Tesla Model Y Owners Are Struggling With Cold Feet And Asking For Help - We offer Advice and Explain Solutions That Tesla Owners Have Found To Deal With This Widely-Reported Problem

Across social media, in multiple Tesla clubs, Model Y and Model Y Juniper owners report that their feet are cold, despite their best efforts to make the HVAC system work. Let’s first look at a few of the posts from Model Y owners to see what they are reporting so that we have an understanding of how widespread the issue is:

Tesla Model Y Juniper Owners Club Member RR - “The current frigid weather in the Midwest and eastern Canada/northeastern US has revealed a major flaw in the design of this vehicle. Why is there no proper floor heating vent in this vehicle? This is exacerbated by the fact that there is a cold battery along the floor. Apart from turning off auto mode, isolating the down arrow vent and cranking the heat, does anyone have any other fixes for this problem?”
Tesla Model Y Juniper Owners Club Member AP - “Does anyone know how to turn on the heating to the feet?”
Tesla Model Y Juniper Owners Club Member PD - “Can anyone tell me if the juniper fixed the cold air by the driver's feet issues?”
2024 2023 Tesla Model Y Owners Club - Member HH - “When I drive my Model Y, if the outside temperature is too cold, I feel cold in my feet even though I keep all automatic and vent flow as low as possible. I always keep 23 degrees and sometimes 24, still not the same as my previous gas car. Is there anything I can do? I have ha eat pump etc., 2023 model. I am worried when temperatures goes below -15/20 , what would be the condition?”
Tesla Model Y Owners Worldwide - Member CG - “How do you direct heat to your feet in a 2021 Tesla Model Y Performance?”
Tesla Model Y Owners Worldwide - Member TP - “2024 MYP. My feet are always cold. How do I make the air warmer down there?”
Tesla Model Y Owners Worldwide - Member SH - “How do you guys deal with cold feet during the winter.  I have owned my MYP for a year now, and I still can't find the way to keep my feet warm.  I used the directional pointers on the heat vent screen, but it does not seem to help. My feet still remain cold.”

These are just a sample of the many “cold feet in a Tesla Model Y” posts that can quickly be found on this subject. Remember, these are owners asking for help. They are not ignorant shoppers sitting in a Tesla for the very first time who are unaware that the HVAC is controlled by voice or the center screen. It’s easy to find hundreds of Tesla owners online who confirm the Model Y’s cold feet situation. Here are a couple:
NM - “I love my Tesla Model Y. A lot. But the HVAC system is (bad word here). Especially in the winter.”
LA - “Common issue in Model Y.”
JS - “Yes, my feet stay cold. I've messed with the blowers, but they don’t go to my feet.”

Torque News reached out to our favorite Tesla Model Y owner, Pan of Pan Pro Pest, who uses a 2025 Model Y Performance in his business to hear his side of this story. Pan is a technical guy who loves his Model Y and has charged it in my garage multiple times while on-site working. Pan told us:

The Model Y does have a weak footwell setting. The air is not as warm for the lower level as it is for the mid and upper parts. The only solution I have found is to turn the heat way up. 

Fellow Tesla owner and member of the Tesla Owners Worldwide group, S.H., confirms Pan’s method, but adds:

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When it’s 20 degrees or colder, my legs and feet will feel colder, and I have to compensate with the cabin being hotter.

Pan has also adopted the practice of wearing extreme winter boots, as you can see in our top-of-the-page image, but here in New England, that’s not uncommon, regardless of what one drives.

How To Deal With Cold Feet In the Tesla Model Y
Many Tesla owners offered solutions to the issue in the comments under the many posts. Adding heat to the floor doesn’t really work because the cabin overall gets very hot if you do that. Here are solutions many Model Y owners have said worked for them, at least to some degree.
1) Use Voice commands to ask the Model Y to warm your feet. Many users report good results. Press the right steering wheel button to enable the function. Then speak. 
2) Use the manual vent controls rather than “auto.” Many users say this is a better method. Look for the bottom-most icon. 
3) Direct heat to the rear seat area using HVAC controls. This seems to help warm the bottom of the footwell. ‘

If you are at your Tesla retail or service location for any reason, ask the associates for assistance. They know the cars very well and can add to this list of suggestions and also verify that the car is operating as designed.

Have you got a tip for Model Y owners that may make their feet warmer? Tell us in the comments below. By doing so, you may help a fellow Tesla owner. 
 

John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools. 

Top of page image provided by Tesla Model Y owner Pan, or Pan Pro Pest services.

Tesla Model Y in winter image courtesy of Tesla Motors, Inc.