NHTSA asks Tesla to recall 158,000 [now 135,000] vehicles for eMMC failure. Voluntary Recall issued

[MP3Mike]

You are getting the run around. None of the work done is in accordance with official Tesla Guidance, i.e., the service bulletin.

If they are seeing the problem, the only approved solution is daughterboard replacement.

You keep saying that, but the TSB specifically only covers errors/alerts that are logged. It doesn't say anything about applying to locking up, rebooting, etc. How do you know that they are experiencing one of the covered errors?

 

[aerodyne]

You keep saying that, but the TSB specifically only covers errors/alerts that are logged. It doesn't say anything about applying to locking up, rebooting, etc. How do you know that they are experiencing one of the covered errors?

The work done, clearing home directory etc, is not covered by the SB.

Nor, is it likely covered by any other technical guidance, if it was, the SB would have referenced it.

Read the SB again. Errors can be reported, not just logged.

 

[gearchruncher]

If you look at the Tanaka recall, given there is an expectation that the service/parts chain would not be able to handle immediate recall of all airbags at once (even only the ones with owners that responded), there was a priority system of the most impacted/at risk ones first. A similar schedule may happen here that will drag things out.

Takata had to build and replace 50 million airbags. Even if they took 10 years, that is 5 million a year. Tesla has 160k to do. At 10 years of Takata speeds, that is 12 days.

I don't think NHTSA is going to allow Tesla to slow drag out "only" 160k units because this is a massive impact to the auto industry. VW makes 160k cars every 5 days. Clearly automotive supply chain can handle this without a blink. This is a *tiny* recall for NHTSA. Ford had to recall 2.5 million cars on one recall last year.

Also, the Takata issue was one of very few failures. Maybe 10% were bad, and you needed to be in an accident to find out. Tesla has admitted every single unit will fail on every owner. They're going to need a very strong story to explain not just replacing these ASAP.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Takata had to build and replace 50 million airbags. Even if they took 10 years, that is 5 million a year. Tesla has 160k to do. At 10 years of Takata speeds, that is 12 days.

I don't think NHTSA is going to allow Tesla to slow drag out "only" 160k units because this is a massive impact to the auto industry. VW makes 160k cars every 5 days. Clearly automotive supply chain can handle this without a blink. This is a *tiny* recall for NHTSA. Ford had to recall 2.5 million cars on one recall last year.

Also, the Takata issue was one of very few failures. Maybe 10% were bad, and you needed to be in an accident to find out. Tesla has admitted every single unit will fail on every owner. They're going to need a very strong story to explain not just replacing these ASAP.

I'm just using the Tanaka recall as an example, not to suggest this is of the same scale.

How many cars other larger manufactures make (and service) is irrelevant, only how many daughterboards Tesla can make/refurb and service can replace is relevant. That there is a global chip shortage (with automakers getting the short end of the stick) only makes things worse (below from news feed).

Ford closes plant in Germany for 1 month as global chip shortage worsens - CNN

 

[David.85D]

You are getting the run around. None of the work done is in accordance with official Tesla Guidance, i.e., the service bulletin.

If they are seeing the problem, the only approved solution is daughterboard replacement.

this isn’t exactly what it says. And frankly, the service centers are misreading it as well. It gives three criteria to be eligible for the free daughter board replacement. If those aren’t meet - they are supposed to continue diagnosing the problem to find the issue! Not send you away!

 

[flyinghawaiian]

I really hope the NHTSA makes Tesla fix this. It's so difficult to get Tesla to fix this issue. We brought it in last month and they said it wasn't the emmc, even though it matches everything I've seen online for emmc being the main culprit. They said all they need to do is clear some files. Well a few weeks later the screen started blanking out again and remaining blank for the entire drive. Have another appointment set but the pre invoice they sent us doesn't show a emmc replacement, just again clearing the files.

 

[aerodyne]

this isn’t exactly what it says. And frankly, the service centers are misreading it as well. It gives three criteria to be eligible for the free daughter board replacement. If those aren’t meet - they are supposed to continue diagnosing the problem to find the issue! Not send you away!

If the criteria ARE met, replacement of the board is mandated. No other action is mentioned like clearing home directory.

If the board is replaced and there are still problems, then they should be looking for a solution elsewhere.

 

[aerodyne]

I really hope the NHTSA makes Tesla fix this. It's so difficult to get Tesla to fix this issue. We brought it in last month and they said it wasn't the emmc, even though it matches everything I've seen online for emmc being the main culprit. They said all they need to do is clear some files. Well a few weeks later the screen started blanking out again and remaining blank for the entire drive. Have another appointment set but the pre invoice they sent us doesn't show a emmc replacement, just again clearing the files.

Download and read and bring a copy of the SB with you. Have them verify in writing that the eMMC is not the issue if they insist that this is the case.

 

[MP3Mike]

If the criteria ARE met, replacement of the board is mandated. No other action is mentioned like clearing home directory.

What is it that you think are the criteria? And how are people supposed to know if the criteria are met? (Other than the ones that recieve the "storage degraded" warning.)

From the bulletin:

Vehicle Ineligible

If the Warranty Status for the “8GB eMMC Tegra Adjustment Program” is “Inactive”, it has been more than 8 years since the original delivery date, the vehicle has an odometer reading greater than 100,000 miles (160,000 km), the eMMC name is other than “Hynix”, “H8G2d”, or “S0J58x”, or the vehicle is not experiencing an 8GB eMMC or replacement eMMC malfunction due to accumulated wear, then the vehicle is ineligible for this Warranty Adjustment Program. Cancel this bulletin activity so that it remains available for a possible future application. Create a new service activity and follow standard procedures to determine the cause, resolution, and payment, as appropriate, for the vehicle issue.

 

[aerodyne]

What is it that you think are the criteria? And how are people supposed to know if the criteria are met? (Other than the ones that recieve the "storage degraded" warning.)

From the bulletin:

Criteria are, in summary:

Covered by warranty, approved chip installed.

Warning message, or evidence of malfunction in logs.

For some chips, less than 64 slots, or words to that effect.

How is the owner supposed to know? My guess is the warning message. It is clear, if there is a verified warning message, the ONLY remedy provided by the SB is daughter board replacement, provided the car is NOT ineligible as the paragraph you provided indicates.

 

[Matias]

As a SW engineer with 30 years embedded medical device experience (similarly regulated industry), it's a total failure on the SW engineering side to not account for legacy devices on which your new SW will run.

My understanding is, that there has been too much logging from the day one and was it just about a year ago that they disabled continuous excessive logging.

 

[Chaserr]

Download and read and bring a copy of the SB with you. Have them verify in writing that the eMMC is not the issue if they insist that this is the case.

My mcu is rebooting every drive now and permanently lost data connectivity weeks ago. My service center confirms the MCU needs to be replaced but is unable to do the "warranty adjustment" because it isn't reporting the exact messages they need to see. The problem with failing computer chips is it's random and the SB only lets service perform a repair under a couple specific criteria the MCU reports.

Rather than fight my service center I'm just waiting another week. It's not their fault, they said they would do it if Tesla allowed them. This NHTSA defect petition will make it possible. Tesla corporate is the problem, and regulatory agencies are solving that problem.

Mike the exact criteria were submitted to the NHTSA
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10184233-9999.pdf

 

[Cleo-n-Company]

What is it that you think are the criteria? And how are people supposed to know if the criteria are met? (Other than the ones that recieve the "storage degraded" warning.)

From the bulletin:

This is so Tesla... let's not tackle this situation to take care of our owners. But gotta make sure that the payment collection step is noted and reinforced.

This is exactly what my local SC did with my most recent pano roof repair.

These guys are hacks - and this direction comes straight from Mount Musk.

 

[Cleo-n-Company]

My mcu is rebooting every drive now and permanently lost data connectivity weeks ago. My service center confirms the MCU needs to be replaced but is unable to do the "warranty adjustment" because it isn't reporting the exact messages they need to see. The problem with failing computer chips is it's random and the SB only lets service perform a repair under a couple specific criteria the MCU reports.

Rather than fight my service center I'm just waiting another week. It's not their fault, they said they would do it if Tesla allowed them. This NHTSA defect petition will make it possible. Tesla corporate is the problem, and regulatory agencies are solving that problem.

Mike the exact criteria were submitted to the NHTSA
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10184233-9999.pdf

I agree with you... fighting the SC is a futile endeavor.

But wouldn't you feel even a little better if the employees at the SC at least pretended to care ? The SC in my region does not. Their responses always seem derived from some algorithm. I'd never hire these people to work for my company.

 

[aesculus]

But wouldn't you feel even a little better if the employees at the SC at least pretended to care ? The SC in my region does not. Their responses always seem derived from some algorithm. I'd never hire these people to work for my company.

It used to be this way up until about 2 years ago. Too bad. I feel sorry for the people too.

 

[Cleo-n-Company]

It used to be this way up until about 2 years ago. Too bad. I feel sorry for the people too.

Yes - someone flipped the "nasty" switch at Tesla about 2 years ago. The SC was really quite pleasant prior.

 

[Droschke]

Yes - someone flipped the "nasty" switch at Tesla about 2 years ago. The SC was really quite pleasant prior.

The high degree of care in customer service was one of the main reasons I purchased the car in 2015. It started to change quickly after that.

 

[Altes]

They’ll do the recall and give everyone the new Tegra board with the bigger chip.

say it costs them $500/car, even the full 158,000 cars costs them less than $80 million. No big deal.

And the best part is you will still have a slow as *sugar* MCU1 that doesnt support a web browser or voice commands and reboots every other week stranding you for the 5-10 minutes it takes to reboot

 

[kevyli]

Just got my S back from the SC and they are saying it is a known software defect and it will be fixed in a future update. I tried my best to get the eMMC replaced under the service bulletin guidelines but they said it isn’t showing a “failure” on the diagnostics. Really hope corporate puts together a formal response to all mess.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Criteria are, in summary:

Covered by warranty, approved chip installed.

Warning message, or evidence of malfunction in logs.

For some chips, less than 64 slots, or words to that effect.

How is the owner supposed to know? My guess is the warning message. It is clear, if there is a verified warning message, the ONLY remedy provided by the SB is daughter board replacement, provided the car is NOT ineligible as the paragraph you provided indicates.

That's not disputing Mike's point. A bunch of people posting so far don't appear to meet that criteria, but yet you are suggesting daughterboard replacement was a given for their symptoms under that TSB. The final recall may have less strict criteria, or it may be the same. We don't know yet.