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.
Advertisement - scroll for more content
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.
... continue reading