Tesla Model 3 Sentry Mode and how it works

In the first part of my experience of living with the Tesla Model 3, I covered what it was like to live with the all-electric car without a home charger. An experience that to my surprise, and against conventional wisdom, has been effort-free and without any charging or range anxiety. You can read more about my charging experience here.

Now that I’m coming up for a full year of driving the car, I’d like to focus part 2 of this review on the car’s somewhat lesser discussed feature – Sentry Mode.

Sentry Mode is a feature of the Model 3 that essentially records any threats to the car; particularly guarding against break-ins or theft. But how effective is this feature in practice? The answer – very effective, with some added benefits on top! Before we dive into the detail behind what’s been captured by this feature, when activated, I’ll quickly start by covering how the mode is triggered.

How do Model 3 owners activate Sentry Mode?

The Sentry Mode feature can be found within the ‘Controls’ panel (Controls > Safety and Security > Sentry Mode) of the car’s touchscreen. From here, you’ll be able to turn the feature on and off. You can also use your Tesla Mobile app to control when you would like the mode activated or not. From my experience the app is where I predominantly manage Sentry; it’s quick and convenient to access, and can be controlled from anywhere – day and night.

Once the app switch is set to the on position, the car then displays a red warning sign on the central dash display to those who get too close or when a threat is detected. This is accompanied by a quick flash of the lights and the cars cameras’ being activated (front, rear and side). The event is then recorded and can be played back by the driver at a later date.

Is it effective? And does it work as a deterrent?

In the past year has the Sentry Mode feature successfully deterred anyone from breaking into the vehicle? Surprisingly, yes it has. On a few occasions.

Not only has the system deterred people from attempting to break-in or try the doors at night, it has also caught other incidents affecting nearby vehicles and even properties (when parked outside).  I won’t cover the details here, but the experience so far definitely lives up to Tesla’s claim of additional peace of mind.

Will it deter against all possible threats or damage? Probably not, however it’s definitely a feature worth having and an added benefit of choosing the Model 3.

If you’re interested in our latest Tesla lease deals or if you would simply like to find out more about the features available get in touch with us today – we’ve got hands-on experience of driving a range of electric cars, from the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi E-Tron to the all-electric and high-performance Porsche Taycan, and we’d be happy to share this with you.