Tesla recalls 36,126 imported Model Ss, Model Xs in China for eMMC failure

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Tesla has decided to recall up to 36,126 of its Model S and Model X electric vehicles, which were made in the U.S. and sold to customers in China, over the inevitable eMMC hardware failure.

The China State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced the recall on February 5. This was the third-time vehicle recall Tesla made in China since last October.

Model S; photo credit: Tesla

According to SAMR, the recall involves 20,428 imported Model Ss produced between Sept. 18, 2013 and Feb. 20, 2018, and 15,698 Model Xs manufactured between Mar. 12, 2016 and Feb. 16, 2018.

The vehicles to be recalled are shipped with eMMC (enhanced multimedia card), the flash memory device used in the MCU (media control unit), which is rated for 3,000 program/erase cycles for regular use. Over time, the eMMC will wear out in a way that exhausts the lifespan of MCUs. When the capacity of the storage unit will be used up, the eMMC controller will fail to keep the document system intact. This issue may cause the center display screen to stop working and even lead to malfunctions in backup camera display, window defroster and defogger, exterior turn signal indicators and other safety-related facilities, said SAMR.

Tesla Motors (Beijing) Co.,Ltd., will replace the component that contains the 8GB eMMC with an updated component equipped with a 64GM eMMC free of charge, and make sure every vehicle recalled armed with the 2020.48.12 version or updated software. The automaker expects to eliminate potential safety hazards through those measures.

The recall came a few days after the EV manufacturer announced it would recall 134,951 Model Xs and Model Ss in the U.S. for the similar issue.