Yellow screen? Force Tesla to Replace it!

[MSVroomVroom]

It seems new screens do not have this defect... according to my Tesla work order at least:


Concern: Customer has yellowing around screen
Tesla has reviewed this case and determined this is a cosmetic anomaly, which has no impact on performance, function, or reliability of the touchscreen.Tesla is working on a solution for treating the screen with UV light that may remove the yellow borders on the MCU.As a permanent fix the customer can pay for a replacement of the touchscreen.
Work done: General Diagnosis

R u kidding me, I have to pay for a fix within warranty period... no way!

“As a permanent fix...” are they implying that the UV treatment is not permanent? Tesla doesn’t seem to be able to get its story straight on that point.

Even so, Tesla should be giving you, under warranty, a fix that they 100% believe is permanent. The fact that they are not willing to stand by the UV treatment and also unwilling to replace with new screens is telling.

 

[MSVroomVroom]

They are saying this specifically worded statement to avoid lemon laws in most states, which require functionality or safety being affected. You can lemon in some places for spending time in the shop to repair, but they mitigate that by simply canceling your appointments, so you car is not spending any time in the shop, therefore will not qualify. Elon really is a genius, sadly he's now applying his skills to finding loopholes in consumer protection laws.

I have been wondering about this a bit lately. Do appointments with mobile techs count the same as time in the shop? Given Tesla seems pretty keen on keeping cars out of the service centers I was wondering if the mobile techs aren’t completely a convenience to the customer but also a way to do some shady accounting on Tesla’s part.

 

[St Charles]

They are saying this specifically worded statement to avoid lemon laws in most states, which require functionality or safety being affected. You can lemon in some places for spending time in the shop to repair, but they mitigate that by simply canceling your appointments, so you car is not spending any time in the shop, therefore will not qualify. Elon really is a genius, sadly he's now applying his skills to finding loopholes in consumer protection laws.

I suspect a judge would not look kindly on the appointment cancellation strategy. That said, you would have to get in front of a judge and that will almost certainly cost more than outright paying for a new screen.

 

[mvotb]

Small Claims Court is inexpensive and you get Court costs back when you win. No reason to go to Superior Court. Keep good records of everything.

 

[David in NC]

So, for all the negativity and complaints we read on online forums and elsewhere about Tesla service and not being able to communicate with a human, I will relate my positive service experience to date regarding the screen yellow borders.

I emailed my local Raleigh NC SC to elaborate my issue (occurred at only 2850 miles), included a picture, an excellent discussion of the issue from this forum, and asked about what can be done - replace, fix, warranty coverage, etc.
The service manager personally reached out to me and we had very pleasant conversation during which she described the recent development of the 3rd iteration of the UV fix tool, which is now optional for each SC to purchase, but she recently did order for Raleigh (reportedly Raleigh and Atlanta have the highest rate of yellow borders due to sun and humidity). She will keep me advised as to when they expect to receive it and then schedule me for the fix. The fix is offered under warranty, replacement is not, so might as well give it a try.

As an aside, the Raleigh SC is now setting up a collision center to include a paint booth so even collision damage can soon be taken care of locally, alleviating another common concern with Tesla.

Will report back when I eventually have the fix done, though suspect it may take a couple of months.
Bottom line, I think if you are lucky enough to live near a SC (me 25 miles), most concerns regarding service are greatly lessened.

 

[Lloyd]

Anyone know if this repair is mobile serviceable?

 

[KArnold]

Anyone know if this repair is mobile serviceable?

New UV treatment - no. Full screen replacement - yes.

 

[markb1]

So I called up my service center (Miramar). They said they did have the machine, but it broke, and they expect a new one in a couple of weeks. They opened a ticket for me, so I'm supposed to get notified when they are ready.

BTW, I had to hunt around the phone menu to talk to a human. I think I finally selected the option to "check on the status of your car in service" option, or something like that.

 

[T3slaOwner]

So I called up my service center (Miramar). They said they did have the machine, but it broke, and they expect a new one in a couple of weeks. They opened a ticket for me, so I'm supposed to get notified when they are ready.

BTW, I had to hunt around the phone menu to talk to a human. I think I finally selected the option to "check on the status of your car in service" option, or something like that.

When people have conversations with the service centers, does anyone mention exactly what is wrong with the screens that they turn brown and whether the "fix" is really a fix or just a temporary "cosmetic" application?

 

[markb1]

When people have conversations with the service centers, does anyone mention exactly what is wrong with the screens that they turn brown and whether the "fix" is really a fix or just a temporary "cosmetic" application?

I did not ask and they did not volunteer that information. I suspect they don't know, so I didn't waste my time!

 

[JayNJ]

I did not ask and they did not volunteer that information. I suspect they don't know, so I didn't waste my time!

Sounds like the adhesive or plastic is turning yellow or brown from exposure to sun. Happens all the time to plastics.

 

[markb1]

Sounds like the adhesive or plastic is turning yellow or brown from exposure to sun. Happens all the time to plastics.

No, that's just the lawyer line. My car spends very little time in the sun, and it still has the yellowing. It's usually UV light that causes things to yellow in the sun, but in this case, Tesla is pushing UV as the cure.

 

[meomyo]

No, that's just the lawyer line. My car spends very little time in the sun, and it still has the yellowing. It's usually UV light that causes things to yellow in the sun, but in this case, Tesla is pushing UV as the cure.

So once again we dont have any really answers to very really issues.

 

[KArnold]

Just had a conversation today with a former senior Tesla SC mechanic, so take this in context. He sounded credible and said he was very familiar with the situation. I asked if it was the screen or the adhesive - he said it was definitely the screen. However if so I'm not sure how a UV light would fix it if it's not related to the curing process.

FWIW.

 

[EVortex]

There are many LOCA (Liquid Optically Clear Adhesive) products on the market that are used to bond touch screens. Manufacturers use additives in LOCAs to accomplish desired performance (such as preventing discoloration and providing for proper UV curing). UV at 365nm (just below the visible spectrum) is typical for curing most LOCAs. Heat may soften the adhesive and if the LOCA layer is too thick then it could require additional curing. I don’t know if the Tesla screen problem is due to using LOCA without proper additives, using LOCA that is beyond its shelf-life, applying too thick of a coat, or something else. UV will eventually cure the LOCA, but heat may bring the yellow (or orange-brown) back until its fully cured. Curing works best with cool temperatures - the higher watt UV bulbs will cure at a faster rate. This curing process may take multiple iterations to completely cure depending on type and thickness of the LOCA. I did not want to speculate or guess about this so I did my own research to understand the science behind the problem and the proposed solutions.

 

[M423]

Mobile service went to my job and changed my screen, 5 months later I got the yellow again, waiting in line to get the UV treatment

 

[meomyo]

Just had a conversation today with a former senior Tesla SC mechanic, so take this in context. He sounded credible and said he was very familiar with the situation. I asked if it was the screen or the adhesive - he said it was definitely the screen. However if so I'm not sure how a UV light would fix it if it's not related to the curing process.

FWIW.

hm....Now that is interesting. more conflicking info...geezzzz

 

[dannycamps]

It's the adhesive. If it was the screen, the entire screen would be yellowing. The fact that it is the outer edge only indicates that it's the bonding. Now the question is why is it happening and specifically in which section the bonding is turning yellow.

A touch screen is comprised of three main components. There's the outer glass layer which sits on top of a touch digitizer which sits on top of the display panel (LCD in this case). Each of those pieces are bonded together. So it could be the glue between the glass and the digitizer or the glue between the digitizer and the panel. I'm thinking it's the glue between the glass and the digitizer due to the fact that it's only the outer edge and it seems to respond to the re-curing treatment.

As to the heat/UV cause question, it's probably a combination of the two. With the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (another product that suffered from similar yellowing), the heat from the CPU was literally cooking the glue which caused it to burn from behind.

 

[daviddc]

Hi all!

I come bearing news on how to get your yellow screens replaced.

Its surprisingly simple. Tesla participates in a program called NCDS which is binding arbitration for Tesla but NOT for the individual. This is a remediation option prior to true binding arbitration. This means that even if you lose you can still pursue other options later but Tesla has to abide by the ruling. If you follow my points below, you should be able to get your screen replaced using this method.

I went to their website here: NCDS - Automotive Warranty Disputes and filed a claim. e claiming that the fix was actively rolling out to service centers across the country, and had been for 2 weeks.

...

* interesting note about refresh: Their lawyer admitted that they are now completing final details on their refresh that is around the corner, and this won't be a problem for those vehicles.

.....

Thank you for this very helpful post. I have filed my claim.

I love the car, but Tesla is lead by executives that clearly believe it is perfectly fine to outright lie to their prospects and customers. They have been doing it for years with claims of current and future capabilities of the autopilot and apply the same low-integrity decision making to their warranty obligations.

Evidence of their misinformation can be found on their website today. I have attached an image of the order form that has been on their site for over 6 months claiming that "your car will come find you anywhere in a parking lot. Really!"

This claim is NOT listed as a future capability. They have been selling this feature for at least 6 months as if it exists and will be delivered with your car. When I pointed that out to Tesla in Orlando while picking up my Model X In April, they said "That's strange, that feature does not exist yet."

 

[MP3Mike]

This claim is NOT listed as a future capability. They have been selling this feature for at least 6 months as if it exists and will be delivered with your car. When I pointed that out to Tesla in Orlando while picking up my Model X In April, they said "That's strange, that feature does not exist yet."

Maybe you should look up the definition of will.

expressing the future tense.

It will, when Tesla releases the feature.