Fed Investigates Model S For Touchscreen Failures

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tuesday it had opened an investigation into 63,000 Tesla Model S cars after reports of media control unit failures that led to loss of the use of a touchscreen.

The auto safety agency said the probe, known as a preliminary evaluation, covers 2012-2015 model year vehicles and comes after it received 11 complaints alleging failures. The complaints said the media control unit failures allegedly fails prematurely due to memory wear-out.
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CANADIANCOMMENTS - 6/24/2020 4:29:48 PM

+3 Boost

This type of complaint and failing and subsequent investigation will become all the more commonplace as other automakers rush to make "glass cockpits" a-la Tesla and the Airplane manufacturers. Audi seems to have gone the farthest copying Tesla and their newest interiors should come with a lifetime subscription of Windex. I'll pass. Gauges, a key to start and regular door handles to pull are just fine. And they don't break.

MDarringer - 6/24/2020 5:11:13 PM

0 Boost

I've always been curious how much engineering from scratch goes into car touch screens and how much is legacy from the supplier that adapted technology from computer touch screens to work in a car. To my way of thinking, a touch screen's worst nightmare is a dashboard. Heat and vibration are not ideal for electronics.

CANADIANCOMMENTS - 6/24/2020 6:28:44 PM

+2 Boost

@MD - You and I have had this chat before. Screens may total out a car one day as they are technology and it moves too fast and there are too many functions embedded into them. Unless they keep a warehouse full of touch screens and touch panels, the V1.0 cars will not be able to be repaired with V9.0 screens.

SanJoseDriver - 6/25/2020 11:01:09 PM

+1 Boost

I had this issue after 7 years. It is not with the screen, but with the MCU... the main computer in the Model S. If the screen itself fails, the screens used today are fully compatible with the 2012 Model S. When was the last time your LCD screen crapped out? These have long lifespans, perhaps more than most physical buttons. It was $1,800 to swap out the MCU which ironically did require replacing the screen an amplifier and a bunch of other components integrated into a single package. Still, it's not that big of a cost considering that Lexus tried to charge me $5,000 to swap out a 8-inch screen when that failed.