NHTSA Complaint #11716395 — 2018 TESLA MODEL 3

Description of the Defect: While driving with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged, the vehicle's primary computer shuts down and reboots, causing a sudden loss of all safety features, including Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, and the driving visualization. The cameras go black while the vehicle is in motion. The Trigger: The failure is triggered by high electrical load. If the Cabin Heater (HVAC) and Seat Heaters are active while FSD is fully computing, the 12V power supply to the computer drops below critical voltage, causing a "Turbo A" processor lockup and system crash. Evidence of Defect: Service Center diagnostics confirmed the specific error code APS_w169_TurboA_SCS_LKUP (Computer Crash) occurred at the exact same timestamp as VCLEFT_a302_blowerGeneralFault (HVAC Blower Failure). This proves a common-mode voltage drop affecting multiple critical systems simultaneously. Manufacturer Response: The manufacturer (Tesla) acknowledged the logs but refused to inspect the wiring harness or ground connections, instead recommending a replacement of the computer unit. However, the failure can be mitigated by unplugging external cameras to reduce load, proving the root cause is an insufficient power delivery design (Wiring/Grounding) rather than a component failure. The computer is running at full load with the newest FSD software and it can no longer keep up with additional loads. Safety Risk: This defect causes a sudden, uncommanded loss of driver assistance and situational awareness tools (cameras/visualization) while the vehicle is maneuvering in traffic. The vehicle’s power distribution system appears insufficient to support the electrical load of the software (FSD) and the hardware (HVAC) simultaneously.