2013 Tesla Model S Powertrain & Transmission Problems

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

The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the message "Take to Service" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer by Tesla Insurance to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the drive unit was rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via email and a letter. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

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 as a substantial financial burden, and again, it has happened just after the warranty period has ended. I find these consecutive, high-cost component failures within a short timeframe to be unacceptable and have led me to question the overall reliability of Tesla vehicles. As a responsible and safety-conscious consumer, I believe it is vital to report these issues to the NHTSA to ensure the safety and protection of all Tesla owners and the general public. I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigates these repeated component failures in Tesla vehicles, particularly the motor and battery, and assesses whether there may be any systemic issues that warrant further action or recalls. It is crucial for the NHTSA to uphold and enforce safety standards in the automotive industry to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. I have attached relevant documents and receipts as evidence of the mentioned repairs for your reference. - [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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 have learned since then that many Teslas Model S year 2012-15 have this problem. The problem is that the air conditioner hose leaks on to the fuse box cover and corrodes it. Tesla knows about this problem and refuses to do anything and just says that the entire battery pack has to be replaced. This is a defect in the battery pack that fuse box is located under the air conditioner hose. I asked Tesla before paying for the replacement battery pack if this would occur with the replacement battery and was told that the replacement battery has the fuse box at the other side of the battery pack .not like the old battery. Apparently Tesla knows about this problem and redesigned the battery pack. This a defective battery pack and the car could stop driving suddenly and crash into other cars. This very dangerous and Tesla knew about this for years and didn’t do anything. I was under warranty from 2013 till 2021 for the battery pack and Tesla should have repaired the battery pack or replaced it. I want to reimbursed for my 13k that I spent on the replaced battery pack. Tesla knowingly knows this problem and deceived me and said just the fuse box got corroded. This happened in July 2022 in the heat when I had the air conditioner on and water leaked on to the battery pack.

I have loved my 2013 Model S since I got it. However, recently I have not been thrilled that I have needed a new powertrain according to my car. I was notified of this, set up service appointments, and it got delayed weeks later due to parts not arriving. I spoke with Kevin from Santa Ana Tesla, and he assured me the car was safe to drive. 3 days later, which was yesterday, my car died suddenly without warning when I was on Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles. I was there until 3 AM, and didn't get home in Irvine until 4 AM. It was really unsafe in the area late at night, and I was really frustrated the car wasn't safe to drive at all. My family and friends were with me and it could have been a total disaster. Now, I wake up and see the estimate to fix my car is almost $10,000.

The car suddenly has a powertrain issue, but it is a widely known problem with some estimates of 66% of all early Teslas having a powertrain issue by 60k miles. Mine happened at 56k. There is clearly a defect with early Tesla powertrains, as they increased the warranty to 8 years or 50k miles. My car is now at 9 years, and because of the low mileage due to covid, they will not cover the powertrain issue of the car. The following are links proving significant issues of my car. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1093907_tesla-model-s-drivetrain-warranty-rises-to-8-years-same-as-battery-pack https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/tesla-problems-3-major-issues-you-need-to-know-about https://www.autoevolution.com/news/early-tesla-model-s-powertrain-reliability-issues-come-into-question-in-low-volume-study-102773.html I not only have the powertrain issue, but my center screen is also screwed up. This is a massive issue in Teslas because I cannot access my HVAC controls, or any safety controls with this not working. I have contacted Tesla numerous times, I will be happy to provide email exchanges and they have not done anything to help me except want to charge me a lot of money, 9k to fix all of this!

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.

Drive Unit failed while driving. Car was not able to accellerate while coming off freeway. Driver heard thump then buzzing sound then couldn't accelerate. Driver drifted car to side of the road and it would not drive further.

2012/2013 MODEL S. HAD WINDING NOISE PRIOR TO WARRANTY EXPIRATION. TESLA VAN NUYS SERVICE CENTER STATED ALL NORMAL. AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRATION REAR DRIVE UNIT FAILS ON FREEWAY, SHUTTING VEHICLE DOWN, NEARLY CAUSING CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. TESLA REFUSED TO REPLACE UNTIL WE PAID OVER $7000 TO FIX. REAR DRIVE UNIT FAILED PREVIOUSLY UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS TYPICAL PROBLEM WITH TESLAS. NOW 8 YEAR WARRANTY EXPIRES FROM ORIGINAL PURCHASERS AND NHTSA SHOULD START TO SEE (ALREADY SEEING) NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS IN THIS REGARD. OBVIOUSLY NHTSA TESLA HAS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN WITH REAR DRIVE UNIT. TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ACT PROTECTS CONSUMER FROM MANUFACTURER DESIGN DEFECTS. TESLA RELYING ON WARRANTY EXPIRATION AND CONSUMER IGNORANCE TO NOW CHARGE FOR THIS NEVER ENDING FIX. NHTSA MUST START INVESTIGATION OF TESLA REAR DRIVE UNIT FAILURES. NO THOUSANDS OF REPORTS UNTIL NOW BECAUSE COVERED BY WARRANTY BUT TESLAS NOW OVER 8 YEARS OLD AND WARRANTY'S ARE EXPIRING. PLEASE INVESTIGATE.

A loud whining noise from the rear drive unit of my Tesla. The car is a 2013 and has 98,000 miles. The rear drive unit was previously replaced in 2015 at 45,000 miles, and has now been replaced again in 2021. The latest replacement was at cost to me of over $5000. I believe this price may prevent many owners from having this component replaced until it fails completely, leading to unsafe conditions. The car is no longer under warranty. The Tesla dealer accompanied me on a test drive to observe the whining noise, and recommended replacing the drive unit without delay to avoid the possibility of it letting me down and leaving me at the side of the road. I would hate to be in a car on the highway when a drive unit fails. It would be a danger to me, and other road users. These drive units should last more than 50,000 miles, and I believe the units now being installed have better longevity, but the units still installed in cars should be recalled and replaced with the ungraded units.

The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle started losing motive power. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road. The contact called the roadside assistance and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The local dealer inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure as a rear drive unit malfunction. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,523.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LOS ANGELES-CENTINELA (5840 W. CENTINELA AVE LOS ANGELES, CA 90045 310) 649-5463) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE DRIVE SHAFT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,000.

REPEATED EMMC FAILURE, REOCCURRING FAILURES AND REBOOTS OF THE MCU , SEE INVESTIGATION:EA 20-003. SINCE THERE ARE OVER 100K MILES, TESLA SUGGESTS $2700 MCU REPLACEMENT, NOT FREE EMMC REPLACEMENT AS THEY ARE DOING FOR MODELS WITH UNDER 100K MILES

MCU HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING. WITHOUT IT I CANNOT CONTROL CLIMATE, BACKUP CAMERA, RADIO, TURN SIGNALS, CHARGING, NAVIGATION, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER IMPORTANT FEATURES. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING AND INTERMITTENT, BUT RECENTLY HAS BECOME MORE COMMON.

WHEN TRYING TO START MY TESLA, I NOTICED THE LARGE TOUCH SCREEN WAS UNRESPONSIVE, AND I COULDN'T ENTER MY PIN CODE TO UNBLOCK CHANGING MY CAR GEARS, MY CAR GOT STUCK ON THE PARKING GEAR ON MY DRIVEWAY. WHEN SPEAKING WITH TESLA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO PERFORM A RESET PROCEDURE, AFTER WHICH THE LARGE SCREEN WENT DARK. AS REQUESTED BY TESLA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, I TOWED MY CAR TO THE NEAREST TESLA SERVICE CENTER, WHERE AFTER DIAGNOSIS I WAS TOLD MY CAR MCU HAD REACHED END OF LIFE, AND I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE MCU AT MY EXPENSE ($1419.07), BUT NO CLEAR EXPLANATION ON WHAT CAUSED THE MCU TO SUDDENLY STOP WORKING. AFTER INSISTING ON GETTING AN EXPLANATION AND RESEARCHING/SHOWING AN ARTICLE ABOUT AN ONGOING NHTSA PROBE ON SOME MEMORY ISSUES(HTTPS://WWW.REUTERS.COM/ARTICLE/US-TESLA-SAFETY/U-S-PROBES-TOUCHSCREEN-FAILURES-IN-TESLA-MODEL-S-CARS-IDUSKBN23V1VG), TESLA CONFIRMED THAT THE NEW UNIT WOULD HAVE A NEWER REVISION, BUT THAT I'D STILL HAVE TO PAIR FOR THE SERVICE AND PARTS.

THE CAR CAN'T RECEIVE SAFETY FIRMWARE UPDATES BECAUSE OF A FAILURE OF THE MCU. TESLA WANTS CUSTOMER TO PAY TO REPLACE.

MCU1 WITH EMMC IS DEAD, WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF CENTER SCREEN CONTROLS, THUS YOU HAVE NO CONTROLS OVER INTERIOR DEFROSTING OR FOGGING TO KEEP FROM HAVING LOSS OF VISIBILITY. IN ADDITION THERE IS NO BACKUP CAMERA. ALSO THE CAR WILL NO LONGER CHARGE PAST ABOUT 20% LEAVING YOU STRANDED. CAR WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN SCREEN WENT OUT AND WOULD NOT COME BACK. LAST AUGUST I HAD TO GET THE SCREEN REPLACED FOR 1100.00 NOW THIS REPAIR WILL COST 1600.00 AND IT COMES WITH ANOTHER SCREEN. THEY WILL NOT JUST FIX THE EMMC, P/N THAT IS ORDERED FOR THE REPAIR INCLUDES A NEW SCREEN THAT I DON'T NEED. I DECLINED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AT THIS TIME TO WAIT UNTIL MCU2 IS AVAILABLE, THEN A FEW DAYS LATER MY CAR WILL NO LONGER EVEN CHARGE. WELL IT CHARGES EXTREMELY SLOW TO A MAXIMUM OF 46 MILES. THEY SAY THE BATTERY AND DRIVE UNIT IS FINE SO GUESS WHAT, NO WARRANTY FOR ANYTHING ELSE FOR ALL THIS.

WHILE DRIVING ON A SIX LANE HIGHWAY, I RECEIVED MULTIPLE ALERTS FROM THE CAR SAYING THAT POWER WAS REDUCED, THE VEHICLE WAS SHUTTING DOWN, SERVICE IS REQUIRED, PULL OVER SAFELY AND VEHICLE MAY NOT RESTART. I PULLED OVER INTO A PARKING LOT TO MONITOR THE CAR, THE ALERTS CONTINUED TO COME AND GO BUT THE CAR REMAINED ON. I DECIDED TO DRIVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. I NOTIFIED TESLA SERVICE AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THE NEXT DAY WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT START AND THERE WAS A COMPLETE BATTERY FAILURE REQUIRING BATTERY REPLACEMENT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION TO ME AS THE OWNER PRIOR TO THIS EVENT THAT THE BATTERY WAS GOING TO FAIL, HOWEVER, ACCESS TO MY VEHICLE LOGS (WHICH I CANNOT OBTAIN FROM TESLA) MAY HAVE GIVEN ME SOME INDICATION. I WAS TOLD BATTERY FAILURE WAS DUE TO FAULTY SEALS ON THE RAPID MATE WHICH ALLOWED WATER INTRUSION AND OVERCURRENT WITHIN THE BATTERY.

MCU-1 DIED, AS IN TOUCH SCREEN DID NOT WORK, THEREFORE MOST OF THE CAR DOES NOT WORK. IT DIED OVERNIGHT, GOT IN THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING AND THE CAR WAS OFF, COULD NOT TURN IT ON

NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES. VIA SOFTWARE UPDATES, TESLA, SUDDENLY, INEXPLICABLY, REDUCED MAXIMUM VOLTAGE OF THE MAIN BATTERY. THE ACTION RESULTED IN INSTANT LOSS OF DISTANCE MILEAGE OF THE CAR OF 12 PERCENT, FROM 237 MILES TO 208 MILES. HORSEPOWER AND GENERAL PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR WAS ALSO REDUCED. TESLA HAS IMPLIED THAT THIS ACTION WAS TAKEN, FOR SELECTED TESLA CARS, OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION AS A FIRE-SAFETY UPDATE, BUT OFFICIALLY NO SAFETY RECALLS RELATED TO THIS UNEXPLAINED ACTION HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED. NO ONE ASSOCIATED WITH TESLA HAS OFFERED ANY FURTHER DETAILED EXPLANATION FOR THIS SUDDEN ACTION, WHICH, IN ADDITION TO REDUCING PERFORMANCE AND DISTANCE MILEAGE OF THE CAR, HAS ALSO REDUCED, OVERNIGHT, ITS INTRINSIC ASSET VALUE. THE RESULTS DESCRIBED HERE HAPPENED OVERNIGHT, WHILE THE CAR WAS AT REST---PARKED INSIDE A GARAGE.