5% after CEO Elon Musk announced the company’s global workforce will be reduced by over 10%,

Musk cited cost reduction and productivity improvements as reasons for the layoffs. Thecompany, which boasted over 140,000 employees in December 2023, faces slowing sales growth and increased competition, especially from Chinese EV makers.

China's BYD had dethroned Tesla as the top-selling EV maker in 2023, and companies like Xiaomi are entering the market with lower-priced alternatives.