Tesla Model S: MCU1 8GB eMMC flash memory wear — blank centre screen (pre-March 2018 cars)

Model S cars built before March 2018 use the MCU1 media computer with an 8GB eMMC flash chip that wears out from constant logging — the centre screen goes blank or reboots endlessly, killing charging control from the screen, climate, and the reversing camera; regulators found defect rates up to 30% for some build months and Tesla was pushed into a recall of about 135,000 Model S/X in 2021, replacing the chip with a 64GB part. Tesla's recall/warranty adjustment coverage for the eMMC has time/mileage limits, so many NZ cars (including used imports) now sit outside it. On any pre-2018 car, confirm whether the eMMC daughterboard was replaced or the car was upgraded to MCU2 — an unfixed original chip is a matter of when, not if.

• Centre touchscreen blank, frozen or rebooting in a loop
• Screen very slow to boot, sluggish maps and menus
• Reversing camera intermittently black
• Alert about memory storage degradation

1. 1

   Reboot the screen (hold both scroll wheels) and time how long it takes to come back — many minutes or repeated crashes point to dying eMMC.

2. 2

   Ask for the invoice showing the eMMC recall replacement or an MCU2 (Intel) infotainment retrofit.

3. 3

   Check the software screen: MCU2 cars show newer feature sets (e.g. Netflix/YouTube in Theatre mode).

$500 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Has the eMMC recall replacement been done, or has the car been upgraded to MCU2?”
• “Does the screen ever go black or reboot on its own?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.