Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Yellow screen? Force Tesla to Replace it!

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
Do have specific inside knowledge, or an authoritative source that the unnamed manufacturer took this position with Tesla? Or are you just speculating or assuming?

Have you seen this? Tesla's Screen Saga Shows Why Automotive Grade Matters

Only you can say whether you believe that it is authoritative enough for you. The article appears to have a direct quote from Elon ripped from Ashlee Vance's biography book:

“When we first talked about the touch-screen, the guys came back and said, ‘There’s nothing like that in the automotive supply chain,’” Musk said. “I said, ‘I know. That’s because it’s never been put in a ****ing car before.’” Musk figured that computer manufacturers had tons of experience making seventeen-inch laptop screens and expected them to knock out a screen for the Model S with relative ease. “The laptops are pretty robust,” Musk said. “You can drop them and leave them out in the sun, and they still have to work.” After contacting the laptop suppliers, Tesla’s engineers came back and said that the temperature and vibration loads for the computers did not appear to be up to automotive standards. Tesla’s supplier in Asia also kept pointing the carmaker to its automotive division instead of its computing division. As Musk dug into the situation more, he discovered that the laptop screens simply had not been tested before under tougher automotive conditions, which included large temperature fluctuations. When Tesla performed the tests, the electronics ended up working just fine."

I don't have the book myself to independently verify the quote, but I'm sure someone does.
 
How much do you want to bet Elon is not willing to pay for aviation grade screens? Do you know of any automotive grade (and price) screens? And no, no manufacturer is going to sell aviation screens to Tesla at automotive prices and have to explain to the investors/stockholders why the more they sell, the more they lose. Heck, that might even quality as dumping, which is illegal.

WhiteX, you've missed the point.

Tesla is of such a size and stature that suppliers are lining up to be a part of the NEXT BIG THING.* Elon needed to have his procurement buyers validating these suppliers, years ago, but it didn't happen, or there was some issue, or who knows.

While nice, aerospace grade (and costs) are NOT required for the center stack of the Model S or X, just automotive grade, to the higher standards required for equipment in the sun, in the center stack, perhaps in a black-on-black Model X, on a planet with ever increasing temperatures . . . .

*Why? Because ICE brands are dead men walking--they just pretend to not know it yet. Think Kodak, Nokia, Palm, etc.
 
  • Funny
Reactions: FlatSix911
If you do not know about the author of this attack, you should look into his history. He has been on a fierce anti-Tesla attack for many years now, writing an unending stream attacks on Musk and Tesla. If you regard him as an authority, you are deceived.

Secondly, your response conveniently avoided responding to my original question, which was not about whether the screen was "automotive grade", but about your claim that:
the manufacturer said "part used beyond spec, not covered"
So I ask again: do have specific inside knowledge, or an authoritative source that the unnamed manufacturer took this position with Tesla? Or are you just speculating or assuming?
 
If you do not know about the author of this attack, you should look into his history. He has been on a fierce anti-Tesla attack for many years now, writing an unending stream attacks on Musk and Tesla. If you regard him as an authority, you are deceived.

I know who the author is, and his history. I posted the link for reference, but didn't actually use any of that author's words in the response for fear of someone doing exactly what you just did by discrediting the source for being a "short" without actually looking at whether he said has some plausibility. The words I used are a direct quote from Elon Musk(assuming you believe that Ashlee Vance didn't fabricate that in his biography of Musk), and his decision making about not needing to buy an automotive grade screen.

Do you have any evidence that the screen used in Tesla vehicles is indeed automotive rated?
 
Screen replaced.
 

Attachments

  • upload_2019-8-9_12-44-30.png
    upload_2019-8-9_12-44-30.png
    31.1 KB · Views: 106
So my arbitration case is going to be a little bit different. I'm the one who took delivery in the middle of the Colorado winter (Dec 2018) and had yellowing happen < 90 days into ownership. At the time there was no talk of a 'UV fix', I was told twice it would be replaced and then suddenly told it would be "Customer pay". I paid for the screen replacement, because it was a new car, and there was no solution in sight.

This guy also sent in Bonnie's post, but again this didn't exist when I had the screen replaced. So I'm not sure how that's relevant.

I haven't heard anything from counsel and my arbitration case is on Tuesday. I have other issues that I need to get fixed, (water pooling in taillight whenever it rains, 'blinspot detection limited' warnings that have been going on since delivery and attempted 5 times - and, yep: yellowing on the instrument cluster). One person at the service center would generally answer my calls, and that isn't happening anymore. No responses.

So there may be some truth to the idea that they're not going to play nice if you arbitrate. I hope I haven't screwed myself. Car isn't even a year old and this experience is getting worse and worse... I don't see what Tesla is gaining from this.

I'll report back with my results but since my situation is a little different, it may not be as open and shut.
 
  • Informative
Reactions: FlatSix911
Have you seen this? Tesla's Screen Saga Shows Why Automotive Grade Matters

Only you can say whether you believe that it is authoritative enough for you. The article appears to have a direct quote from Elon ripped from Ashlee Vance's biography book:

“When we first talked about the touch-screen, the guys came back and said, ‘There’s nothing like that in the automotive supply chain,’” Musk said. “I said, ‘I know. That’s because it’s never been put in a ****ing car before.’” Musk figured that computer manufacturers had tons of experience making seventeen-inch laptop screens and expected them to knock out a screen for the Model S with relative ease. “The laptops are pretty robust,” Musk said. “You can drop them and leave them out in the sun, and they still have to work.” After contacting the laptop suppliers, Tesla’s engineers came back and said that the temperature and vibration loads for the computers did not appear to be up to automotive standards. Tesla’s supplier in Asia also kept pointing the carmaker to its automotive division instead of its computing division. As Musk dug into the situation more, he discovered that the laptop screens simply had not been tested before under tougher automotive conditions, which included large temperature fluctuations. When Tesla performed the tests, the electronics ended up working just fine."

I don't have the book myself to independently verify the quote, but I'm sure someone does.

I listened to the audiobook version while commuting in my Model S (with a yellow touch screen). That quote is in there near the end of the book. I remember being amused by it at the time given I was looking right at the result of that decision years later.

The book itself is actually pretty good. There is a lot of interesting stories from the early founding of Tesla and SpaceX (I listened to it mostly for the early SpaceX stuff).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matias
So my arbitration case is going to be a little bit different. I'm the one who took delivery in the middle of the Colorado winter (Dec 2018) and had yellowing happen < 90 days into ownership. At the time there was no talk of a 'UV fix', I was told twice it would be replaced and then suddenly told it would be "Customer pay". I paid for the screen replacement, because it was a new car, and there was no solution in sight.

This guy also sent in Bonnie's post, but again this didn't exist when I had the screen replaced. So I'm not sure how that's relevant.

I haven't heard anything from counsel and my arbitration case is on Tuesday. I have other issues that I need to get fixed, (water pooling in taillight whenever it rains, 'blinspot detection limited' warnings that have been going on since delivery and attempted 5 times - and, yep: yellowing on the instrument cluster). One person at the service center would generally answer my calls, and that isn't happening anymore. No responses.

So there may be some truth to the idea that they're not going to play nice if you arbitrate. I hope I haven't screwed myself. Car isn't even a year old and this experience is getting worse and worse... I don't see what Tesla is gaining from this.

I'll report back with my results but since my situation is a little different, it may not be as open and shut.


Are you going to arbitration to request the amount you paid for the screen replacement back?

As for the service center not answering your calls. I don't think that is just you. It seems like everyone has problems getting a human on the line at Tesla these days. I also doubt the service center has any idea that you have filed for arbitration. Tesla just isn't that well run I'm afraid. However, if they are specifically avoiding you or trying to obstruct your repairs because you filed for arbitration then that is retaliation and under no circumstance should you let Tesla get away with that.
 
So my arbitration case is going to be a little bit different. I'm the one who took delivery in the middle of the Colorado winter (Dec 2018) and had yellowing happen < 90 days into ownership. At the time there was no talk of a 'UV fix', I was told twice it would be replaced and then suddenly told it would be "Customer pay". I paid for the screen replacement, because it was a new car, and there was no solution in sight.

Your case is very different because as I understand it, you are asking for a refund.

Is there are reason you didn't pursue arbitration to begin with? You might be the only person I've seen here that has actually PAID for a replacement screen while under warranty.
 
So my arbitration case is going to be a little bit different. I'm the one who took delivery in the middle of the Colorado winter (Dec 2018) and had yellowing happen < 90 days into ownership. At the time there was no talk of a 'UV fix', I was told twice it would be replaced and then suddenly told it would be "Customer pay". I paid for the screen replacement, because it was a new car, and there was no solution in sight.

This guy also sent in Bonnie's post, but again this didn't exist when I had the screen replaced. So I'm not sure how that's relevant.

I haven't heard anything from counsel and my arbitration case is on Tuesday. I have other issues that I need to get fixed, (water pooling in taillight whenever it rains, 'blinspot detection limited' warnings that have been going on since delivery and attempted 5 times - and, yep: yellowing on the instrument cluster). One person at the service center would generally answer my calls, and that isn't happening anymore. No responses.

So there may be some truth to the idea that they're not going to play nice if you arbitrate. I hope I haven't screwed myself. Car isn't even a year old and this experience is getting worse and worse... I don't see what Tesla is gaining from this.

I'll report back with my results but since my situation is a little different, it may not be as open and shut.

Your issues might fall within the lemon law. Maybe you should have lumped them together and followed that approach. Tesla’s lawyer mentioned buying my car back and I told him very quickly, although I had mentioned a clause in the NC lemon law, I was not seeking that redress nor would I accept it if offered. For heavens sake I just wanted my screen fixed sometime in my lifetime.. I expect they will be very nice and it is not like court so you can bring up all of the other issues. During the vehicle inspection you can also point them out, if nothing more, to show how Tesla has responded to your problems. These cars are like our children, we cut them a lot of slack and that might not work in anyone’s best interest. I cannot understand why anyone would think it is ok not to fix any car covered by warranty.. this is not a Yugo.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KArnold
TWENTY-FOUR PAGES ELON?

ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

How 'bout if you stop with the massive waste of time and money (lawyers even?!?), and pissing off your best customers.

Just Tweet:

Anyone with an MS or MX w/a yellowing MCU screen will be getting it fixed, NLT the EOY.

All on us.

Sorry it's been such a goat rope--fired few slackers/interns; won't happen again!
 
Your case is very different because as I understand it, you are asking for a refund.

Is there are reason you didn't pursue arbitration to begin with? You might be the only person I've seen here that has actually PAID for a replacement screen while under warranty.

I honestly wasn't aware of the arbitration process at the time. I mean, I knew vaguely that it existed but I was under the impression that "the manufacturer always won" and it wasn't even worth trying. Then I saw some people here get things decided in their favor.

Since I already paid I don't know if that makes it worse. Or better. When I paid for the replacement there was nothing on "UV", just that I was told twice that it would be replaced, then suddenly told it was "customer pay" and "there might be a resolution down the line but nothing firm". Basically it was all rumors on forums at the time, nada from CS or the SC. I knew that the -C revision screens existed, my car was still new, Tesla was offering no solutions, and I wanted the problem fixed.

As far as lemon law goes, I probably could... I've had a lot of other problems. (Though I'm running out of time, CO lemon law is only one year and its already August) -- Finding a lemon law lawyer that isn't shady is kind of difficult though. And I've been told that if you do that, you'll basically never be welcome at Tesla again.

It's interesting that some people have been offered to have their car bought back, over this freaking screen issue, others have had the screen replaced - and me, I've had a rats nest of problems on top of all this on a car that still isn't a year old; (autopilot / cameras / object view / blindspot detection often not working; both IC and MCU screen yellowing, water in headlights and tail lights, misaligned rear hatch-never fixed) - and all Tesla has offered to do for me is take it in for another week after week after week where they sit on it for days and then replace another repeater or b-pillar camera that they've already replaced twice.
 
Last edited:
I honestly wasn't aware of the arbitration process at the time. I mean, I knew vaguely that it existed but I was under the impression that "the manufacturer always won" and it wasn't even worth trying. Then I saw some people here get things decided in their favor.

Since I already paid I don't know if that makes it worse. Or better. When I paid for the replacement there was nothing on "UV", just that I was told twice that it would be replaced, then suddenly told it was "customer pay" and "there might be a resolution down the line but nothing firm". Basically it was all rumors on forums at the time, nada from CS or the SC. I knew that the -C revision screens existed, my car was still new, Tesla was offering no solutions, and I wanted the problem fixed.

As far as lemon law goes, I probably could... I've had a lot of other problems. (Though I'm running out of time, CO lemon law is only one year and its already August) -- Finding a lemon law lawyer that isn't shady is kind of difficult though. And I've been told that if you do that, you'll basically never be welcome at Tesla again.

It's interesting that some people have been offered to have their car bought back, over this freaking screen issue, others have had the screen replaced - and me, I've had a rats nest of problems on top of all this on a car that still isn't a year old; (autopilot / cameras / object view / blindspot detection often not working; both IC and MCU screen yellowing, water in headlights and tail lights, misaligned rear hatch-never fixed) - and all Tesla has offered to do for me is take it in for another week after week after week where they sit on it for days and then replace another repeater or b-pillar camera that they've already replaced twice.
The arbitration has a lemon law option. That way you wouldn't need a lawyer.

They also can't retaliate against you for it. If they do, you can go after them for more damages in most states.
 
Disagree.

He's just got a lot on his plate between moving SpaceX barges around, recovering launch fairings, Falcon Heavy launches, Starlink, replacement GF issues, 5 kids, 2 ex-wives, The Boring Company, Neuro AI, all the world's richest countries and industries trying to kill EV's, oh, and Tesla too . . . plus whatever I forgot to include in the list.

And why is this an owner's problem?
 
I used the app to notify The Orlando SC about the yellow band and several other minor problems regarding charging. Within an hour I got a text back stating mobile service would be to my house on 8/6 and 12:30 and a follow up email saying the same thing. With no other contact I waited from 12 noon until 5:30 pm and no one showed up or called. I them called the Orlando SC and recorded (they haven't answered their phones in over a year) my complaint about the Mobile Service failing to show up and the yellow band and complaining about being unable to contact the SC.

After a week and no answer and called another number and spoke to a call center in Salt Lake City ( the only other Tesla call center is in in Montreal she said). The woman on the phone agreed with me about the notification failure, looked up my car's data and said the - Mobile Service had called me days earlier - on my landline which has no texting - advising me that they were not going to fix the banding so he wasn't coming out. The woman told me that it's happened before and that she would make notifications that the SC has to call on a real text line, not the home phone line. There was also no attempt to notify me by email, or phone call.

A week later I received a call from the Orlando Mobile Service head. She informed me that the tech. should have contacted me and she apologised. I asked her why the SC hadn't responded to my app report. She said that the number I called was a working number but didn't know why they hven't answered in over a year. I asked why she didn't call them. She said that she doesn't have a phone in her office, that she had to use her personal phone to call me. She had no answer as to why she didn't walk down the hallway from her office to the SC in the same building and talk to them.She had no answer. She then advised me that Tesla was not replacing the display, that a fix was being developed and would probably be useable in the fall. She also said that it has only worked in about 1/2 the cases where it has been tried. I told her I wanted to go to arbitration. She said she had never heard of that , that she would go to her boss and see what he says and she would call me back. It's been 4 days and no phone call yet. Based on all the information in this thread I will handle it without a lawyer, assuming they will call me.
 
I used the app to notify The Orlando SC about the yellow band and several other minor problems regarding charging. Within an hour I got a text back stating mobile service would be to my house on 8/6 and 12:30 and a follow up email saying the same thing. With no other contact I waited from 12 noon until 5:30 pm and no one showed up or called. I them called the Orlando SC and recorded (they haven't answered their phones in over a year) my complaint about the Mobile Service failing to show up and the yellow band and complaining about being unable to contact the SC.

After a week and no answer and called another number and spoke to a call center in Salt Lake City ( the only other Tesla call center is in in Montreal she said). The woman on the phone agreed with me about the notification failure, looked up my car's data and said the - Mobile Service had called me days earlier - on my landline which has no texting - advising me that they were not going to fix the banding so he wasn't coming out. The woman told me that it's happened before and that she would make notifications that the SC has to call on a real text line, not the home phone line. There was also no attempt to notify me by email, or phone call.

A week later I received a call from the Orlando Mobile Service head. She informed me that the tech. should have contacted me and she apologised. I asked her why the SC hadn't responded to my app report. She said that the number I called was a working number but didn't know why they hven't answered in over a year. I asked why she didn't call them. She said that she doesn't have a phone in her office, that she had to use her personal phone to call me. She had no answer as to why she didn't walk down the hallway from her office to the SC in the same building and talk to them.She had no answer. She then advised me that Tesla was not replacing the display, that a fix was being developed and would probably be useable in the fall. She also said that it has only worked in about 1/2 the cases where it has been tried. I told her I wanted to go to arbitration. She said she had never heard of that , that she would go to her boss and see what he says and she would call me back. It's been 4 days and no phone call yet. Based on all the information in this thread I will handle it without a lawyer, assuming they will call me.
Just file the case, it literally takes like 10 minutes to file. It's faster then trying to call them.
 
  • Funny
Reactions: Matias