Table 1 shows one common engine and engine cooling related problems of the 2016 Tesla Model S.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling problems |
While driving on the freeway in the fast lane at 75 mph i80w, the car began a loud humming sound that came from the rear. My passenger and I noted that it was significant sound that we took a video to record the sound. I was the driver and I noticed that the sound increased as I accelerated. Then without any warning the car began to decelerate and no longer accelerated. The car slowed considerably to 35 mph and it became a major safety issue because I had to cross all lanes of traffic at this slow speed. It was only after the car had completely shut down that the warning messages began to display. I reached the side of the road and we waited for the tow truck driver for about an hour. Subsequently, the car was towed to a Tesla dealer near my home. I was informed that the drive unit needed to be replaced with an explanation of internal failure, costing over $7000. However, the root cause of the internal failure was never explained or investigated even at my request stating that they do not take apart the drive unit. This incident occurred after driving 7hrs of heavy rainfall for 2 days. A quick google search of "2016 Tesla Model S drive unit failure" reveals plenty of Tesla owners that had similar issues.
On April 9th, 2022, the vehicle in traffic went from the drive gear to the park. Vehicles were coming behind me at 55mph and I could not maneuver to safety. It took up to 4mins before I got moving. The incident occurred again on April 25th, while my kids and I were on the way to basketball practice. Finally, I got an appointment with Tesla service, and after two weeks of troubleshooting I was informed that the issue is an anomaly.
Mcu computer is blacking out and requires constant resets. Connection to the app is spoty. Computer showing signs if not working properly. Reported to Tesla. Was told they cleared my memory and they are 'diverting my concerns'.
Tesla pushed over-the-air software updates to my vehicle, which reduced the range the car could travel on a single charge, owners. The software updates, which started in may 2019, were made to fix for batteries that could ignite in non-crash scenarios.