NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Tesla Model S. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
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.
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.
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.
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.
MCU FAILURE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT SCREEN INTERMITTENTLY GOES DARK, APP NO LONGER COMMUNICATES, CONTROLS GLITCHY
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.
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.
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!
THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MCU VERSION 1 IN MODELS BEFORE 2018 THAT CAN CAUSE TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE, MY CAR LOST ITS ABILITY TO USE TURN SIGNAL AND CONTROL OF ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.. THEY NEED TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE AND TESLA NEEDS TO STEP UP TO PLATE AND FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS CAN CAUSE BOTH UNJUST EXPENSE FOR OWNERS NOT TO MENTION HAVE SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS.
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
MCU SCREEN ON CAR FAILED.
ISSUE WITH THE MCU1 OR INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM FAILING. THIS RESULTED IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHILE USING AUTO PILOT THE SYSTEM FROZE AND SHUT DOWN DURING THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. THE AI CAMERAS, RADARS, TRIP ROUTING ARE ALL CONTROLLED BY THIS INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM AND ALL OF THEM SHUT DOWN AT ONCE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT AS FEATURES LIKE ASSISTED LANE CHANGE, COLLISION ASSISTANCE, SUMMON, AUTO CAR DISTANCE, AUTO PILOT 1.0, STOP SIGN AND STOP LIGHT SENSING ALL RELY ON THIS COMPUTER WHICH IMMEDIATELY STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, ALL VIDEO PROVIDED FOR THE BACK UP CAMERA NOW NO LONGER WORKS OR COLLISION DETECTION FROM THE RADARS WHILE BACK UP COMPLETELY STOPPED WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN PULLING OUT. WHEN ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO UP SELL ME INTO THE NEXT MCU FOR 2500 DOLLARS TO FIX THIS 'KNOWN' SAFETY ISSUE. THIS ALLEGEDLY HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE MASSIVE CROWD ERROR LOGGING THAT TESLA USES IN ITS FLASH MEMORY (WHICH CAN ONLY BE OVER WRITTEN SO MANY TIMES) TO BETTER ITS PRODUCTS BUT THE USER IS UNABLE TO SHUT THE LOGGING OFF. THIS FORCES AN EVENTUAL INDEFINITE FAILURE. THE INDIVIDUAL USER HAD AND STILL DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHUT THIS OFF. TESLA IS FORCING ITS USERS TO PAY FOR AN UPGRADE AFTER THE MEMORY BURNS OUT BECAUSE OF A DATA COLLECTION EFFORT THAT IS COMPANY IMPOSES AND BY CONSEQUENCE ROBBING ITS USERS OF IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES IN THE MEAN TIME. WHEN THIS IS COMBINED WITH REAL AI THAT THE USER NEEDS TO DRIVE IT CAN EVEN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN REAL TIME.
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.
MULTIMEDIA CENTER UNIT (MCU) FROZE AND UP ON REBOOT, DIED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET.
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.
CAR WAS SITTING IN MY GARAGE FOR A FEW DAYS AND WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE MCU IS TOTALLY BLACK AND KNOWN TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE EMMC CHIP USED REPORTED BY MANY OTHER MODEL S OWNERS. AS THIS CONTROLS MAJORITY OF THE FUNCTIONS, I CAN NOT CONTROL ANY OF THE CAR'S INSTRUMENTS EXCEPT FOR DRIVING. BLINKERS DO NOT WORK, NO AC, REAR VIEW CAMERA DOESN'T WORK, BATTERY RANGE NO LONGER VISIBLE SO ITS QUITE UNSAFE TO DRIVE.
LOSS OF TURN SIGNALS, REVIEW CAMERA, AND OTHER DRIVER ASSIST AIDS. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. THE CENTER SCREEN \ COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THESE FUNCTIONS WILL NOT POWER UP.
THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT (MCU) TOUCHSCREEN FAILED (COMPLETELY DARK/NON-OPERABLE) AND GREATLY REDUCED MY REAR VISIBILITY WHEN PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE GIVEN THE LOSS OF THE REAR CAMERA DISPLAY. THIS OCCURRED UPON LEAVING WORK AND GETTING INTO MY PARKED CAR.
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.
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.
CAR WAS CHARGING AT THE KNOXVILLE SUPERCHARGER. I COULDN'T CONNECT FROM RESTAURANT WITH MY APP TO SEE IF IT WAS COMPLETELY CHARGED. WHEN I GOT TO CAR TOUCHSCREEN WAS BLACK, WOULDN'T COME BACK WITH SOFT OR HARD RESETS, APP WAS LOCKED UP, NO NAVIGATION, NO MUSIC, ALL SCREEN AND APP ABILITIES GONE, TURN SIGNALS DIDN'T WORK, AC WASN'T WORKING. TESLA SERVICE CENTER HAS DIAGNOSED MCU 1 FAILED. THEY WERE ABLE TO REVIVE IT IN THE APPOINTMENT ALTHOUGH SOME APPLICATIONS SLUGGISH. A DAUGHTER BOARD HAS BEEN ORDERED TO FIX IT WHICH I WILL PAY FOR, APPOINTMENT FOR THAT COMING UP AUGUST 28, 2020.
MY MCU HAS CRASHED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 8 WEEKS. FIRST TIME WAS WHEN THE MOBILE SERVICE WAS COMING OUT TO CODE A REPLACEMENT KEY. THE SOFTWARE THEY SENT APPEARED TO CRASH THE MCU THE FIRST TIME. IT WOULD WORK FOR A WEEK AT A TIME, THEN SEVERAL DAYS NOW IT'S PERMANENTLY OFF. NO HVAC CONTROL, TURN SIGNALS, AND CHARGING IS LIMITED TO 8AMPS ON MY 30 AMP LEVEL 2 CHARGER AND SUPERCHARGING IS DISABLED. CAR IS ABLE TO DRIVE, BUT NOT FAR DUE TO THE PAINFULLY SLOW CHARGE. APP WILL NOT SYNC WITH CAR AND I CAN'T SEE MY SCHEDULED SERVICE APPT. WE PURCHASED THE CAR USED (3RD PARTY) AND WE DID NOT HAVE ISSUES FOR ALMOST 2 MONTHS UNTIL WE CODED THE NEW KEY, AND DID A SOFTWARE UPDATE OR TWO. THERE ARE 80 PAGES OF COMPLAINTS AND THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON TESLA'S OWN FORUM, TIME FOR A SAFETY RECALL AT TESLA'S EXPENSE, $2500 TO REPLACE A KNOWN ISSUE SEEMS RIDICULOUS TO PUT ON A CONSUMER. ELON, TIME TO STEP TO THE PLATE BUD OR THIS IS THE LAST TESLA I WILL EVER OWN.
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.
SCREEN WENT BLACK. NO NAVIGATION. NO RADIO. NO BLUETOOTH. MCU1 IS OUT.
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
CENTER CONSOLE TOUCHSCREEN STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. THIS HAPPENED OVERNIGHT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE.
MCU COMPUTER FAILED, BLACK CENTER TOUCH SCREEN, NO ACCESS TO ANY VEHICLE CONTROLS, FROM AIR CONDITIONING, RADIO, SUN ROOF, BACK UP CAMERA, SUSPENSION, NAVIGATION, ETC, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR TESLA MCU VERSION 1 THAT TESLA HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT, FROM READING OTHER BLOGS, THIS IS SOMETHING TESLA KNOWS WILL AFFECT VIRTUALLY ALL VEHICLES WITH MCU VERSION 1 AT SOME POINT, THEY HAVE CHANGED TO MCU VERSION 2 IN 2018, BUT ALLL OF US WITH OLDER MODELS ARE LEFT WITH EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILLS WITH NO RECOURSE AGAINST TESLA FOR THIS KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT
MCU DEAD AT 54,650 MILES. MAIN CONTROL SCREEN WILL NOT TURN ON. HAS EFFECTED THE FOLLOWING BUT NOT LIMITED TO. ' NO AEB (ADVANCED EMERGENCY BRAKING) ' NO CONTROLLING SUSPENSION HEIGHT ' NO MANUAL CONTROL OF HEADLIGHT LIGHTS ' NO BLINKER SOUNDS ' TURN SIGNALS INOPERABLE ' STEERING MODE DEFAULTS TO SOME SETTING (E.G. IF I HAVE IT SET TO SPORT, DURING REBOOT OF MCU IS CHANGES TO STANDARD OR COMFORT, NOT SURE BUT I CAN FEEL THE STEERING WHEEL TAKE LESS EFFORT TO TURN THAN MY NORMAL SPORT MODE) ' NO HVAC (HEAT, COOL, VENT) ' NO DEFROSTERS ' NO SEAT HEATERS ' NO STEERING WHEEL HEATERS ' NO RADIO/STREAMING ' NO APP CONNECTIVITY TO CONTROL THE CAR ' NO ABILITY TO SEE THE CAR CHARGE STATUS FROM APP ' TRIP A/B ' PROFILES ' USER SETTINGS ' HOMELINK ' BLUETOOTH PAIRINGS ' NO REAR VIEW CAMERA ' NO PARKING SENSORS
THE MCU1 (INFOTAINMENT) CENTER FAILED COMPLETELY, RENDERING THE VEHICLE INOPERATIVE!
TOUCHSCREEN COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE WHICH IMPACT ABILITY TO CONTROL TURN SIGNALS AND AIR CONDITIONING.
MCU1 FAILED IN VEHICLE WITH ~47,000 MILES. THIS FAILURE IMPACTS USE OF ALL FEATURES ON THE TOUCHSCREEN, INCLUDING BACKUP CAMERA, RADIO, A/C, MAPS, ETC. CAR IS STILL OPERATIONAL, BUT TURNS ON SLOWLY.
ON 7/16 AFTER MULTIPLE CALLS TO TESLA SUPPORT DUE TO MY SCREEN IN MY 2015 TESLA MODEL S LOADING VERY SLOW AND THE BLINKERS NOT SOUNDING (THEY HAD ME REBOOT MULTIPLE TIMES) I WENT TO CAR AND SCREEN (MCU) WAS COMPLETELY BLACK/DEAD. MY A/C WAS ON ALL THE TIME AND I COULD NOT OPEN CHARGE PORT TO CHARGE. I WAS SCARED I WOULD NOT GET IT INTO SERVICE SO I DROVE IT IN THERE ON 7/18 AND EXPLAINED ALL TO THE SALES REP. HE TOOK CAR AND I GOT A RIDE HOME. TODAY, 7/20 SERVICE CALLED ME AND SAID MCU1 WAS DEAD AND I COULD EITHER PAY 1275 TO REPLACE OR UPGRADE TO MCU2 FOR $2500. I TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS DANGEROUS AS SIGNALS WERE NOT EVEN WORKING AND THIS SHOULD BE COVERED AS IT WAS DANGEROUS. THEY SAID NO AND I TOLD THEM JUST TO DO THE MCU1 REPLACEMENT. NOW I HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT AND THEY SAID IT WILL BE OVER A WEEK TO GET IT IN. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE WHOLE COMPUTER COULD FAIL THIS QUICKLY AND I AM DEBATING GETTING NEW MCU2 THOUGH THAT IS TOO MUCH MONEY TO PAY. I AM REPORTING THIS DUE TO THE DANGER AND THE FACT THAT VEHICLE ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES ON IT. TESLA SHOULD DEFINITELY COVER THIS AS THE CAR IS A BRICK WITHOUT IT (NO CLIMATE, MUSIC, SETTINGS, SUSPENSION CONTROL, OR SOUNDS COMING FROM CAR TO NAME A FEW). I COULD ALSO NOT EVEN SCHEDULE THE SERVICE AS IT HAS TO BE DONE THROUGH THE APP AND THAT WOULD NOT CONNECT TO THE CAR!!
THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT HAS GONE OUT ON MY 2015 TESLA, WHICH HAS LED TO THE CAR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE RECHARGED (REFUELED), THE AC BEING UNSUSABLE, AND CAR UNABLE TO BE LOCKED AMONG OTHER ISSUES. WITH TESLAS, THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT (MCU) IS THE POWERHOUSE OF THE VEHICLE, CONTAINING ALL OF THE SAFETY, A/C, AND DRIVING CONTROLS. WITH THIS BEING OUT OF COMMISION, THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT FEATURES ARE USABLE OR NOT. THIS LEADS ME TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THE AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY, WHETHER THE CAR WILL STOP RANDOMLY ON THE FREEWAY, OR THE CAR NOT BEING REFUELED. IN FACT, SINCE THIS MCU HAS GONE OUT, THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE REFUELLED DUE TO THE MCU NOT ALLOWING CHAGE TO REENTER THE CAR. THIS HAS LEAD THE CAR TO BE UNUSABLE AND UNRESPONSIVE. THIS FIRST OCCURRED FOR ME WHILE DIVING ON A CITY STREET, WITH NOTHING UNUSUAL BEING NOTED AT THE TIME. THE CAR WAS RESPONSIVE, DRIVING NORMALLY, AND COMPLETELY USABLE AND OUT OF NO WHERE THE VEHICLES MCU WENT BLACK AND THE DRIVING FEATURES WERE HANDICAPED. THE CAR WAS STILL ABLE TO DRIVE, HOWEVER, A/C COMPONENTS AND UNKNOWN ELECTRICAL FEATURES (SUCH AS AIRBAGS, SEAT BELTS, ABS) MAY HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED.
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.
VEHICLE HAS DOCUMENTED MCU/EMMC ISSUES THAT TESLA AVOIDS FIXING. HVAC FROZE/INOPERABLE, CHARGING LEVEL FROZE INOPERABLE TO ADJUST, SUSPENSION SETTINGS INOPERABLE CAUSING SCRAPING, DISABLING OF AUTOPILOT AND OTHER NAVIGATION AND SAFETY FEATURES, OCCURED MID-DRIVE ORIGINALLY, NOW WHEN STATIONARY WHILE VEHICLE IS STARTED IT IS INOPERABLE/FREEZES FOR 7-10 MINUTES BEFORE TURNING ON, OFTEN CANNOT SELECT DRIVE UNLESS IT IS THROUGH THE APP ON PHONE, BACKUP CAMERA FAILS/IS UNAVAILABLE OR IS VERY SLOW TO APPEAR, OFTEN AFTER BACKUP COMPLETED. JULY '20 AT 64K MILES DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED EMMC/MCU ISSUES, PERFORMED SOFT RESET, CLAIMED WORKED M, YET AUG '20 THEY HAD TO DO AGAIN. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO DISPLAY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH LAGGING/SLOW PROCESSOR, DEALER INDICATES IT IS NOT THE DOCUMENTED ISSUE ABUNDANTLY DESCRIBED AND CONSISTENT WITH ISSUES ON TESLA FORUMS ACROSS THE INTERNET. FURTHER DETAILED DOCUMENTATION/COMMUNICATION AVAILABLE WITHIN TESLA APP WHEN I SUBMITTED TO TESLA, BUT HERE IS ANCILLARY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED.
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.
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.
MCU CENTRAL COMPUTER FAILED, SO TURN SIGNALS AND BACKUP CAMERA ARE UNAVAILABLE, AS WELL AS CLIMATE CONTROL, AUDIO, NAVIGATION, VEHICLE STATUS
MEDIA CONTROL UNIT (MCU) FAILED ON MODEL S 85D WITH < 50K MILES. ONCE THIS HAPPENS YOU CANNOT SIGNAL PROPERLY TO CHANGE LANES (TURN SIGNALING WON'T TURN ON). IN ADDITION, THE AC UNIT WILL NOT BE FUNCTIONAL AND IN THIS CASE WAS CONSTANTLY ON AT THE LOWEST SETTING ALSO DRAINING THE BATTERY PERPETUALLY. THIS WAS EVIDENT IN THE MORNING AFTER CHARGING THE CAR AT REST AND WILL REQUIRE AN IN HOUSE SERVICE VISIT. THE REPAIR FOR THIS IS ESTIMATE FOR OWNERS >2-3K. 2018 MODELS HAVE THIS ISSUE FIXED SUPPOSEDLY, BUT MODELS <2018 DO NOT. TESLA SHOULD IDEALLY UPGRADE ALL MODELS IF THERE IS A SOLUTION.
THE MCU (MAIN CONSOLE UNIT) IS BLACK AND WONT TURN ON. TESLA IS STATING THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AS IT ISN'T PART OF THE DRIVETRAIN. I CANNOT CONTROL CERTAIN THINGS LIKE CHARGING AND DRIVING SAFETY FEATURES WITHOUT IT.
THE MCU1 FAILED (AS PER TESLA DIAGNOSIS) AND THE CAR IS DISABLED AND MUST BE TOWED. CAR CANNOT BE PLACED IN TOW MODE, SYSTEMS WILL NOT REBOOT, CAR DOES NOT POWER UP. VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN GARAGE FROM NIGHT BEFORE WHEN CAR WORKED FINE. NEXT AM CAR WAS DISABLED.
THE MAIN COMPUTER UNIT IS KNOW TO FAIL AND THE REAR CAMERA WILL NO LONGER WORK AND RESULTS IN A SAFETY HAZARD.
THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT FAILED ON MY 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND HAPPENS ON ALL TESLA'S DUE TO A MEMORY FAILURE ON THE MCU1 UNIT. THIS CAUSES THE REAR VIEW CAMERA TO NOT WORK IMPACTING SAFTY VISIBILITY WHEN BACKING THE CAR. THE CAR BEING ELECTRIC IS QUIET AND WITHOUT A PROPER REAR VIEW CAMERA IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS WELL KNOWN BY TESLA
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that three door handles had been replaced over the years. The contact stated that the door handles were not responding, and the contact was unable to enter the vehicle. The contact stated that several attempts were needed before the door before being able to enter the vehicle. The contact stated that the driver's side door handle and the passenger’s side door handle were malfunctioning. The contact stated that there were no messages on the phone App, or on the instrument cluster. The contact had not yet taken the vehicle to the local dealer for the driver’s and passenger’s side front door handles. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 280,000.
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.
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.
STARTING ABOUT 0700 MST ON 13 JULY 2020, MY 2015 MODEL S 85'S MCU BEGAN REBOOTING. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON AN ARTERIAL ROAD AT ABOUT 45 MPH WITH NAVIGATION ACTIVE. WHEN THE REBOOT STARTED, I PULLED OFF THE ROAD INTO A PARKING LOT. AFTER THE FIRST REBOOT, THE MCU APPEARED STABLE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THEN REBOOTED AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS STABLE FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN REBOOTING CONTINUALLY IN A CYCLE OF ABOUT 1 MINUTE 45 SECONDS. VEHICLE CONTROL AND ACCESSORY FUNCTIONS (BACKUP CAMERA, AIR CONDITIONING, NAVIGATION, RADIO, BLUETOOTH, LIGHTS, DOORS, ETC) ARE NO LONGER USABLE.
MY 2011 CHEVY EQUINOX RAN OUT OF OIL IN BETWEEN REGULAR OIL CHANGES DUE TO THE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE WITH THE INCORRECT SIZED PISTON RINGS. THIS ESCALATED QUICKLY AND DESTROYED MY TIMING CHAIN WHICH DESTROYED MY ENGINE.
MCU FAILURE MODEL S 2015 82,000 LARGE SCREEN FAILED. DISABLING LOTS OF FUNCTIONALITY INCLUDING AC WITH OVER 100 OUTSIDE AIR TEMP. CHILD IN CAR. NO TURN SIGNALS, LIGHTS, NAVIGATION OR ABILITY TO CHARGE. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY PARKED AT HOME. NO VISIBLE WARNING OF FAILURE BEFORE HAND.
MEDIA CONTROL UNIT SCREEN WENT BLANK WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. VEHICLE STILL DRIVES, BUT DRIVER IS UNABLE TO USE NAVIGATION OR MEDIA FUNCTIONS. NO TURN SIGNAL FEEDBACK. NO BACKUP CAMERA. WORSE, UNABLE TO CONTROL AC THAT WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. AIR CONDITIONING STILL RUNS AFTER VEHICLE SUPPOSED TO BE STOPPED, DRAINING BATTERY. VEHICLE HAD TO BE PARKED FOR 48HRS + WITH AC RUNNING CONSTANTLY UNTIL BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP. SERVICE WANTS $1700 FOR A REPLACEMENT, OR $2250 FOR AN "UPGRADE".
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026