NHTSA Complaint #11330516 — 2013 TESLA MODEL S

THE MIDDLE CONSOLE SUDDENLY BLACKED OUT AND WOULD NOT REBOOT. THIS RESTRICTED DRIVE FUNCTIONS INCLUDING REVERSE CAMERA, NAVIGATION, AIR CONDITIONING ON A HOT SUMMER DAY, NO ENTERTAINMENT IN THE VEHICLE. THE BLACKOUT OCCURRED AS I WAS AT A STOP SIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. I GRAVELY FEARED THE CAR WOULD SIMPLY TURN OFF IN TRAFFIC AS IT FELT LIKE IT WAS STALLING / DRIVING DIFFERENTLY. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY CAR TO A SUPER CHARGER TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP. I WAS TOLD BY A REMOTE TESLA OPERATOR THAT THE DISRUPTION WAS DUE TO SOFTWARE ATTEMPTING TO UPDATE - WHICH, WAS NOT PROMPTED AS IT TYPICALLY DOES. COMPLETELY BLINDSIDED BY THIS MALFUNCTION, THE NEXT DAY THE CAR WOULD NOT UNLOCK IN THE TYPICAL FASHION BY KEY DETECTION. IT ALSO WOULDN'T CONNECT TO THE APP TO UNLOCK. I AGAIN CALLED TESLA AND THEY ATTEMPTED A REMOTE UNLOCK WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THEY SUGGESTED HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO TESLA FOR A FEW. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE CAR BY DOUBLE CLICKING THE KEY FOB - WHY DIDN'T THE TESLA AGENT MAKE THAT SUGGESTION RATHER THAN SUGGESTING AN EXPENSIVE TOW?? I ENDED UP PAYING TO REPLACE THE MCU. *TR