2012 Tesla Model S Complaint Log

In December 2018 our 2012 Tesla Model S experienced a failure that was later identified as part of a recall. Tesla Service replaced the MCU at our expense - a bill that ran to more than $2400. When the recall was announced it was claimed that owners would be reimbursed for expenses related to the recall, but we have been unable to get Tesla to acknowledge the claim. Their automated site claims we have no covered repairs, and all attempts to contact Tesla support are rebuffed with form letters directing us to the same automated service.

AROUND JUNE 2018 THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT (MCU) OF MY MODEL S COMPLETELY FROZE BEFORE I LEFT MY HOME FOR WORK. THE SCREEN DID NOT UPDATE AND DID NOT RESPOND TO ANY TOUCH. I REBOOTED THE MCU WHILE DRIVING BUT THE SCREEN REMAINED BLACK. I COULD NO LONGER USE BACK-UP CAMERA, DON'T KNOW IF TURN SIGNALS WORK, TURN ON HEADLIGHTS, CHANGE CLIMATE CONTROL, ETC. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO WORK SAFELY AND TRIED TO USE THE CHARGEPOINT STATIONS OFFERED AT WORK. THE CAR WAS STUCK IN SCHEDULED CHARGING, SO I COULDN'T CHARGE FROM WORK. I EVEN LEFT WORK TO TRY TO USE THE SUPERCHARGER AT THE FREMONT HUB IN CA, THINKING IT WOULD BYPASS THE SCHEDULED CHARGING. THAT DID NOT WORK EITHER. THIS WAS BAD AS I REMEMBER HAVING ABOUT 30% OF CHARGE LEFT. SINCE IT WAS AN EMERGENCY, THE TESLA REP WAS KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME SKIP APPOINTMENTS AND ALLOWED ME TO BRING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. I END UP PAYING A TOTAL OF $2,270.50 TO REPLACE THE MCU. THEY REPLACED IT WITH THE SAME MCU MODEL THAT WILL EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEM DOWN THE ROAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A STICKY SUBSTANCE COMING OUT OF THE CENTER DISPLAY WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON OR OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER TESLA (135 US-22, SPRINGFIELD, NJ 07081, (973)921-0925) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE CENTER DISPLAY TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V035000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, VISIBILITY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING) HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,000.

ANOTHER TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=24890595&ROWNUMBER=53&LOADRECENT=TRUE SUSPENSION HAS COLLAPSED, WHEELS JAMMED UP IN THE WELLS. THIS DOES NOT LOOK LIKE COLLISION DAMAGE. WHY DOES THIS CAR NOT HAVE LIMIT STOPS ON THE SUSPENSION? A SIMPLE AIR LEAK CAN CAUSE THE WHEELS TO JAM UP. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. VERY CONCERNED CITIZEN ETC. ETC.

THE RIGHT REAR DOOR HANDLE BECAME NON-FUNCTIONAL WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE CAR FROM OUTSIDE THE CAR. AFTER SERVICE BY THE MANUFACTURER (TESLA), THE DOOR HANDLE BECAME EXTERIORLY FUNCTIONAL, ALTHOUGH TO A DECREASED AMOUNT COMPARED TO OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE, BUT WAS LEFT IN A STATE OF INOPERABILITY FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR. PULLING ON THE DOOR HANDLE FROM THE INSIDE WOULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH FROM THE LEFT SIDE, THE PASSENGER IN THE RIGHT REAR SEAT WOULD BE TRAPPED WITHOUT RECOURSE.

HERE IS A TESLA IN THE SALVAGE YARD. HTTPS://M.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETENC.ASPX?AUCTIONID=21921554&ITEMID=23249264&ROWID=16&PAGESOURCE=VEHICLERESULTS THE STEERING KNUCKLE HAS SNAPPED IN HALF. THE AIR-BAGS HAVE NOT DEPLOYED AND THERE IS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE KNUCKLE HAS SNAPPED IN HALF. UP UNTIL 2015 THE STEERING KNUCKLE WAS MADE FROM HOLLOW CAST ALUMINUM AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER INCIDENTS WHERE THE KNUCKLE HAS SNAPPED. THE DESIGN WAS CHANGED IN 2015 TO A SOLID H-SECTION BUT FAILURES OF THAT PART AND OF THE TOP BALL JOINT ARE STILL OCURRING. AT THE VERY MINIMUM THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR A SAFETY INSPECTION OF THE SUSPENSION.

HERE IS ANOTHER TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://M.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILIMAGES.ASPX?IMAGEURL=2&ITEMID=23306666 THE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THAT THE FRONT STEERING KNUCKLE HAS SNAPPED IN HALF AND THE WHEEL IS HANGING SIDEWAYS OUT OF THE WHEEL WELL. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN A CRASH. THE AIR-BAGS HAVE NOT DEPLOYED AND THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE BODYWORK. THESE STEERING KNUCKLES ARE A MADE FROM LOW PRESSURE DIE CAST ALUMINIUM WHICH IS CLEARLY NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE PURPOSE. THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES WHERE THE KNUCKLE HAS SIMPLY SNAPPED COMPLETELY IN HALF JUST LIKE THIS ONE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE BEFORE MORE LIVES ARE LOST.

NOTICED THIS PROBLEM AFTER I WAS BACKING UP AND TURNING MY WHEELS AND WOULD HEAR A LOUD METAL ON METAL "CLUNK" OR "GRINDING" SOUND. IT WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT-LEFT SUSPENSION AND WOULD OCCUR CAUSING MY WHEEL AND STEERING TO FEEL LIKE IT WAS SKIPPING. I NOTICED AND MY STEERING FELT "LOOSE" OVER BUMPS AND WOULD PULL TO THE LEFT. AGAIN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND THIS WAS FELT THE MOST WHEN TURNING FULL MOTION AND/OR BACKING UP AND TURNING. WHEN LOOKING AT ONE OF THE CONTROL-ARM JOINTS AFTER I NOTICED A VERY LOUD CLUNK AND COMPARING IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF OF THE SUSPENSION, IT LOOKS LIKE EITHER A BOLT FELL OUT OR THE BALL-JOINT TO THE CONTROL ARM WAS JUST GRINDING FREELY. I'VE SINCE BROUGHT MY CAR TO TESLA AND THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT I HAVE A DEFECTIVE BALL-JOINT TO MY CONTROL ARM THATS ALSO DAMAGED MY STEERING KNUCKLE. IF I DIDNT CATCH THIS OR IT WAS BROKE AT GREATER SPEEDS WHATS THE LIKELY HOOD OF ME LOOSING CONTROL? I'VE ASKED IF THEY WILL REPLACE ALL THE OTHER PARTS IF THEY HAVE UPDATED PARTS BUT THEY SAID ONLY THE ITEMS THAT ARE DEFECTIVE IN THIS CASE WILL BE WARRANTIED. I SIMPLY DO NOT FEEL SAFE ANYMORE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE.

I AM FILING THESE COMPLAINTS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. I AM NOT A TESLA OWNER AND I HAVE NO INVESTMENT IN TESLA NOR DO I HOLD ANY SHARES IN THE STOCK-MARKET. THIS CAR IS IN THE WRECKING YARD. THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAS FAILED AND THE WHEEL IS PUSHED BACK AGAINST THE HIGH VOLTAGE CONTROLLER. HTTP://WWW.SALVAGERESELLER.COM/VEHICLES/DETAILS/32315405-2012-TESLA-MODEL-S-CA-SAN-DIEGO THERE IS NO OTHER DAMAGE THAT COULD ACCOUNT FOR THE SUSPENSION FAILURE. THERE WAS A CRASH BACK IN 2013 WHICH WAS BLAMED ON THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR. HTTP://WWW.INAUTONEWS.COM/TESLA-MODEL-S-GETS-CRASHED-DRIVER-WALKS-AWAY-UNHARMED IF YOU LOOK AT THE PHOTO OF THE TESLA ON THE TOW-TRUCK AFTER THE ACCIDENT YOU WILL SEE THAT THE TOP SUSPENSION LINK HAS COME UNBOLTED. IT DOES NOT LOOK AS THOUGH THIS HAPPENED IN THE ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT SNAPPED, IT HAS FALLEN OFF. IMAGE HERE: HTTP://WWW.INAUTONEWS.COM/TESLA-MODEL-S-GETS-CRASHED-DRIVER-WALKS-AWAY-UNHARMED/TESLA-MODEL-S-CRASH-5 ALL OF THE BLUE BATTERY COOLANT IN THE RESERVOIR HAS BEEN LOST LEADING TO A HIGH RISK OF FIRE. THIS THREAD ON THE TESLA FORUM COULD EXPLAIN WHY THE SUSPENSION HAS COME LOOSE. HTTP://MY.TESLAMOTORS.COM/FORUM/FORUMS/MODEL-S-PULLS-LEFT-PLEASE-READ QUOTE: WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK I PUT THE CAR UP ON THE LIFT AND COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I FOUND. THE PASSENGER LOWER BALL JOINT NUT WAS NOT JUST LOOSE, IT WAS A FEW THREADS AWAY FROM FALLING OFF! I DECIDED TO CHECK ALL THE BOLTS IN ALL FOR CORNERS OF THE CAR AND FOUND THE SAME NUT ON THE DRIVE SIDE TO BE HAND TIGHT (IT WAS LOOSE, BUT HADN'T SPUN ALL THE WAY DOWN YET). THERE ARE MANY OTHER IMAGES ON THE NET OF DAMAGED CARS WHERE THE SUSPENSION HAS FAILED IN A SIMILAR MANNER. IF THE RH WHEEL MOVES BACK IT CAN DAMAGE THE HV CONTROLLER. IF THE LH WHEEL MOVES BACK IT CAN DAMAGE THE BATTERY COOLANT TANK AND LEAD TO FIRE.

THIS IS THE STOLEN CAR WHICH CRASHED IN HOLLYWOOD. PHOTOGRAPHS AT THE SCENE SHOW 3/4 OF A WHEEL AND THE TIRE LYING ON THE GROUND. HERE IS THE LISTING AT THE SALVAGE AUCTION SITE. HTTP://IMGUR.COM/A/H7ROA THE CRASH SITE IMAGES HOW THE FRONT WHEEL BROKEN LOOSE. THE SALVAGE YARD PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THE OTHER 1/4 OF THE WHEEL STILL BOLTED TO THE BROKEN KINGPIN. THE WHEEL HAS BEEN SLICED IN TWO WHILE STILL ROLLING ON THE ROAD. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THAT SLICING TO HAVE OCCURRED POST IMPACT. THERE ARE 100,00 OF THESE CARS ON ROADS AROUND THE WORDLD. IF THIS WAS AN AIRCRAFT IT WOULD BE GROUNDED IMMEDIATELY. I BELIEVE THIS DEFECT IS SO DANGEROUS THAT ALL CARS SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE ROAD BEFORE PEOPLE DIE. THE ADDITION OF THE BETA RELEASE AUTOPILOT MAKES THE SITUATION EVEN MORE DANGEROUS. PLEASE NOTE.....FICTITIOUS US ADDRESS TO ENABLE LODGEMENT