NHTSA Complaint #11372320 — 2015 TESLA MODEL S

LOCATION: CAR PARKED IN OWNER'S DRIVEWAY. CENTER SCREEN HAD BECOME NOTICEABLE SLOWER OVER A FEW WEEKS AND THE OWNER'S MANUAL WHICH IS NORMALLY SHOWN ON THE SCREEN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. I ATTEMPTED TO REBOOT THE SYSTEM BY HOLDING DOWN TWO BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CENTER SCREEN WOULD NOT REBOOT. RATHER, THE CENTER SCREEN WENT AND STAYED TOTALLY BLACK. I CONTACTED TESLA PHONE SERVICE AND TESLA PHONE SERVICE CENTER COULD NOT CONTACT THE CAR. CENTER SCREEN REMAINED COMPLETELY BLACK. WHEN TRYING TO START TO DRIVE THE CAR, THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF STEERING WHEEL APPEARED TO BE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE BLACK CENTER SCREEN. AFTER 5 MINUTES OF TRYING, THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD ALLOW THE CAR TO BE DRIVEN. THE CAR WOULD BE DRIVABLE BUT WITHOUT TURN SIGNAL SOUNDS. CLIMATE CONTROL AND ANYTHING ELSE CONTROLLED BY THE CENTER SCREEN NOT ABLE TO BE ADJUSTED OR CHANGED AS CENTER SCREEN WAS COMPLETELY BLACK AND DEAD. CAR WOULD NOT ACCEPT A CHARGE OVERNIGHT FROM TESLA CHARGER INSTALLED IN MY HOUSE. CLIMATE CONTROL WAS ON CONTINUOUSLY OVERNIGHT, DEPLETING 10 MILES OFF THE BATTERY RANGE IN A SINGLE NIGHT (ABOUT 16 HOURS). THE NEXT DAY, AFTER AGAIN WAITING 5 MINUTES BETWEEN STARTING THE CAR AND BEING ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR, I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A TESLA SERVICE CENTER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM OF THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT (CENTER SCREEN) AS NOT RECOVERABLE AND REPLACED IT FOR $2500. WITHOUT THIS REPLACEMENT, THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES. ONCE REPAIRED, THE CAR WAS AGAIN DRIVABLE. LUCKILY THIS ISSUE OCCURRED AT HOME AND IN A SAFE SPOT. IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.