NHTSA complaint #11676973

Owner complaint summary

My vehicle was working fine when Tesla issued an over-the-air software update recently. The next day, my backup camera was not working. The back up camera is required for this vehicle under FMVSS 111 and is otherwise essential for this vehicle due to limited rear vision through the rear window. In addition, GPS/navigation stopped working, the windshield wipers did not function on certain settings and the display was at times not legible, presumably because it believed it was a different time of day and was in the wrong mode. There are likely additional issues that have not revealed themselves yet. I took the vehicle to the local Tesla Service Center on July 25, 2025. They confirmed the reported issues and said it was a problem with the software update, which they would perform onsite while I waited. The service center personnel also stated this was not a firmware issue or anything to do with my car and that it was just the software update. After a few hours, the personnel reported they could not get the update to install and asked that I bring the vehicle back the following week for further diagnostics. Before I brought the vehicle back, I was sent an invoice for approximately $2,300 for replacement of on vehicle's computer. I brought the vehicle back today, July 29, 2025, and asked them to perform the onsite diagnostics they wanted me to bring the vehicle back in for and did not agree to pay for the computer replacement. I also informed the Tesla personnel that, at a minimum, the the back up camera failure is a safety related issued covered for this vehicle under FMVSS 111 and that they were not permitted to charge me for fixing it. The vehicle warranty period recently expired but it is well within the 10-year date of manufacture. Other issues with the vehicle may also qualify as safety related, but the back up camera is clearly one - Tesla recently issued a recall for this very same problem impacting the Model 3, but the recall did not include my model year.