NHTSA is formally asking Tesla to take back more than 100,000 Model S and Model X vehicles due to an issue with its media unit (MCU) that can affect many functions within the vehicles.
The whole issue has been a fiasco so far.
Tesla MCU / eMMC problem
Owners of older Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles have reported some problems with their MCUs.
The touchscreen becomes less responsive, the boot time is longer, the screen freezes and needs to be reset or even the MCU unit completely fails.
Some owners believe that it is a problem with the built-in multimedia card (eMMC) memory in the MCU and that it is being overwritten to the point of failure.
It is known as the “eMMC failure” problem.
Tesla introduced a new MCU in 2018 that doesn’t have the same problem, but older vehicle owners are still facing the problem of having to replace the unit out of warranty, despite seeing Tesla’s error as the source of the problem, in rather than a normal problem that occurs over time.
Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it launched an official investigation into the matter.
A few months later, Tesla finally officially recognized the flaw in the eMMC with its touchscreen and offered an extended warranty.
The move was not welcomed by all Tesla owners, as many thought it did not go far enough to treat what is seen by many as a major defect.
Considering that there are many important functions that can only be accessed via the touchscreen / MCU on Tesla vehicles, NHTSA was examining the issue as a possible security issue and, despite the change in Tesla’s warranty, the agency was still considering a recall.
Official data released by Tesla for NTHSA showed that the MCU failure rate for Model S and Model X was up to 30% in certain months of construction.
In addition, we have received many reports from owners who have had difficulty getting Tesla to actually change or repair their MCUs under the new warranty since the announcement – prompting many owners to request a recall.
NHTSA calls for a recall
NHTSA has now officially asked Tesla to recall 158,000 Model S and Model X vehicles because of the problem – a rare move, as automakers often choose to do voluntary recalls.
Tesla now has two weeks to issue a response or accept the recall.
The agency confirmed that it met with Tesla to discuss the problem and assessed all the information, but determined that losing MCU capacity is a security issue, as many important functions go through the system, such as windshield defogging, audible bells and even turning signals can be affected.
NHTSA notes that other car manufacturers have issued recalls for similar job losses.
The agency noted that the updates that Tesla released to mitigate the problem are “procedural and substantially insufficient” and that the automaker has even confirmed that all MCUs will eventually fail.
The Electrek takeover: a fiasco that Tesla needs to fix
This whole MCU problem was a poorly handled fiasco for Tesla, and they need to finally fix and accept that recall.
As I reported the last time the problem was raised, it seems likely that NHTSA would force the recall, and it looks bad for Tesla to be struggling so much against it.
Obviously, there is a defect, and instead of proactively fixing it, Tesla is expecting the worst case scenario to fix it, and even so, we are hearing some stories about homeowners who have trouble fixing it under warranty.
I think in this case, Tesla needs to take control and accept the coup.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
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