Tesla “Adaptive Headlight Features Are Unavailable”: Diagnosis and Repair
Adaptive headlight features are unavailable on your Tesla when the car stops aiming and shaping the beam by itself. If a reboot and an update do not clear it and the fault is in the headlight, we repair that headlight by mail, with a free quote first.
From $400 per headlight — final price in your free quote. Packing and shipping instructions come with your quote.
Try these before you remove anything
- Restart the car from the touchscreen and drive a few minutes.
- Install any pending software update.
- Clean the windshield in front of the cameras. If Autopilot shows the same kind of alert and both clear on their own, the cause is usually the cameras, the weather or the software.
- Note whether the alert follows one side or comes with flickering, a dark strip or fog inside a lens.
Warranty and recalls come first
If the car is under the manufacturer's warranty, book a service visit first. Also look up your VIN on the NHTSA recall site, since recall repairs are done at no cost.
This service is for headlights that neither one covers.
When the alert comes from the headlight
If the message stays after the checks and a scan or service visit points to one headlight, the fault is usually inside it:
- Control electronics or LED drivers that stopped responding.
- Moisture that got in and corroded a board or connector.
- A damaged connection after a minor front hit.
We open the unit, repair the failed part and reseal it. Other makes are covered in Adaptive Headlight Repair (AFS).
Model 3 and Model Y owners
The checks are the same when adaptive headlight features are unavailable on a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y. Headlights changed with the model year, so send the year with your photos.
Model pages: Tesla Model 3 Headlight Repair and Tesla Model Y Headlight Repair.
Why repair instead of replacing
A repair keeps the headlight your Tesla was built with, with its adaptive functions, its fit and a beam that matches the other side. There is no replacement to order and wait for.
Price of the repair
From $400 per headlight — final price in your free quote
Repair starts only after you approve your written quote. Packing and shipping instructions come with your quote.
The final price depends on the fault. Each step is in How Mail-In Headlight Repair Works.
Questions about the alert
Do the headlights still work with this alert?
Usually yes, in a basic mode: they light up, but the car no longer adjusts the beam on its own.
Will a software update fix it?
If the cause is software, often yes, so install updates first. An update cannot fix a failed part inside the headlight.
What should I send with the quote request?
The model, the year, which side, a photo of the alert and a few photos of the headlight.
Clear the alert on your original headlight
Send the model, the year and a few photos, and you get a written quote before you ship.