The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the center display screen malfunctioned, causing the rearview camera to intermittently fail. Additionally, the failure caused a delay while switching gears to drive(D) and to park(P). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined through the Tesla App that the VCM daughterboard needed to be replaced with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 95,500.
2013 Tesla Model S visibility problems
22 complaints (5% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 95,500.
- owner complaints
- 22
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 95,500
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Tesla Model S visibility problems in other years
Related recalls
Visibility: defroster/defogger/HVAC system
- What is wrong
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 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. When 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.
- Risk
- The eMMC controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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. The recall began March 29, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1‑877‑798‑3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-21-001.
Recall number 21V035000 · Recall details
What 2013 Tesla Model S owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting). The contact stated that the recall repair was performed twice however, the vehicle experienced an unknown computer failure. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the seats moved independently. The contact was unaware of a warning light being illuminated. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat would revert to the seat settings of the second driver independently while the vehicle was in motion. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the eMMC controller needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure occurred again and the eMMC controller was replaced a second time. The failure persisted. The failure mileage was 123,864.
17 inch main Screen is bubbling and leaking fluid
Wiper motor linkage on these vehicles break, leaving only the driver side wiper functional.
I brought in the car to be parked as part of the federal safety agency Recall No. 21V‑035. The "fix" provided has led to my center console in the Model S to shutdown completely. I contacted Tesla to inform them that their fix as part of the recall has actually led to more problems.
The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) unit became inoperable causing the vehicle to stall. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the VCM unit needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then stated 18 months later, he received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 21V035000 (Back over prevention, Visibility, Exterior lighting). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Backing up mcu fail backup camera failed almost back on a kid ran behind my car while I was looking down at a disabled screen. Driving to tesla service department main screen failed due to computer car crippled to minimal safety control. Car now in service tesla require me to pay $1500 for new mcu2 instead of recalling and replace the defective mcu.
My vehicle has the issue with the emmc chip being too small to handle all the logging tesla was doing and now it's starting to fail. When it completely fails I won't be able to defog the windshield, the heat and AC won't work, the turn signals won't work and I won't be able to charge the vehicle. I got an email from tesla saying my car doesn't qualify car the warranty adjustment program due to miles but it's within the years. This needs to be a recall regardless of miles. Tesla doubling the amount of logging caused excessive wear on the emmc. The failure is a safety issue.
I own a 2013 tesla model s that has lost the mcu and will no longer charge. In addition, the mcu causes the touch screen to open very slowly. I have complained and tesla would not replace the mcu and not compensate me for the inability to charge the car. The original complaint was that the touchscreen would not come on at all. I could not see any information whatsoever, during tesla's attempt to fix the screen, I lost the ability to charge the vehicle.
Questions about the 2013 Tesla Model S visibility
Does the 2013 Tesla Model S have visibility problems?
Owners have filed 22 complaints about the visibility of the 2013 Tesla Model S, 5% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2013 Tesla Model S visibility problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 95,500 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Tesla Model S visibility?
Yes, 1 recall: 21V035000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Tesla Model S have the most visibility problems?
The Tesla Model S model years with the most visibility complaints are 2015 (39 complaints), 2016 (39 complaints) and 2017 (25 complaints).
Other 2013 Tesla Model S problems
Electrical 195Suspension 92Transmission 35Steering 29Acceleration 25Brakes 25Fuel system 24Engine 21Driver assistance 20Body 19Lights 15Airbags 8Wheels 7Seats 4Seat belts 3Tires 3Locks 2
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