Page 5 of 10 · complaints 201–250 of 461

2013 Tesla Model S complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2013 record →

Electrical System
Filed Sep 2, 202035,735 milesFL

IN EARLY JUNE 2019, THE TOUCHSCREEN IN MY 2013 MODEL S P95+ STARTED TO MALFUNCTION. IT WAS UNRESPONSIVE, GOES BLACK ETC. THEN ONE DAY, A GOOEY SUBSTANCE STARTED TO LEAK FROM INSIDE AND ONTO THE CENTER CONSOLE OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA DEALERSHIP. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE DISPLAY ADHESIVE WAS LEAKING DUE TO HEAT. THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE MCU UNIT AT A COST OF $1,200. THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE RELATED TO THE SCREEN. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER, THIS PAST 08/31/2020, THE SAME THING STARTED TO HAPPEN TO THE MAIN INSTRUMENT PANEL. BOTH OF THESE ISSUES ARE APPARENTLY KNOWN PROBLEMS AND RENDER THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 2, 2020161,087 milesCA

THE MAIN TOUCH SCREEN FAILED WITH LIKELY EMMC FAILURE RESULTING IN NO NAVIGATION, NO BACKUP CAMERA, NO TURN SIGNALS OR SOUND, NO AIR OR DEFROSTERS AND NO WAY TO CONTROL HEADLIGHTS OR OTHER SAFETY FEATURES. FAILURE OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

Suspension
Filed Aug 29, 202081,200 milesNY

WHILE SLOWLY BACKING CAR UP IN DRIVEWAY, THE LEFT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM UNEXPECTEDLY FAILED AND THE SUSPENSION COLLAPSED WITH THE WHEEL CAMBERED OUTWARD AT 30 DEGREES OR SO. THE WHEEL WAS TRAPPED IN THE WHEEL WELL AND UNABLE TO ROTATE, AND RELATED SUSPENSION PARTS INCLUDING A BRAKE LINE AND THE AIR SPRING MODULE WERE DAMAGED. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT SPEED THE LOCKED-UP REAR WHEEL WOULD HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF CONTROL WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. THERE IS AN EXISTING TESLA SERVICE BULLETIN, SB 19-31-001, WHICH STATES: "ON CERTAIN MODEL S VEHICLES, EITHER LOWER REAR CONTROL ARM MIGHT CRACK, CAUSING EXCESSIVE NEGATIVE CAMBER OF THE REAR SUSPENSION." IT STATES THAT THE CORRECTION IS: REPLACE BOTH LH AND RH LOWER REAR CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLIES WITH UPDATED PARTS." THIS DESCRIBES EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY VEHICLE. THE CIRCULAR, CAST ALUMINUM PART OF THE ARM WHICH CONTAINS A LARGE BUSHING AT THE OUTBOARD END OF THE CONTROL ARM CRACKED AND FAILED SO THAT THE BUSHING WAS NO LONGER HELD BY THE ARM. UNDER THE VEHICLE TWO PIECES OF THE CAST ALUMINUM PART WERE FOUND. THESE BROKEN PARTS WERE THE RESULT OF TWO CRACKS IN THE ASSEMBLY. ONE CRACK HAS EVIDENCE OF CORROSION, SUGGESTING THAT IT OCCURRED MONTHS BEFORE THE UNIT FAILED; THE OTHER CRACK SHOWS BARE METAL INDICATING THAT IT JUST OCCURRED. THE TESLA SB STATES THAT THIS DEFECT IS A "KNOWN NON-SAFETY-RELATED CONDITION." I CANNOT POSSIBLY SEE HOW THIS IS A "NON-SAFETY-RELATED" ISSUE -- IF THIS FAILURE HAD OCCURRED AT SPEED IT COULD HAVE BEEN C

Electrical System
Filed Aug 29, 202075,000 milesTN

MY TESLA HAS THE WELL KNOW 'BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH' DUE TO EMMC FAILURE. WITHOUT THIS, MOST FUNCTIONS OF THE VEHICLE DO NOT WORK. THIS INCLUDES SUSPENSION ADJUSTMENTS, AC/HEAT, BACKUP CAMERA, RADIO, NAVIGATION, ETC. TESLA HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE TO GET A LIVE PERSON ON THE PHONE, UNLESS IT'S FOR NEW CAR SALES. THEY SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR US BUT IT'S 3 WEEKS AWAY AND WE CANNOT WAIT THAT LONG TO HAVE THE CAR MOBILE AGAIN. I WILL LIKELY TAKE THE EMMC OUT MYSELF, MAIL IT TO SOMEONE FOR REPLACEMENT, AND PAY ABOUT 700.00.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 26, 2020GA

MCU DIED.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 25, 202040,000 milesCA

THE DISPLAY SCREEN, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO CONTROL THE ENTIRE VEHICLE, FAILS OVER TIME. IT IS A BIG PROBLEM SINCE THE CAR HAS NO BUTTONS AND EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE ON THE SCREEN. THE PROBLEM IS THIS ONE, AS MANY OTHER TESLA OWNERS HAVE HAD. HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/TMC/THREADS/MODEL-S-BLACK-HORIZONTAL-LINE-IN-MCU-SCREEN.193133/ THIS APPEARED ALL OF A SUDDEN, AND EVENTUALLY THE SCREEN WILL COMPLETELY FAIL MAKING THE CAR NOT USABLE.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 18, 202045,000 milesAZ

THE MCU (MAIN TOUCHSCREEN COMPUTER) FAILED ON MY 2013 TESLA MODEL S AROUND JUNE 10TH 2020, WITH ~45K MILES. THE MCU PREVIOUSLY HAD SOME REBOOT ISSUES BUT THIS TIME WAS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE COMPUTER WAS CONSTANTLY REBOOTING AND WOULDN'T STOP. THIS WAS AFTER THE CAR WAS LEFT IN THE GARAGE AND NOT DRIVEN FOR ABOUT A WEEK. I HAD TESLA REPLACE THE MCU ON MY CAR WHICH COST ~$1700+. WHEN THE TESLA MODEL S MCU GOES OUT, THE CAR CAN STILL BE DRIVEN BUT THIS COMPUTER IS CENTRAL TO OPERATING MOST FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR. MANY VEHICLE FUNCTIONS NO LONGER WORK WITH A FAILED MCU INCLUDING THE AC/HEATER; BACKUP CAMERA DISPLAY; NAVIGATION INSTRUCTIONS, GPS, AND MAPS; INSIDE MANUAL DOOR LOCKS AND SUNROOF CONTROL; GARAGE DOOR OPENER; RADIO AND ALL MUSIC PLAY FUNCTIONALITY; ENERGY CONSUMPTION DISPLAYS; PHONE; VEHICLE CHARGE SETTINGS AND CHARGE STATUS DISPLAY; SELECTION OF AUTOMATIC PERSONAL POSITIONING FOR STEERING WHEEL, SEAT, AND MIRROR; MANY LIGHTING CONTROLS; OTHER VEHICLE SETTINGS; ON-SCREEN GAMES; AND MORE. THERE IS A NEWER VERSION OF MCU THAT I PLEADED WITH TESLA TO OBTAIN AND INSTALL IN MY CAR BUT THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T GET IT. THE MCU FAILURES ARE APPARENTLY RELATED TO OVERUSED COMPUTER MEMORY CHIPS AND THE MCU REPLACEMENT WAS ACTUALLY A REMANUFACTURED COMPUTER AND WASN'T NEW. THE REPLACEMENT DID HAVE A NEW TOUCHSCREEN AND UPGRADED LET MODEM BUT LATER HAD NEW 'LOW DISK SPACE' ERROR MESSAGES AND REBOOTED REPEATEDLY WITHIN WEEKS OF THE MCU REPLACEMENT.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 16, 2020100,000 milesCA

SCREEN WENT COMPLETELY BLACK AND HAD TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED. WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO FIX FOR IT.

Power Train
Filed Aug 15, 2020195,000 milesCT

MCU HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING. WITHOUT IT I CANNOT CONTROL CLIMATE, BACKUP CAMERA, RADIO, TURN SIGNALS, CHARGING, NAVIGATION, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER IMPORTANT FEATURES. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING AND INTERMITTENT, BUT RECENTLY HAS BECOME MORE COMMON.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 15, 2020130,000 milesNY

MCU 1 FAILED. DISPLAY SCREEN DEAD. NO CONTROLS FOR CLIMATE, BACKUP CAMERA, AUDIO SYSTEM, NAVIGATION, ETC

Electrical System
Filed Aug 14, 202063,000 milesMO

THE MCU ON THESE CARS ARE A KNOWN ISSUE FOR ALL TESLA'S WITH MCU VERSION 1. THE MCU IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OPERATION, DRIVING ALL NECESSARY CHANGES ON THE CAR SUCH AS: ADJUSTING DRIVING LIGHTS, ADJUSTING TRACTION CONTROL SETTINGS, ACCESSING THE SAFETY & SECURITY FEATURES (REQUIRED FOR SAFELY JACKING THE CAR, ETC) AS WELL AS PLACING THE CAR IN TOW MODE TO SAFETY TOW THE CAR. THE MCU IS ALSO THE MAIN DRIVING COMPUTER FOR THE SECONDARY DISPLAY WHICH SHOWS DRIVING SPEED. FOLLOWING AN ISSUE WITH MY MCU, THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO BE PROPERLY DRIVEN AND WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCESS THE TESLA NETWORK TO RECEIVE SOFTWARE UPDATES, THE NAVIGATION AND MAPS DID NOT WORK AND THE RADIO WAS DISABLED. THE CLIMATE CONTROL WAS ALSO NON-FUNCTIONAL DUE TO THE FAILURE.

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash1 injured
Filed Aug 12, 202071,111 milesCA

ON 8/6/2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:50 PM [XXX], I [XXX] WAS PARKING MY 2013 MODEL S 85 TESLA IN MY CARPORT. I HAVE LIVED AT THIS ADDRESS FOR 7 MONTHS AND HAD PARKED MY CAR THERE WITHOUT INCIDENT NUMEROUS TIMES. I WAS NOT DISTRACTED NOR INTOXICATED IN ANY WAY; I WAS SIMPLY PARKING MY CAR. AS I WAS ABOUT TO PUSH THE PARK BUTTON ON THE TESLA, SUDDENLY THE CAR UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED, OUT OF CONTROL, THE BRAKE DIDN'T WORK, AND CONTINUED TO LEAP FORWARD AT FULL SPEED, CAUSING ME TO CRASH THROUGH THE GATE, AND BACK OF MY CARPORT, BOUNCING ONE TRASHCAN OFF MY SHED DOOR AND PUSHING ANOTHER ONE, AS I VEERED AROUND THE SHED CORNER KNOCKING THE CARPORT SUPPORTS OUT AS I WENT. CRASHING THROUGH MY NEIGHBORS BACK FENCE, I PLOWED OVER MY NEIGHBOR'S GARDEN AND BACK YARD WITH MY GARBAGE CAN AND CAR ACTING AS A BATTERING RAM. THE TESLA EVENTUALLY CAREENED INTO NEIGHBORS BACK CARPORT PLOWED OVER A GAS MAIN, POWER MAIN PANEL, WATER MAIN, AND SEWER DRAIN LINE. BASICALLY, ALL THE UTILITIES WHICH FED HER HOUSE, AND FINALLY STOPPED AFTER HITTING THE SIDE OF SPACE# 46 HOUSE. I SAW AND SMELLED GAS ENTERING THE CAR FROM THE BROKEN GAS PIPE. FORTUNATELY, THE POWER TO MY HOUSE ALONG WITH 40 OF THE SURROUNDING HOUSES HAD BEEN SHUT OFF THE PREVIOUS DAY DUE TO A TOTALLY UNRELATED INCIDENT. A POWER TRANSFORMER WHICH FED THE COMMUNITY HAD BEEN MIS-WIRED AND DESTROYED ALL THE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND ELECTRONICS IN THE 40 HOUSES THE TRANSFORMER FED. IF THE POWER HAD BEEN ON, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SPARKS AND A

Electrical System
Filed Aug 9, 2020138,782 milesWI

THE MAIN SCREEN IN OUR 2013 TESLA MODEL S STARTED REQUIRING REGULAR REBOOTS JUST TO RUN. THEN IT DIED COMPLETELY, LEAVING US WITHOUT ACCESS TO HVAC CONTROLS (THEY WERE STUCK ON THE LAST SETTING WHICH DID NOT ALLOW FOR DEFROST/DEFOG FOR THE WINDSHIELD OR REAR WINDOW). WE ALSO DID NOT HAVE FUNCTIONING TURN SIGNALS, HAZARDS OR A BACKUP CAMERA, AND CHARGING WAS LIMITED TO A RIDICULOUSLY SLOW RATE (THE CAR WAS IN "LIMP MODE" PER OUR TECHNICIAN). WE WERE FORCED TO REPLACE THE MAIN COMPUTER (MCU1). WE WERE GIVEN A CHOICE OF ANOTHER MCU1 (WHICH WE WERE TOLD MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM EVENTUALLY) OR AN MCU2 WHICH WOULD NOT. WE CHOSE THE MCU2.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 7, 2020155,827 milesNY

CENTER CONSOLE (MCU) FAILED AFTER UPDATING SOFTWARE. BLACK SCREEN. UNABLE TO USE, CANNOT CHARGE. CANNOT CONTROL ANYTHING. THIS SEEMS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS , AS ALL THE VEHICLE CONTROLS ARE THROUGH THE CENTER CONSOLE. HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO TESLA SERVICE. TESLA SAID IT WAS INFAMOUS EMMC FAILURE AND HAD TO REPLACE THE MCU OUT OF POCKET, TOTALING $2,738.67. THEY REPLACED IT WITH THE SAME EXACT VERSION, BASICALLY SAYING ITS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT THIS WILL FAIL AGAIN EVENTUALLY. THIS ALSO ENCOURAGES PEOPLE *NOT* TO UPDATE THEIR SOFTWARE ANYMORE, AS ANY WRITES TO THAT EMMC MODULE IS JUST ONE STEP CLOSER TO FAILURE AGAIN.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 6, 2020150,000 milesCA

MAIN SCREEN MALFUNCTION. TURNED COMPLETELY BLACK. TURN SIGNALS NO LONGER WORK AND CAR WILL NOT CHARGE. BACKUP CAMERA NOT USABLE. CAR IS UNDRIVABLE DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A REPLACEMENT UNIT OVER A MONTH ALREADY.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 6, 202049,000 milesCA

MCU CHIP FAILED. SCREEN WENT BLANK. ALL FUNCTIONS OF CAR WERE INACCESSIBLE. WAS UNABLE TO CHARGE CAR. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING MUTIPLE TIMES. TOTALLY UNSAFE. CURRENTLY PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE DOES NOT WORK. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED ALONG WITH ANOTHER DOOR HANDLE.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 5, 2020CO

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS "BLACKOUTS" OF THE MAIN SCREEN WHEREBY I AM UNABLE TO CONTROL ANYTHING SUCH AS A/C, MAPS, CHARGING, MPH, ETC. FREQUENTLY I HAVE NO CONNECTIVITY DESPITE BEING IN AREAS WITH STRONG CELLULAR RECEPTION OR EVEN IN MY OWN GARAGE WITH WIFI. WHEN THIS OCCURS, NO MONITORING SYSTEM FOR THE CAR IS AVAILABLE. IT TYPICALLY OCCURS UPON START UP AND THE CAR WILL TURN ON BUT NOTHING SHOWS UP ON THE DASH OR SCREEN. MY CAR CAN SOMETIMES TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES TO START UP - SOMETIMES I HAVE LEFT MY CAR BEHIND AND TAKEN ANOTHER MODE OF TRANSPORTATION DUE TO THE ISSUE.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 5, 2020CO

MY ELECTRIC DOOR HANDLES. WHICH PRESENT UPON APPROACH OR WHEN ACTIVATED, REMAIN IN THE CLOSED/LOCKED POSITION, WHICH PREVENTS ME FROM BEING ABLE TO USE THE DOOR. I HAVE HAD 3 DIFFERENT HANDLES ON MY VEHICLE REPLACED. TWO OF THEM HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE. I HAVE COMPLAINED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE THAT A CONSUMER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR AS IT SEEMS TO BE A "LEMON" ISSUE, HAVING OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED WAS WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF PURCHASE IN 2013. THE LAST TIME IT OCCURRED WAS MAY OF 2020. AND THREE TIMES IN BETWEEN.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 4, 202086,700 milesCA

THE CENTER DISPLAY IS BLANK AND UNAVAILABLE, WHICH DISABLES MANY VEHICLE FEATURES INCLUDING THE BACKUP CAMERA SYSTEM, AIR SUSPENSION CONTROL, AND HVAC. THE CENTER DISPLAY WAS WORKING NORMALLY ON AUGUST 1ST, 2020. IT SEEMS TO HAVE FAILED OVERNIGHT, BECAUSE IT HAS NOT WORKED SINCE AUGUST 2ND.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 4, 202070,000 milesCA

UMC FAILURE WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY TO CONTROL ALL IN THE CAR. NO BACK UP CAMERA, NO REMOTE CONTROL, NO PERFORMANCE CONTROLS. BASICALLY THE ONLY THING WORKING ON THE CAR IS THE BLINKERS. I SAW THAT OTHER TESLA CARS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. COST IS 3,000 WHICH IS AN ACCEPTABLE SINCE THE CAR ONLY HAS 70,000 MILES. 'EMMC FAILURE' PROBLEM.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 3, 202080,000 milesCA

I HAVE THE MCU1, THE DASH SCREEN IN THE CENTER. OFTEN THE MCU IS DEAD AND THE CAN'T BE DRIVEN. SOMETIMES IT GOES OUT WHILE I'M DRIVING MAKING NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THE MCU IS WHAT CONTROLS EVERYTHING IN THE CAR. HAD IT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BUT STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. MCU CONTROLS THE AC/HEATING, BACK UP CAMERA, LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, NAVIGATION, MUSIC, SUSPENSION AND VSC, SUNROOF, ETC... THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, STREET OR WHEN PARKED

Electrical System
Filed Aug 3, 2020115,000 milesWI

MCU-1 DIED, AS IN TOUCH SCREEN DID NOT WORK, THEREFORE MOST OF THE CAR DOES NOT WORK. IT DIED OVERNIGHT, GOT IN THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING AND THE CAR WAS OFF, COULD NOT TURN IT ON

Electrical System
Filed Aug 2, 202070,000 milesCA

SAME ISSUE AS OTHER OPEN COMPLAINTS WITH EMMC DEVICE FAILING CAUSING BLACK SCREEN, NO REAR VIEW CAMERA, NO ABILITY TO CHARGE THE CAR, TURN SIGNALS INOPERABLE, ETC.. BASED ON THE KNOWN SOFTWARE BUG IN THIS SYSTEM IT IS REASONABLE TO CONCLUDE THAT ALL MODELS WITH THIS VERSION OF MCU/EMMC SOFTWARE WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL. SEE CURRENT NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE20010

Steering
Filed Aug 2, 2020109,975 milesWA

CORROSION TO THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT WITH U-JOINT CAUSED POWER STEERING TO FAIL.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 1, 202038,500 milesCA

VEHICLE COMPLETELY STATIONARY. CENTER CONSOLE (MCU) UNIT FAILURE DUE TO THE EMMC STORAGE FILLING DUE TO EXCESSIVE LOG DATA. WELL-KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THESE CARS. CAUSES A/C CONTROL, MEDIA, MEDIA CONTROLS, NAVIGATION, LIGHTING CONTROL, AND AUDIBLE TURN SIGNAL FUNCTIONS TO NO LONGER WORK.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 30, 202064,500 milesCA

MY ECU HAS DIED. THE MAIN CONTROL SCREEN DOES NOT WORK AT ALL, DOES NOT COME ON AND FUNCTIONALITY IS UNUSABLE. I HAVE REBOOTED THE SYSTEM SEVERAL TIMES WHICH DOES NOT WORK. HAPPENS DURING INITIAL START UP AND WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE NOW TAKEN MY CAR INTO THE SERVICE CENTER TO HAVE IT REPLACED. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM BUT, OF COURSE, I AM OUT OF WARRANTY AND HAVE BEEN QUOTED $1500 TO REPLACE.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 30, 2020107,000 milesCA

HI I BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE TESLA MAIN TOUCH SCREEN CONTROL , MCU . THE SCREEN WAS RECENTLY OFFLINE LIMITING THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE NOT CONTROL AND 12V IT LET AND SIGNALS DOES NOT WORK I'LL TAKE IT TO SERVICE CENTER THEY WERE ABLE TO RESTORE IT . BUT IF NOT I WILL NEED TO PAY FROM $1500 /2500 TO GET A REPLACEMENT THAT'S NOT FAIR BECAUSE THAT MCU WAS REPLACE BY WARRANTY LESS THEN 3 YEARS AGO . PREVIOUS SCREEN HAVES MEMORY ISSUES AND BUBBLES ON SCREEN . REBOOTING ISSUES WAS HAPPENING WHEN DRIVING THE CAR , ONE DAY PARK CAR ON GARAGE NEXT DAY CONTROL SCREEN DOES NOT POWER ON NOT EVEN POSIBLE TO REBOOT WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS. IT THIS CAN BE A RECALL WILL HELP A LOT OF COMSUMERS I HEAR LOT PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE

Electrical System
Filed Jul 30, 202050,000 milesCA

MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXHIBITING THE SYMPTOMS OF MCU EMMC FAILURE KNOWN TO BE A PROBLEM WITH EARLY MODEL S PRODUCTION MODELS. IN PARTICULAR I HAVE NOTICED SLOW START UP TIMES OF THE CENTER CONSOLE MEDIA AND OCCASIONAL INABILITY TO USE THE TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY UNTIL IT IS MANUALLY RESTARTED BY PRESSING BOTH CONTROL DIALS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. WHEN THE DISPLAY IS UNRESPONSIVE I CAN ALSO SEE THAT THE CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY ICON INDICATES NO SIGNAL DESPITE BEING IN AREAS OF FULL COVERAGE. THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS HAPPEN WHILE STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE CENTER CONSOLE REMAINED BLACK FOR SO LONG THAT I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE VEHICLE. IT ULTIMATELY RESTARTED SUCCESSFULLY BUT CONTINUED TO HAVE THE ABOVE PROBLEMS. I BEGAN TO NOTICE THESE PROBLEMS AROUND MARCH OF THIS YEAR (2020) AND THEY CONTINUE TO THE PRESENT.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 29, 2020121,000 milesTX

VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY FOR A FEW DAYS IN MY GARAGE. WHEN I TURNED IT ON, THE TOUCHSCREEN WAS BLACK AND TESLA HAS TOLD ME THAT THE MCU UNITS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. DURING MY CALL WITH THE TECHNICIAN, HE EXPLAINED THAT THE NEW SOFTWARE THAT WERE SENT CAUSED SOME OF THE UNITS TO GO BAD. I THINK IT'S OUTRAGEOUS THAT THEY WANT ME TO PAY $1,500 TO FIX SOMETHING THAT WAS CAUSED BY AN INTERNAL UPDATE.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 28, 202032,000 milesIL

TOUCHSCREEN THAT CONTROLS DOZENS OF VEHICLE OPERATING FEATURES INCLUDING AC, HEAT, GPS, LIGHTS, ACCESS TO MOBILE APPLICATION, SUNROOF, ETC. WENT BLANK AND WOULD NOT REBOOT. CAN CAN BE DRIVEN, BUT NOT SAFELY. THIS HAPPENED IN JULY 2020. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME, FIRST WAS OCT 2020 AND WAS REPLACED BY TESLA FOR NO CHARGE. THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR JULY 2020 WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. ONLY 32,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. REQUIRED TO PAY $87 DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND $1,600 FOR A REPLACEMENT. KNOWN ISSUE TO TESLA DUE TO A MEMORY CARD FAILURE AS A RESULT OF WRITING LOG FILES TO IT BEYOND THE KNOWN LIFE OF THE CARD. SEEMS THEY REPLACED THE UNIT IN 2017 WITH ONE THAT THEY KNEW WOULD FAIL. THEY CALL ISSUE "END OF LIFE" BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE. TOOK VEHICLE IN ON JULY 21, 2020. PART NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AUG 10. NO LOANER OFFERED, JUST AN UBER VOUCHER WHICH EXPIRED ON JULY 26. HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO THIS BEING REPORTED WITH TESLAS OF MY MAKE AND YEAR.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 27, 202071,000 milesOK

MCU WENT DEAD DURING A RECENT OTA UPDATE SENT OUT BY TESLA. NOW NO WAY TO CONTROL REAR VIEW CAMERA, CLIMATE CONTROL, SUSPENSION, SUNROOF, ETC. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN THE GARAGE WHEN THE MCU FROZE AND SUBSEQUENTLY WENT DEAD.

Electronic Stability Control (esc)
Filed Jul 22, 2020209,000 milesNV

WHILE ARKED IN MY GARAGE MORNING THE CENTER SCREEN DIDNT TURNED ON THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT KNOW AS MCU WHICH IS THE CENTER SCREEN FAILED AND THE CAR WASNT ABLE TO CHARGE, TURN ON A/C AND MANY OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR WHERE DISABLED IT IS A VERY ESCENCIAL PART OF THE VEHICLE IF IT FAILS VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE DRIVABLE AT ALL AFTER BATTERY IS DEPLETED

Suspension
Filed Jul 21, 202040,000 milesCA

THIS IS ANOTHER COMPLAINT ABOUT THE DEADLY WEAKNESS OF TESLA SUSPENSIONS. PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE USED A SUBSTITUTE VIN SINCE THE VIN OF THE AFFECTED CAR IS UNAVAILABLE. THIS SHOULD NOT MATTER AS THIS IS A SYSTEMIC FAILURE AFFECTING EVERY TESLA ON THE ROADS. HERE IS A THREAD ON THE OFFICIAL TESLA MOTORS FORUM WHICH ONLY ALLOWS POSTS BY VERIFIED OWNERS. HTTPS://FORUMS.TESLA.COM/FORUM/FORUMS/REAR-LOWER-CONTROL-ARM-FAILED THE LATEST IN A LONG STRING OF FAILURES IS REPORTED HERE : NATECVAL | JULY 14, 2020 I HAD AN NEARLY IDENTICAL ISSUE! REAR PASSENGER SUSPENSION FAILURE. AFTER NORMAL DRIVE HOME FROM WORK WITH NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HAPPENING. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BEGAN TO BACK UP TOWARDS MY DRIVEWAY AND THE WHEEL TIRE NEARLY FELL OFF. VERY UNNERVING SINCE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY OVER THE WEEKEND TRAVELING 85 MPH, THANK GOD THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN THEN. I WAS ABLE TO PULL UP MY DASH CAM FOOTAGE AND SEE THE EXACT MOMENT THE PART CAM FLYING OUT FROM UNDER MY CAR. THEN DROVE BACK AND FOUND IT ON THE ROAD. WITH OUR OTHER VEHICLE. HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/AG022FHSZ7M PICTURES- 2013 TESLA S85 REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. HTTPS://IMGUR.COM/A/0H47AYM THIS IS INCONTROVERTIBLE PROOF THAT TESLA SUSPENSIONS ARE BREAKING AND PUTTING LIVES AT RISK. I HAVE COPIED THE PICTURES REFERRED TO AND THEY ARE ATTACHED TO THIS COMPLAINT. CONTRARY TO THE CLAIMS MADE BY SOME COMMENTATORS ON THAT THREAD THIS IS NOT THE RESULT OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT. IT IS A CRACK THAT IS THE PREDICTABLE RESULT OF

Electrical System
Filed Jul 21, 202028,500 milesWA

THE MCU IS FREEZING DAILY AND SOMETIMES THE SPEEDOMETER FREEZES. THE MCU IS NOT RESPONSIVE UNTIL YOU RESET THE SYSTEM.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 19, 202069,000 milesCA

MCU FAILURE. ONE YEAR AGO, MY MCU SCREEN WENT BLACK. IT WAS REBOOTED AND WAS TOLD THAT IF THE MCU HAD NEEDED REPLACEMENT, IT WOULD COST 4,000.00. NOW ONE YEAR LATER, IT HAS FAILED COMPLETELY AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. THEY TELL ME THE COST WILL BE $2,000.00. WHEN I ASKED WHY THE PRICE DIFFERENCE, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE THEIR ORDERS SO THE PRICE HAS COME DOWN. I HAVE COME TO LEARN THAT NUMEROUS TESLA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE MCU FAILURE. MY PURPOSE OF THIS IS FOR YOU TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER OR NOT IT IS A DESIGN DEFECT. THE FIRST TIME THE SCREEN WENT BLACK, IT WAS IN MOTION ON THE FREEWAY IN MOTION. THIS MOST RECENT TIME, IT WAS STATIONARY IN MY GARAGE.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 19, 202080,487 milesCA

WHILE IN EITHER FUNCTION OF STATIONARY AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, PARKED AT WORK OR HOME, AND WHILE IN MOTION DRIVING ON A ROAD TRIP. THE TOUCHSCREEN BLANKS OUT, FREEZES AND LOCKS OUT THE TOUCH SENSITIVE FUNCTIONS, THEN IN TURN ELIMINATES CLIMATE CONTROL. GPS MAPPING, BACK UP CAMERA, AND THE NEWEST ONE IS PIXELATING SECTIONS OF THE SCREEN LIKE A CABLE CONNECTION ISSUE... I REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYMORE. THE LOCAL SERVICE CENTER IS RESISTANT TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.. BUT THEY WERE OVERLY EXCITED TO PITCH SELLING ME THE UPGRADES SCREEN AND COMPUTER FOR $2500 ..THEN BOASTED THAT IT LOADS FASTER LIKE YOUR CELL PHONE. THEY CONTINUED WITH SAYING I WOULD HAVE 4G OR 4G LTE ..WHEN I UPGRADE. OF COURSE I REPLIED.. HOW ABOUT TESLA JUST MAKING THE SYSTEM THE CAR WAS BUILT WITH JUST WORK PROPERLY. I DONT LIKE BEING STRANDED AND WITH NO AC OPERATIONS UNTIL HARD RESTART/REBOOTING THE COMPUTERS THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL SCROLL KNOBS AS A LAST HOPE.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 18, 202069,000 milesWA

SCREEN OCCASIONALLY GOES BLACK EITHER WHEN STATIONARY OR DRIVING. AT THE MOMENT I CAN 'RESET' THE CAR AND GET THE INSTRUMENTS BACK, BUT RESEARCH TELLS ME THAT THIS WILL ONLY GET WORSE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM (A MEMORY CHIP FAILS THROUGH WEAR OVER TIME). WHEN IT DOES FAIL IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS REAR LIGHTS CAN FAIL AND ALL INDICATORS (INCLUDING SPEED) DISAPPEAR.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 18, 2020110,400 milesCA

WHEN TRYING TO START MY TESLA, I NOTICED THE LARGE TOUCH SCREEN WAS UNRESPONSIVE, AND I COULDN'T ENTER MY PIN CODE TO UNBLOCK CHANGING MY CAR GEARS, MY CAR GOT STUCK ON THE PARKING GEAR ON MY DRIVEWAY. WHEN SPEAKING WITH TESLA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO PERFORM A RESET PROCEDURE, AFTER WHICH THE LARGE SCREEN WENT DARK. AS REQUESTED BY TESLA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, I TOWED MY CAR TO THE NEAREST TESLA SERVICE CENTER, WHERE AFTER DIAGNOSIS I WAS TOLD MY CAR MCU HAD REACHED END OF LIFE, AND I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE MCU AT MY EXPENSE ($1419.07), BUT NO CLEAR EXPLANATION ON WHAT CAUSED THE MCU TO SUDDENLY STOP WORKING. AFTER INSISTING ON GETTING AN EXPLANATION AND RESEARCHING/SHOWING AN ARTICLE ABOUT AN ONGOING NHTSA PROBE ON SOME MEMORY ISSUES(HTTPS://WWW.REUTERS.COM/ARTICLE/US-TESLA-SAFETY/U-S-PROBES-TOUCHSCREEN-FAILURES-IN-TESLA-MODEL-S-CARS-IDUSKBN23V1VG), TESLA CONFIRMED THAT THE NEW UNIT WOULD HAVE A NEWER REVISION, BUT THAT I'D STILL HAVE TO PAIR FOR THE SERVICE AND PARTS.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 15, 2020125,000 milesCA

JUST HAD AN MCU -1 FAILURE CAUSING MY CAR TO BRICK. IS NOW UNDRIVABLE. CAR WAS IN MOTION IN CITY STREETS WHEN THE SCREEN FAILED.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 15, 2020CA

MY MCU1 (CENTER SCREEN) HAS DIED ONCE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED. IT IS STARTING TO FAIL AGAIN AS THE NAVIGATION IS STARTING TO BE NONRESPONSIVE, BLUE PERIODICALLY WORKS, AND NONRESPONSIVE TOUCH FUNCTIONS. THERE IS A DESIGN FAILURE WHERE THE CENTER SCREEN DIES AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME. THIS CONTROLS YOUR AC, RADIO, CHARGING, NAVIGATION, TURN SIGNAL AUDIO, ETC... IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND AFFECTS ALL VEHICLES FROM 2012 TO 2018. VEHICLE DOES NOT NEED TO BE IN MOTION.

Electrical System › Propulsion System › Traction Battery
Filed Jul 13, 202095,000 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT FAILED TO FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACHIEVE THE ESTIMATED 210 MILES PER CHARGE INSTEAD ONLY ACHIEVING 120 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TESLA (4361 GRANITE DRIVE, ROCKLIN, CA 95677, 916-652-7740), WHERE THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE IN REPLACING THE BATTERY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. INVALID VIN. *LN*DT*AS

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 13, 202095,000 milesCA

OUR TESLA MODEL S 2013 WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST OF 2013, 7YEARS AGO. THE CAR WAS ABLE TO COVER OVER 200 MILES WITH A FULL CHARGE. STARTING JUNE 2019, THE BRAKES STARTED TO SHAKE DURING BRAKING AND THE TRAVELED MILES DECREASED DRASTICALLY AFTER SUDDEN LOSS OF RANGE WITH 2019.16.X SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT THROTTLES BATTERIES. UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS TRAVELING THE SAME ROUTE BY THE SAME PERSON. NOW, THE FULL CHARGE OF CAR LASTS APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES TRAVELED. TOTAL SUPER CHARGED BATTERY MILES DO NOT GO BEYOND 150 MILES EVEN AFTER WAITING MORE THAN 2 HRS. USING 220 AMPFOR 7 HRS, THE FULL BATTERY CHARGE GOES UP TO 160 MILES BUT EVEN THEN THE ODOMETER TRAVEL COVERED IS LESS THE 110 MILES UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL 200 MILES TRAVELED. WE HAVE PAID FOR UNLIMITED USE OF SUPERCHARGER BUT WE ARE TOLD BY TESLA NOT TO USE SUPERCHARGER BECAUSE IT IS BAD FOR THE BATTERY. THAT IS TRUE. WE GET A LITTLE BETTER RESULTS BY USING OUR OWN 40 AMP, 220 VOLT CHARGER BUT THE CAR BATTERY LASTS LESS THAN 60% OF THE ORIGINALBATTERY UNDER IDENTICAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WITH SUPERCHARGER IT COVERS LESS THAN 50%. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TESLA SERVICE CENTER IN ROCKLIN BUT THE TECHNICIANS HAVE SAID: "WE RAN TEST AND BATTERY IS NORMAL". WE NEED HELP UNDER STAND WHAT "NORMAL" MEANS. THIS CAR IS NOT NORMAL GOOD FOR COMMUTING TO WORK NOW. 1) CHARGING AT MUCH LOWER AMPS AND AVOIDING SUPERCHARGERS. THIS TOOK AWAY THE $2,500 PURCHASE OPTION AND FREEDOM OF BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL WITHOUT RANGE ANXIETY. 2) R

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jul 12, 2020128,600 milesNJ

WHILE DRIVING ON A SIX LANE HIGHWAY, I RECEIVED MULTIPLE ALERTS FROM THE CAR SAYING THAT POWER WAS REDUCED, THE VEHICLE WAS SHUTTING DOWN, SERVICE IS REQUIRED, PULL OVER SAFELY AND VEHICLE MAY NOT RESTART. I PULLED OVER INTO A PARKING LOT TO MONITOR THE CAR, THE ALERTS CONTINUED TO COME AND GO BUT THE CAR REMAINED ON. I DECIDED TO DRIVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. I NOTIFIED TESLA SERVICE AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THE NEXT DAY WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT START AND THERE WAS A COMPLETE BATTERY FAILURE REQUIRING BATTERY REPLACEMENT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION TO ME AS THE OWNER PRIOR TO THIS EVENT THAT THE BATTERY WAS GOING TO FAIL, HOWEVER, ACCESS TO MY VEHICLE LOGS (WHICH I CANNOT OBTAIN FROM TESLA) MAY HAVE GIVEN ME SOME INDICATION. I WAS TOLD BATTERY FAILURE WAS DUE TO FAULTY SEALS ON THE RAPID MATE WHICH ALLOWED WATER INTRUSION AND OVERCURRENT WITHIN THE BATTERY.

Steering
Filed Jul 12, 2020126,000 milesNJ

MCU (CENTER SCREEN) FAILED IN MY 2013 MODEL S. I RETURNED TO THE CAR AFTER IT WAS PARKED ALL DAY IN AN OUTDOOR PARKING LOT AT WORK AND IT WOULD NOT TURN ON. REBOOTING, OTHER TROUBLESHOOTING DID NOT REMEDY. AS A RESULT OF MCU FAILURE, TURN SIGNALS DID NOT WORK (EXTERIOR TURN SIGNALS AND AUDIBLE INDICATION OF TURN SIGNALS), AIR SUSPENSION COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED, CLIMATE CONTROL COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED, HEADLIGHTS COULD NOT BE MANUALLY CONTROLLED, STEERING SETTINGS COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED, CHARGE LEVEL COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED, MEDIA/ENTERTAINMENT COULD NOT BE USED, BACKUP CAMERA COULD NOT BE VIEWED IN ADDITION TO OTHER FUNCTIONALITY FOR THE CAR. LEADING UP TO THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE UNIT, THE MCU WOULD OCCASIONALLY REBOOT ITSELF DURING DRIVING CAUSING LOSS OF TURN SIGNALS AND CHANGE IN STEERING DYNAMICS.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 11, 2020124,187 milesMD

THE EMMC IS FAILING AND CAUSING THE COMPUTER SYSTEMS TO ACT ODD. I'VE REPORTED IT FOR THE FAILING MAIN SCREEN AND IT TURNING OFF FOR OVER 36 HOURS BUT YESTERDAY THE SPEEDOMETER SCREEN WENT BLANK AND WOULDN'T COME ON FOR A AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THE CAR WOULDN'T START AT FIRST, AND WHEN IT DID, THERE WAS NO SPEEDOMETER (!), NO ODOMETER, NO BATTERY LEVEL READ OUT, NO GEAR INDICATOR, NO HEADLIGHTS, NOR ANY OTHER FUNCTION OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN IT FAILED. IT FLASHED ON FOR A SECOND, WHICH ALLOWED LIGHTS TO COME ON AND GO IN DRIVE, BUT IT IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK OFF LEAVING THE CAR WITHOUT ANY SPEEDOMETER OR OTHER ITEMS LISTED ABOVE. THIS WAS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 11, 2020107,000 milesCA

MCU FAILURE, LOSS OF ALL CONTROLS DEPENDENT ON MCU FUNCTIONING, NO REAR CAMERA IS A SERIOUS FAILURE.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 11, 202077,638 milesHI

THE CENTER CONTROL TOUCH SCREEN HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES SINCE RECEIVING THE CAR IN EARLY 2013. THERE ARE NO MANUAL CONTROLS FOR MOST OF THE CARS FUNCTIONS WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND LOSING CONTROL TO A/C, DEFROSTER AND SOMETIMES TURN SIGNALS IS DANGEROUS. THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO RECTIFY THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT CAUSES MULTIPLE FAILURES. THIS FAILURE HAPPENS AS YOU START UP THE VEHICLE.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 9, 202085,000 milesCA

MCU FAILURE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER EARLY MODEL TESLA MODEL S. THE MAIN COMPUTER SCREEN IS DARK/BLANK AND MOST FUNCTIONS ARE NOT OPERABLE, SUCH AS NAVIGATION, LIGHTING CONTROLS, DIRECTIONALS, AUDIO AND HANDS-FREE PHONE, SUNROOF, CLIMATE CONTROL, SUSPENSION CONTROLS, ... THE FAILURE OCCURS ALMOST WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS THE 2ND FAILURE AND THIS EVENT OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 6, 202090,000 milesIL

THE MCU HAS NOW NEARLY COMPLETELY FAILED RESULTING IN THE INABILITY TO USE THE BACKUP CAMERA (OR THE TOUCHSCREEN ENTIRELY THAT CONTROLS OTHER BASIC FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR. THIS HAS BEEN A PROGRESSIVE ISSUE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE. IT CAN HAPPEN WHILE STATIONERY OR MOVING AND OCCURS IN BOTH INSTANCES REQUIRING FREQUENT REBOOTS WHILE DRIVING UNTIL COMPLETE FAILURE.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 6, 202092,000 milesMO

TOUCH PANEL KEEPS GOING OUT AND RENDERS THE CONTROLS UNUSABLE. IT'S BEEN REPLACED ONCE, BUT I'M HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE NEW ONE.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2013 Tesla Model S → · Every Model S year → · How the figures are calculated →