Power Conversion System (PCS) failure

[Yanquetino]

I too am now experiencing this issue on my Nov'18 build Long Range. I can get up to about 8A on my Wall Connector, anything beyond that and amperage drops to 0. Just got a repair estimate of $1800 to replace the PCS. I'll find out next week if it will be covered under any kind of warranty, but based on this thread I'm not hopeful.

Oh… damn! There are more and more owners who are starting to experience this problem. I'm so sorry! It has now been over a month since the 60 day "resolution" window has expired for my complaint without any… resolution. I have thus written to the Resolution department several times to inquire about arbitration to settle the dispute, and they have yet to even acknowledge receipt of my e-mails. I'll try again today. Their contintued silence is not a good sign. My guess is that Tesla is growing seriously worried as the number of breakdowns keep occurring: admitting that they should be covered under the Battery and Drive Unit warranty would mean a huge expense to repair them. Hmmm. Maybe a better use of the CEO's $44B? [/snark]

 

[Rocky_H]

I too am now experiencing this issue on my Nov'18 build Long Range.[...] I'll find out next week if it will be covered under any kind of warranty, but based on this thread I'm not hopeful.

What is the mileage on your car? If you are still within the initial 4 year 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty coverage, that covers everything, so it would be covered. The car isn't over 4 years old, so that's fine, but you may have gone over the mileage. If so, then yeah, it generally isn't covered in the extended warranty that the battery has.

 

[MP3Mike]

If so, then yeah, it generally isn't covered in the extended warranty that the battery has.

But it should be. If you buy a battery out of warranty, it comes with a PCS installed. And the parts warranty for the battery doesn't give it different coverage, it is covered by the battery 4 year/50k mile warranty. So the same should apply to the original pack, everything inside it should be covered under the battery warranty. I hope more people take Tesla to arbitration over this and get them to correct their coverage of this.

If they don't want the PCS covered by the battery warranty they either need to redesign the pack so the PCS is not inside it, or update the warranty to have language that excludes it. (Neither of which would apply to people that have already purchased a Tesla.)

 

[Yanquetino]

What is the mileage on your car? If you are still within the initial 4 year 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty coverage, that covers everything, so it would be covered. The car isn't over 4 years old, so that's fine, but you may have gone over the mileage. If so, then yeah, it generally isn't covered in the extended warranty that the battery has.

Yes, and this is what my Service Center told me —which I rejected. The dispute I thus filed with Tesla is precisely because I am of the opinion that any of the components in the High-Voltage Battery Service Panel should, indeed, be covered under the Battery and Drive Unit Warranty —like with this owner and this owner.

 

[IcyMango241]

What is the mileage on your car?

Started around 93,000 miles so definitely out of the main warranty. Just wanted to add myself to the statistics.

 

[miimura]

Oh… damn! There are more and more owners who are starting to experience this problem. I'm so sorry! It has now been over a month since the 60 day "resolution" window has expired for my complaint without any… resolution. I have thus written to the Resolution department several times to inquire about arbitration to settle the dispute, and they have yet to even acknowledge receipt of my e-mails. I'll try again today. Their contintued silence is not a good sign. My guess is that Tesla is growing seriously worried as the number of breakdowns keep occurring: admitting that they should be covered under the Battery and Drive Unit warranty would mean a huge expense to repair them. Hmmm. Maybe a better use of the CEO's $44B? [/snark]

If you expect to get an answer you should send a certified letter to the Tesla Legal Department.

 

[Yanquetino]

If you expect to get an answer you should send a certified letter to the Tesla Legal Department.

I suppose I'll have to do that. I was simply adhering to the instructions in my original Purchase Agreement to resolve such disputes. Except for the first automated boilerplate response I received back in February, it looks like Tesla has no intention of responding and addressing the problem through the department they've set up expressly for that purpose. NOT a good sign for Tesla's customer support!

 

[cali8484]

I suppose I'll have to do that. I was simply adhering to the instructions in my original Purchase Agreement to resolve such disputes. Except for the first automated boilerplate response I received back in February, it looks like Tesla has no intention of responding and addressing the problem through the department they've set up expressly to for that purpose. NOT a good sign for Tesla's customer support!

View attachment 801315

Looks like Tesla can take up to 60 days to provide a response under the agreement ...

 

[Yanquetino]

Looks like Tesla can take up to 60 days to provide a response under the agreement ...

It's BEEN well over 60 days already.

 

[MP3Mike]

It's BEEN well over 60 days already.

Then it is time to contact the arbitration company, AAA, and open your case. (That costs Tesla money so they tend to respond to them faster.)

 

[Yanquetino]

Then it is time to contact the arbitration company, AAA, and open your case. (That costs Tesla money so they tend to respond to them faster.)

Since Tesla states in their "Agreement to Arbitrate" that they "will pay all AAA fees for any arbitration," I assumed that, at the very least, they'd acknowledge receipt of my e-mails over the last several weeks to start the process. Nope. Zero, zip, zilch, nada. So I guess I will have to pay the fees and then just trust they'll reimburse me…? Ooookay. That's next on the agenda, then. Or maybe I'll just take the dispute to small claims court, since I have to cough up the initial costs, regardless.

 

[MP3Mike]

So I guess I will have to pay the fees and then just trust they'll reimburse me…?

You shouldn't have to pay the fees to start the case. Just include in your case the document showing Tesla will pay the fees.

I assume you could use the "Fast File a Case" option and just leave the fee portion blank since you don't owe anything:

Or just call them at 800.778.7879 between the hours of 9.00 AM EST - 8.00 PM EST Monday to Friday to see what they say.

From their fee document:

Single Consumer Case Filing: In cases before a single arbitrator where the individual is the Claimant, a non-refundable** filing fee, capped in the amount of $200, is payable in full by the individual when a case is filed unless the parties’ agreement provides that the individual pay less. A non-refundable filing fee in the amount of $300 is payable by the business once the individual claimant meets the filing requirements, unless the parties’ agreement provides that the business pay more.

So I think that confirms you don't have to pay a fee to open a case.

 

[Yanquetino]

You shouldn't have to pay the fees to start the case. Just include in your case the document showing Tesla will pay the fees.

I assume you could use the "Fast File a Case" option and just leave the fee portion blank since you don't owe anything:

View attachment 801580

Or just call them at 800.778.7879 between the hours of 9.00 AM EST - 8.00 PM EST Monday to Friday to see what they say.

From their fee document:



So I think that confirms you don't have to pay a fee to open a case.

Nope. Sorry. The online form does NOT allow me to submit my request for mediation UNLESS I pay them the $200 fee up front. I tried leaving the fee box blank, and it only generated a "red flag" rejection. I suppose that, after the case is settled, they will reimburse me and charge Tesla according to our "Agreement to Arbitrate." I have now submitted everything with the fee, and can only wait for AAA to arrange the mediation.

 

[MP3Mike]

Nope. Sorry. The online form does NOT allow me to submit my request for mediation UNLESS I pay them the $200 fee up front. I tried leaving the fee box blank, and it only generated a "red flag" rejection. I suppose that, after the case is settled, they will reimburse me and charge Tesla according to our "Agreement to Arbitrate." I have now submitted everything with the fee, and can only wait for AAA to arrange the mediation.

All you had to do was put 0 in the filing fee box... I would call them and see about a refund.

 

[Yanquetino]

All you had to do was put 0 in the filing fee box... I would call them and see about a refund.

Huh. Is that right? Tsk. Sure wish you'd told me that instead of "just leave the fee portion blank" above. Ah, well… the filing form I submitted, as well as the "Agreement to Arbitrate" specifies that Tesla will pay all fees, so a reimbursement will likely be in order as the mediation occurs.

 

[Yanquetino]

Alas… the PCS in my Model 3 just keeps failing. As of today, it is only charging at 16A from my HPWC in the garage. Obviously, the second module has also died, so only one is now charging, even though 40A are available. I sure hope AAA will expedite the mediation soon so that we can settle this dispute. If the last module in the PCS fails, I will no longer be able to charge at home and will have to rely exclusively on Superchargers.

 

[nogasbiker]

I just joined the failed PCS club Stuck at 16A, which is 12 miles per hour charging.

Since the virus, I've been charging at 120V, been working out for me. So I never noticed deteriorating PCS. Not sure when it failed. Before the virus, charging seemed fine using Tesla destination chargers and J1772.

My Model 3 was in for an unrelated service. It was done, and I went to pick it up. Since this SC is far, I topped off the charge with a SC destination charger. It was very obvious something was wrong. I brought it up with the service advisor, who confirmed something was wrong. I left the model 3 there. The next day, I got the feared and dreaded $1,800 call.

The 2018 TSB doesn't technically cover my car, as mine was built a couple of months before the build date mentioned. I see other PCS failures with similar vintage to my car, so the 2018 TSB seems too narrow.

Everyone I have spoken to is nice and courteous, but it is not looking good to get this covered.

 

[Yanquetino]

I just joined the failed PCS club Stuck at 16A, which is 12 miles per hour charging.

Since the virus, I've been charging at 120V, been working out for me. So I never noticed deteriorating PCS. Not sure when it failed. Before the virus, charging seemed fine using Tesla destination chargers and J1772.

My Model 3 was in for an unrelated service. It was done, and I went to pick it up. Since this SC is far, I topped off the charge with a SC destination charger. It was very obvious something was wrong. I brought it up with the service advisor, who confirmed something was wrong. I left the model 3 there. The next day, I got the feared and dreaded $1,800 call.

The 2018 TSB doesn't technically cover my car, as mine was built a couple of months before the build date mentioned. I see other PCS failures with similar vintage to my car, so the 2018 TSB seems too narrow.

Everyone I have spoken to is nice and courteous, but it is not looking good to get this covered.

Yet another PCS giving up the ghost. I'm so sorry to welcome you to the club! It is more than obvious that this is a escalating problem for Tesla. Yes, they still stubbornly refuse to cover the electronics in the HV Battery Service Panel under their Battery and Drive Unit Warranty, but… we'll see what happens now that I have filed my dispute with the American Arbitration Association as well as a complaint with NHTSA.

By the way, as I point out in that link, I deem it suspicious, if not devious, that Tesla has now changed the size and font of the data readout in the charging display shown above so that it is practically illegible from outside the vehicle. What other reason could they give for that change other than making it harder for owners to notice that their PCS is failing? Hmmm.

 

[IcyMango241]

Okay, the PCS was officially replaced out of warranty and I am out $1600. I have filed a complaint with NHTSA. In my opinion, this is far too early of a failure for a component this important to the vehicle. I would equate this to a transmission failure in an ICE car, and this is a big hit to the total cost of ownership.

I plan to keep this car past 200k miles, and now I'm left wondering if this will happen again before then. Hopefully they have made revisions to this part to make it more robust, but in the meantime I think maybe Tesla should expand the date/VIN range of the TSB.

 

[Yanquetino]

Okay, the PCS was officially replaced out of warranty and I am out $1600. I have filed a complaint with NHTSA. In my opinion, this is far too early of a failure for a component this important to the vehicle. I would equate this to a transmission failure in an ICE car, and this is a big hit to the total cost of ownership.

I plan to keep this car past 200k miles, and now I'm left wondering if this will happen again before then. Hopefully they have made revisions to this part to make it more robust, but in the meantime I think maybe Tesla should expand the date/VIN range of the TSB.

Obviously, I agree. No way should the battery's PCS not last as long as the battery. Please add your input to the poll I posted this morning to gather some numbers, okay?