Tesla Resolves Purchase Control Bug for Tesla Diner

The Tesla Diner and Supercharger in Hollywood, California, offers a one-of-a-kind retro-futuristic experience where drivers can order food directly from their vehicle’s touchscreen while they charge. However, a peculiar flaw in this ordering system was recently discovered, prompting Tesla to quickly deploy a fix, closing the loophole and enhancing account security.

The Problem

The initial issue posed a risk for individuals renting out or loaning their vehicles in the LA area. Any driver could use the in-car menu to order food and beverages, with the charges automatically billed to the credit card linked to the owner’s Tesla account.

Significantly, this process bypassed the “Disable In-Vehicle Purchases” setting in the Tesla App. Originally designed to prevent accidental purchases or subscriptions to in-car software upgrades, such as Premium Connectivity, Acceleration Boost, or FSD, this setting has now been expanded to cover in-vehicle purchases at the Tesla Diner (soon to be available globally).

The Solution

Upon identifying the flaw, Tesla swiftly implemented a server-side update to align the diner’s ordering system with the user’s security preferences. Now, if an owner has disabled purchasing, the in-car diner menu will prevent the transaction from going through. Instead of a checkout screen, users will receive a prompt with instructions on how to proceed.

The prompt offers two choices: either re-enable purchasing through the mobile app to proceed or, for non-owners, visit the diner in person to place an order manually.

As Tesla introduces more services that can be directly purchased from the vehicle, such as FSD subscriptions or diner items, maintaining respect for user-defined security settings will be crucial in upholding owner trust.

Additionally, Tesla has recently enabled owners in the Netherlands to pay for third-party charging sessions using their vehicle’s key card.