2015 TESLA MODEL S Exterior Lighting Problems
44 complaints about Exterior Lighting
High Severity Issue
This component has been associated with crashes, fires, or deaths.
This Problem Across All Years
All Exterior Lighting Complaints (44)
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the center display screen became inoperable. The contact stated that the defroster, exterior lights, back-up camera and radio were inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the center display screen needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Mileage: 79,000
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with the autonomous self-driving feature activated, the contact attempted to use the turn signal while changing lanes and almost struck another vehicle. The contact was able to control the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic made the contact aware that the failure was a known issue however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 35,000.
Mileage: 35,000
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the backup camera functioned intermittently and on other occasions, the image would remain frozen on the screen. The contact also stated that the MCU Unit failed and went blank on several occasions. While driving on some occasions, the MCU Unit would reboot. In addition, the defroster and turn signal chimes failed to function. The failure had gotten progressively worse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the failure persisted. The service center offered the contact a special offer of $2,000 for an Entertainment System Upgrade (NVIDIA Tegra 3 to Intel Atom Processor). The contact declined and Tesla acknowledged that there was a known issue with NVIDIA Tegra 3 Processor in the MCU and that an upgrade to the NVIDIA Tegra 3 would resolve the known failure. The contact was concerned that the backup camera failure might result in a crash with another vehicle or pedestrian. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on three separate occasions and on each occasion, the vehicle remained in their possession for approximately 2 weeks. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Mileage: 80,000
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The vehicle had previously been serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lightning) however, the failure occurred after the recall was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an 60 mph, the center display screen went black and then rebooted, causing the defroster, the rearview camera display, and the navigational system to become inoperable. The auto pilot function and other unknown warning messages were displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000. When he reported the failure to Tesla, they believe a firmware update in the near future should fix this problem.
Mileage: 56,000
System Failure: Adaptive speed control Safety Risk: My 2015 Tesla Model S, at highway speeds, smashed into the rear of a jacked up Ford F250 Pickup. A Head on collision at highway speeds put my wife (and dog) and I at great risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I am unsure if or how Tesla is dealing with the problem of adaptable speed control failure. Has the vehicle been inspected? Yes. Dan's Paint & Autobody and USAA Insurance Company adjuster My accident happened in the southbound passing lane at mile marker 178 on I-10, south of chandler on the Gila River Community in Maricopa/Pinal County It was dark outside with heavy traffic in both southbound lanes. My software version was 2021.40.6 I had the distance between cars at the closest setting , and had the adaptive speed control set at ~75. I was attentive with both hands on the wheel, eyes forward watching traffic with my wife whom was also watching the traffic. Without warning a Ford F250 stopped hard in front of me and my adaptive speed control did not react. The few beats I gave the adaptive speed control to respond first cost me precious braking time. I did hit my abs brakes and could feel the vibration as they attempted to slow down, but it was too late. I submarined under the bumper of the truck at a very high speed. There was no warning lamps, messages at the time of the accident. There was one early symptom that I recall. There was a Tesla software update a few days before the collision. On 11/27/22 before leaving for my trip, the dash screen to the far left did not display the map which it usually does when you set the GPS to map the path. I rebooted with the steering wheel toggles, and the display returned to normal. There were no other software malfunctions that I recall prior to the adaptive speed control failure.
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The Contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was exhibiting failure. The failure mileage was not available. The manufacturer was not contacted. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the main center display failed not allowing the contact to use the rearview camera, the turn signals, and all the electrical functions. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the eMMC flash memory device needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that a couple of days later he received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior lighting). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 49,274.
Mileage: 49,274
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had to experience the failure for the recall repair to be completed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V035000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, VISIBILITY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
WHILE DRIVING MAIN SCREEN TURNS OFF - REBOOTS ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES OFF- WHILE OFF- TURN SIGNALS ARE NOT AUDIBLE INSIDE CAR ALL OTHER SAFETY PARAMETERS ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE: COLLISION AVOIDANCE, BRAKE ASSISTANCE, THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES - I MUST TAKE A PICTURE WHILE OCCURRING WHICH HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING. TESLA HAS FULL ACCESS TO LOGS. DIAGNOSTICS BY TESLA REPRESENTATIVE TELLS ME THAT MY MEMORY CHIP IS WITHIN PARAMETERS AND THUS NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE REPLACED. ALTHOUGH I MUST CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE REBOOTS THAT SHUTDOWN MOST OF ITS FEATURES WHILE IT OCCURS. NOT TO MENTION MY DAILY OCCURRENCES: - CHARGING SYSTEM ADJUSTMENT PANEL DOES NOT DRAW ON SCREEN PROPERLY; WHICH CAUSES INCORRECT SELECTION OF AMOUNT OF CHARGE NEEDED. CENTER ARROW WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO SHOW DOESN'T UNTIL AFTER SELECTED.
Mileage: 87,500
CAR RANDOMLY FREEZES. MANY NAVIGATION FUNCTIONS SUCH AS TURN SIGNALS WILL STOP WORKING. NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION. REPLACED MCU PER TESLA'S ADVICE. ISSUES CONTINUE. THE LAST WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM TESLA IS "KNOWN CHARACTERISTIC OF CURRENT FIRMWARE." UNWILLING TO ADDRESS OR FIX ISSUES AT ANY COST.
Mileage: 65,000
MY GUESS IS THE MCU OR THE COMPUTER CHIP OF THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. I READ THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION ON TESLA FOR THIS ISSUE WITH MODEL S. EVERY LAST FEW SOFTWARE UPDATES THE CAR HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE AND NOW THE ELECTRICAL STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. I CAN USE MY BLINKERS EVEN! THE CAR DRIVES AND CHARGES, BUT THAT IS ABOUT IT. 40K MILES TOTAL AND BUILD 2015.
I BELIEVE A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE EMBEDDED MULTIMEDIACARD. NO TOUCH SCREEN USE, NO CAMERA, NO AUDIBLE SOUNDS FOR TURN SIGNAL OR WARNINGS, NO CONTROL OVER LIGHTS OR DOOR LOCKS. EARLIER IN THE YEAR, I NOTICED NON RESPONSIVE REQUEST TO START UP THE CAR, UNDRIVABLE FOR 45 SECONDS, NOW IT IS UP TO A FEW MINUTES UPON ENTERING THE CAR, WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE. ESPECIALLY WHEN COMBINED WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCK THE DOORS WITH THE LCD. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SCREEN ISSUE THAT TESLA IS OFFERING REPAIRS NOW, BUT I HAVE TRIED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, AND THE EARLIEST ONE IS TWO WEEKS OUT, WHICH I HAVE MADE.
Mileage: 64,145
THE MCU IN THIS CAR WENT BLACK SEVERAL OCCASION WHILE DRIVING. I LOST ALL CONTROLS OF LIGHTINGS AND WIPER. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS....THE CAR SHUT DOWN AND I HAVE TO COAST TO THE AIDE OF THE HIGJWAY
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM HAS STOPPED WORKING, ALONG WITH IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES LIKE LIGHTING, BLINKERS, CRUISE CONTROL, CLIMATE.
Mileage: 81,000
HEAD AND TAIL LIGHTS TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND WOULD NOT TURN BACK ON. NEITHER HIGH NOR LOW BEAMS WOULD ENGAGE! A DRIVER BEHIND ME SAW WHAT HAPPENED AND TURNED ON HIS HIGH BEAMS TO GUIDE ME APPROX 1 MILE TO A SAFE STOPPING PLACE. ONCE STOPPED, I EXPERIMENTED: HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON. NO OTHER LIGHTS TURNED ON. I REBOOTED BOTH THE "MCU" (CENTRAL 15" SCREEN) AND "IC" (INSTRUMENT CLUSTER) PER EARLIER INSTRUCTIONS FROM TESLA IN CASE OF AUTOMATION FAILURE IN THE CAR. THE MCU TOOK AN EXTREMELY LONG TIME TO RESTART AND DISPLAYED SCREEN CORRUPTION, PROBLEMS WHICH IN THE PAST HAD LED TESLA TO REPLACE THAT COMPONENT OF THIS VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN THE MCU DID START UP, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAYED "DRIVER ASSISTANCE FEATURES DISABLED". I ATTEMPTED TO USE TESLA'S VOICE-ACTIVATED "REPORT" FUNCTION TO GET HELP FROM TESLA, BUT THIS RESULTED IN A MESSAGE STATING THAT "THE MICROPHONE IS BEING CALIBRATED". THIS ENTIRE TIME, THE HEAD AND TAIL LIGHTS REMAINED OFF AND WOULD NOT TURN ON. FINALLY I USED THE MCU TO ACCESS THE LIGHTING SETTINGS OF THE CAR. I OBSERVED THAT THE "EXTERIOR LIGHTS" SETTING DISPLAYED "AUTO". HOWEVER, IT WAS 6:40PM AND ALMOST COMPLETELY DARK AND THE LIGHTS HAD BEEN ON PREVIOUS TO SUDDENLY TURNING OFF. ALSO, WITH THE "AUTO" SETTING, THE HIGH BEAMS SHOULD STILL ENGAGE WHEN PULLING THE LEFT STALK - BUT THIS DID NOT WORK. I NEXT USED THIS SAME SCREEN TO TURN ON THE FRONT FOG LIGHTS. THIS WORKED! I THEN TURNED OFF THE FOG LIGHTS, CHANGED THE "EXTERIOR LIGHTS" SETTING TO OFF THEN BACK TO "AUTO" AND ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS (HEAD AND TAIL) FINALLY CAME BACK ON! IT IS MY OPINION, BASED ON OVER 20 YEARS IN EMBEDDED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, THAT THE MCU'S "EXTERIOR LIGHTS" SETTING HAD BECOME CORRUPTED AND FORCED ALL VEHICLE LIGHTS OFF WHILE I DROVE IN DARKNESS AT 45MPH. I COULD HAVE DIED. MAKE TESLA FIX THIS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES!
Mileage: 85,000
THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT ON THE CAR FAILED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION TO ALL CONTROLS OPERATED BY THE TOUCH SCREEN, INCLUDING THE BACK-UP CAMERA, THE CAR'S BLINKERS DO NOT WORK.
THE MAIN CENTER SCREEN COMPUTER BEGAN DEGRADING IN PERFORMANCE OVER TIME (CAUSING MORE DRIVER ATTENTION TO BE DIVERTED AWAY FROM DRIVING TO DEAL WITH FUNCTIONS IT CONTROLS, AS IT WAS LAGGY AND NOT VERY RESPONSIVE). THEN, ONE DAY, I GOT INTO THE CAR TO GO SOMEWHERE AND WASN'T ABLE TO BOOT THE MAIN COMPUTER/SCREEN AT ALL. IN ADDITION TO EVERYTHING IT CONTROLS NO LONGER BEING ACCESSIBLE OR WORKING (E.G. CLIMATE CONTROL, MANUAL HEADLIGHTS, DOME LIGHTS, ANTI-THEFT ALARM, POWER STEERING STRENGTH, SUSPENSION HEIGHT, ETC.), I ALSO FOUND THAT I NO LONGER HAD WORKING TURN SIGNALS AND HAD TO USE OUT-THE-WINDOW HAND SIGNALS WHEN I DROVE TO THE SERVICE CENTER FOR REPAIR.
Mileage: 54,000
THE TESLA'S LARGE SCREEN QUIT WORKING. THESE ARE CONTROLS THAT POWER OFF THE VEHICLE, TURN THE DEFROSTERS OFF AND ON ALONG WITH THE CLIMATE CONTROL. CONTROL STEERING MODES. CONTROL BACK UP CAMERA, CONTROL LIGHTS. FROM THE READING I HAVE DONE IT IS CALLED THE MCU. IT PARTIALLY WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING, IT CAME BACK ON AND THEN IT DIED WHILE I WAS WORKING AND I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AFTER WORK.
Mileage: 42,000
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 FAILURES. THE CHIPS INSIDE THESE CARS ARE KNOWN TO FAIL AFTER A CERTAIN NUMBERS OF CYCLES AND TESLA HAS YET TO ADDRESS THIS KNOWN ISSUES LEAVING THE CONSUMER TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THESE ISSUES AND HOLD TESLA ACCOUNTABLE.
Mileage: 54,000
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
Mileage: 113,000
TURN SIGNALS ALL FAILED, REAR CAMERA FAILED, TOUCHSCREEN INTERFACE FAILED
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.
Mileage: 19,995
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.
Mileage: 56,022
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.
Mileage: 48,000
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!
Mileage: 101,750
TESLA MODEL S MAIN SCREEN DIED. IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE ON EARLY MODEL S WITH MCDU VERSION 1. A CHIP ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD CAN ONLY HANDLE XXX AMOUNTS OF WRITES, OR WRITE OVERS, THEN GIVES UP. SCREEN GOES BLANK. MOST MODEL S CAR FUNCTIONS ARE CONTROLLED ON THE MAIN SCREEN. MY SCREEN FAILED WHILE DRIVING. UNABLE TO SET OR CONTROL CHARGING. UNABLE TO TURN OFF A/C. UNABLE TO HEAR TURN SIGNALS. UNABLE TO TURN ON OR CONTROL HEADLIGHTS. UNABLE TO CLOSE SUNROOF. UNABLE TO CHANGE SUSPENSION SETTINGS. UNABLE TO CHANGE STEERING SETTINGS. UNABLE TO CHANGE LIGHTING ON THE DASH. MOST FEATURES IN THE MODEL S ARE NOT AVAILABLE.
Mileage: 32,000
TESLA MEDIA CONTROL UNIT ("MCU") IS NO LONGER OPERABLE (SCREEN TURNS BLACK AND LOSES ALL FUNCTIONS). THE TESLA MCU IS BASICALLY THE CAR'S CENTRAL CONTROL SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ADJUST THE HEADLIGHTS, THE STEERING WHEEL RESISTANCE, THE VEHICLE CHARGING CONTROLS, THE VEHICLE SUSPENSIONS... ETC. THE SCREEN TURNED BLACK, MY TURN LIGHTS ARE DISABLED (AS SHOWN IN IMAGE, LIGHTS WILL NO LONGER BLINK), MY HEADLIGHTS ARE DISABLED, MY AIRBAG FUNCTIONS CAN NO LONGER BE SWITCHED TO OFF WHEN NEEDED, THE MOON ROOF CANNOT BE OPENED, THE AC SYSTEM ALONG WITH DEFROST/COOLING FUNCTIONS ARE ALL DISABLED AND INACCESSIBLE. THE VEHICLE DASHBOARD DISPLAYS "PLEASE WAIT WHILE VEHICLE SYSTEM POWERS UP" FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN 1 MINUTES TO 4.5 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE IS NOT OPERABLE DURING THE SYSTEM POWER UP WHEN I ENTER THE CAR. THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE MCU FAILURE AND HAVE PERSISTED AND WORSENED IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE COMPLETE FAILURE ON 7/16. I WOULD HAVE TO SIT IN VEHICLE FOR 1-4 MINUTES, UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT IS LOADING UP. THIS SHOWS THAT THE MCU IS EXTREMELY ESSENTIAL TO THE VEHICLE, AND NOT MERELY A MEDIA UNIT AS THEY HAVE TRIED TO CONVINCE WITH THE NAME. IT APPEARS THAT THE MCU FAILS AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS/USAGE DUE TO THE OLD CHIP THAT REWRITES OVER REPEATEDLY. THE MCU IS PRE-INSTALLED TO FAIL IN ALL VEHICLES PRODUCED PRIOR TO 2018 IN THE MODEL X AND S. BASICALLY THIS SYSTEM WILL FAIL IN EVERY CAR AT USES THE OLD MCU1, AND DOESN'T APPLY TO VEHICLES AFTER 2018 SINCE THE SWITCH TO MCU2. I REACHED OUT TO TESLA SERVICE CENTER BY PHONE (UNABLE TO ACCESS THE TESLA APP DUE TO THE INABILITY FOR APP AND VEHICLE TO COMMUNICATE), AND THEY QUOTED A REPLACEMENT OF THE SAME MCU (BUT WITH AN UPGRADED CHIP) AT THE PRICE OF $1201, WITH A 3 WEEK WAITING PERIOD. THE CAR IS NOT INOPERABLE FOR THE NEXT 3 WEEKS DUE TO THE LOST OF ESSENTIAL AND SAFETY FUNCTIONS.
Mileage: 45,000
THE VEHICLE HAD COMPUTER ISSUES DURING OCT10-FEB1. LOSS OF CONNECTIVITY, REBOOTS OCCUR WHILE DRIVING. NO SPEEDOMETER. NO TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS, NO PARKING BRAKE ABILITY, I PARKED VEHICLE FEB1 FOR SAFETY REASONS. ATTEMPTED TO GET SERVICE. VEHICLE BY APRIL[15] HAD GONE FROM INTERMITTENT TO PERMANENT. NO VISIBILITY OF COMPUTER SCREEN.NO FUNCTIONS. NO HIGH HEADLIGHTS, JUST LOW HEADLIGHTS, NO CRASH IMMINENT BUZZER, NO AUTOBRAKING. DRIVE&REVERSE ONLY, STEERING DIFFERENT, SLIGHTLY STIFFER, NO HANDS FREE PHONE & NO GPS ABILITY. EASY TO GET LOST OR CONFUSED AS TO WHERE TO TURN OR WHETHER TO TURN OR GO FORWARD. ARM OUT WINDOWS FOR TURNING, REDUCED SPEED CONTROLS. NO LANE DEPARTURE BUZZER. CHANGING LANE REFUSAL W ADJACENT CAR PRESENT IN LANE INOPERATIVE. COMP. NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY, WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, THE REPAIR WAS DECLINED, STATING 'IT MUST BE COMPLETELY DEAD BEFORE IT CAN BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY' BY APR15 COMP. WAS COMPLETELY DEAD BUT I HAD DECLARED WARRANTY INADEQUATE UPON FIRST REFUSAL TO COVER IT, JULY, NO PARTS AVAILABLE, SO MANY WEEKS OF WAITING. DEALER UNABLE TO FIND AN UPGRADE PART TO SELL TO ME. WAITING FOR A $2500 INSTALL OF A NEW PART THAT I AM WILLING TO PAY FOR BUT CANNOT PROCURE QUICKLY ENUF, NO MATTER WHAT. DRIVING WITHOUT CONTROL OF HEADLIGHTS OR WITHOUT TURN SIGNALS HAS BEEN CURTAILED BUT FOR EMERGENCY FOOD PROCUREMENT. DOCTOR VISITS, MASK&GLOVE REPLACEMENTS FOR THE COVID SITUATION REQUIRES THOSE. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY I GUESS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED PERMANENTLY AT HOME & ONLY A FEW SUDDEN TIMES TEMPORARILY ON THE ROAD. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT, DENIED REPLACEMENT REQUESTS & FINALLY FAILRD ENTIRELY, NOW ALL MUST WAIT WHILE UNABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE MUCH OF ANYWHERE. CAR NOT SALE-ABLE, NOR DOES IT CEASE DROPPING IN PRICE EVERY MONTH WHILE I AWAIT A FIX. RENTAL IS EXPENSIVE. INSURANCE GAVE ME FIRST 30 DAYS, THOSE OVER NOW. SUSP. INSUR. THANK YOU.
Mileage: 74,000
THE TOUCHSCREEN IN MY 2015 MODEL S HAS COMPLETELY FAILED. I'VE ATTEMPTED ALL OF THE RESETS THAT TESLA RECOMMENDS TO RESTART THE SYSTEM TO NO AVAIL. THE CAR IS NEARLY USELESS, NONE OF THE ELECTRICAL FEATURES OF THE VEHICLE WORK, INCLUDING HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING, CHARGING FEATURES, AUDIO OR TURN SIGNALS. THE CAR WORKED FINE YESTERDAY, TODAY THE SCREEN WAS JUST GONE.
Mileage: 85,290
LOSS OF TURN SIGNAL NOISE, HEADLIGHT CONTROL, REARVIEW CAMERA, CLIMATE CONTROL, SEAT MEMORY, GARAGE DOOR OPENING CAPABILITY, NAVIGATION, EMERGENCY BRAKING, AND DIFFICULTY CHARGING THE CAR. THIS OCCURRED GRADUALLY OVER THE COURSE OF A COUPLE OF DAYS AND HAS LEFT THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE WITHOUT HEADLIGHT CONTROL, AUDITORY WARNINGS, AND REARVIEW CAMERA. THIS IS CAUSED BY A FAILED EMMC CHIP ON THE MCU IN THE CAR. IT IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM AND NOT COVERED OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY, DESPITE IT BEING GUARANTEED TO FAIL SOMETIME BETWEEN 4 YEARS AND 5 YEARS OF AGE. (WARRANTY UP AFTER 4)
Mileage: 72,000
THE 12V BATTERY ON OUR 2015 TESLA MODEL S STARTED FAILING LAST NOVEMBER. WE WERE ASSURED THAT TESLA THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL THEY COULD REPLACE THE BATTERY (WHICH TOOK ABOUT 2 MONTHS). WE'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS FAR FROM ACCURATE. AFTER THAT, OUR MCU (THE MAIN COMPUTER IN THE CAR) FAILED. THIS IS APPARENTLY A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM THAT TESLA REFUSES TO FIX. WHEN THEY REPLACED THE MCU WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED HAVING ISSUES: 1. THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS DID NOT WORK. 2. THE COMPUTER LOGS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO TESLA TO DIAGNOSE ISSUES OR RECOVER OUR CAR IF IT WAS STOLLEN. 3. THE FOG LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING 4. GLOVE BOX WOULD NOT OPEN 5. SCREEN NOW HAS NOTICEABLE FLICKER 6. CAR NOW HAS CHARGING PROBLEMS. THE ISSUES WITH THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS, FOG LIGHTS, AND GLOVE BOX WERE ABLE TO FIXED BY A DIFFERENT SERVICE CENTER THE SAME DAY (ALTHOUGH I HAD TO DRIVE APPROX. 30 MILES TO GET TO A DIFFERENT SERVICE CENTER). THE LOGGING ISSUE TOOK ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO TO FIX. THE SCREEN FLICKER AND CHARGING ISSUES WHERE THE CAR RANDOMLY SWITCHES TO A DIFFERENT CHARGING LEVEL WHILE DRIVING OR CHARGING WITHOUT ANY ERROR MESSAGES, IS ON-GOING. I'VE BEEN BACK TO TESLA OVER A DOZEN TIMES, AND THEY IKE TO CHARGE $100 EVERY VISIT "UNDER WARRANTY."
Mileage: 50,000
THE MAIN SCREEN, MCU, ON MY TESLA MODEL S, 2015 70D BEGAN REBOOTING DURING DRIVING. ON SATURDAY, JULY 4TH, 2020, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL. TESLA CUSTOMER SERVICE COACHED ME ON GETTING THE CAR TO WORK WITHOUT THE MAIN SCREEN, HOWEVER IT IS NOT SAFE. THE BRAKE LIGHTS, SIGNAL LIGHTS, REAR CAMERA DO NOT WORK, VERIFIED BY MY SPOUSE. FURTHER, MOST OF THE OTHER CONTROLS, E.G. DE-FOG, AIR CONDITIONING, ROOF, ETC, DO NOT WORK. THE RE-BOOTING OF THE SCREEN, WHERE IT WOULD BLANK OUT WITHOUT WARNING, AND EVENTUALLY COME BACK LATER, OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION -- VERY DISTRACTING. AT THIS POINT, THE MAIN DISPLAY, OR MCU, IS "BRICKED" -- IT WON'T DISPLAY ANYTHING AT ALL, SO THAT HAS HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY.
Mileage: 59,400
MY TESLA MCU1 SCREEN/MEMORY FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. $1600. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, TURN SIGNALS, CLIMATE CONTROL, AND WIPERS ARE INOPERATIVE, MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE.
Mileage: 67,500
THE INFOTAINMENT COMPUTER MCU1 IS KNOWN TO FAIL PREMATURELY DUE TO SOFTWARE ISSUES CAUSED AND NOT FIXED IN A TIMELY MANNER BY TESLA. BASICALLY THE LIMITED WRITE CYCLES OF FLASH MEMORY ARE EXHAUSTED DUE TO EXCESSIVE LOGGING UP TO A CERTAIN SOFTWARE VERSION. MY CAR SHOWS THE EARLY WARNING SIGNS INCLUDING BLACK SCREENS ON ENTERING (CAR IS NOT MOVABLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES) AND REBOOTS DURING DRIVING. FULL MCU FAILURE IS KNOWN TO CAUSE INDICATOR LIGHTS TO FAIL, AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING TO NOT ENGAGE, DISABLED FAST CHARGING AND NO ACCURATE CHARGE INDICATOR (SO RISK OF GETTING STRANDED), HEATING/VENTILATION STUCK TO MOST RECENT SETTING (NO DEFROST), AUDIO FRAGMENTS BEING STUCK ON ARBITRARY VOLUME, AIR SUSPENSION IS STUCK TO POSSIBLY UNSUITABLE SETTINGS AND THE SPEEDOMETER IS REVERTING TO MPH INSTEAD OF KM/H WITHOUT NOTIFICATION. IF PIN TO DRIVE IS USED, THE CAR CAN NO LONGER BE UNLOCKED AND MOVED. TESLA DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM AND CHARGES FOR FULL REPAIR COST OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY / DRAGS CASES OF IMPENDING MCU FAILURE UNTIL THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. MCU1 CAN BE REPLACED WITH MCU2 ACCORDING TO A TESLA INFOTAINMENT WEBSITE; HOWEVER ONLY MCU1 REPLACEMENTS FOR THE OLDEST CARS (AP1 SENSOR LEVEL) ARE AVAILABLE TO DATE DESPITE ANNOUNCEMENT THESE WOULD BE READY IN APRIL 2020. NEWER CARS WITH LONGER REMAINING LIFE CAN BE UPGRADED UPON INVITATION BY TESLA.
Mileage: 90,000
MY TOUCHSCREEN HAS FAILED COMPLETELY AND I AM UNABLE TO USE MY BLINKERS OR CONTROL MY LIGHTS THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN AND TESLA HAS STATED THAT IT'S NORMAL FOR COMPUTER SYSTEMS TO FAIL.
Mileage: 62,000
MCU FAILED. WHEN IT FAILED CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. BEFORE FAILURE MCU WAS CONSTANTLY REBOOTING WHILE DRIVING. DURING REBOOT WOULD LOSE HEADLIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, RADIO, AND AIR CONDITIONING. COMPLETE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE STATIONARY. REBOOTING OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING. *TR
Mileage: 48,401
CENTER CONSOLE DISPLAY AND COMPUTER FAILED AS DESCRIBED IN NHTSA PE20010, WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY APPROXIMATELY JANUARY 2018. REPLACEMENT UNIT IS NOW SHOWING INITIAL SIGNS OF SAME FAILURE (EXTREMELY SLOW START-UP NOW INCLUDING BLANK INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WHEN ENTERING/STARTING CAR; CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY AND NAVIGATION FAILURES; UNUSUAL SOUNDS OR LACK OF AUDITORY FEEDBACK FOR VEHICLE CONTROLS, BLANK BLACK SCREEN FOR BACKUP CAMERA, ETC.) *TR
Mileage: 80,000
TESLA MODEL S 2015, THE MAIN SCREEN (MCU) GOES BLACK ON/OFF. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED DOING A REBOOT, BUT IT DID NOT HELP. NOW MCU IS PERMANENTLY BLACK (NON-FUNCTIONAL) AND THE CAR HAS LOST MANY FUNCTIONALITIES, INCLUDING TWO THAT ARE SAFETY RISKS, THERE IS NO REARVIEW CAMERA AND TURN SIGNALS DON'T WORK. *TR
Mileage: 51,500
THE MCU/SCREEN STOPPED WORKING AND I WAS ABLE TONDRIVE, BUT NOT USE ANY SAFETY FEATURES, INCLUDING BLINKERS, BACK-UP CAMERA, OR NAVIGATION. IT TOOK OVER A WEEK TO GET A SERVICE APPOINTMENT AND THE ITEM WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, SO I HAD TO PAY OVER $1600 OUT OF POCKET. THE CAR WAS NOT IN MOTION WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, AND I WAS ABLE TONDRIVE, THOUGH NOT AS SAFELY AS EXPECTED. *TR
Mileage: 62,000
MY VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY TESLA'S SUNNYVALE SERVICE CENTER AND WHEN RETURNED, THEY OBVIOUSLY NEVER DID A SAFETY TEST. AFTER DRIVING DOWN THE STREET I FOUND THEY DIDN'T RECONNECT SEVERAL CABLES, INCLUDING THE FOG LIGHTS AND THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS. THEY ALSO DISABLED SEVERAL SAFETY FEATURES (LANE DEPARTURE WARNINGS, SPEED WARNINGS, DOOR LOCKS, CHILD LOCKS) WITHOUT TELLING ME ANY OF THIS!
Mileage: 50,000
12V BATTERY HAS STARTED FAILING, BEEN OVER 2 MONTHS, TESLA KEEPS CANCELLING APPOINTMENTS TO FIX. CAR IS GOING TO DIE ON THE ROAD ON ME.
Mileage: 1
THERE IS A FLAW IN THE TESLA EMMC WHICH WILL INEVITABLY CAUSE A CRITICAL PORTION OF THE CHIP TO FAIL PREMATURELY, DUE TO CONSTANT EXCESSIVE LOGGING WITHIN THE TOUCHSCREEN SYSTEM. ULTIMATELY THE MEMORY CHIP FAILS AND THE TOUCHSCREEN GOES BLACK, PLACING THE CAR IN LIMP HOME MODE, THE PARKING SENSORS AND REAR VIEW CAMERA NO LONGER WORK, IT WILL NOT CHARGE AND EFFECTIVELY BECOMES UN-DRIVABLE WHEN THE BATTERY RUNS OUT. THE EMMC IS A LINCHPIN COMPONENT FOR THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE CAR. THE EMMC, THOUGH IT DOES NOT CONTROL THE CAR'S PROPULSION, BRAKING OR STEERING, IS THE HEART OF THE TOUCHSCREEN WHICH IS USED TO TURN ON HEADLIGHTS, ADJUST HVAC AND ALL CAR SETTINGS RUN THROUGH THE TOUCHSCREEN. THE HVAC UNIT NOW HAS A "DOG MODE" WHICH KEEPS THE CABIN COOL FOR DOGS OR OCCUPANTS WAITING IN CAR. THE FAILURE OF THE TOUCHSCREEN UNIT WHILE IN DOG MODE COULD RESULT IN HEAT-RELATED FATALITY, SHOULD AN OWNER. FOR MORE INFORMATION HERE ARE SOME REFERENCES: - VIDEO SHOWING AN ENGINEER WHO'S HELPED SEVERAL HUNDRED CUSTOMERS DISABLE LOGGING BETWEEN MINUTES 8 THROUGH 12: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/O-7B1WAOJ9Q?T=499 - A RECENT ARTICLE EXPLAINING THE FLAW: HTTPS://WWW.THEDRIVE.COM/NEWS/27945/A-SINGLE-COMPONENT-CAN-BRICK-OLDER-TESLAS-AND-TESLA-WONT-FIX-IT THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM BY THE TESLA OWNERS COMMUNITY FOR UPWARDS OF A YEAR NOW AND REQUIRES A SIMPLE SOFTWARE UPDATE TO REMEDY - DISABLE LOGGING TO EMMC MEMORY. ACCORDING TO OTHER OWNERS, THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON ALL CURRENT AND PAST TESLA MODELS AND IT IS A MATTER OF "WHEN" NOT "IF" FOR ALL CHIPS TO FAIL UNLESS THEY MAKE A CHANGE TO THEIR SOFTWARE LOGGING.