THIS COMPLAINT IS ABOUT TESLA'S FIRST GENERATION MEDIA CONTROL UNIT (MCU). THE MCU IS THE BRAINS OF THE CAR AND CONTROL THE BIG CENTER SCREEN THAT THE TESLA MODEL S IS KNOWN FOR. WHEN IT FAILED NOT ONLY DID I LOSE THE ABILITY TO USE THIS BIG SCREEN BUT I ALSO LOST KEY SAFETY ITEMS SIGNALS, BACKUP CAMERA, CRUISE CONTROL, AUTOMATIC BREAKING, AND AUTO PILOT. ALL THE SOUND FEATURES ARE ALSO DISENGAGED AS WELL AND THIS WAS EVIDENT IN THE LACK OF SOUND FOR THE TURN SIGNAL AS WELL AS THE LACK OF SOUND FOR THE ALERT IF YOUR SEATBELT IS UNDONE. SPECIFICALLY IN REGARDS TO THE TURN SIGNAL FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU PUT THE TURN SIGNAL DOWN TO AS IF YOU ARE TURNING LEFT THE NOB WILL LOCK INTO THE DOWN POSITION LEADING YOU TO BELIEVE YOUR TURN SIGNAL IS WORKING BUT UNLESS YOU ARE OUTSIDE THE CAR YOU HAVE NO AWARENESS TO THE FACT THAT THE SIGNALS ARE NOT BLINKING. IN ADDITION TO THIS MY CAR LOST ITS CONTROL OF THE AIR CONDITION AND ANY MILLAGE TRACKING FEATURES WERE LOST. THE MCU COMPLETELY FAILED ON ME 3 TIMES. THE FIRST TWO TIMES IT CAME BACK AFTER A FEW HOURS AND THE THIRD TIME IT NEVER CAME BACK (WAS DRIVEN TO THE SERVICE CENTER AFTER 3 DAYS AND IT STILL HADN'T COME BACK). THE FAILED MCU ALLOWS YOU TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR AND YOU HAVE NO AWARENESS TO THE SAFETY FEATURES THAT ARE DISENGAGED. ALSO, ALL THE SENSORS ARE DISENGAGED TO ME THE USER WHICH STOPS THE CAR FROM ALERTING ME TO OBJECTS AHEAD, BEHIND AND TO EITHER SIDE OF ME. THERE ARE ENDLESS ARTICLES ABOUT THE FIRST GENERATION MCU FAI
2015 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 2015 record →
MCU (MEDIA CONTROL UNIT) BLANK. WONT REBOOT. INDICATORS DONT WORK ANYMORE.
TESLA MODEL S HAD BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR 2 YEARS, SUE TO A MEDICAL CONDITION I HAD. AT NEAR THE END OF 2 YEARS I WALKED DOWN TO EXAMINE THE CAR, NOTICED THE CAR HAD SETTLED DOWN ONTO THE TIRES. I HAD IT CHARGING CONTINUOUSLY, BUT APPARENTLY THE CHARGING OPERATION HAD FAULTED, AND THE CAR WAS DEAD. I CHARGED THE 12V COMPUTER BATTERY, THEN CHARGED THE 400 VOLT TRACTION BATTERY. I TURNED IT ON BUT COULD NOT MOVE FAR BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME INTERFERENCE BETWEEN TIRES AND INSIDE THE FENDERS, WHEN I WOULD HIT A BUMP. I WAITED FOR THE AIR SUSPENSION TO BE PUMPED UP, AND DROVE THE CAR TO HEAD FOR A TESLA SUPERCHARGER STATION. THE TRIP THERE FELT SQUIRRELY AND ASSUMED IT WAS MY STUDDED SNOW TIRES. AT THE SUPERCHARGER THE STEERING GOT VERY DIFFICULT, AND WHEN I LEFT I HAQD TO DRIVE CAREFULLY TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TO MY HOME. I RESEARCHED ONLINE, FOUND THE ELECTRIFIED GARAGE IN SEABROOK, NH AND SET UP A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. THEY DISCOVERED I NEEDED REPLACEMENT REAR AIR SHOCKS AND A NEW STEERING BOX. THEY EXPLAINED THAT BECAUSE THE SHOCKS WERE NOT MOVING FOR 2 YEARS, THEY DEVELOPED A CORROSION BETWEEN DISSIMILAR METALS (STEEL AND ALUMINUM) ON THE SHOCKS. THAT RESULTED IN CORROSION ON THE STEEL, AND CORROSION ON THE ALUMINUM, ALLOWING LARGE O-RINGS TO EXPAND AND LEAK AIR. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THEY ONLY SEE THAT WITH TESLAS THAT SIT UNUSED FOR A TIME. I EMAILED TESLA NOTIFYING THEM, BUT THEY NEVER RESPONDED, PERHAPS BECAUSE BY THEN I WAS 14 MONTHS BEYOND MY WARRANTY. I WILL PUT IN A
STEERING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WAS SOMEWHAT UNFAMILIAR TO ME, IT STAYED IN ONE LANE BUT WOULD WANDER MORE THAN I RECALLED. I ASSUMED IT WAS THE STUDDED SNOWTIRES (HAKKEPELLITA) AND PULLED OVER TO CHECK TIRE PRESSURES. I CAREFULLY DROVE ON TO THE SUPERCHARGER, NOTICED AS I BACAKED INTO THE SUPERCHARGER POSITION THE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT, AS IF THE POWER STEERING WAS COMPROMISED. DROVE HOME CAREFULLY, FOUND THE ELECTRIFIED GARAGE WHICH SPECIALIZED IN TESLA REPAIRS, IN SEABROOK, NH. THE TESLA WAS FLAT-BED TRANSPORTED TO THEM. THEY REPORTED THAT DURING THE MANY WEEKS THEY HAD IT, THAT THE STEERING BOX HAD TO BE REPLACED. I CONTACTED TESLA CUSTOMER SERVICE OF THE PROBLEM, AND THEY DID NOT RESPOND. AS A RESULT, I CANCELLED A NEW 2020 MODEL S DURING THE SUMMER OF 2020, AND BOUGHT A NEW LEXUS INSTEAD. I WAS TOO UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE ENGINEERING OF THE TESLA, AND THAT THE STEERING BOX SHOULD NOT FAIL IN 7,690 MILES SINCE NEW. I FOUND A SERVICE MESSAGE THAT DISCUSSED A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE 5 POWER STEERING MOUNTING BOLTS. THEY CAME TO MY HOME TO REPLACE THEM. I LOOKED UP THE 38 PAGE SERVICE BULLETIN AND FOUND SEVERAL WARNINGS IN IT ABOUT NOT TAKING MORE THAN ONE BOLT OUT AT A TIME. SINCE THEY HAD COME TO MY HOME TO REPLACE THE BOLTS, I THEORIZED PERHAPS THE TECHNICIAN DID NOT FOLLOW THE BULLETIN CONTENT EXACTLY. BULLETIN WARNED THAT IF YOU REMOVE MORE THAN 1 BOLT AT A TIME YOU MUST REPLACE THE STEERING BOX. SEE BULLETIN SB-18-32-002 R1 (AND REVISION 2 AND REV. 3) . MINE IS
EARLIER TODAY I SENT IN A COMPLAINT ABOUT STEERING RACK/POWER STEERING QASSEMBLY FAILURE. I MADE AN ERROR ON THE TESLA SERVICE BULLETIN #. IT SHOULD HAVE READ CORRECTLY:SB-18-32-002 R3 JANUARY 11, 2019 (NOT SB-18-21-003) MY ERROR WAS IN SUGGESTING THE TSB LAST 3 DIGITS CHANGED FROM 001, 002, AND 003. THEY ARE ACTUALLY ALL SB-18-32-002 R1 (AND R2, AND R3) SB-18-32-002 R3 JANUARY 11, 2019 THE FINAL TSB HAS VERTICAL LINES ON THE LEFT MARGIN TO IDENTIFY THE REVISED NOTE SENTENCE. ADDITIONALLY, I ERRED IN THE BULLETIN CHANGING FROM 18 PAGES TO 38 PAGES. ALL WERE IN FACT 18 PAGES. REVISIONS ON SB-18-32-002 R3 WERE NOTATED WITH A VERTICAL LINE IN THE LEFT MARGIN. PLEASE ADD THIS INFORMATION TO MY COMPLAINT. ALSO, I CAN FORWARD A COPY OF THE EMAIL SENT TO TESLA ON THIS ISSUE, THAT WAS NOT ANSWERED BY TESLA.
MCU FAILURE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT SCREEN INTERMITTENTLY GOES DARK, APP NO LONGER COMMUNICATES, CONTROLS GLITCHY
I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND THE SCREEN WAS BLACK. ALL THE CONTROLS WERE STUCK...FAN/AC...BACK UP CAMERA DID NOT WORK. MY TURNING SIGNALS DID NOT WORK. TESLA SERVICE CENTER WAS CLOSED SO ALL THE AC DID NOT TURN OFF AND DRAINED THE BATTERY ALL THE WAY TO 0 RANGE. TOOK A LOT OF TROUBLE TO GET TO THE SERVICE CENTER THE NEXT DAY. THEY CONCLUDED THE MCU WAS DEAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED CLAIMING THAT IT WAS WEAR AND TEAR. WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE MCU CRASHED AND COMPRISED SAFETY OF THE CAR WITH THE TURNING SIGNALS, SUSPENSION AND REAR BACK UP CAMERA NOT WORKING AMONGST OTHERS SINCE THE MCU CONTROLS EVERYTHING. WE BELIEVED TESLA KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND PUT IT ON OWNERS TO REPLACE AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE IF OUT OF WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN AROUND WHEN THE WARRANTY ENDS. WE HAVE 2 TESLAS AND BOTH THE MCUS DIED A LITTLE OVER 50K. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY RECALL AND THE MCUS REPLACED AT NO COST. TERRIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICE AND SERVICE FOR SUCH EXPENSIVE CARS. WE ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TESLA.
AFTER THE 12V BATTERY ON OUR CAR DIED, IT WAS REPLACED BY TESLA SERVICE. AFTER THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, THE CENTER SCREEN (MCU) WOULD NOT COME ON. THIS SCREEN CONTROLS ALMOST EVERYTHING IN THE CAR, INCLUDING BACKUP CAMERA, PARK DISTANCE CONTROLS, AUTO-PILOT, DOOR LOCKS, SUSPENSION, ADJUSTING BRAKING AND COLLISION WARNINGS, OPENING AND CLOSING SUNROOF, CHARGING (IT'S AN ELECTRIC CAR - NONFUNCTIONAL IF WE CAN'T ADJUST CHARGING), CLIMATE CONTROL, REMOTE COMMUNICATION, SOFTWARE UPDATES, ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM, ETC. WE CONTACTED TESLA, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US THESE SCREENS REGULARLY FAIL AT AROUND 4 YEARS (OUR VEHICLE IS 4-1/2 YEARS OLD). IN ADDITION, FAILURE IS APPARENTLY ACCELERATED BY THE FAILURE OF THE 12V BATTERY. AFTER WAITING MANY WEEKS FOR A "REPLACEMENT PART," WE WERE CONTACTED AND TOLD THEY HAD ACCIDENTALLY ORDERED A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT, WHICH WOULD COST $2,700 (WE HAD BEEN QUOTED $1,300). THE CAR HAS BEEN UNDRIVEABLE FOR MONTHS. IN ADDITION, IF THIS IS A PART THAT REGULARLY FAILS, IT SEEMS LIKE TESLA SHOULD COVER THE REPLACEMENT. WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY $2,700 TO REPLACE A PART THAT IS APPARENTLY KNOWN TO PREDICTABLY FAIL. PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
THE MCU (VERSION 1) OF MY CAR STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE PARKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE (EMMC FAILURE). THE CAR WAS STILL OPERATIONAL HOWEVER THE FOLLOWING SAFETY ISSUES RESULTED FROM THE MCU MALFUNCTION: - TURN SIGNALS AND AUDIBLE CHIME BOTH BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - REVERSE CAMERA BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - LANE DEPARTURE WARNING MAY HAE BECOME NONOPERATIONAL - CLIMATE CONTROL STUCK AT ONE LEVEL - INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTING SETTING BECAME UNABLE TO BE CHANGED ADDITIONAL ISSUES RESULTING FROM THE MCU1 FAILURE: - ALL SYSTEMS AND SETTINGS ACCESSED THROUGH THE CENTER CONSOLE SCREEN BEAME UNACCESSIBLE - NAVIGATION SYSTEM BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - AUDIO CONTROLS BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - AUTO-PILOT (LANE ASSIST) BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC) CHARGING SPEED REDUCED TO 2KW - REMOTE ACCESS VIA SMARTPHONE BEAME NONOPERATIONAL *BF
TURN SIGNALS ALL FAILED, REAR CAMERA FAILED, TOUCHSCREEN INTERFACE FAILED
THE MCU THAT OPERATES THE CAR FAILED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PLUGGED UP AND CHARGING. THE CONTACT DISCONNECTED THE CHARGER IN FEAR THAT THE BATTERY OR THE ENGINE MAY EXPLODE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO BE FULLY CHARGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,874.
THE EMMC CHIP IN THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT FAILED RESULTING IN THE LARGE TOUCH SCREEN NO LONGER WORKING. I LOST CONTROL OF THE TURN SIGNALS, CLIMATE CONTROL, REAR VIEW CAMERA, CHARGING, NAVIGATION, AND AUDIO. IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN YOUR PE 20-010 INVESTIGATION DOCUMENT.
THE MAIN COMPUTER SCREEN (MCU), ON MY 2015 TESLA MODEL S WENT COMPLETELY BLACK WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY. I AM NOT ABLE TO READ OR CHANGE ANY CONTROLS ON THE CAR OR COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMPUTER PROGRAM.
WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I NOTICED THAT THE CENTER SCREEN (MCU) WAS NOT TURNING ON. AFTER TRYING SEVERAL SYSTEM RESETS, I GAVE UP AND USED OUR OTHER VEHICLE FOR THE TRIP. AFTER SCHEDULING A SERVICE APPOINTMENT, I WAS CONTACTED BY A TESLA SUPPORT TO FURTHER DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT. THE MEMORY CHIP (EMMC) IN MY VEHICLE'S MEDIA CONTROL UNIT (MCU) HAS FAILED, WHICH PREVENTS THE MCU FROM FUNCTIONING. THE MCU CONTROLS MANY ASPECTS OF THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING LIGHTING, SUSPENSION ADJUSTMENT, CLIMATE CONTROL, NAVIGATION, ACCESSORIES, ENTERTAINMENT, VEHICLE STATUS, ETC. WITHOUT THE MCU, THE VEHICLE IS STILL DRIVABLE, BUT IN A SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED STATE. THE BACKUP CAMERA IS NOT AVAILABLE, THE CLIMATE SYSTEM IS OFF AND CAN NOT BE TURNED ON. VARIOUS AUDIBLE WARNINGS CAN OCCUR SPURIOUSLY, LIKE THE CHIME FOR AN OPEN DOOR OR HATCH, AND OBSTACLE PROXIMITY. TESLA IS AWARE OF THE EMMC FAILURE IN THEIR EARLIER VEHICLES (THOSE EQUIPPED WITH MCU VERSION 1, LIKE MINE), AND OFFERS A TO REPACE THE MCU WITH A REFURBISHED UNIT FOR $1100, OR AN UPGRADE TO MCU2 (WHICH INCLUDES THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COMPUTER/SCREEN AS WELL) FOR $2500. THIS SERIOUS ISSUE IS DUE TO A DESIGN DEFICIENCY OF THE VERSION 1 MCU. TESLA SHOULD ORDER A RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES AND DO THE REPAIR AT NO COST TO THE OWNER.
WHEN TURNING ON MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED BUBBLES HAD FORMED AT THE TOP RIGHT EDGE OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SCREEN. AFTER A BIT OF ONLINE RESEARCH, IT TURNED OUT THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS IN TESLA MODEL S'S AND X'S. IF I HAD LET THE PROBLEM PROGRESS, THE LIQUID IN THE SCREEN WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY FLOWED OVER OTHER COMPONENTS BEHIND THE DASH AND STARTED DRIPPING OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE DASH ONTO THE DRIVER'S LEGS OR CARPET. TESLA CHARGES ABOUT $1400 TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SCREEN WITH AN IDENTICAL UNIT THAT MAY DEVELOP THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER ABOUT 4 YEARS SERVICE. I OPTED TO REPLACE THE SCREEN MYSELF FOR ABOUT $300 FOR A NEW OEM SCREEN SOLD BY AN ONLINE ENTREPRENEUR, AND A FEW OF HOURS OF WORK TO DISASSEMBLE THE DASH, REMOVE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COMPUTER, REPLACE THE SCREEN, AND REASSEMBLE THE DASH. TESLA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. TESLA SPEC'ED A SCREEN THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HOLD UP TO THE CLIMATE RIGORS OF A CAR INTERIOR. THIS MAY NOT WARRANT A FULL RECALL, BUT TESLA SHOULD OFFER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS COMPONENT, AND PERFORM THE REPAIR AT NO COST THE THE OWNER
THE CENTER SCREEN/MCU SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING (WENT BLACK). TRYING REBOOT/STANDARD TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS HAS NOT YIELD ANY SUCCESS. AFTER A FEW DAYS, MANY OTHER FEATURES, INCLUDING BLINKERS (EXCLUDING EMERGENCY/FLASHERS LIGHTS, WHICH ACTIVATE BUT LACKING SOUND) STOPPED WORKING. MADE AN APPOINTMENT THROUGH TESLA APP, WITH DESCRIPTION OF THE ISSUE, ON 6/24 FOR 6/30 (EARLIEST AVAILABLE DATE); ON 6/26, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT THE APPOINTMENT HAD BEEN MOVED TO A SERVICE CENTER FOR 7/7. ON THE SAME DAY (6/26/2020) AND ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER INITIAL RMAIL, I RECEIVED ANOTHER EMAIL THAT MY APPOINTMENT HAD BEEN CANCELED "PER YOUR REQUEST", BUT I HAD NOT REQUESTED A CANCELLATION. I VISITED TESLA'S SERVICE CENTER IN SAN DIEGO - MIRAMAR BETWEEN 7/7-7/10 TO INQUIRE ABOUT SERVICE CANCELLATION AND REQUEST A SERVICE FOR MY CAR, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD CANCELLED MY APPOINTMENT DUE TO PARTS UNAVAILABILITY AND I WOULD BE CONTACTED LATER ONCE PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT; HOWEVER, THE SERVICE CENTER REFUSED TO LOOK AT/EVALUATE MY CAR WHATSOEVER "DUE TO COVID" AND TOLD ME THAT BASED ON OTHER SITUATIONS, THEY'RE VERY SURE THE MCU NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED (~$1500 OUT OF POCKET COST) BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT YET; I EXPLAINED MY BLINKERS AND MANY OTHER SAFETY FEATURES (REARVIEW CAMERA, CLIMATE CONTROL, "AUTO-PILOT", ETC.) ALSO NOT WORKING AND THEY MENTIONED THOSE SHOULD TYPICALLY CONTINUE TO WORK AFTER A MCU MALFUNCTION BUT THEY WILL NOT TAKE A LOOK AT T
TOUCH SCREEN BLANK, MCU FAILED. NO REAR BACKUP CAMERA, TURN SIGNALS, AIR CONDITIONING. SLOW TO START, CREEP MODE FAILED AMONG OTHER PROBLEMS.
THE TOUCHSCREEN FOR MY 2016 TESLA MODEL S HAS BECOME DEAD AND IS COMPLETELY BLANK. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT IT'S A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 'OLDER' TESLA MODEL S AND IT COSTS UPWARDS OF $2000 TO REPLACE THE MCU. I ALSO READ ONLINE THAT NHTSA HAS APPARENTLY STARTED AN INVESTIGATION ALREADY. PLEASE COUNT ME IN FOR ANY SUPPORT DOCUMENTS ETC NEEDED. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR SUCH A EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR AN ELECTRONIC PART SUDDENLY DYING ON ME IN LESS THAN 5 YEARS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP!!!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE MCU SCREEN MALFUNCTIONED AND WENT INTO A DEFAULT MODE. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO USE MULTIPLE SAFETY AND ELECTRICAL FEATURES USED TO SAFELY OPERATE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.
MY MEDIA CONTROL UNIT FAILED IN THE VEHICLE MAKING IT UNSAFE TO OPERATE AS THE TURN SIGNALS, DEFROST, HEADLIGHT CONTROLS, AMONG MANY OTHER FEATURES OF THE VEHICLE WERE NO LONGER ACCESSIBLE OR FUNCTIONING.
THE MCU FAILED WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING, WHICH BASICALLY LOCKED THE CLIMATE CONTROL, ACCESS TO SUSPENSION, SPEED CONTROL, AUTOPILOT, NAVIGATION, RADIO, TURN SIGNALS, AND BACK UP CAMERA.
MCU FAILED ON MY CAR. BLINKER SOUND WOULDN'T WORK AND THUS DIDN'T KNOW IF SIGNALS WERE WORKING OR NOT. AC/DEFROST WASN'T WORKING EITHER. DURING THE WINTER THIS WOULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM BECAUSE OF FOGGING. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. I PULLED OVER AND A RESTART OF THE MCU BROUGHT IT BACK TO LIFE BUT AM CONCERNED THAT THE DOCUMENTED WEAR-OUT OF THE EMMC NAND FLASH IS CAUSING MY MCU TO FAIL PREMATURELY.
MCU MEMORY ISSUE.
A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, TOUCHSCREEN/MEDIA CONTROL UNIT BECOME BLACK AND MY 2015 TESLA MODEL S LOST REAR VIEW CAMERA FUNCTIONTIONALITY ALONG WITH OTHER THINGS.*DT TESLA SUGGESTED ME TO DO SOFT/HARD REBOOT THE SYSTEM BUT IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. THEN, I WAS SUGGESTED BY TESLA TO VISIT THE SERVICE CENTER AND REPLACE THE MCU OR UPGRADE TO MCU2 AT MY OWN COST. LOSING REAR VIEW CAMERA FUNCTIONALITY IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND IT LOOKS LIKE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. THERE IS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION (HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/INV/2020/INOA-PE20010-4553.PDF) AND IT LOOKS LIKE EMMC MEMORY WEAR-OUT IS SUSPECTED AS A CAUSE.
AFTER WE RETURNED FROM OUR SUMMER HOME, I TRIED TO DRIVE THE TESLA. THE MAIN SCREEN DID NOT LIGHT UP BUT I FIGURED THAT A NORMAL RESET WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. AS I DROVE, I ATTEMPTED A RESET BUT THE SCREEN REMAINED BLACK. I ALSO LEARNED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD NOT WORK INCLUDING THE CRUISE CONTROL, WINDSHEILD WIPERS AND HEADLIGHT HIGH BEAMS. WORRIED ABOUT OTHER PROBLEMS, I RETURNED HOME AND HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE. OVER THE SUMMER THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL UPDATES TO THE CARS FIRMWARE AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE IMPROVEMENTS. PRIOR TO THAT. WE WERE DRIVING WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY, ALL WITH THE TESLA APP ON THEIR PHONES. THE CAR WENT INTO "LIMP HOME" MODE ON I-95 AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE SEAT HEATERS WOULD TURN ON AND OFF, THE DOORS WOULD UNLOCK AND THE ENTIRE CAR SEEMED TO HAVE A MIND OF IT'S OWN. I ASKED EVERYONE TO TURN OFF THEIR PHONES AND THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARED. TESLA SERVICE SAID THEY'D NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING.
THE SCREEN DOES NOT TURN ON. MCU HAS FAILED. WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE REAR VIEW CAMERA, DEFROST FUNCTION(ESP WHEN RAINING, THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN WITH NOT HAVING VISIBILITY), CAN NOT TURN OFF AC(RUNS WHILE CAR IS OFF), REAR BACK UP CAMERA DOES NOT WORK. CAN NOT USE THE TESLA PHONE APP TO USE THE FUNCTIONS, CAN NOT SET CHARGING. RANGE. THE NHTSA HAS OPENED A INVESTIGATION IN JUNE 2020 AND IS ON GOING.
COMPUTER WILL HAVE DELAYED STARTING OR TURN OFF ON ITS OWN.
HERE IS A TESLA MODEL S IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/35042733?ROWNUMBER=1 IT IS TOTALLY BURNED OUT. IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE FIRE STARTED WHEN THE CAR WAS STORED IN THE JUNKYARD.SINCE THERE IS BURNED AND MELTED DEBRIS SURROUNDING THE CAR. ITHE FRONT LH WHEEL AND SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY IS NO LONGER IN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE. INSTEAD OF BEING BOLTED TO THE CAR THE BROKEN STEERING KNUCKLE IS STASHED IN THE FRONT SEAT. THIS IS MOST LIKELY BECAUSE THE TOW-TRUCK DRIVER PICKED IT UP OFF THE GROUND AT THE SCENE OF THE CRASH AND THREW IT INSIDE THE CAR. I AM WONDERING HOW MUCH LONGER YOU WILL ALLOW THESE DEADLY DEFECTIVE CARS TO ROAM THE HIGHWAYS. NHTSA DATABASE HAS HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. MANY OWNERS ARE NOW COMING FORWARD AND LODGING COMPLAINTS BUT THERE WOULD BE MANY MORE OWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN PERSUADED NOT TO FILE COMPLAINTS. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE: HTTPS://JALOPNIK.COM/ONE-WEEK-OLD-TESLA-MODEL-X-HAS-CATASTROPHIC-SUSPENSION-1844564706 SNIP** ONE WEEK-OLD TESLA MODEL X HAS CATASTROPHIC SUSPENSION FAILURE AND THE RESULTING TWITTER FEED IS AS BAD AS YOU'D THINK** TESLA ZEALOTS PILE IN TO ABUSE THE OWNER AND DISCOURAGE HIM FROM REPORTING. IT APPEARS THAT HE HAS FOLLOWED THAT ADVICE. DO PLEASE TAKE ACTION OTHERWISE I WILL GET VERY CROSS. THANK YOU. KEEF [XXX] THE UNHINGED. REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
MAIN COMPUTER IN DASHBOARD IS FAILING. WHEN IT IS NON-OPERATIVE THE TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK (HAZARDS DO FUNCTION), CLIMATE CANNOT BE CONTROLLED, HEADLIGHTS CANNOT BE TURNED ON, REAR-VIEW CAMERA IS NOT VISIBLE. NO SPECIFIC FAILURE TIME WAS RECORDED AS THIS IS A PROGRESSIVE FAILURE OF THE COMPUTER. IT WILL OCCASIONALLY FUNCTION AS DESIRED AND OTHER TIMES REMAIN OFF WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE.
MCU FAILURE LIKE NUMEROUS OTHER PRE 2018 TESLA'S. ABLE TO OPEN DOORS, BUT MAIN SCREEN DOES NOT COME IN EVEN AFTER RESET. NO VEHICLE OPTIONS AVAILABLE, INCLUDING SWITCHING FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR REVERSE. FORTUNATELY, VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE WHEN FOUND TO BE NON OPERABLE. SET UP APPOINTMENT THROUGH THE TESLA APP AND TESLA ORDERED A NEW MCU IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT ANY CONTACT WITH ME.
SCREEN WENT BLACK. NO NAVIGATION. NO RADIO. NO BLUETOOTH. MCU1 IS OUT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TOUCHSCREEN WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TESLA SERVICE CENTER (1580 CHURCH ST, DECATUR, GA 30033) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,270.
TOUCHSCREEN COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE WHICH IMPACT ABILITY TO CONTROL TURN SIGNALS AND AIR CONDITIONING.
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, IN MY HOME GARAGE, THE MEDIA CENTER UNIT(MCU) SCREEN FLICKERED AND WENT BLACK. THE SCREEN HAS NOT TURNED BACK ON, WHICH IS PREVENTING FROM USING MY BACK UP CAMERA.
ON JULY 23, 2020, AT AROUND 1:00 PM, I WAS HIGHWAY DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON EAST BOUND I-70 NEAR BLUE SPRINGS, MO. WHEN MY TOUCHSCREEN FAILED AND WENT BLANK. I LOST ACCESS TO ALL MY TOUCH SCREEN FEATURES AND IT RENDERED MY TESLA APP ON MY MOBILE PHONE IN OPERABLE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE TESLA SERVICE CENTER IN KANSAS CITY, MO. ON SAME DAY. ON JULY 23, 2020, AROUND 2;05 PM, I WAS ADVISED BY TESLA THAT MY TOUCHSCREEN FAILED AND WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. MY TESLA WAS NOT DRIVABLE AS IT COULD NOT BE CHARGED AND THE AIR CONDITIONER COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF. I LEFT MY CAR WITH THE TESLA SERVICE CENTER MENTIONED ABOVE AND I AUTHORIZED REPLACEMENT OF THE TESLA TOUCH SCREEN. I WAS INFORMED BY TESLA THAT MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE COST OF THE TOUCH SCREEN REPLACEMENT WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE. I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR. THE MILEAGE ON MY CAR IS ABOUT 25,000 MILES. TESLA PRESENTLY HAS MY CAR IN THEIR SERVICE SHOP AS IT IS NOT SAFELY DRIVABLE. THE REPLACEMENT SCREEN HAS BEEN ORDERED AND SHOULD BE INSTALLED AND MY TESLA READY FOR PICK-UP ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 4, 2020.
WENT TO THE CAR ONE MORNING, WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS BUT FOUND THE PRIMARY SCREEN WAS COMPLETELY BLANK AND NON FUNCTIONAL. UNABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK. FORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE GARAGE AND NOT MOVING. SCHEDULED A REPAIR VISIT WITH TESLA WHO IMMEDIATELY ORDERED A MCU WHICH IS NOW KNOWN TO FAIL AFTER TIME IN ALL TESLA MODEL S'S AND X'S MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO A CERTAIN DATE. I NOW NEED TO ARRANGE FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED TO TESLA FOR THEM TO REPAIR A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM.
THE MAIN CONTROL SCREEN ON THE CAR HAS FAILED AND WILL NOT REBOOT. I BELIEVE IT IS AN MCU FAILURE. THE CAR IS 6 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND HAS LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON IT
APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS AGO THE COMPUTER WOULDN'T RESPOND AND WOULDN'T REBOOT WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I CAN'T CONTROL THINGS CONTROLLED BY THE SCREEN (BACK UP CAMERA,ETC). I'VE HAD TWO REPAIR APPOINTMENTS BUT NO PART AVAILABLE SO NO REPAIR. I HAVEN'T BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR 6 WEEKS NOW. THEY KEEP REPORTING "PART PENDING".
2015 MODEL S WITH 48,000 MILES - TOUCHSCREEN STOPPED WORKED, NO ABILITY TO CONTROL CAR OR HAVE ACCESS TO REAR CAMERA. SCREEN IS TOTALLY BLACK, WITH NO OPTION TO RESET. I WANTED TO DOCUMENT AS THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE THE NHTSA IS CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING.
THE MCU HAS A BLACK SCREEN A MONTH AGO. WHICH CAUSE ALMOST ALL CAR FUNCTIONS USELESS. SOME SAFETY FUNCTIONS SUCH AS TURN SIGNALS, AND BACKUP-CAMERA ARE NOT WORKING. CAR IS DRIVABLE BUT IT IS NOT SAFE WITHOUT STATED FUNCTIONS. CHARGING TAKES A VERY LONG TIME.
TESLA TOUCHSCREEN WENT BLACK WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND I HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITHOUT POSSIBILITY TO CONTROL MOST OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE CAR SUCH AS LIGHTS, REAR VIEW CAMERA, ETC. THIS IS KNOWN AS THE TESLA MCU FAILURE. TESLA DOES NOT WANT TO OWN THIS ISSUE AND IS ASKING CUSTOMERS TO PAY 1,500$ TO REPLACE WITH A REFURBISHED MCU WHICH WILL PRESENT THE SAME ISSUE 2-3 YEARS FROM INSTALLATION.
WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY CAR'S (2015 TESLA MODEL S) EMMC (MULTIMEDIACENTER) FAILED. THE CHIP DIED AND I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE TOUCHSCREEN INCLUDING THE CLIMATE CONTROL. THE CAR STILL WORKED BUT I COULD NOT DEFROST MY WINDOW AND IT WAS HARD TO SEE OUTSIDE. LUCKILY, THERE WERE NO CARS AROUND ME AND I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME. IF THIS FAILED ON A COLDER DAY, THE DEFROST FEATURE COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. TESLA NOW WANTS ~$1500 TO REPLACE THE ISSUE WHICH USA SAFETY HAZARD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO THE MOBILE REPAIR UNIT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE CONTACT REFERENCED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE20010 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BACK OVER PREVENTION). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,582.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MCU (MEDIA CONTROL UNIT) FAILED TO FUNCTION AS DESIGNED OR DISPLAY AN IMAGE ONSCREEN. THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO USE THE BACK-UP CAMERA, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT VIEWABLE AND OTHER FEATURES WERE NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TESLA OF HIGHLAND PARK LOCATED AT 1200 OLD SKOKIE VALLEY RD, HIGHLAND PARK, IL 60035, WHO INDICATED THAT THE MCU NEEDED TO BE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDNETLY. THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT (MCU) BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TESLA LOCATED AT 8500 TYCO RD, VIENNA, VA 2218, (703) 761-4679, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MCU FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE MCU REPLACEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65,132.
SCREEN THAT CONTROLS THE ENTIRE CAR (LARGE SCREEN) STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FROM NEW & THE CAR IS WELL TAKEN CARE OF: ALWAYS GARAGED. THIS HAPPENED 07.13.2020 WHEN I WAS GOING TO THE SUPERMARKET. I HAVE NO. TURN SIGNALS, DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS, BACKUP CAMERA, RADIO, ANY MILES ON ODOMETER READING, SAFETY FEATURES OR AUTOPILOT, BRIGHT LIGHTS, OR ANY HEAT OR A/C. THIS ISSUE (WHAT TESLA CALLS MCU GOING OUT IS A KNOWN ISSUE IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THE MCU IS OVER WORKING & TESLA NOW INSTALLS A NEW TYPE OF MCU DUE TO THE FLAW.
MAIN TOUCH SCREEN WONT TURN ON... MCU, OR NOW BOTH SCREENS ARE TURNING OFF AND ON AND OFF AND ON, BLINKERS WONT WORK , SPEEDO WONT WORK, RADIO, VENTILATION, BASICALLY EVERYTHING WONT WORK WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING, ( BUT YOU CAN STILL DRIVE. I HAVE A VIDEO BUT NOT THE CORRECT FILE TYPE
MCU CENTRAL COMPUTER FAILED, SO TURN SIGNALS AND BACKUP CAMERA ARE UNAVAILABLE, AS WELL AS CLIMATE CONTROL, AUDIO, NAVIGATION, VEHICLE STATUS
MIDDLE SCREEN WENT OUT PUTTING THE CAR IN 'LIMP MODE' HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND WE DIDN'T HAVE HEADLIGHTS OR TURN SIGNALS! HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT TWO HOURS FROM HOME WHEN WE TRIED PUTTING A ROUTE IN THE TOUCH SCREEN AFTER SETTING THE AUTOMATIC UPDATE FOR 2 AM THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE CAR HAS 101K MILES THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 100K MILES. WE NOTIFIED TESLA OF THE PROBLEMS WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH OUR SCREEN FREEZING AND REAR VIEW CAMERA RANDOMLY NOT WORKING WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE TECHS SAID 'EVERYTHING IS FINE AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN A FLUKE' NOW THAT THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY THE NOW SUDDENLY KNOW THE PROBLEM AND A SOLUTION! THIS DEFECT IS SCARY AND LEFT US STRANDED AND UNABLE TO NAVIGATE TO A SAFE AREA OFF THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS!!! WHY WOULD THEY JEOPARDIZE SAFETY OVER MONEY!
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 2015 Tesla Model S → · Every Model S year → · How the figures are calculated →