These physical aftermarket turn rods are customizable and fit perfectly

Take a ride in a new Tesla– say, the freshly updated Model 3 Highland – and you might notice something is wrong. No, it’s not the fanfare of autopilot or the obsessive minimalism, but the humble turn signal control. In its continuing quest to simplify, save money, or perhaps acclimate us all to a stemless Cybertruck future (take your pick), Tesla has migrated the turn signal controls to touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel.

But if you’re longing for the good old touch days, fear not: a company dedicated to bringing back physical controls has launched a retro-style solution, aptly named the S3XY Stalks.

More: Everything we know about the 2025 Tesla Model Y facelift

This product featured today is from Enhance Auto. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because the brand already makes other popular physical button components for various Tesla cars. One of his creations is the S3XY button, a physical interface that rests in the center console. It was work on the stems for months.

Easy installation

What’s cool about these stems is that, unlike other aftermarket options we’ve seen for the latest Model 3 Highland, they don’t require disassembly of the steering wheel. This avoids potential warranty issues and eliminates the headache of dealing with parts that don’t receive software updates. Instead, the stalks simply attach magnetically to the steering column and communicate via Bluetooth with an A-pillar-mounted Commander unit via Bluetooth.

The S3XY controllers are placed where you expect them, on either side of the steering wheel. Once attached, the user can simply slide them up or down to turn on a turn signal. Users can customize what the rods do and add additional action available via a button on the end of each rod. Controls from the stalks go to what Enhance calls the Generation 2 Commander, and then to the car.

According to Enhance, the rods feature a replaceable battery designed to last at least a year with typical use. Although the current version is suitable for the Model 3 Highland 2024+, the company announced that compatible versions for the Model S and Model X are in development and are expected to launch in April 2025.

Based on videos showing the rods in action, it appears to be a truly top-notch upgrade. THE design is clean, blends into the cabin as if it were a factory option and the reaction time seems to be as quick as it should be.

Pricing and availability

According to Enhance, the S3XY Stalks are available for pre-order today (November 29) for $343.69 or $363.69 depending on which Tesla one owns. Notably, it appears that the only option available for pre-order at the moment is the full package. This includes both stems, the Gen2 Commander, wiring and cleaning wipes.

At the same time, the company claims that soon buyers will be able to pick up either the rod individually or both rods, but without the Gen2 Commander. This should reduce costs for those who already have other Enhance products that already include Commander. Shipments begin in February 2025.

A problem no one asked for

This is an extremely simple solution to fixing what can only be described as a brilliantly stupid idea – one that probably should never have made it past an overly caffeinated technical brainstorming session. This is on par with the decision to ditch the $3 rain sensor in favor of using cameras for the automatic wipers (just ask Tesla owners if that went well) . If the S3XY Stalks live up to their promises, we’ll find out soon enough once they land in the hands of real-world users.

In the meantime, discover below some videos of other existing solutions for adding commodos to the Model 3 Highland, which required removing the steering wheel.

Image credit: Improve