Tesla is recalling 130,000 cars over an issue that causes the CPU in the vehicles’ infotainment systems to overheat during fast charging, potentially causing the car’s touchscreen to malfunction or go completely blank (via The Associated Press). The electric carmaker began rolling out an over-the-air (OTA) update on May 3 to fix the issue on affected vehicles, including the 2022 Model 3 and Y, and the 2021 and 2022 Model X and S.
“During fast charging or preparing for fast charging, the infotainment central processing unit (“CPU”) may not cool down sufficiently to prevent higher than expected temperatures, which may result in the CPU slowing down or restarting processing.” it in the recall notice from That reads the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “Slower processing or restarted processing may cause the middle screen to appear laggy or blank.” The recall doesn’t explain exactly what caused the problem or how the software update will solve it, but it seems something to do with how the vehicle prepares the battery for supercharger use.
“This issue could prevent drivers from using their backup camera”
As noted by NHTSA, this issue could prevent drivers from using their backup camera, shifting gears with the touchscreen, and adjusting the speed of their wipers (some Tesla models automatically adjust wiper speed and only include manual speed controls in the center-touch screen). While it’s not clear how widespread the issue is, NHTSA says Tesla “has identified 59 warranty claims and 59 testimonials” that may be related to the issue, and that the company is not aware of any injuries or deaths caused as a result.
Tesla last year began shipping vehicles with AMD Ryzen-based chipsets powering the infotainment system, but Tesla doesn’t say whether the new processor is part of the problem. Earlier this year, some drivers noticed a slight reduction in range in cars equipped with Ryzen CPUs compared to older Teslas equipped with Intel Atom.
Tesla has conducted a number of recalls over the years, including one that an OTA update couldn’t fix — last December, the company recalled nearly half a million Model 3 and Model S cars because of a defective trunk latch system. More recently, Tesla recalled another 579,000 cars to remove a “boombox” feature that NHTSA had trouble with.