The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked Tesla to recall 159,000 cars. Government investigators want the company to address a problem that is causing touchscreens to shut down, which could distract drivers and leave them unable to access some of the car’s functions, including the reverse camera and defrosters.
Tesla is aware of the problem and has been working on a solution. In fact, it was Tesla that initially told the government about the issue. In documents provided to NHTSA, Tesla engineers explained that screens in about 14 to 17 percent of Model S sedans built between 2012 and 2015, and about two to four percent of those built between 2016 and 2018, have gone dark. But engineers expect that failure rate to grow and eventually reach 100 percent.
It’s happening because of flash memory. The screens shipped with an 8 GB eMMC device, which can withstand about 3,000 program-and-erase cycles before it needs to be replaced. Tesla has replaced that with a 64 GB device in newer cars, and cars with screens that have already gone black. NHTSA would like them to proactively replace the chip in every screen.
We should point out that a device with eight times the storage will also eventually fill up. It will simply take longer. NHTSA’s letter says the failures are occurring after just four to five years, while today, the average American car owners keep their cars for over a decade.
Behind the scenes wrangling
NHTSA investigators this week took the rare step of revealing negotiations between the government and the automaker over the potential recall, which may mean there is some conflict between the two. Frank Borris, former head of the agency’s Office of Defects Investigation, told reporters “It’s obvious to me that Tesla told NHTSA to go pound sand.”
The automaker has two weeks to agree to, or appeal, the request. Should it appeal, a public hearing will be scheduled, and the matter could be turned over to the Justice Department for legal action.
Borris, who reviewed the letter, told the AP it was “very thorough,” and “said NHTSA has a strong case should Tesla decide to challenge the agency in court.”
Many cars are subject to a recall at some point in their lifespans. Repairs are always free. Though automakers attempt to contact every owner, some always slip through the cracks. Check if your car has any outstanding recalls at our recall center.
