Tesla Sentry Mode Could Soon Sound an Alarm When Vandalism is Detected
Instances of vehicle vandalism, particularly targeting privately owned Teslas, have been on the rise. While some owners have been able to catch vandals with the help of Sentry Mode or security cameras, many perpetrators manage to escape without consequences, often without triggering the vehicle’s alarm.
Recently, there has been a surge in Tesla vandalism, including incidents such as arson at a Tesla showroom in France and the destruction of a Supercharger site in the U.S. Apart from attacks on the company, Tesla owners themselves are also being victimized, irrespective of their involvement in any controversies surrounding the brand.
Although Sentry Mode is effective in capturing incidents after they occur, it does little to prevent them in real-time. While it aids in insurance claims and law enforcement, it lacks the ability to actively deter criminal activities. A simple alarm trigger or honk could serve as a deterrent to potential vandals before they cause any harm.
Alarm System for Vandalism
There may be a solution on the horizon. In response to a request for Tesla engineers to devise a way to protect vehicles from vandalism like keying, Elon Musk suggested that Tesla cars could potentially sound an alarm when they detect activities such as keying or spray-painting.
Musk proposed this idea after watching a video on X showing a Tesla being keyed. While acts of vandalism like these are not new, their frequency has been increasing. Given Tesla’s advanced technology in detecting lane markings and surrounding objects, it could easily identify destructive behaviors like keying. A simple alarm or honk could discourage such actions.
While seemingly a minor change, this feature is becoming increasingly necessary in a world where tensions are high and Tesla owners are being targeted. This addition would transform Sentry Mode from a reactive feature to a proactive one, helping to minimize vehicle damage.
Sentry Mode has seen continuous improvements over the years. In the Christmas update, Tesla introduced the ability to directly view Sentry Mode videos on your phone. Although currently limited to iPhones, this feature is expected to expand to Android devices in the future. Additionally, we anticipate efficiency enhancements for Sentry Mode in upcoming updates.
Car could honk at people if you want
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 3, 2025