Tesla US recall affects some NZ cars

Thursday, 4 February 2021

A limited number of Tesla vehicles in New Zealand are expected to be affected by the recall of around 135,000 vehicles because the large touch screens on the console can go dark.

After initially resisting a call from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to recall the vehicles built before 2018 because it determined that the screens are defective and pose a safety risk because they can cause backup cameras to go dark and defrosters to malfunction, Tesla relented earlier this week and agreed to fix the defective models.

Tesla had initially refused to do a recall, saying that over-the-air software updates would take care of the problem. But in a document posted by the NHTSA on Tuesday, the company said it would recall the vehicles and replace the screens’ computer processors, even though it disagreed that the problem is a safety defect.

Tesla has since confirmed a limited number of vehicles in New Zealand will likely be part of the recall, and that owners can check if their car is affected at a special VIN recall page it has set up, which owners can reach by clicking here.

Tesla isn’t replacing the actual screens, rather it will update software and replace the 8GB embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC) in the media control unit (MCU), which it says is to blame for the defect.

A number of Model S and Model X vehicles in New Zealand built before 2018 may be affected by the recall.

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The recall only applies to Model S and Model X vehicles built before March 2018 that are equipped with an 8GB embedded eMMC in the MCU that may “experience a malfunction due to accumulated wear.”

The company says that Model S and Model X vehicles built on or after March 2018 are not equipped with the 8GB eMMC and are not affected by the recall, likewise vehicles upgraded to the 64GB eMMC are not affected either.

According to Tesla the eMMC supports the vehicle’s large centre touchscreen display, and a malfunction of the 8GB eMMC “might result in a persistent blank centre display that does not recover after restarting the touchscreen, loss of certain functionalities, and/or a vehicle alert signalling memory storage device degradation.”

Even if affected by the defect, Tesla says all vehicles will remain safe and drivable, and if the car is running a recent software release (2020.48.12 or newer) and the eMMC malfunctions, then the reversing camera display will remain available, the exterior turn signal lighting will remain functional, and the windscreen defogging and defrosting controls will automatically default to auto and set the cabin temperature to 22 degrees C “to ensure visibility.”

The recall could even be a bonus for some owners with 8GB eMMCs, as Tesla will replace it with an enhanced 64GB eMMC.

Tesla advises all vehicle owners to check if their car is running software release 2020.48.12 or newer and, if not, to install the latest available release.