Tesla is recalling 130,000 vehicles owing to an issue that causes the CPU in the infotainment systems of vehicles to overheat during fast charging, potentially causing the touchscreen to fail or go entirely blank. On May 3rd, Tesla began distributing an over-the-air update (OTA) to affected vehicles, which included the 2022 Model 3 and Y, as well as the 2021 and 2022 Model X and S.
“During fast charging or preparation for fast charging, the infotainment central processing unit (“CPU”) may not cool sufficiently to prevent higher than expected temperatures, causing the CPU to slow processing or restart,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall notice. “Slower or restarted processing may cause the center screen display to lag or become blank.” The recall does not specify what caused the issue or how the software update will fix it, but it appears to be related to how the vehicle preconditions the battery for Supercharger use.
According to the NHTSA, this issue may prevent drivers from using their backup camera, shifting using the touchscreen, or altering the speed of their windshield wipers (some Tesla models adjust windshield wiper speeds automatically and only house manual speed controls in the central touchscreen). While it’s unclear how common the problem is, the NHTSA states that Tesla “identified 59 warranty claims and 59 field reports” potentially due to the problem and that the firm isn’t aware of any injuries or deaths as a result of it.
Tesla began shipping vehicles with AMD Ryzen-based chipsets running the infotainment system last year, although Tesla has not stated whether the new processor is a contributing factor. Some drivers reported a minor decrease in driving range in cars equipped with Ryzen CPUs as compared to older Teslas equipped with the Intel Atom earlier this year.
Tesla has issued a lot of recalls over the years, including one that an OTA update couldn’t fix – in December, the firm recalled almost 500,000 Model 3 and Model S vehicles due to a defective trunk latch system. Tesla just recalled another 579,000 vehicles to remove a “Boombox” feature that the NHTSA found objectionable.
