2018 Tesla Model 3 Electrical System

Power Conversion System (PCS) failure. This happened without warning over 60 miles from home and service center on x-range Model 3, less than 50,000 miles. Tesla did the repair, and took no responsibility for its premature failure, nor did they provide any explanation for why the failure occurred, leaving me (the owner) with a very expensive repair bill.

On Saturday the 21st my car had been charging overnight inside my garage using the supplied Tesla charger. As I entered the car to attempt to unlock the charger, I received many system malfunction errors on the screen, stating such that the 12v battery needed to be replaced and some system could not be completed. This definitely seemed odd as I had just replaced the 4 year old battery last July after receiving such an error. Eventually the car released the charging cable, but the car was still inoperable due to the errors. I used the Tesla app to request mobile service for the first available time, which was Tuesday the 24th, and used my wife's car in the meantime. The day of the appointment I attempted to enter the car to move it outside of the garage, but the car had completely died at some point - couldn't open doors, windows, hood or trunk. When the service tech arrived, he too thought it odd to need to replace the 12v battery so soon but continued to attempt it after jumping the car's system through the tow area. After some time, he told me the systems power up but it does not retain a charge for long, indicating a larger issue that needs to be serviced. He advised to have the car towed. I put in another service request for this, and when they arrived, we discovered that the Tow Mode accessible through the car's interface could not be engaged. They were able to skate the car onto the tow bed and transport it to the nearest service center, which I already had to pay for out of pocket ($200). The next day I received a call from the service center stating that the issue appears related to the power conversion module. Unfortunately they claimed that this was also out of pocket due to the car being out of warranty (car has just over 53k miles) and that it would cost $2000 to fix! I decided to do my own research before proceeding and discovered this was a KNOWN ISSUE by Tesla as they posted a TSB about it some time ago!

This is regarding NHTSA Recall Number21V-00D. This recall is from December 21, 2021 -- i.e., over a year ago. I scheduled an appointment with Tesla in August 2022 to get this taken care of, but at the time Tesla canceled the appointment. They told me that the parts aren't available yet, but they would reach out via email or the Tesla app "soon". It has now been 4+ months, yet they still have not reached out to me. On my Tesla app, when I click "Rear Harness Recall" button, it says "You will receive a notification in your Tesla App when parts are available for your vehicle." It is difficult to understand that it takes over a year to put in a simple cable harness.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, a Service Warning message was displayed. The contact stated that the driver’s side front restraint system fault warning light was illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of failure through the Tesla app and instructed the contact to take the vehicle to the nearest Tesla Service Center for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

The AC compressor failed which can be caused by over delivery of electrical power to the compressor causing premature failure. I’m concerned this could also lead to a fire.

The horn has failed. It started failing around 40,000 miles, and has completely died now at 147000. I am aware of many other horns that have died on MY 2018 vehicles, and apparently they don't consider it a big deal. They're replacing it (which I have to pay for), and apparently they charge everyone for it. If these really are failing like crazy, these should be a safety recall.

Power conversion system failure. Vehicle would not charge from a home wall charger. Issue was confirmed/reproduced by Tesla and the part was replaced outside of warranty coverage at 96,000 miles on the odometer. Failure was sudden with no error messages.

A portion of the Power Conversion System "PCS" has failed in my 2018 Tesla Model 3 extended range with 34,000 miles, resulting in the inability to charge the vehicle but at 32 of 48 capable amps. Reports from other Tesla owners indicate that remaining portions of the PCS can fail resulting in charge amperage reduction to 16 amps or inability to AC charge completely if all portions of the PCS fail. This issue is apparently not an isolated incident. The PCS in this vehicle appears to be flawed due to reports of early failure and the number of reported failures. The issue goes beyond the previously released service bulletin of 2018 Tesla Model 3s manufactured between June and July 2018. Tesla will not cover the cost for the repair, either in good faith or under the battery and drive unit warranty. The repair is costly, but left unrepaired the car may not be capable to charging using level 1 or 2 charging if the PCS fails completely. The error for this issue is seemingly difficult to find. It is not indicated on the Tesla app. It is only discoverable when in the car, while the car is charging and when trying to charge at or above 33 amps. Unlike a traditional check engine light, the error goes away and because the car still charges, it is difficult to realize an issue exists. I'm unaware of when the error first occurred because of this. It is likely the error existed before the general warranty for the car had expired. It doesn't appear Tesla does a diagnostics scan for this error during service appointments which I would think would be routine. The description and troubleshooting steps for this error are also heavily weighted towards possible power grid issues and only suggest a possibility of there being an issue with the car upon further investigation. I'm sure power grid issues exist and often result in the error, but it seems the PCS failure is more often the cause and should be equally stressed.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH with the Autonomous Self Driving function engaged, the vehicle would intermittently brake. The contact stated that the failure only occurred while on autopilot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was erroneous because there was no other vehicle in close proximity. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the failure was common however, there was no current fix. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.

While slowly backing out of a parking space, I tapped the bumper of another vehicle in the space directly behind mine, causing some damage to the bumpers of both cars. The backup camera on my vehicle was not functioning at the time, making it difficult to see. I have attached a screen shot of the Tesla's display immediately after the accident. You can see the blank feed from the backup camera (there is a reflection of the vehicle next to mine). I have had intermittent problems with the backup camera showing as black on the screen (except for the two lines indicating the direction of the vehicle). Tesla initiated a recall in December 2021. see https://www.tesla.com/support/model-3-trunk-lid-harness-retrofit for details. Every time on my Tesla phone app about this recall, it says, "you do not need to request an appointment at this time. You will receive a notification in your Tesla App when parts are available for your vehicle." It's almost a year and the company has still not offered a fix. Tesla claims at the above link that "We are not aware of any crashes or injuries relating to this condition." I am reporting this incident to NHTSA to inform you of a crash relating to the malfunctioning of this important piece of equipment.

-PCS (Power Conversion System) failure. - No warning light, message or symptoms, failed overnight. - Car is not drivable, HV completely isolated and drain 12V battery overnight. Can’t open any door, screen dead and had to tow. - Repair cost $1884, 53k miles / 4 yrs and 2 months.

On November 30 at 6pm I was driving north on I-75 in the Tampa area with Navigate on Autopilot activated. I was in the middle lane, it was dark, and there was lots of traffic. My screen asked me to confirm the autopilot request to move to the left lane. I tapped the stalk to confirm. I did not look in the left lane and was not controlling the steering, though my hands were on the wheel. The car immediately turned into the left lane and side swiped a police vehicle. Nobody was injured and the damage to both cars was minor. Previously I had received alerts that my left pillar camera was "blocked", but the alerts went away, so I assumed that there was no problem. When the alerts appeared, auto steer was deactivated, but when the alerts went away auto steer worked again. I do not remember when the first alert appeared, but probably earlier in November 2021. Subsequently, the alerts have appeared and disappeared. I have requested service from Tesla, but the appointment is scheduled for next month. The officer in the police vehicle and two other officers who came to the scene looked at my vehicle and took pictures. I received accident report, Crash Number [XXX] from Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (Case Number[XXX]), but no citation. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

The latest Tesla software update (their “holiday update”) has buried important controls in menus where they are difficult to access. For example, defrost and wiper controls were available directly on the main screen prior to this update. They now require multiple taps to get to with the associated further distraction from keeping eyes on the road. Less critical but oft-manipulated control (such as seat heat) that were are the main screen are also now buried.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated while using driving and with the Full self-driving feature activated, the vehicle nearly crashed into other parked vehicles. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 21,389.

Car backup camera has been unavailable for use for months. Originally the issue was intermittent and only happened after Tesla alarm system active so Tesla service could not reproduce issue at dealer. They had me perform full factory reset and now issue is constant. Tesla has been unable to fix the issue stating that it is a software problem and engineers will need to create a software patch to correct. Unable to see safely out of back window to backup creating hazardous condition every time car is put into reverse. Have already taken car in for service, performed complete factory software reset, and uploaded all new software per Tesla instructions. They claim there is no fix for my backup camera so I am driving a car with no ability to see when I am in reverse.

CAR FREQUENTLY FAILS TO UNLOCK, OR TO SHUT DOWN. HAVE REPORTED THIS DOZENS OF TIMES TO TESLA WHO HAS FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR FIX THE ISSUE. WHEN LEAVING, THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES SIT WITH ALL SYSTEMS RUNNING, DOORS UNLOCKED, READY TO BE DRIVEN AWAY. WHEN TRYING TO ENTER, IT FREQUENTLY WILL NOT UNLOCK AS CLAIMED. WE CANNOT DEPEND ON THE CAR TO UNLOCK IF WE WERE IN ANY KIND OF RUSH OR DANGER. PICTURE BELOW SHOWS THE CAR REFUSING TO UNLOCK AS CLAIMED VIA THE APP, WHICH IS THE "MAIN" WAY TO UNLOCK A MODEL 3. "KEYLESS ENTRY" IS TERRIBLY UNRELIABLE, AND OFTEN REQUIRES GETTING OUT THE BACKUP CARDKEY AND TRYING TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL S. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED, JERKED AND STALLED. THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SAFETY RESTRAINT FAULT MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TESLA 6701 AMADOR PLAZA RD, DUBLIN, CA 94568, (925)361-1173 WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SAFETY SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,241.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL 3. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE MAIN 15 INCH SCREEN COMMAND CENTER WAS BLACK AND NONE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES APPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TESLA (50 OGDEN AVE, WESTMONT, IL 60559) TO BE DIAGNOSED SIX TIMES, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TESLA MODEL 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TOUCH SCREEN FAILED TO ACTIVATE AND WENT BLANK. THE CONTACT THEN ATTEMPTED TO CHARGE THE VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO DUE TO THE TOUCH SCREEN FAILING. THE MANUFACTURER TECH SUPPORT WAS CALLED AND ASSISTED HIM IN RESTORING THE TOUCH SCREEN HOWEVER; THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A DELAY IN RESPONSE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND REVERSING FROM A PARKING SPACE; THE REAR BACK UP SENSOR HAD A DELAY AND DID NOT WARN THE DRIVER THAT HE WAS GETTING NEAR ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PARKED VEHICLE CAUSING SCRATCHES TO THE BUMPER. THE ALERT FOR THE BACK UP CAMERA WAS DELAYED DURING THE INCIDENT. A POLICER REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

MY 2019 TESLA MODEL 3 PURCHASED 5 MONTHS AGO, SUDDENLY GAVE A WARNING ON THE HIGHWAY THAT THE '12V POWER IS VERY LOW AND VEHICLE MAY SHUT DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY' THE CAR HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH 250+ MILES OF RANGE. ONCE STOPPED THE CAR WOULDN'T RESPOND AND EVEN FLASHERS WOULDN'T WORK. THEIR SUPPORT STAFF DID NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS OR EVEN HOW TO KEEP FLASHERS ON. LUCKILY I HAD EXITED THE HIGHWAY INTO A RESIDENTIAL AREA WHERE FLASHERS WEREN'T NECESSARY. THIS IS SUDDEN AND DANGEROUS. A BATTERY CAN BE MONITORED AND FAILURE CAN BE DETECTED SEVERAL CHARGE CYCLES (DAYS) IN ADVANCE. TESLA NEEDS TO DO A RECALL TO FIX THE CHARGING SYSTEM AND INSTALL A PROPER MONITORING SYSTEM.

THE SCREEN FREEZES AND REBOOTS WHILE DRIVING.I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST I'M GOING THE ENTIRE CARE GOES DARK. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 2 MONTHS.I HAVE TAKEN IT IN. BUT THEY TELL ME THERE IS NO FIX. CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WHEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST YOUR GOING.

VEHICLE PRIMARY DRIVE MOTOR FAILED SUDDENLY WITH ON SCREEN MESSAGES LIKE: "UNABLE TO DRIVE - PULL OVER SAFELY", "CAR SHUTTING DOWN - PULL OVER SAFELY". THE VEHICLE BECOMES TOTALLY IMMOBILE WHEN THIS HAPPENS, IN MY CASE ON A BUSY ROAD AT AN INTERSECTION AFTER EXITING A HIGHWAY AND MERGING INTO TRAFFIC.

I HAVE NOTIFIED TESLA SEVERAL TIMES THAT MY VEHICLE SHUTS OFF ON ITS OWN. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE TESLA SERVICE CENTER TWICE WHERE I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS A "FIRMWARE" ISSUE AND WILL BE RESOLVED WITH AN OVER THE AIR UPDATE. HOWEVER THERE IS NO TIMEFRAME ON WHEN THIS UPDATE WILL HAPPEN. THIS MORNING AT 8:20AM WHILE DRIVING MY CAR TO WORK ON VINCENT STREET TURNING LEFT ON IRWINDALE AVE IN THE CITY OF IRWINDALE, CA THE VEHICLE DISPLAY COMPLETELY SHUT OFF LEAVING ME WITH NO WAY TO SEE MY SPEED, CONTROLS, OR GAUGES. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS QUITE CONCERNING AS ALL THE CONTROLS FOR THE CAR ARE LOCATED ON THE TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY. AFTER A SOLID 5-10 SECONDS THE DISPLAY WENT BACK ON AND I ARRIVED TO AT MY WORK LOCATION.