2015 Tesla Model S Visibility Problems

In Nov 2019, while driving at night, the center touchscreen (MCU) of my 2015 Model S went blank and would not recover after restarts. I lost access to nearly all vehicle controls. The daytime running lights remained on, but the headlights did not illuminate despite being set to auto, and I had no way to turn them on manually because the headlight control is on the failed touchscreen. Climate control was inoperative and the windshield began fogging, reducing visibility. I could not open the charge port despite a low battery. I avoided the freeway and took local roads home. This is the failure covered by Recall 21V035 (8GB eMMC wear-out). Tesla service confirmed via diagnostic logs an internal fault within the MCU and replaced it with a remanufactured unit. I paid $2,045.47 out of pocket (invoice uploaded). The defect was not remedied. The remanufactured MCU contains the same 8GB eMMC; since the 2019 replacement the screen still goes blank 2-3 times per year, recovering only after 10-15 minutes of holding the reboot buttons. As of Aug 2026, NHTSA's VIN lookup shows Recall 21V035 as "Recall Incomplete": Tesla has never performed the free remedy (64GB eMMC daughterboard). Component available for inspection. In Feb-Mar 2021, Tesla notified me my vehicle was covered and invited a reimbursement claim per its NHTSA-filed plan (49 CFR 573.13). I submitted the claim through my Tesla account within the claim period. Tesla's portal confirms this: it displays "You have already submitted for the reimbursement" and blocks resubmission (screenshot uploaded). The plan commits to a decision within 60 days. Five years later: no decision, no payment. In Feb 2026, Tesla Support confirmed it has no mechanism to check or process reimbursement claims. I am reporting Tesla's non-compliance with its filed reimbursement plan and its failure to remedy this recall.

NHTSA ID

11756104

Incident

Nov 25, 2019

This issue involves critical safety systems, including the rearview camera, front camera, and Autopilot/driver assistance features. The vehicle was taken to Tesla for a recall related to the MCU system. Tesla marked the recall as completed, but no effective repair was performed. The rearview camera remains unavailable, the front camera system is not functioning properly, and driver assistance features continue to be disabled. Tesla returned the vehicle without resolving the safety issue. This condition poses a serious safety risk, as essential visibility and safety systems are not operational despite a completed recall.

NHTSA ID

11730301

Incident

Apr 9, 2026

The MCU that controls the climate and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems stops working while driving. I sent a service request to TESLA and they replied that my older MCU1 is failing because of the new software updates. It isn't the eMMC card hardware failure, but the symptoms and safety concerns are the same. None of the controls work, as the main screen goes blank and resets while driving. TESLA told me the fix for this problem is to upgrade to MCU2, which they fail to provide for free as a safety recall. There was already a recall for the MCU memory chip failing and causing the same safety concern. The car disables the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems when this problem occurs. It happens about once or twice a month for the last year.

NHTSA ID

11581437

Incident

Mar 30, 2024

Recently I had an accident while I was driving my car (Tesla model S) with my wife and daughter in the car. The reason for accident was the front hood popped up in the middle of the county highway due to the secondary latch malfunction leaving us completely blinded as the hood fully blocked our vision. Luckily we were not met with a collision and had no bodily injuries, but the hood of the car got damaged. The repairs are running in thousands of dollars but Tesla is not covering. When we reached out to Tesla they informed there is a recall for the latch malfunction and sent us the recall, unfortunately they were sitting on this recall for 3 years and only sent us when we actually reached out. Still they denied any coverage owning no responsibility and even refused to fix the latch until we get the hood fixed by ourselves leaving it in unsafe condition as the hood might pop up again if we drive.

NHTSA ID

11528836

Incident

Jun 18, 2023

My MCU (onboard computer system) glitched out and the screen began flickering. I lost all of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, navigation, music, phone link, sunroof venting, climate control, including defrost. The screen froze and I had no functions. This has happened 4 times, possibly a 5th time, while driving in the last 6000 miles. I put in a service request to Tesla and they ran a remote diagnosis, and told me that the old MCU1 is overwhelmed by the new software updates. Their solution was for me to upgrade to the newer MCU2 at my cost. I am afraid to drive my car as it will malfunction while I need the safety features, like basic defrost or AC in the 105 degree heat in Phoenix. Tesla acknowledged that the previous MCU1 failure due to the eMMC chip was a recall, but this is a new problem that has not yet been acknowledged by Tesla as a recall problem.

NHTSA ID

11526350

Incident

Jun 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the center display screen became inoperable. The contact stated that the defroster, exterior lights, back-up camera and radio were inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the center display screen needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ID

11521301

Incident

Aug 1, 2022

Mileage

79,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the backup camera functioned intermittently and on other occasions, the image would remain frozen on the screen. The contact also stated that the MCU Unit failed and went blank on several occasions. While driving on some occasions, the MCU Unit would reboot. In addition, the defroster and turn signal chimes failed to function. The failure had gotten progressively worse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the failure persisted. The service center offered the contact a special offer of $2,000 for an Entertainment System Upgrade (NVIDIA Tegra 3 to Intel Atom Processor). The contact declined and Tesla acknowledged that there was a known issue with NVIDIA Tegra 3 Processor in the MCU and that an upgrade to the NVIDIA Tegra 3 would resolve the known failure. The contact was concerned that the backup camera failure might result in a crash with another vehicle or pedestrian. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on three separate occasions and on each occasion, the vehicle remained in their possession for approximately 2 weeks. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11467373

Incident

Nov 15, 2021

Mileage

80,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The vehicle had previously been serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lightning) however, the failure occurred after the recall was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an 60 mph, the center display screen went black and then rebooted, causing the defroster, the rearview camera display, and the navigational system to become inoperable. The auto pilot function and other unknown warning messages were displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000. When he reported the failure to Tesla, they believe a firmware update in the near future should fix this problem.

NHTSA ID

11459567

Incident

Mar 31, 2022

Mileage

56,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11448586

Incident

Nov 1, 2021

The Contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was exhibiting failure. The failure mileage was not available. The manufacturer was not contacted. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11434878

Incident

Mar 22, 2012

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the main center display failed not allowing the contact to use the rearview camera, the turn signals, and all the electrical functions. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the eMMC flash memory device needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that a couple of days later he received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior lighting). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 49,274.

NHTSA ID

11425871

Incident

Mar 13, 2020

Mileage

49,274 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had to experience the failure for the recall repair to be completed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11423973

Incident

Jul 8, 2021

TOUCH SCREEN WILL BLANK, SHOW UNUSUAL CHARACTERS, NOT RESPOND, EXHIBIT PIXILLATION, STOP REAR VISION CAMERA FROM DISPLAYING, NOT PLAY RADIO OR MUSIC PROPERLY AND/OR INTERMITTANTLY, AND PRESENT NAVIGATION INFORMATION IMPROPERLY. MEDIA COMPUTER WAS REPLACED LAST YEAR, BUT NEW COMPUTER STILL HAS THOSE SAME AND OTHER PROBLEMS. HAPPENS WITH VEHICLE IN MOTION, CITY AND HIGHWAY, RANDOMLY. EVIDENCE INDICATES THIS MAY BE RELATED TO A MEMORY STORAGE HARDWARE CHIP INSIDE THE MEDIA COMPUTER, BEING OF TOO LITTLE TOTAL CAPACITY. OR RELATED TO INTERNET SIGNAL FROM MANUFACTURE BEING UNRELIABLE, WEEK, INTERMITTENT, OR DEFECTIVE.

NHTSA ID

11415502

Incident

Dec 10, 2020

Mileage

55,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V035000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, VISIBILITY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID

11406706

Incident

Feb 28, 2021

MCU GOES BLANK; THIS EFFECTS EXTERIOR LIGHTS; ACCELERATION SETTINGS; STEERING MODES; REGENERATIVE BRAKING; STOPPING MODE; THE ENTIRE SOUND SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE TURN-SIGNAL TONES; DISPLAYING WARNING NOTIFICATIONS; CRITICAL GAUGES; GPS NAVIGATION; SELF-DRIVING MODE; REAR VIEW CAMERA; ABILITY TO CHARGE; SUSPENSION; HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING; AND THE SUNROOF

NHTSA ID

11391179

Incident

Sep 1, 2020

Mileage

65,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING MAIN SCREEN TURNS OFF - REBOOTS ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES OFF- WHILE OFF- TURN SIGNALS ARE NOT AUDIBLE INSIDE CAR ALL OTHER SAFETY PARAMETERS ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE: COLLISION AVOIDANCE, BRAKE ASSISTANCE, THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES - I MUST TAKE A PICTURE WHILE OCCURRING WHICH HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING. TESLA HAS FULL ACCESS TO LOGS. DIAGNOSTICS BY TESLA REPRESENTATIVE TELLS ME THAT MY MEMORY CHIP IS WITHIN PARAMETERS AND THUS NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE REPLACED. ALTHOUGH I MUST CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE REBOOTS THAT SHUTDOWN MOST OF ITS FEATURES WHILE IT OCCURS. NOT TO MENTION MY DAILY OCCURRENCES: - CHARGING SYSTEM ADJUSTMENT PANEL DOES NOT DRAW ON SCREEN PROPERLY; WHICH CAUSES INCORRECT SELECTION OF AMOUNT OF CHARGE NEEDED. CENTER ARROW WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO SHOW DOESN'T UNTIL AFTER SELECTED.

NHTSA ID

11390339

Incident

May 5, 2020

Mileage

87,500 mi

TESLA UPGRADED THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM ON MY CAR AND AS A RESULT THE SCREEN'S VIEW OF THE BACKUP CAMERA IS NOW EXTREMELY DARK WHEN USED AT NIGHT. MY WIFE NARROWLY AVOIDED HITTING A TREE THE FIRST NIGHT. THE UPGRADED SYSTEM'S BACKUP CAMERA IS ALMOST USELESS NOW AND A REAL SAFETY HAZARD AS ONE CAN NO-LONGER SEE THE ROAD OR ANY OBSTACLES WHEN REVERSING AT NIGHT. PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS A VERY WELL PERFORMING SYSTEM. TESLA HAS NOT FIRM TIMELINE TO RECTIFY THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11385106

Incident

Dec 16, 2020

Mileage

130,000 mi

DATE NOTED BELOW WAS THE MOST RECENT OF MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES. THIS HAS HAPPENED NOW AT LEAST 6 TIMES BEGINNING IN OCTOBER 2020. WHILE DRIVING, THE 17" DISPLAY IN THE CENTER OF THE DASH SUDDENLY GOES BLANK. AT THIS POINT, ACCESS TO THE BACKUP (REAR-FACING) CAMERA IS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11376067

Incident

Nov 21, 2020

Mileage

50,000 mi

THE MAIN CONTROL UNIT CENTRAL SCREEN FROZE AND I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO FUNCTION FOR ABOUT 7-8 MINS. DURING THIS TIME, ALL MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF CLIMATE CONTROL, REAR VIEW CAMERA, AND THE CAR ITSELF WAS NON-FUNCTIONAL. EVEN WHEN THE CAR FUNCTIONS, THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN THE COMPUTER STARTS TO GO SLOW. SOMETIMES CAUSING THE TOUCH SCREEN TO GET UNRESPONSIVE DURING DRIVING THE CAR. AND A FEW TIMES, THE TOUCH SCREEN HAS EVEN GONE DARK AND NON-FUNCTIONAL WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. HISTORY BEFORE THIS LATEST INCIDENT: NOTE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST 1.5 YEARS. I TOOK THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES TO THE TESLA SERVICE SHOP AND THEY USED TO JUST TELL ME TO REBOOT THE COMPUTER AND THEY MANAGED TO RESET THE COMPUTER A COUPLE OF TIMES WHILE IN WARRANTY. FINALLY AT ONE POINT AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, THE COMPUTER COMPLETELY DIED EARLIER THIS YEAR AND TESLA SERVICE ADVISED THAT I NEED TO GET THE COMPUTER MCU REPLACED AT MY OWN EXPENSE OF ABOUT $1200. I DID THAT. NOW AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS OF THE NEW REPLACED MCU, THE PROBLEM HAS STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN, JUST LIKE IT HAPPENED ABOUT 1.5 YEARS AGO. COMPUTER SLOWING DOWN AND NOW TWO TIMES, FREEZING UP. I AM FRUSTRATED AT HOW EASILY THIS COMPUTER KEEPS GETTING INTO PROBLEMS AND CAUSES POTENTIALLY SAFETY ISSUES WHEN THE COMPUTER MAY GO DARK WHILE DRIVING OR TRYING TO BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE OR PARKING LOT WITHOUT VISIBILITY FROM THE REAR VIEW CAMERA WHEN IT HAPPENS. AND I'M AFRAID THAT THIS NEW COMPUTER MCU MAY BE ON ITS WAY AGAIN FOR COMPLETELY DYING A SECOND TIME IN THE SAME YEAR. I AM ATTACHING THE PHOTO OF THE STATE OF THE CAR FROM TODAY'S INCIDENT (1:15PM 11/16/2020 PACIFIC TIME). I HOPE YOU WOULD INVESTIGATE THIS CLOSELY SINCE IN THE PAST TESLA HAS BEEN TELLING ME THAT THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND I CAN'T ACCEPT THAT THIS KIND OF THING IS ANYWHERE CLOSE TO NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR A CRITICAL PART OF THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

11374942

Incident

Nov 16, 2020

Mileage

47,634 mi

MCU SHUTS DOWN WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. YOU LOSE DEFROST AND OTHER MAJOR FACTORS THAT EFFECT SAFETY. CANNOT NAME A PARTICULAR DAY BUT TESLA HAS THIS INFORMATION. I TEXT THE TECH ON 09/03/2020 HE TOLD ME IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. IF IT HAPPENS IN WINTER, I WILL WRECK IF I CANNOT SEE.

NHTSA ID

11359864

Incident

Sep 18, 2020

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT (MCU) TOUCHSCREEN FAILED (COMPLETELY DARK/NON-OPERABLE) AND GREATLY REDUCED MY REAR VISIBILITY WHEN PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE GIVEN THE LOSS OF THE REAR CAMERA DISPLAY. THIS OCCURRED UPON LEAVING WORK AND GETTING INTO MY PARKED CAR.

NHTSA ID

11348626

Incident

Jul 21, 2020

Mileage

55,000 mi

I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND THE SCREEN WAS BLACK. ALL THE CONTROLS WERE STUCK...FAN/AC...BACK UP CAMERA DID NOT WORK. MY TURNING SIGNALS DID NOT WORK. TESLA SERVICE CENTER WAS CLOSED SO ALL THE AC DID NOT TURN OFF AND DRAINED THE BATTERY ALL THE WAY TO 0 RANGE. TOOK A LOT OF TROUBLE TO GET TO THE SERVICE CENTER THE NEXT DAY. THEY CONCLUDED THE MCU WAS DEAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED CLAIMING THAT IT WAS WEAR AND TEAR. WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE MCU CRASHED AND COMPRISED SAFETY OF THE CAR WITH THE TURNING SIGNALS, SUSPENSION AND REAR BACK UP CAMERA NOT WORKING AMONGST OTHERS SINCE THE MCU CONTROLS EVERYTHING. WE BELIEVED TESLA KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AND PUT IT ON OWNERS TO REPLACE AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE IF OUT OF WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN AROUND WHEN THE WARRANTY ENDS. WE HAVE 2 TESLAS AND BOTH THE MCUS DIED A LITTLE OVER 50K. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY RECALL AND THE MCUS REPLACED AT NO COST. TERRIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICE AND SERVICE FOR SUCH EXPENSIVE CARS. WE ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TESLA.

NHTSA ID

11344076

Incident

Feb 18, 2020

Mileage

52,889 mi

TURN SIGNALS ALL FAILED, REAR CAMERA FAILED, TOUCHSCREEN INTERFACE FAILED

NHTSA ID

11343988

Incident

Jul 29, 2020

THE MCU (VERSION 1) OF MY CAR STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE PARKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE (EMMC FAILURE). THE CAR WAS STILL OPERATIONAL HOWEVER THE FOLLOWING SAFETY ISSUES RESULTED FROM THE MCU MALFUNCTION: - TURN SIGNALS AND AUDIBLE CHIME BOTH BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - REVERSE CAMERA BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - LANE DEPARTURE WARNING MAY HAE BECOME NONOPERATIONAL - CLIMATE CONTROL STUCK AT ONE LEVEL - INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTING SETTING BECAME UNABLE TO BE CHANGED ADDITIONAL ISSUES RESULTING FROM THE MCU1 FAILURE: - ALL SYSTEMS AND SETTINGS ACCESSED THROUGH THE CENTER CONSOLE SCREEN BEAME UNACCESSIBLE - NAVIGATION SYSTEM BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - AUDIO CONTROLS BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - AUTO-PILOT (LANE ASSIST) BEAME NONOPERATIONAL - ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC) CHARGING SPEED REDUCED TO 2KW - REMOTE ACCESS VIA SMARTPHONE BEAME NONOPERATIONAL *BF

NHTSA ID

11343961

Incident

Jul 7, 2020

Mileage

113,000 mi

THE SCREEN DOES NOT TURN ON. MCU HAS FAILED. WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE REAR VIEW CAMERA, DEFROST FUNCTION(ESP WHEN RAINING, THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN WITH NOT HAVING VISIBILITY), CAN NOT TURN OFF AC(RUNS WHILE CAR IS OFF), REAR BACK UP CAMERA DOES NOT WORK. CAN NOT USE THE TESLA PHONE APP TO USE THE FUNCTIONS, CAN NOT SET CHARGING. RANGE. THE NHTSA HAS OPENED A INVESTIGATION IN JUNE 2020 AND IS ON GOING.

NHTSA ID

11342846

Incident

Jul 28, 2020

Mileage

90,200 mi