At least three independent Tesla repair professionals have revealed that worn-out flash storage chips used in Model S and Model Xs built before 2018 can spontaneously brick the EVs.
Vice reports that a flash storage chip used by Tesla dubbed eMMC and mated to a board known as ‘MCU1’ often goes bad because Tesla is so frequently writing vehicle logs to the storage chip that it eventually gets worn out.
Tesla repair specialist Rich Benoit made a video about the issue back in May when he spoke with fellow Tesla expert Phil Sadow. In the video, Sadow revealed that these flash storage chips are often wearing out in roughly four years although it depends on how often the car is driven. If the vehicle is driven frequently, the storage chip can die much faster.
Also Read: Cheapskate Or Genius? Tesla Model S Gets Wooden DIY Repairs
“Tesla’s got a problem. They create so many logs in the car, they write to [the chip] so fast that it basically burns them out. They have a finite amount of writes,” Sadow says. “When this burns out, you wake up to a black screen [in the car’s center console.] There’s nothing there. No climate control. You can generally drive the car, but it won’t charge.”
The part is not covered after the warranty of a car has expired, even though Tesla are the ones causing the damage. What’s more, it doesn’t sell replacement flash storage chips, thus forcing individuals to rebuild them in the aftermarket. If you do own a Tesla, have a flash storage chip fail and take it directly to Tesla, they’ll reportedly only be willing to replace the entire infotainment system, including the screen and the entire MCU1 computer board that can cost as much as $5,000.