2013 TESLA MODEL S Complaints

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

THIS IS IN REGARDS TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES TESLA PUSHED A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO OUR CARS IN APRIL/MAY OF THIS YEAR THAT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES RANGE AND POWER USING A VOLTAGE CAP THAT ALSO REMOVED ABOUT $30,000 WORTH OF PAID UPGRADES TO RANGE AND HORSEPOWER (ELECTRIC CARS NEED VOLTS FOR BOTH RANGE AND POWER, SO TESLA'S REDUCTION TOOK SUBSTANTIAL VALUE OUT OF THE CARS AFFECTED). TESLA CLAIMS THEY DOWNGRADED OUR CARS "OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION" AFTER A SERIES OF CARS CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED (NON-COLLISION, NON-PHYSICALLY DAMAGED VEHICLES, THAT CAUGHT FIRE FOR APPARENTLY FOR NO REASON - SOME AFTER BEING UNUSED FOR SEVERAL DAYS). TESLA INITIALLY CLAIMED THE UPDATE WAS REMOVING FEATURES WE PAID FOR "OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION" BUT NOW TESLA WILL NOT TELL US WHETHER OR NOT THE ISSUE IS SAFETY RELATED. THIS IS A CRITICAL OMISSION, BECAUSE THERE WAS NEVER ANY NHTSA RECALL NOTICE POSTED, OR SERVICE BULLETIN, OR OTHERWISE SAFETY RELATED OFFICIAL INFORMATION. THOUSANDS OF TESLA OWNERS ARE CHOOSING TO SKIP THE UPDATE, BECAUSE IT CAN INSTANTLY REDUCE THE VALUE OF OUR CARS BY HALF AND MAKE THEM UNUSABLE IF PEOPLE BOUGHT THE RANGE UPGRADES OUT OF NECESSITY. DISTANCES THAT WERE ABLE TO BE DRIVEN BEFORE THE UPDATE ARE IMPOSSIBLE AFTERWARD. PURCHASES WERE CALCULATED ON THIS AND THE RANGE UPGRADES WERE MADE FOR THE ADDITIONAL RANGE THE SOFTWARE UPDATE REMOVES. PLEASE GO FORWARD WITH THIS INVESTIGATION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW: 1) IS THERE A SAFETY ISSUE? 2) DOES THE UPDATE ADDRESS A WARRANTY PROBLEM? 3) IS MY HARDWARE FAULTY? WILL IT BE REPAIRED? WHY WAS IT REDUCED? 4) ARE PEOPLE THAT DON'T CONNECT THEIR CAR TO WIRELESS INTERNET AT RISK FROM NOT BEING UPDATED?

I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF RANGE WITH 2019.16 SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT TESLA RELEASE. I NO LONGER HAVE THE RANGE OR CHARGING SPEED BEFORE THE UPDATE. THIS WAS A PURPOSEFUL ACTION FROM TESLA DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR THE BATTERIES CATCHING FIRE. TESLA TOOK ACTION TO DOWNGRADE HORSEPOWER AND RANGE ALONG WITH ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE THROUGH A TOTAL VOLTAGE CAP. THIS IN EFFECT HAS DEVALUED THE RESELL VALUE OF MY CAR BY REMOVING FUNCTIONS, RANGE AND CHARGING SPEED. THIS CHANGE HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND STATIONARY.

ON OR ABOUT JUNE 24, 2019, MY PARKED CAR'S SOFTWARE WAS FORCIBLY UPDATED WITHOUT MY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION AND WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION. THIS FORCED SOFTWARE UPDATE REDUCED THE NOMINAL CAPACITY OF MY BATTERY BY 16.02%. ON JUNE 23, 2019, MY 100% STATE OF CHARGE (SOC) WOULD CHARGE EACH CELL IN MY BATTERY PACK TO 4.2 VOLTS, RESULTING IN A RATED RANGE OF 256 MILES. UPON ENTERING MY PARKED CAR ON JUNE 24, I DISCOVERED THAT TESLA "CAPPED" THE BATTERY SUCH THAT EACH CELL WOULD ONLY CHARGE TO APPROXIMATELY 4.09 VOLTS, RESULTING IN A RATED RANGE OF 215 MILES AT A 100% SOC, OR A RATED RANGE LOSS OF 41 MILES. THEY ALSO SLOWED THE CHARGING RATE BY OVER 50%. FOUR TESLA CARS THAT WERE PARKED RECENTLY CAUGHT FIRE. AFTER THE FOURTH FIRE, TESLA ISSUED AN OVER THE AIR (OTA) SOFTWARE UPDATE PREVENTING THE FULL CHARGING (E.G., TO 4.2 VOLTS FOR EACH CELL) OF THE BATTERY PACK, LIMITED THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT THAT CAN BE "PULLED" FROM THE BATTERY PACK AT ANY ONE TIME, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ACCELERATION. TESLA STATED THE UPDATE WAS "OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION" AFTER THE OCCURRENCE OF SEVERAL NON-CRASH FIRES. TESLA UNILATERALLY TOOK THIS ACTION OF ISSUING A "FIRE-SAFETY UPDATE" WITHOUT INFORMING THE CAR OWNERS OF THE REASON FOR THE UPDATE, WHY SAID UPDATE SHOULD BE INSTALLED AND THE EFFECT ON THE CAR ONCE THE UPDATE WAS INSTALLED. IN MY CASE, THE UPDATE WAS FORCED ON MY PARKED CAR VIA AN OTA UPDATE ON JUNE 23 (OR 24) WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION TO ME NOR REQUESTING MY APPROVAL NOR INFORMING ME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF INSTALLING THE UPDATE (REDUCED RANGE, POWER, ETC.), TESLA SAID THAT THEY WERE RELEASING A FIRE-SAFETY UPDATE, BUT OFFICIALLY NO SAFETY UPDATE WAS RELEASED. SEE, FOR EXAMPLE: HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2019/5/16/18627746/TESLA-FIRE-BATTERY-SOFTWARE-UPDATE-MODEL-S-X HTTPS://JALOPNIK.COM/TESLA-IS-UPDATING-BATTERY-SOFTWARE-AFTER-A-MODEL-S-CATC-1834794877

ON JUNE 27, 2019 I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A TESLA SERVICE CENTER FOR MAINTAINANCE UNRELATED TO THE BATTERY OR DRIVE UNIT. DURING THE VISIT TESLA DOWNLOADED A NEW SOFTWARE REVISION TO MY CAR THAT IMMEDIATELY LIMITED RANGE, POWER, CHARGE RATE AND BATTERY CAPACITY. I NOTICED THIS AND BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO HAVE THE BATTERY CHECKED FOR DAMAGE, NOT KNOWING THAT TESLA HAD PURPOSEFULLY THROTTLED MY BATTERY. TESLA TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS LIMITED VIA SOFTWARE BECAUSE OF AGE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER EXPLANATION. I FELT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR THE REASON TESLA WOULD LIMIT MY BATTERY. THIS IS WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT SEVERAL TESLA'S IN THE AGE RANGE OF MINE HAD SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE AND MANY OTHERS HAD BEEN LIMITED VIA THE SAME SOFTWARE UPDATE AS MINE. TESLA NEEDS TO REPLACE THESE FAULTY BATTERIES, NOT LIMIT THE USE. THAT IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE SOLUTION.

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. FURTHER, TESLA HAS CAPPED THE RATE OF CHARGE AT THEIR SUPERCHARGERS RESULTING IN MUCH LONGER CHARGING TIMES FOR THIS VEHICLE THAN HAS BEEN OBSERVED BEFORE THIS UPDATE. THANK YOU.

ON OR ABOUT JUNE 24, 2019, MY PARKED CAR'S SOFTWARE WAS FORCIBLY UPDATED WITHOUT MY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION AND WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION. THIS FORCED SOFTWARE UPDATE REDUCED THE NOMINAL CAPACITY OF MY BATTERY FROM 74 KWH TO 68 KWH. ON JUNE 23, 2019, MY 100% STATE OF CHARGE (SOC) WOULD CHARGE EACH CELL IN MY BATTERY PACK TO 4.2 VOLTS, RESULTING IN A RATED RANGE OF 257 MILES. UPON ENTERING MY PARKED CAR ON JUNE 24, I DISCOVERED THAT TESLA "CAPPED" THE BATTERY SUCH THAT EACH CELL WOULD ONLY CHARGE TO APPROXIMATELY 4.09 VOLTS, RESULTING IN A RATED RANGE OF 226 MILES AT A 100% SOC, OR A RATED RANGE LOSS OF 30-31 MILES. FOUR TESLA CARS THAT WERE PARKED RECENTLY CAUGHT FIRE. AFTER THE FOURTH FIRE, TESLA ISSUED AN OVER THE AIR (OTA) SOFTWARE UPDATE PREVENTING THE FULL CHARGING (E.G., TO 4.2 VOLTS FOR EACH CELL) OF THE BATTERY PACK, LIMITED THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT THAT CAN BE "PULLED" FROM THE BATTERY PACK AT ANY ONE TIME, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ACCELERATION. TESLA STATED THE UPDATE WAS "OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION" AFTER THE OCCURRENCE OF SEVERAL NON-CRASH FIRES. TESLA UNILATERALLY TOOK THIS ACTION OF ISSUING A "FIRE-SAFETY UPDATE" WITHOUT INFORMING THE CAR OWNERS OF THE REASON FOR THE UPDATE, WHY SAID UPDATE SHOULD BE INSTALLED AND THE EFFECT ON THE CAR ONCE THE UPDATE WAS INSTALLED. IN MY CASE, THE UPDATE WAS FORCED ON MY PARKED CAR VIA AN OTA UPDATE ON JUNE 23 (OR 24) WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION TO ME NOR REQUESTING MY APPROVAL NOR INFORMING ME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF INSTALLING THE UPDATE (REDUCED RANGE, POWER, ETC.), TESLA SAID THAT THEY WERE RELEASING A FIRE-SAFETY UPDATE, BUT OFFICIALLY NO SAFETY UPDATE WAS RELEASED. SEE, FOR EXAMPLE: HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2019/5/16/18627746/TESLA-FIRE-BATTERY-SOFTWARE-UPDATE-MODEL-S-X HTTPS://JALOPNIK.COM/TESLA-IS-UPDATING-BATTERY-SOFTWARE-AFTER-A-MODEL-S-CATC-1834794877

THE DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE (EXTERIOR) WILL NOT PRESENT, WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE VEHICLE IS 6 YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN 40K MILES ON IT. THE TESLA CUSTOMER SERVICE REP SAID THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT, BUT THEY ARE STILL CHARGING OVER $400 TO FIX IT. THIS HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. I PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY TO HELP SOMEONE, AND WHEN I TRIED TO GET BACK INTO MY CAR, THE HANDLE WOULD NOT PRESENT AND I HAD TO ENTER FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE HANDLE HAS NOT WORKED SINCE. MANY OTHER TESLA OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM. DOOR HANDLES ARE A NECESSITY FOR ALL VEHICLES, AND SHOULD LAST A REASONABLE LIFETIME FOR A CAR. NOT BEING ABLE TO ENTER YOUR CAR IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

ON 9/5/19 MY MCU (MEDIA CONTROL UNIT) (THE MAIN COMPUTER IN MY CAR) DIED. AS A RESULT, I WAS UNABLE TO: 1. MANUALLY POWER OFF THE VEHICLE AND PLACE IN TOW MODE 2. TURN ON PARKING LIGHTS, TURN ON/OFF HEADLIGHTS 3. TRIGGER ON/OFF CHILD PROTECTION LOCKS ADDITIONALLY, 1. ALL HEATING, COOLING, DEFROST, AND DEFOGGING WAS DISABLED I'VE READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MODEL S/X CARS ON MULTIPLE FORUMS INCLUDING HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/ & HTTPS://FORUMS.TESLA.COM. I BELIEVE THE REASON IS SHOWN HERE HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=O-7B1WAOJ9Q. START AT 8:40. THIS IS QUITE WORRISOME, AS IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS FAILURE WILL HAPPEN AGAIN IN A FEW YEARS. IT WAS A HOT DAY AND NOT ONLY WAS IT UNBEARABLY INSIDE MY CAR, HOWEVER, MORE IMPORTANTLY, MANY OF THE KEY SAFETY FUNCTIONS (SEE ABOVE) WERE ALSO DISABLED DUE TO THIS FAILURE.

I HAVE A 2013 TESLA MODEL S85. THREE DAYS AGO WHILE DRIVING ON I 70 BETWEEN COLUMBUS, OHIO AND INDIANAPOLIS, IN, THE CAR LOST POWER ABRUPTLY JUST 40 MILES OUTSIDE INDIANAPOLIS. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS A FAILED DRIVE TRAIN. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND SHE COULD PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY FORTUNATELY, ALTHOUGH THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING IN THE CAR DOES NOT GIVE YOU MUCH TIME TO PULL OVER. NOW LOOKING ON LINE, I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND SOME DRIVERS HAVE HAD TO CHANGE DRIVE TRAINS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN SINCE IT IS NOT EASY TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WHEN THE CAR HAS REGENERATIVE BRAKING. HAS THERE BEEN ANY ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE POWER TRAIN FAILURE? SHOULD THIS BE A RECALL ITEM?