Gary Zhou 
Tesla is rolling out a free over-the-air (OTA) software update for select vehicles to address an overheating issue on the EVs’ center touchscreens. The update is being labeled as a safety recall, as per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Affected vehicles in the “recall” include the Tesla Model S and Model X from the 2021 and 2022 model years as well as Model 3 and Model Y from the 2022 model year. A total of 129,960 vehicles are being recalled, though Tesla estimated that only about 1% actually have the defect.
Tesla explained the issue in the NHTSA’s Safety Recall Report:
“During fast-charging or preparation for fast-charging, the infotainment central processing unit (“CPU”) may not cool sufficiently to prevent higher than expected temperatures, which may cause the CPU to slow processing or restart. Slower processing or restarted processing could cause the center screen display to lag or appear blank,” the report read.
Considering that a lagging or blank center display may cause the rearview camera display, windshield visibility control settings, and drive modes to be unavailable, the issue may result in an increased risk of a collision. Tesla, however, stated that it is currently not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue.
Similar to its other recalls, Tesla would be fixing the overheating infotainment system issue through an over-the-air software update. Tesla noted that it had begun deploying an OTA update that would improve the management of the CPU temperature. This should mitigate temperature elevations in the infotainment system’s CPU when the vehicle is fast-charging or preparing to fast charge.
More information about Tesla’s new software-based recall can be viewed here.
