Turn Signal Stalks

Given that Tesla constantly looks for ways to streamline their manufacturing process (often at the customer's expense), this will never happen unless Tesla pivots again on turn buttons. I highly doubt they will though given that not having turn stalks is an absolute dealbreaker for a significant portion of their customer base for the only 2 Tesla EVs that matter for them; 3 and Y. Personally, I am beyond happy that they added them back. While some are able to get used to it or even enjoyed it, I never felt comfortable without them and many others are in the same boat as well. Having signal indicators that moved around with the wheel without steer-by-wire was completely asinine.

I’m sure you don’t have roundabouts where you’re coming from. :)

I get it. Not having them was odd at first, but I adapted quick. The turn stalks just add clutter to me. I love the streamlined simplicity without them. Not having to move my hand off the wheel to hit the turn signal seems safer and seamless.

lol yea there are a few here and there with more popping up with new roads being built.

You must not live in an area where you do not need to ever signal during a big turn

I live in Houston. The highways and roads are sprawling. Commuting in this city is quite the adventure. IYKYK

I lived in Houston for 22 years. Most of the driving when I did were long stretches of straightaways ie highways, feeders, and major streets like Bellaire. Turn buttons are ok (even great) for that. Signaling during turns especially big ones though, it was terrible.

I put my turn signal on before Im in the turn, not during the turn lol

Also, with FSD, the turn signal stalks are for sure more material, and objects in the interior not needed.

Even in the UK with loads of roundabouts I love the buttons and would actively pick them as an option if I could

💯Yea the buttons are so nice. I can keep my hands on the steering wheel more and have less things to operate.

I was just about to say the same thing when I saw your response!

You really cannot do that on a large, busy roundabout.

Listen, Tesla sales have been falling since 2023. They have been overtaken by BYD who uses a conventional control scheme. Tesla can no longer afford to make esoteric decisions that drive away the average buyer (i.e. steering wheel yoke, indicator buttons etc). Tesla need to pump sales so that they have customers for their FSD. So they need to make their cars more approachable.

I had a Cybertruck loaner for 3 weeks and going back to my M3 with stalks feels sooooo weird!!! even to reverse and drive I catch myself going to tap the screen

This ONLY works if you are signaling for the initial turn, you cannot do that if you need to signal immediately after a U-turn or when you are already in a roundabout.

You mean the same FSD with only a 12% adoption rate?

Honestly the only thing I don’t like about losing the stalks is that the buttons are where my stereo controls used to be. Sometimes I still try to skip tracks and accidentally put my signal on.

I love having no stalks the minimum look is 🔥. I already dread the time when I have to get a new car in 10 years since it will probably use a stalk ( hopefully it last that long 24 M3P)

I absolutely love not having the stalks. My only concern is my own car wash anxiety. Even when a car wash has lots of experience with Teslas, I'm worried that they'll know how to put it into free roll. So I wash my own car now.

Im definitely part of the minority that much prefers the turn signal buttons to the stalk and I’ve been driving with stalks for 25+ years. I’m so happy my Model 3 Performance has the buttons. Also I have roundabouts and can navigate those turn signals without issue. The clean look is a bonus.

https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/

Agree I don’t feel like it’s difficult but some old dogs can’t learn new tricks lol.

Once there’s more people on FSD , I can see where removing turn stalks again will be an option.

I prefer stalks. I can live with the indicator buttons. Losing the column shift was a much worse idea IMO. Every EV and every ICE car with an automatic should have a column shifter. The screen thing is gimmicky and annoying. Tolerable in most cases, quite bad if you have to maneuver in a confined area. Even dumber is putting a big phallic lever in prime cupholder/storage space, when it’s really just actuating a couple microswitches (looking at you, BMW).

I've loads of roundabouts where I live and the buttons make it easier actually. Just need to press down with my thumb instead of moving my hand up and pushing a lever. Just need to remember that the right indicator is always at the top of the wheel

At 12% adoption rate, that's going to be a while especially with Elon talking about increasing subscription costs as more features get added to it.

Lol as long as they don’t build the idiotic weird drive on the left side of traffic like roundabout that they did here in Round Rock and on Ronald Regan Blvd in Cedar Park! But I have to ask, how are you signaling if your wheel is upside down mid tin transitioning a different direction? I don’t think most people would be able to easily hit the right button on the wheel that is flipped sides and the signal directions are upside down. It’s an idiotic idea to implement directional buttons that are not alway in the same orientation.

Love no stalks. Took me 2 minutes to get used to it.

Not having a stalk was a dealbreaker for me.

Unfortunately, I believe you’re right.

I think the removal of Autopilot will also end up hurting Tesla's FSD adoption rates here from a trust/credibility perspective

Maybe it is, if you always hold the steering wheel in exactly the same place. I know I don’t, so I’m happy to have the stalk. Sometimes I even misclick the wheel to the left or right, to be honest, and I end up turning the volume up or down, or even muting it. It’s just not for me. Luckily I can still drive properly. I promise. I’m not out there swerving wildly while trying to unmute the radio. ;)

Love the turn signal buttons on my M3P Highland 😎

Yeah. Don't miss the turn signal stalks. I've been driving since I was 16...so \~25 years. I've had my Tesla for about a year. If I can overcome that level of baked in muscle memory...most of ya'll should be able to figure it out.

I attribute Tesla’s removal of stalks to two words: Corporate Greed. My model 3 has stalks. My newer model Tesla does not. I prefer the stalks. I think His Elonic Majesty wants to eventually remove the steering wheel and pedals entirely, to make all cars self driving. At that point, I hope other EV brands will have caught up to Tesla’s level.

I’m in Aus where we froth roundabouts. After about half a dozen drives you work it out the buttons pretty quick. I much prefer the ergonomics of the buttons over the traditional stalks in my other vehicles.

I agree that stalkless wheels are more interesting. I've gotten to like it so much its upselling the CT. Hoping someone makes a custom wheel

You are definitely in the minority. The buttons were terrible. Best $600 I spent on the car was getting rid of them.

12% more than anyone else

Doesn't change the point I was making now, does it?

Yes, it does.

That is the best way but why go to the ones that have people anyway? Those chain monthly scams are getting gross these days and poor care. I watched someone drop a drying towel on the ground and still use it.

There's a very old family owned one in town and they do an absolutely fantastic job including quick interior details. I don't usually have time for it myself so my car is just filthy most of the time. I wash it when I can find the time

Tesla tried to do a bit too much in this regard, I think.

I don’t have stalks in my 2025 either. I got used to it but I’m still on the fence about it. I don’t like how the buttons lock up sometimes if your fingers are hovered over.

I added aftermarket Stalks on my ‘23 MX, and when Service gave me a loaner ‘23 MYP without Stalks (while they replaced my charge port that was sticking), I immediately remembered how much I Hate the haptic buttons- as the turn-signal buttons are sooo temperamental (I constantly have to press them to activate 🤬). But…to each their own 🫡

What did you spend $600 on? Enhanced auto commander /stalks or did you replace the steering wheel/column?

The full factory retrofit kit at Tesla. I had an after market kit from Tesla studio before that was perfectly fine but I like the oem better.

It’s pretty crazy they didn’t focus group this. It takes you about 30s to figure out this is not going to work without steer by wire.

It makes a lot of sense there though, it has steer by wire

Agree. I don't miss them. I've gotten used to the steering wheel buttons.

I already ordered aftermarket stalks for my MXP. I hate the ergonomics of the buttons and screen swipes. Messing with the stalks was one of Tesla's poor choices, among others. Thankfully, the software supports adding them back with full functionality. Now I will have both.

I did the opposite. Had stalks added in my Performance 3 last year. So well worth it.

Yeah it was actually awesome, I wonder if they will eventually make all models wire steering. I really liked the feel of it.

I hate not having a stalk for drive and reverse too

It seem well within reason

Yea it truly wasnt a struggle at all.

Jaja. Living in Miami, our cars do not come with any signals- obviously if you have ever visited our fair City which is filled with rental cars. (kidding of course). I do agree with you, though.

The Europeans do this extremely efficiently using turn signals telling others where they are driving as I believe they may have invented the Traffic Circle (aka round-a-bout). Turn signals are used.

I don’t love it. But I got used to it. It’s honestly not something either side should feel very strongly about

Skills issue.

People here complaining about the buttons definitely has skills issue especially those mentioning roundabouts. I have never seen a roundabout that requires more than 45 degrees of steering. Either you’re mentally or physically handicapped to have a hard time using the buttons. Also, 90% of you don’t even use turn signals correctly or don’t even use it at all. So why complain?

Im glad someone said it. I was envisioning these drivers arms all twisted up trying to push buttons lol

Dont be this person. Skills issue cost him $600.

I hope im wrong but i think this person is implying that their roundabouts requires you to turn your steering wheel more than your usual 45 degrees. I wonder how tight they make their roundabouts in their country that it requires a ton of skills and mental load to press a turn signal?

Portugal has by far the worse roundabouts I’ve ever seen. Sometimes a pile of tires in the middle of what once was a small intersection is now marked as roundabout. So yeah, if you want to do a 180° degree turn there, it is that tight…

Please be a bit more considerate, not all roads are the same and not everyone drives the same. That doesn’t mean a person is a less capable driver. [You don’t even need to search a lot for an example where it’s not handy to have buttons. This roundabout is large enough, yet when the driver wants to turn around on the second roundabout he clearly turns the steering wheel a good amount, way past 45 degrees.](https://www.tiktok.com/@ivosdrivingacademy/video/7359157438194404641)

Price is why BYD gains share

Amen

It does show some people are less capable. And that is ok. But you should not push your preference to others if you are least capable of a population. my fault as i defaulted to thinking this is for the USA. Those are nonexistent if not very rare here. Also, those roundabout are so small that using your turn signal is short of useless. still, that is a skills issue. As you said, “handy” which implies that if you have the proper skill and mental capacity to know the orientation of your steering wheel, pressing a button shouldn’t be a factor.

Im pretty sure all the cars there still comes with turn signals. They’re all just low on blinker fluid.

I love the buttons, it took me literally 10 minutes to get used to the indicators, and Autoshift works beautifully 95% of the time.

Most people aren't willing to figure out how to use them. I prefer the buttons so much that I installed stalks for other people who aren't used to the buttons, but even with stalks present, outside of testing them I think I've used them once in a year and a half. Once you get used to them, the buttons are objectively superior. Anyone that says otherwise has not learned to use them properly. I say this as someone that uses numerous roundabouts daily.