2013 TESLA MODEL S Electrical System Problems

On [XXX], at approximately [XXX], I was driving my 2013 Tesla Model S (VIN: [XXX] ) on [XXX] in Barrow County, Georgia when the instrument cluster/speedometer display went completely blank while driving. This is an intermittent issue that occurs without warning - the display turns off and sometimes freezes. Because the speedometer was not displaying, I had no way to know my actual speed. I was pulled over by Barrow County Sheriff’s Office and cited for speeding. I explained the instrument cluster malfunction to the officer at the scene and showed him the blank display. I took my vehicle to Tesla Service Center in Duluth, GA (3380 Satellite Blvd) on November 4, 2025 - as soon as I could get an appointment after the incident. Tesla cleared the filesystem caches but did NOT inform me about the existing eMMC recall (SB-21-21-001) that affects my vehicle, nor did they perform the...

While charging my 2013 Tesla Model S, the vehicle experienced a charging system failure and would no longer charge. Upon inspection, I discovered water intrusion and corrosion on the lower portion of the charging-related electronic circuit board at the bottom of the charging port and right where the High Voltage cables are located as well. The affected electronics are located in an area that is not normally exposed to water and is not owner-serviceable. Later model Tesla Model S vehicles (2014 and newer) include a drain in this exact location, which this vehicle does not have. This design change appears to directly address the same water accumulation issue that caused the failure in my vehicle. The failure results in loss of the vehicle’s ability to charge, rendering the vehicle inoperable. Tesla declined to repair the issue, stating the vehicle is out of warranty, despite acknowledging the design change in later...

The screen abruptly shuts down and that is a safety hazard. Tesla has refused to fix this issue.

November 20, 2025 To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation Subject: Safety Defect Complaint – Tesla Model S I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious and dangerous safety defect involving my Tesla Model S. Safety Defect Summary:    •   After the high-voltage battery failed, the vehicle would not enter Neutral.    •   I had to use Tow Mode in the middle of a street on a hill to avoid blocking traffic.    •   Once in Tow Mode, the car could not enter Park and the emergency/parking brake would not engage.    •   The car became completely free-rolling, posing danger to myself, other drivers, and pedestrians.    •   When Tesla returned the car to my home, their technicians also could not get the vehicle into Park or activate any emergency braking system.    •   The car is currently stuck in Tow Mode in my driveway with physical objects placed behind the wheels to prevent it from rolling....

The instrument panel went blank permanently posing a safety hazard due to loss of vehicle function status indicators such as speed, direction, gauges, warnings, and signaling.

2013 Model S VIN [XXX] : 'Voltage sense open detected' poses shutdown risk on May 2021 replacement battery. Tesla claims 4-year warranty vs. standard 8-year; local service redirects without resolution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Premature HV Battery BMS Failure After Tesla Replacement – Safety Risk of Fire and Sudden Power Loss

Tesla instrument cluster screens are leaking fluid and eventually failing. The instrument cluster is the only place I can see my speed, thus my car is now unsafe as I can not tell what speed I am driving at.

I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding two critical component failures in my 2013 Tesla Model S within the past 12 months, both of which occurred shortly after the manufacturer's warranty had expired. These issues have not only been financially burdensome but also raise questions about the reliability and longevity of Tesla vehicles. Motor Replacement: In Sept 2022, I was compelled to replace the motor in my Tesla Model S at a cost of $6,304.89. This occurred despite my vehicle maintaining a clean record and having only around 70k miles on it at the time. The timing of this failure, immediately after the expiration of the manufacturer's warranty, is concerning and suggests a potential design or manufacturing flaw. Battery Replacement: Most recently, I have been informed that the battery in my Tesla Model S requires replacement at an estimated cost of $15,545.97. Like the motor failure, this comes...

On August 23, 2023 I was driving my 2013 Tesla Model S on the Van Wyck Expressway when suddenly the steering wheel became very stiff making the car hard to steer. I experience a loss of electronic power in steering the car. I called Tesla Road Service they dispatched a tow truck one of their tow provider and I was charged $475.00 dollars. It was towed to: Tesla Service Center @ 160 Van Brunt Street Brooklyn, NY 11231. I mentioned to Tesla Service Center per information I reviewed online this is a recall SB-22-00-014 per the year of my vehicle 2013 Tesla Model S. Tesla Service Center charged me $500.84 cents for a diagnosis they said the Electric Power Steering Gear Rack & Pinion is the issue and refused to acknowledge the recall per the model of my 2013 Model S Tesla. They quote me an amount of $4, 500.00...

The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the message “unable to drive, voltage supply” and “vehicle may not restart” was displayed. The vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the local service center who diagnosed that the drive unit was faulty and needed to be replaced, due to water ingress coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. In addition, while operating the vehicle, a warning alert was displayed regarding the battery system and that the battery would no longer recharge. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the HV battery pack had failed due to corrosion caused by condensation from the HVAC system. The HV battery was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.

Center LCD SCREEN bubbling and leaking fluid from panel into car.

My main center computer touch screen has been leaking a sticky toxic glue for over 5 years. This toxic sticky glue continues to leak all over the interior of my vehicle which regularly needs to be cleaned. This saftey issue has been reported to Tesla several times and Tesla refuses to take responsibility for this saftey issue. The sticky toxic glue leaks severly worse when exposed to higher temperatures and definitely is related to heat/thermal heat exposure. Tesla did not utilize an automotive grade computer screen on earlier production vehicles and has since changed the type of computer screens utilized in their current production vehicles. This is an ongoing problems with thousands of earlier production vehicles. Tesla is aware of this problem and refuses take responsibility to issue a recall which affects thousands of customers who are experiencing this same saftey issue. Tesla WILL NOT help or do anything to...

Screen in front of the driver froze. Speedometer did not change, odometer did not change, map and directions did not change, gearshift indicator did not change, clock was frozen.

Explained to Tesla service center immediately upon purchasing vehicle while it was still under warranty that the vehicle range was unacceptable using TESLA's warranty guideline for requirements for a battery replacement while under warranty. TELSA refused to changed the battery even though I took the vehicle to TESLA several times while the Battery was still under warranty. A month after the warranty expired the motor died, it had been showing signs wear but TESLA failed to property inform me of the issue and charged me over $6000 for the repair due to my lack of knowledge on what the symptoms are for a failing motor. Shortly after the warning for "Charging - Maximum battery charge level reduced" has come on and TESLA is trying to charge me about $21,000 for a replacement battery.

At random the Steering assist reduce, traction control disabled, stability, control, disable, regenerative breaking reduced. Wipers are affected during these error messages. The car is trying to get me killed!! On different days, all those errors are gone and the car drives normal. Suspect this is a software defect and can be very dangerous. Seems like something got reset after the car is turned off. All software are up to date on the car and on the phone app. Once no more errors from the car, it would drive normal until it randomly disable traction control, stability control and wipers becomes very slow, get stuck at times.

1. 2nd row seat behind driver malfunction for years. (Mean can not insert) 2. On Dec. 5th, 2022, Drive off the Tesla model S off highway to local road and car just die. Tow to Tesla service station in Bellevue, WA. I was told drive unit was water damaged a day later. This drive unit was put in on June, 2018 to replace original drive unit, which broken in June, 2018 at 76k miles. 4.5 years later, and under 45k miles driving splashed water from road cause damage of drive unit. Unbelievable. If car died on the 520 bridge before I got off it really can be a serious car crash. This is really a safety issues.

Last week, my vehicle could no longer charge fast and I am unable to charge past 107 miles. The following message appears: BMS_u029 / "Maximum battery charge level reduced" After researching the issue, I found that hundreds of other Tesla drivers have experienced this problem (see: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/forums/model-s-battery-charging.109/). Some were unable to charge after receiving this message, and some were capped at 30-50 miles, making the vehicles practically unusable. Tesla charges $15,000 (remanufactured battery pack) to $25,000 (new) to fix the problem. But many drivers are reporting that the defect is caused by a Tesla design, where the AC condensation drips onto the battery pack and create rust and corrosion, which then cause the batteries to malfunction.

My 2013 Tesla Model S 60 KW didn’t drive on July 2022 and I got a warning on the screen that all electrical systems are shutting down . The car had to be towed to Tesla Service . Tesla service told me the battery pack has to be replaced for 13k. I went down to Tesla Service and told them I want to see the battery pack but I was told that I couldn’t see it and was shown a piece of the corroded fuse box cover. I was told I couldn’t take a picture of it even though this was my car and own the battery pack . I was told only then that there was corrosion on the fuse box cover to the battery pack and the battery pack has to be replaced for 13k. I paid 13k and Tesla replaced the battery pack 6 weeks later. I...

The touchscreen failed and I need it replaced, but Tesla says it’s not part of what the NTSB negotiated with Tesla to do regarding these screens. 2014 model S. It’s not fair to me to have to replace what I believe is a defect. Also, I believe this car was salvaged in another state and then brought to CA and resold to me. There was a salvage record on Bumper and now it disappeared. There’s also a code on my car that reads that acceleration may be reduced and Tesla wants to replace connectors but I keep getting more and more parts added to the quote. They say this is a “preemptive” repair. They made a new firmware/software rollout which took away my Sirius XM capability and they say they know about it, but won’t reinstall my software. I believe their software/firmware has taken away attributes on my car. Tesla...

As I was driving the vehicle home one night on the highway, the vehicle had a 13% charge and told me to pull over safely as it was shutting down. I had it towed to a charging station and the issue seemed to be resolved. Then after a couple weeks, I was driving on the highway and revived another warning, “maximum battery charge level reduced- ok to drive- schedule service.” I brought it to the nearest supercharger and it only charges to 24% charge and it charges extremely slow. I took it in for service and the told me I need to replace the high voltage battery and quoted me at $19,414. I have seen reports of investigations taking place currently in Canada for the same issue. Apparently, these older Teslas have an A/C condensor unit that dumps water onto the battery and causes battery problems. Please look into this...

Battery packs on older Model S are dying WHILE driving. Puts the car non responsive and limp mode. No choice but to try and pull over. No acceleration and car dies. First occurrence warning happened, however went away upon charging the vehicle. Drove to a Tesla service center under its own power, left service center under its own power with no warning messages. Tesla is aware of the issue with older battery packs, demands 20k or to scrap your car, or they require a legal release pertaining to the battery pack. I was locked out of my vehicle and it was held without a mechanics lein. This legal release absolves them of all responsibility over the vehicle especially if you bring it to another shop. Owners have no right to repair their vehicles at shops with certified technicians. The second time this happened, luckily the vehicle was parked and died...

Main LCD screen has cracked. This screen controls all aspects of the car. I was told by Tesla repair that the crack will start to discharge toxic fluid and the car will cease to function.

Electrical system power reduced warning. Vehicle shutting down.

The recall I have on this vehicle says I am ok to drive in the app

2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Prior 2022 I shared with Tesla several times about my tires constant notification on the dashboard for low air. Tires were constantly being checked due to the dashboard display. I was told by Tesla it was covered, but no repair was done. When Tesla mobile or service only air was placed into the tires. Then I was told by Tesla mobile & calling 1800 when service, then when recall was performed it should fix the problem. Vehicle was not driven often due to black screen and tire issues/dashboard display. 2022 eMMC is finally replaced but now the warning on the dashboard reads 'Tire pressure monitoring system fault. Pressure sensor fault 'MAY' CLEAR NEXT DRIVE. This is negligent for Tesla to say IT MAY CLEAR NEXT DRIVE (see pic). Tesla service had the vehicle in shop several times and refused to repair/correct this SAFETY issue. I have...

Appointment for the Federal Recall NHTSA Recall No.: 21V-035 - 8gb embedded multimedia card (eMMC) VIN: FP24819 APPT. DATE: 24 MAY 2022 INCIDENT: Racial Profiling, Tesla customer service told the owner that he MUST PROVIDE THE 'PINK SLIP' (NOT THE REGISTRATION SLIP) FOR THE VEHICLE IN ORDER FOR ANY REPAIR OR SERVICE WOULD BE PROVIDED OR PERMITTED. This is racism, and not the first time.

Bubbles are developing on the instrument cluster screen that may pose a safety concern by obscuring sight of important vehicle information, including speed and battery charge status. This is getting worse (more bubbles developing and becoming larger in size) by the day. This is a known problem that has been reported by other owners. Please see the following links: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/bubble-on-instrument-cluster.91537/ https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/instrument-cluster-bubble.192922/ https://www.reddit.com/r/TeslaLounge/comments/h049ur/air_bubbles_appeared_in_model_s_ic_screen_anyone/

I brought in the car to be parked as part of NHTSA Recall No. 21V-035. The "fix" provided has led to my center console in the Model S to shutdown completely. I contacted Tesla to inform them that their fix as part of the recall has actually led to more problems.

I was just getting off the freeway, into a business area, and all of a sudden car stopped without any warning, with a quick "power reduced flash on the screen, unable to move at all. I was in the middle of busy area, blocking the street and cars parked on each side. The rear wheel drive locked, even in neutral position, and also tow mode. 4 people tried to push the car into a safe area without success. Had to wait for a tow truck to take the car to tesla facility. Was told there was an internal failure of the inverter and the unit its self, which would coast over 6k. Very scary and a stressful situation I suffered and it needs to be addressed of the danger.

Main screen is black, subject to current recall. Also, vehicle takes about 15mn to start. Tesla is trying to make us pay $1500 for the repair. Tesla non compliance reported on December 22 2021 to NHTSA by email and only now we are directed to file the complaint here.

Tesla, Please assist me in the following: 1. I have LIFE Time charging, explain the $305.00 fee for a brand new battery Tesla charged/bill me and installed. 2. Tesla has a suggested billing of $100.00 to put air into a (1) tire. Or $100.00 to bring all tires to federal standards. Basically, no tire repair just air into tires. Please explain the charge. 3. Tesla called me at 9:21 A.M. inform me that my 27 March appointment was canceled (I had no say so). Then, I was instructed to have Tesla Roadside Assistance to tow my vehicle to your kearny mesa service station for $386.00 (Aaron - 1-877-798-3752). 4. I was instructed that Tesla Roadside assistance memberships was not an option to me. 5. I have an appointment but was told parts for my vehicle might be available or might not be available for a 2021 Federal Recall, but today...

Part II AFTER I EMAILED TESLA KEARNEY MESA SERVICE STATION, WITH MY CONCERN ABOUT THEIR BILLING FOR THE RECALL AND CUSTOMER SERVICE; I WAS SENT A NEW BILLING. MIND YOU, ALL MY ISSUES ARE RELATED TO THE RECALL AND TESLA SCHEMES AND FALSEHOODS. SEE ATTACHED

On September 30th, 2021 I brought my car in to Tesla Carlsbad for an issue with the navigation. The Tesla rep also included the eMMC recall. In doing so my car is not slower to wake up and drive when I get in, the center display works intermittently which is a safety issue that the back up camera is disabled. Additionally as a result my walk away locking was disabled and and I had items stolen in the middle of the night (Feb 10, 2022). When brought to Tesla's attention they suggested a $1500-2000 fix to upgrade the chip from MCU1 to MCU2. Not only is this a safety issue but its fraud.

The following recall is active on my 2013 Tesla Model S: NHTSA Recall Number21V035. Yesterday I had a booked date to fix this recall on my car and other small items. The Tesla dealership completely refused to do this work! They sttated that my vehicle was too old and that the warranty period had expired. They are completely wrong, of course, since the recall has nothing to do with the warranty nor the age of the car. Please help! Greetings, Franz

There is a current recall on my Tesla. It is my 3rd time returning the car after Tesla performed a recall with eMMC . My screen continues to go black and signal won’t work. I have to pull over and reset my car. Only way to resolve the issue is an MCU2 upgrade that I don’t want to pay. I need help please. It happens every other day. I have numerous of photos with date and time as proof.

"Center Display Unavailabe" message on dashboard. The center display screen that is critical for operating the vehicle controls and camera etc. was blank.

Screen went totally blank and I can’t control anything. No access to heating, backup camera, navigation, etc.

The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at an unknown speed, the media control unit turned off and was unable to operate the windows or the Air Conditioner in the vehicle. The contact stated that the temperature inside the vehicle began to rise and had to park the vehicle for 30 minutes. The contact stated she was able to restart the vehicle and was able to access the windows and the Air Conditioner and some other features. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing to replace the old hardware to access the new updates. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated she had experienced the failure on multiple occasions. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The rear view camera did not deploy when I was backing out of a driveway and I was struck by another vehicle. The police determined it was a no-fault accident. My insurance company deemed me primarily responsible. I was unable to see any oncoming traffic because the camera was not working and there were obstacles to seeing oncoming traffic. The car was deemed totaled by the mechanic and my insurance company. The car battery died soon after the accident and the vehicle remains in my garage and is immovable. I sustained minor head, neck and back injuries.

Car was charging in the garage on Dec 30, 2020 when at 5:25 AM a message was sent to my phone that the charging had been interrupted but not completed. 12 minutes later at 5:37 AM a message was sent that the Alarm on the vehicle had been activated. 2 minutes later the second Tesla in the garage sent a message that the alarm had been activated. None of these messages were seen at the time since we were asleep in the back of the house, but the car alarm did wake us up. Hearing the alarm woke us and soon after we heard smoke alarms from teh garage and throughout the house. When we walked to the front of the house, we could see flames from the garage to the top of the second story. We immediately exited the house. The attached article and video describes the situation. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/08/04/tesla-fire/...

I had a failure on my main computer. The MCU failed and the screen would not turn on. Tesla replaced a chip in my MCU but it did not fix all of my issues. I have to reboot my computer 95% of the time I am driving. Here are the issues: 1) 3g/GPS not activating. Leads to not being able to use GPS navigation. 2) Computer freezes. Usually while sleeping, computer does not wake up or the central screen does not respond leading to failures in many systems including: blinker, AC, radio, rear view for backing up, garage control, creep mode, etc. One time I left my computer in 'camp mode' so that it would keep cool on a hot day. While I was away from car, I checked on my mobile app to see the status of the car. The app could not connect to my car. When I...

Tesla has had a mandatory recall for the MCU and the screen. I went to get my car repaired, and they only fixed the MCU. They said my screen was not under the recall, but the whole point of the recall was to fix it. Now, with the screen not working, I am unable to control 95% of the functions of the car, including safety features like seeing the rear camera. They wish to charge me 800$ to replace the screen, which is not right when the original recall was the fix the screen issue.

TESLA IS REFUSING TO REFUND THE OUT OF POCKET COST PAID FOR THE MCU TOUCHSCREEN REPAIR, DESCRIBED BY THE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 21V035. PLEASE FIND ATTACHED TESLA'S AUTOMATED SYSTEM REFUSING TO REFUND, PLUS MY SERVICE RECEIPT SHOWING IT WAS PAID OUT OF POCKET.

THE CAR IS NOT GETTING ITS SOFTWARE UPDATES BECAUSE OF A BAD MCU. THE DEALER IS QUOTING $1200 TO REPLACE.

REPLACED MCU FOR TOUCHSCREEN AT A COST OF $1,359.50. CAR WAS ON RECALL FOR THIS REASON. NOTHING ON TESLA SITE FOR REIMBURSEMENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING ONTO THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE BATTERY WAS NOT CHARGING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER TESLA SERVICE CENTER (8105 BIG LAKE RD, VILLAGE OF CLARKSTON, MI 48346, (248) 241-9321) HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE, AND STATED THE ISSUE WOULD BE AT THE RESIDENCE ELECTRICITY. THE CONTACT STATED HE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER LOCAL DEALER AT TESLA SERVICE CENTER (6142 TELEGRAPH RD, TOLEDO, OH 43612, (567) 420-6130) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE CHARGING PORT TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED, BUT CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER AND THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT WAS UPDATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE...

THE SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER IS LEAKING AND DELAMINATING CAUSING THE GLUE TO DRIP ONTO OTHER COMPONENTS, POSSIBLY CAUSING A FIRE HAZARD OR UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT. TALKING TO OTHER OWNERS, THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE ON OLDER TESLA MODEL S CARS.

1. DRIVING SCREEN FAILED. 2. DURING WET WEATHER BRAKES WILL NOT SLOW DOWN CAR FOR 3 SECONDS...VERY DISTRUBING 3. 2013 MODEL S WITH UNDER 100K MILES HAD FONT END PARTS FAIL. REQUIRED A $3,000.00 REPAIR. HAVE NEVER HAD AN AMERICAN CAR, EVEN WITH TWICE THE MILEAGE HAVE MULTIPLE FRONT END PARTS FAIL.

BACKING UP MCU FAIL BACKUP CAMERA FAILED ALMOST BACK ON A KID RAN BEHIND MY CAR WHILE I WAS LOOKING DOWN AT A DISABLED SCREEN. DRIVING TO TESLA SERVICE DEPARTMENT MAIN SCREEN FAILED DUE TO COMPUTER CAR CRIPPLED TO MINIMAL SAFETY CONTROL. CAR NOW IN SERVICE TESLA REQUIRE ME TO PAY $1500 FOR NEW MCU2 INSTEAD OF RECALLING AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE MCU.