2013 TESLA MODEL S Complaints

TESLA MODEL S DOOR POPS OPEN WHEN YOU SELECT THE DOORS TO UNLOCK. MANY TIMES, IT DOESNT EVEN SHOW ON THE DASH BOARD, SO YOU DONT KNOW ITS OPEN UNLESS YOU NOTICE IT OR HEAR NOISE COMING FROM OUTSIDE. YOU GO CHECK AND THATS WHEN YOU REALIZE IT IS OPEN. VERY UNSAFE. SOMEONE CAN JUST ROLL OUT OF THE CAR.

ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, MY WIFE WAS SLOWLY APPROACHING OUR GARAGE DOOR WAITING FOR THE GARAGE DOOR TO OPEN WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD SPEED SUCH THAT THE CAR WENT THROUGH THE GARAGE DOOR DESTROYING TWO GARAGE DOORS, THE LOAD BEARING COLUMN BETWEEN THE TWO DOORS. A LOLLY COLUMN INSIDE THE GARAGE WAS BROKEN IN TWO PIECES AND OUR OTHER CAR IN THE GARAGE WAS DAMAGED AS WERE OTHER ITEMS IN THE GARAGE. THE CAR EVENTUALLY STOPPED WHEN IT HIT THE CONCRETE WALL OF THE GARAGE BUT TWO MARKS ON THE GARAGE FLOOR INDICATE THE REAR DRIVE WHEELS CONTINUED TO SPIN EVEN AFTER HITTING THE CONCRETE WALL. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF THIS CAR AND HAVE DRIVEN IT FOR 6 1/2 YEARS SO WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CAR. THANKFULLY, SHE WAS NOT INJURED.

DUE TO A FIRMWARE UPGRADE THAT WAS PERFORMED BY THE DEALER WHEN REPLACING MY MCU, MY TOTAL BATTERY RANGE WAS REDUCED FROM 249 MILES TO 213 MILES INITIALLY. THROUGH FURTHER UPDATES THE RANGE INCREASED TO 220 MILES AND THIS IS AN ACKNOWLEDGED ISSUE BY TESLA THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY BATTERY REPLACEMENT WITH A BATTERY THAT HAS AT LEAST THE ACTUAL RANGE I HAD BEFORE THE UPDATE (~250 MILES) OR BETTER. IF THE MODEL S 85 BATTERY IS A FIRE RISK AT THE RANGE CUSTOMERS WERE QUOTED, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE THROUGH PURCHASE OF A VEHICLE, THE RANGE AND SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE GUARANTEED SIMULTANEOUSLY AND NOT THROUGH A FIRMWARE UPGRADE I DIDN'T EVEN REQUEST. SEE SERVICE RECORD ATTACHED.

RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES

RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATED THE BATTERY FOR THE 2013 MODEL S 60KWH 2013 IS NOT CHARGING ANYWHERE NEAR THE CAPACITY. CHARGING THE BATTERY TAKES HOURS TO GET TO NEAR 65% OF WHAT USE TO BE FULL CHARGE AND IS NOW CONSIDERED A 100% CHARGE. THIS IS UNDER WARRANTY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ASAP. THIS HAS SEVERE IMPACT TO DAILY COMMUTE AND ABILITY TO UTILIZE THE CAR. MY UNDERSTANDING IS STARTING WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE IN MAY 2019, TESLA CAPPED THE MAX VOLTAGE THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY WOULD CHARGE TO. THEY CLAIM THEY DID THIS "OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION" AFTER SEVERAL NON-CRASH FIRES HAPPENED TO THESE MODELS. TESLA TOOK ACTION TO DOWNGRADE HORSEPOWER AND RANGE ALONG WITH ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE THROUGH A TOTAL VOLTAGE CAP AFTER CLAIMING TO BE RELEASING A FIRE-SAFETY UPDATE, BUT OFFICIALLY NO SAFETY UPDATE WAS RELEASED. THIS CHANGE HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND STATIONARY. *DT *BF*JB *BF *TR

THE BATTERY FOR THE 2013 MODEL S 60KWH 2013 IS NOT CHARGING ANYWHERE NEAR THE CAPACITY. CHARGING THE BATTERY TAKES HOURS TO GET TO NEAR 65% OF WHAT USE TO BE FULL CHARGE AND IS NOW CONSIDERED A 100% CHARGE. THIS IS UNDER WARRANTY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ASAP. THIS HAS SEVERE IMPACT TO DAILY COMMUTE AND ABILITY TO UTILIZE THE CAR. MY UNDERSTANDING IS STARTING WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE IN MAY 2019, TESLA CAPPED THE MAX VOLTAGE THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY WOULD CHARGE TO. THEY CLAIM THEY DID THIS "OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION" AFTER SEVERAL NON-CRASH FIRES HAPPENED TO THESE MODELS. TESLA TOOK ACTION TO DOWNGRADE HORSEPOWER AND RANGE ALONG WITH ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE THROUGH A TOTAL VOLTAGE CAP AFTER CLAIMING TO BE RELEASING A FIRE-SAFETY UPDATE, BUT OFFICIALLY NO SAFETY UPDATE WAS RELEASED. THIS CHANGE HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND STATIONARY.

SUMMARY: VEHICLE TPMS HAS BEEN DISABLED DUE TO A SOFTWARE REVISION. TESLA RELEASED V10 SOFTWARE FOR MODEL S VEHICLES. 2012-2014 CARS HAVE A LEGACY TPMS SYSTEM WHICH THE PREVIOUS SOFTWARE ALLOWED THE USER TO RESET THE TPMS, IF AN ERROR OCCURRED OR A DIFFERENT WHEEL/TIRE COMBINATION WAS SWAPPED FOR THE SEASON. ONCE THE RESET BUTTON WAS PRESSED THE SYSTEM WOULD LEARN THE NEW SENSORS AND THE ERROR WOULD RESET. THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE RESET BUTTON HAS BEEN REMOVED TO ACCOMODATE NEWER CARS WITH A NEWER, SMARTER TPMS SYSTEM FROM CONTINENTAL. THIS NEW SYSTEM SIMPLY REQUIRES YOU TO START DRIVING, AND IT AUTO LEARNS THE NEW SENSORS. VERSION 10 FAILS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE OLDER CARS WITH THE OLDER TPMS SYSTEM. AS IT STANDS NOW, THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE USER TO RESET THE TPMS, THUS OWNERS ARE DRIVING AROUND WITH A DISABLED, FEDERALLY MANDATED SAFETY SYSTEM. TESLA HAS ENCOURAGED OWNERS TO UPGRADE OLDER CARS TO THE NEWER SYSTEM AT SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE, WHEN ALL WE NEED IS THE ORIGINAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE RESET BUTTON THAT WAS PART OF THE VEHICLES ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 TESLA MODEL S. WHILE THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND CRASHED INTO A SIDE DITCH. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE, CAUSING MULTIPLE INJURIES TO THE DRIVER. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT WHERE IT WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *DT*DT*DT*DT *TR*DT*DT*JB*DT*JB REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT *JB*DT *JS*DT

RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES AFTER MOST RECENT FIRMWARE UPDATE (EXACT DATE UNKNOWN -- SOMETIME LATE THIS SUMMER)-- SUPERCHARGING SPEED APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN LIMITED. IT NOW TAKES 2-3X THE AMOUNT OF TIME TO CHARGE WHEN TRAVELING. I TESTED MULTIPLE SUPERCHARGERS FOR MY TRIP WHICH OCCURRED ON DURING THE WEEKEND OF 9/2. I AM FULLY AWARE OF CONDITIONS THAT CAN SLOW THE SPEED (STALL SHARING, HIGH SOC, LOW/HIGH BATTERY TEMP, ETC). NONE OF THESE CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT -- YET MY CHARGE SPEED WAS LIMITED DURING ALL CHARGING SESSIONS AND ACROSS MULTIPLE LOCATIONS/DATES/TIMES DURING THIS TRIP. I'VE BROUGHT THIS CONCERN UP ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS: 1. 9/5/19 - WAS TOLD "TESTED ON SUPERCHARGER AND VERIFIED VEHICLE CHARGING AT EXPECTED RATE, NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED" 2. 10/3/19 - VERBALLY - SPOKE TO MOBILE SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHILE PERFORMING SERVICE AT MY HOUSE. HE DID NOT CONFIRM OR DENY MY CHARGE RATE WAS LIMITED. I AM CONCERNED THAT MY BATTERY CHARGE RATE IS LIMITED DUE TO A FIRE RISK, AS THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS RELEASED AFTER CARS CAUGHT ON FIRE THIS YEAR.

RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES I AM AN EARLY MODEL TESLA OWNER. I STOPPED ACCEPTING OTA UPDATES TO MY CAR BECAUSE I DID NOT LIKE THE NEW FEATURES BEING ROLLED OUT. I HAVE FOUND A NEW STORY ONLINE ON TESLA THAT THEY RELEASED AN OTA UPDATE OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION AFTER FIRES IN EARLY TESLA MODELS BUT THEY DO NOT GO INTO ANY SPECIFICS. AFTER READING FORUMS FOR OTHER OWNERS I SEE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH OUR CARS THAT TESLA REFUSES TO COMMUNICATE WITH US. ARE WE SAFE OR NOT WITHOUT THE UPDATE? ALSO OTA UPDATES ARE NOT MANDATORY SO IF THEY DID DO A SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR SAFETY THERE ARE PROBABLY MANY OTHERS LIKE MYSELF THAT DO NOT HAVE THE LATEST SOFTWARE UPDATE AND ARE NO LONGER SAFE. I AM AFRAID THAT MY VEHICLE MIGHT CATCH FIRE BUT TESLA WON'T ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AND NEED YOUR HELP. THANKS