Tesla is in hot water in South Korea as nearly 4,500 of its electric vehicles have reported serious battery issues, putting their eligibility for government subsidies at risk.
We’re receiving some troubling reports from South Korea today, as the Korea JoongAng Daily is reporting that a significant number of Tesla vehicles are experiencing battery failures.
The issue centers around a “BMS_a079 error,” a fault in the Battery Management System that is causing headaches for nearly 4,500 Tesla owners. This error, which has been reported in both Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, triggers a safety protocol that limits the battery’s maximum charge to 50%. This effectively cripples the vehicle’s range, posing a major inconvenience for owners who rely on their Teslas for daily driving.
The problem has been escalating for some time and affects primarily 2021 vehicles, with a total of 4,637 reported cases in 4,351 cars.
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Here are the exact numbers Tesla reportedly shared with Democratic Party lawmaker Park Sang-hyuk:
Total One-time failure Two-time failure Three-time failure Four-time failure No. of cars 4,351 4,086 245 19 1 No. of cases 4,637 4,086 490 57 4
As you can see, the problem has also been recurring after battery replacements in hundreds of cases, which some blame on Tesla using refurbished battery packs rather than new ones.
For the most part, Tesla was covering the repairs under warranty. But many of these vehicles are now out of warranty, as they sometimes exceed the maximum mileage. In those cases, owners are facing a staggering repair bill of over 30 million won (approximately $22,000) to get their cars back in working order.
This has, understandably, led to a growing chorus of angry customers.
As much as 22% of 2021 Model Ys and 12% of 2021 Model 3s in Korea are affected. This led people to believe that it had nothing to do with normal wear and tear, and it should be a recall for a defect.
A civic group, the Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty, is now demanding that Tesla Korea take responsibility for the issue. They are calling for a full-scale recall of all affected vehicles and a thorough investigation by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to get to the root cause of the problem.
The situation has also caught the attention of the Korean government. The Environment Ministry has issued a stern warning to Tesla: fix the problem, or risk losing the lucrative government subsidies that have been a key driver of EV adoption in the country.
A government official who handles EV subsidy programs told the Korea JoongAng Daily:
“We have requested a clear response from Tesla Korea regarding the issue, but have yet to receive one. If the company continues to remain unresponsive, we will have no choice [but to consider suspending subsidies.] We cannot justify providing public funds for vehicles that disadvantage consumers.”
The current subsidy for EVs in South Korea can be up to 5.8 million won (approximately $3,950), which is a significant factor contributing to South Korea’s status as a key market for Tesla.
Tesla has built a strong presence in South Korea, becoming the third-largest imported car brand by sales in 2024. However, this battery issue, coupled with the potential loss of subsidies, could significantly dent their market share.
Electrek’s Take
This is a developing story, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on how Tesla responds to this pressure from both the Korean government and its own customers.
It’s not the first time that Tesla has been found to limit battery capacity and charging through a software update.
However, it’s the first time that it has been linked to a large population of vehicles of a specific timeframe like that.
I would love to know the root cause of this problem, as I don’t understand why it primarily affects South Korean owners.
My understanding is that most of Tesla’s vehicles sold in Korea are made at Gigafactory Shanghai in China, and that’s Tesla’s main export hub. Most of Tesla’s vehicles outside of the US are made in China. We should start seeing similar issues in other markets unless there’s a specific contributing factor in Korea.