Electronics wear out as do mechanical parts.
Tesla is recalling 2012-2018 Tesla Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles with a center display equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device in the US. In the required NHTSA filing Tesla said then the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the eMMC controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center display functions.
NHTSA prompted the recall when it started an investigation of last June*. The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-010 to investigate incidents of media control unit (MCU) failures resulting in loss of rearview camera in model year (MY) 2012-2015 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with an integrated 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. The eMMC NAND flash devices have a finite lifespan based upon the number of program/erase (P/E) cycles.
The Tesla MCU NHTSA said at the time “allegedly fails prematurely due to memory wear-out of the eMMC NAND flash. Tesla used the same MCU with the Tegra 3 processor in approximately 159,000 2012-2018 Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles built by Tesla through early-2018.
In response to ODI’s Information Request (IR) for PE20-010, Tesla provided ODI with 2,399 complaints and field reports, 7,777 warranty claims, and 4,746 non-warranty claims related to MCU replacements. The data show failure rates more than 30% in certain build months and accelerating failure trends after 3 to 4 years-in-service.
According to Tesla, vehicles equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with an integrated 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device, “the eMMC NAND cell hardware can fail when reaching lifetime wear, for which the eMMC controller has no available blocks to recover.”
With this failure mode, the only recovery available is a replacement of the eMMC device by a physical part replacement of either the MCU assembly or visual control module subcomponent. Tesla provided the effects of MCU failure on vehicle function which result in loss of rearview/backup camera, loss of HVAC (defogging) setting controls (if the HVAC status was OFF status prior to failure.)
There is also a negative impact on the advanced driver assistance support (ADAS) Autopilot system, and turn signal functionality due to the possible loss of audible chimes, driver sensing, and alerts associated with these vehicle functions. There are precedents of course for addressing defects that result in loss of either backup camera, defogging, or turn signal functions under safety recalls.
Tesla has implemented certain Over-The-Air or OTA updates to subject vehicles to mitigate the effects of MCU failure. These updates include firmware changes to reduce memory usage of the subject memory card, improve eMMC error correction and storage management strategies, changing the control logic for turn signal activation, and defaulting the HVAC system to Auto (71.6F) for drives after MCU failure to address windshield defogging. “Tesla indicated that the MCU failures are likely to continue to occur in subject vehicles as vehicles continue to operate and use available memory in the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory until 100% of units have failed,” said OD.
Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge as require by US regulations.
The recall is expected to begin March 30, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla’s number for this recall is SB-21-21-001. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov.
*Tesla Timeline
- On June 22, 2020, NHTSA opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE20-010) to investigate the failure of the touchscreen, resulting in loss of the rearview camera, in certain 2012-2015 Tesla Model S vehicles. Over the next few months, as part of the investigation, Tesla responded to information requests from NHTSA and participated in a number of virtual meetings with the agency, during which Tesla shared information from a number of sources, including information about the affected vehicle population, consumer complaints, repair invoices, the capabilities of the eMMC flash memory device, the condition of accumulating wear of the eMMC, the functionalities potentially impacted when the eMMC reaches lifetime wear, and all relevant over-the-air (“OTA”) firmware updates that Tesla released or planned to release to improve the accumulated wear rate and restore functionalities that may be impacted.
- In November 2020, NHTSA upgraded the investigation to Engineering Analysis (“EA”) EA20-003.
- On January 13, 2021, NHTSA tentatively concluded that the condition being investigated constituted a defect and presented a safety risk and requested that Tesla initiate a recall and provide a remedy.
- On January 27, 2021, Tesla responded to NHTSA’s request, explaining its view that the eMMC wear condition neither constitutes a defect nor presents an unreasonable risk to safety.
- “In the interest of bringing administrative closure to the investigation and to ensure the best ownership experience for our customers, we decided on January 27, 2021, to voluntarily initiate a recall and provide the remedy described below,” Tesla told NHTSA.
Tesla Recalls 135,000 S and X Models for Display Blackouts
Electronics wear out as do mechanical parts.
Tesla is recalling 2012-2018 Tesla Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles with a center display equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device in the US. In the required NHTSA filing Tesla said then the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the eMMC controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center display functions.
NHTSA prompted the recall when it started an investigation of last June*. The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-010 to investigate incidents of media control unit (MCU) failures resulting in loss of rearview camera in model year (MY) 2012-2015 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with an integrated 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. The eMMC NAND flash devices have a finite lifespan based upon the number of program/erase (P/E) cycles.
The Tesla MCU NHTSA said at the time “allegedly fails prematurely due to memory wear-out of the eMMC NAND flash. Tesla used the same MCU with the Tegra 3 processor in approximately 159,000 2012-2018 Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles built by Tesla through early-2018.
In response to ODI’s Information Request (IR) for PE20-010, Tesla provided ODI with 2,399 complaints and field reports, 7,777 warranty claims, and 4,746 non-warranty claims related to MCU replacements. The data show failure rates more than 30% in certain build months and accelerating failure trends after 3 to 4 years-in-service.
According to Tesla, vehicles equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with an integrated 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device, “the eMMC NAND cell hardware can fail when reaching lifetime wear, for which the eMMC controller has no available blocks to recover.”
With this failure mode, the only recovery available is a replacement of the eMMC device by a physical part replacement of either the MCU assembly or visual control module subcomponent. Tesla provided the effects of MCU failure on vehicle function which result in loss of rearview/backup camera, loss of HVAC (defogging) setting controls (if the HVAC status was OFF status prior to failure.)
There is also a negative impact on the advanced driver assistance support (ADAS) Autopilot system, and turn signal functionality due to the possible loss of audible chimes, driver sensing, and alerts associated with these vehicle functions. There are precedents of course for addressing defects that result in loss of either backup camera, defogging, or turn signal functions under safety recalls.
Tesla has implemented certain Over-The-Air or OTA updates to subject vehicles to mitigate the effects of MCU failure. These updates include firmware changes to reduce memory usage of the subject memory card, improve eMMC error correction and storage management strategies, changing the control logic for turn signal activation, and defaulting the HVAC system to Auto (71.6F) for drives after MCU failure to address windshield defogging. “Tesla indicated that the MCU failures are likely to continue to occur in subject vehicles as vehicles continue to operate and use available memory in the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory until 100% of units have failed,” said OD.
Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge as require by US regulations.
The recall is expected to begin March 30, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla’s number for this recall is SB-21-21-001. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov.
*Tesla Timeline