Problems · by component

2015 Tesla Model S visibility/wiper problems

29 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2015 Tesla Model S cite visibility/wiper, 4% of all 646 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
29
4% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the visibility/wiper

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 5, 2024Electrical system, Visibility/wiper, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11581437
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 26, 2023Structure, Visibility/wiperODI 11528836
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 10, 2023Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Visibility/wiperODI 11526350
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 7, 2021Electrical system, Visibility/wiper, Lane departureODI 11415502
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 2, 2021Electrical system, Unknown or other, Visibility/wiperODI 11391179
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2021Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiper, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11390339

Showing 6 of 29 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.