Since the debut of its first car in 2008, Tesla has been known as one of the most innovative automotive manufacturers in the world. Over the past decade, Tesla has continued to use advanced technology and groundbreaking ideas to create some of the most breathtaking vehicles on the market. However, with every great invention come a few bumps on the road to perfection.

Recently, Tesla became aware of a dangerous problem that some customers were having with the infotainment system. To fix the issue, the high-tech automaker decided to make some changes to its warranty policy. However, only certain customers will find this new policy beneficial.

Tesla received numerous complaints about the touchscreen

Over the past couple of years, Tesla received numerous complaints about the touchscreen system going black and not working properly. The problem seems to be found only in the Model X and Model S vehicles manufactured before 2018. These infotainment systems are equipped with 8GB embedded MultiMediaCards (eMMCs) that Tesla has revealed can malfunction due to “accumulated wear.”

In a statement, representatives for Tesla said, “This condition has no impact on basic vehicle driving functionality and controllability, and we are not aware of any injuries or collisions relating to it.” However, many customers argue that the issue can be dangerous.

In fact, a group of lawyers filed a class-action lawsuit against Tesla Inc. claiming a blank screen means the driver is no longer able to access the reverse camera, climate control system, GPS navigation system, and self-driving mode, according to ClassAction.org.

Though it’s true no accidents attributed to the infotainment issue have been reported due, it’s easy to see why so many people think the inability to access vital control systems in the car could be dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has already been investigating touchscreen failures that occurred in the Model S from 2012 to 2015. 

Tesla’s new warranty adjustments

On November 9, 2020, Tesla announced it will adjust its warranty program to help ensure the problem with the faulty touchscreen system is fixed. If you own a Tesla Model X or Model S that was manufactured before 2018 and your vehicle’s odometer reads less than 100,000 miles, the company will repair or replace the touchscreen system if it’s malfunctioning.

However, if you own one of these vehicles but are not experiencing any problems with the 8GB eMMC system, the new warranty adjustment program states Tesla will not replace your current system. The manufacturer made it clear this is not a recall because the company believes this problem doesn’t pose a threat to its drivers or anyone else sharing the road with these models. 

Additionally, if you had to get repairs on your Model X or Model S infotainment system in the past, Tesla will reimburse those repair costs.  

Does Tesla make safe vehicles?

Although the automaker refuses to acknowledge the infotainment issue could be dangerous, this is certainly not the first time Tesla customers have questioned their safety when driving one of these futuristic cars.

Indeed, the company has been sued a few times over its Autopilot system. The fact that Teslas can turn into fully autonomous vehicles was the main selling point for many customers when the brand first hit the automotive market. However, this system has also been known to malfunction occasionally and even blamed for collisions, including one fatal accident.

However, even though some major problems have been reported about these vehicles, for the most part, Tesla appears to take the safety of its customers seriously and is constantly working on ways to improve the operating systems on every model.