bubbles on touchscreen

demundus · Oct 18, 2015

Saw some bubbles on my touchscreen last week. They've been multiplying since, decided to contact the service center. I was told via email that it's the adhesive melting, and it will require a replacement of the assy. I wasn't quoted a price, and I am out of warranty. I'm going to try to get a goodwill fix out of it, as I'm also going to get my TPMS fixed too, which will most likely come out of pocket (that's a wear item for sure, at 69k I understand that). I baby that screen, and the previous owner probably did too considering the film from the factory is still on!!

Anyway, take a look, and wish me luck on trying to skate by outside warranty :cursing:

Dborn · Oct 18, 2015

How come you are out of warranty?

apacheguy · Oct 18, 2015

See here:

Touchscreen: Mositure/Leak?

demundus · Oct 18, 2015

Ahh thanks! Was searching for that thread and couldn't find it!

Gizmotoy · Oct 19, 2015

Dborn said:
How come you are out of warranty?

The car has 69k miles.

SabrToothSqrl · Oct 19, 2015

someone forgot to put it in submarine mode before driving into the water?

MrJones390 · Oct 19, 2015

Gizmotoy said:
The car has 69k miles.

I have 80k miles and am under warranty. Can be done.

If anyone has a suggestion for extended warranty past 100k miles please let me know.

Cyclone · Oct 19, 2015

MrJones390 said:
I have 80k miles and am under warranty. Can be done.

If anyone has a suggestion for extended warranty past 100k miles please let me know.

It depends on the circumstances. The Op bought the car used. The car could have gone past the warranty period by the time it was sold. Had the prior owner not bought the extended contract before (or shortly after) warranty expiration, the Op would be out of luck to get one.

demundus · Oct 19, 2015

Cyclone's got it. Been outta warranty since I bought the car, previous owner didn't get an extended warranty, thus I'm SOL. I'd argue that adhesive melting isn't a mileage related wear item though... We'll see.

Dave5609 · Nov 12, 2015

I'm also having this issue on a 2013 Model S. Noticed the small bubbles a couple months ago and they have unfortunately evolved into increasingly widening and lengthening streaks along the sides of the screen. To make it worse..I now have a strange sticky gel leaking out the bottom of the screen. No idea whether this stuff is toxic..but it definitely ruins anything it drips on. I'm unfortunately out of warranty as well...50,100 miles if you can believe it. Still frustrated they weren't willing to make some accommodation for an owner that's been with them since the beginning..though understood at some point that customers would become more of a commodity. Wondering if this might become a recall issue if it happens to enough people.

apacheguy · Nov 12, 2015

@Dave - When did you report it to Tesla? I was in a similar boat as you. Mine happened at just under 52 K. The service rep said I needed to report it before 50 K in order for the warranty to apply even if I brought it in after 50 K.

demundus · Nov 12, 2015

apacheguy said:
@Dave - When did you report it to Tesla? I was in a similar boat as you. Mine happened at just under 52 K. The service rep said I needed to report it before 50 K in order for the warranty to apply even if I brought it in after 50 K.

Wait so what did you do about yours?

apacheguy · Nov 12, 2015

Out of pocket.

BertL · Nov 12, 2015

I'm sorry for the people having problems, but honestly, every mfgr of any product has to set limits with their warranties. It is a business after all, not a charity, and free-to-the-customer repair/replacement can't go on forever. We all make our choices what is right for us as a customer. I know my thoughts won't sit well with those that have made other decisions, and I don't mean to poke a stick at an already sore subject with anyone having these issues that I know would bite at me every time I looked at my 17" if this were to ever occur to my MS. ...just trying to balance out the POV with the many years I spent in a global computer/service business having to negotiate with marketing to account for warranty cost estimates that put pressure on higher product purchase prices, and then increasing pressure after-the-sale internally to drive down our warranty costs for all the out years.

Me, well, I may be in the minority (and wasting my money), but after reading probably hundreds of threads including this one while researching MS and seeing problems like this cropping up, I purchased an extended warranty the day after I took delivery of my MS last month to lock in the price, and considered that cost as part of my total purchase decision before I even placed the order. I will have a $200 charge for each unique problem that crops up after my 4-year warranty expires, but I hope that won't let me loose my excitement being part of the still leading-edge MS and Tesla family with both the good and sometimes bad that entails with a new product and a new company -- and, assuming I don't keep my MS a full 8 years, hopefully a future buyer will also appreciate being covered and give me a few more bucks for my MS in return.

Good luck to all with your resolution, and thanks for posting pics so others like myself can keep an eye out for possible future issues.

bhuwan · Nov 12, 2015

apacheguy said:
Out of pocket.

How much was it?

FredTMC · Nov 12, 2015

apacheguy said:
Out of pocket.

how much they charge? Was it a screen replacement or whole MCU? I assume they can sell you a remanufactured unit and give some credit for the unit you turn in...

Lex · Nov 12, 2015

BertL said:
It is a business after all, not a charity, and free-to-the-customer repair/replacement can't go on forever

If there are fundamental flaws in the design or materials of some very fundamental parts, it's in their best interest to resolve them now at limited or no cost to customer.

If bubbles turn to failure and I can't use my touchscreen, the car is effectively crippled. I'd be expecting that to be fixed at cost to the company if it was identified as a design flaw or failure of materials.

demundus · Nov 13, 2015

BertL said:
I'm sorry for the people having problems, but honestly, every mfgr of any product has to set limits with their warranties. It is a business after all, not a charity, and free-to-the-customer repair/replacement can't go on forever. We all make our choices what is right for us as a customer. I know my thoughts won't sit well with those that have made other decisions, and I don't mean to poke a stick at an already sore subject with anyone having these issues that I know would bite at me every time I looked at my 17" if this were to ever occur to my MS. ...just trying to balance out the POV with the many years I spent in a global computer/service business having to negotiate with marketing to account for warranty cost estimates that put pressure on higher product purchase prices, and then increasing pressure after-the-sale internally to drive down our warranty costs for all the out years.

Me, well, I may be in the minority (and wasting my money), but after reading probably hundreds of threads including this one while researching MS and seeing problems like this cropping up, I purchased an extended warranty the day after I took delivery of my MS last month to lock in the price, and considered that cost as part of my total purchase decision before I even placed the order. I will have a $200 charge for each unique problem that crops up after my 4-year warranty expires, but I hope that won't let me loose my excitement being part of the still leading-edge MS and Tesla family with both the good and sometimes bad that entails with a new product and a new company -- and, assuming I don't keep my MS a full 8 years, hopefully a future buyer will also appreciate being covered and give me a few more bucks for my MS in return.

Good luck to all with your resolution, and thanks for posting pics so others like myself can keep an eye out for possible future issues.

I agree for most things, when you can apply solid logic and understand the rationale, but in this case the number of miles I've driven has nothing to do with the adhesive melting behind the touchscreen. The car is the same age as other guys here who had the replacement within warranty due to mileage. I will pony up for wear items like TPMS or new 12v, tires, brakes, door seals, etc; Things that have a obvious-to-loose correlation with the number of miles driven. I've noticed most of these guys are in SoCal/Southwest USA too...

BertL · Nov 13, 2015

demundus said:
I agree for most things, when you can apply solid logic and understand the rationale, but in this case the number of miles I've driven has nothing to do with the adhesive melting behind the touchscreen. The car is the same age as other guys here who had the replacement within warranty due to mileage. I will pony up for wear items like TPMS or new 12v, tires, brakes, door seals, etc; Things that have a obvious-to-loose correlation with the number of miles driven. I've noticed most of these guys are in SoCal/Southwest USA too...

Understood. Miles or time are the typical measures for end-of-warranty on an automobile -- because different components fail for different types of reasons or at least correlate that way when a company has to guess -- no, oops, estimate -- what sort of failures may occur several years out with new components or assemblies they really don't have a proven track record of their own.

Anyway, IMHO, your last resort is a goodwill concession by Tesla. If I were you, as much as this can be an emotional thing, try to remain factual, to-the-point, and business-like. Be sure to mention how much you love your MS, are a supporter with others, and desire to buy another one day (assuming that's true). In my experience, that approach will generally get you further than being a pain-in-the-rear customer that rants and raves -- at least it always did with me in my days when I handled and wrote off one-off exceptions against my own budget because it felt like the right thing to do. I always put up personal "walls" with customers that screamed, threatened, or came across as unreasonable or were a jerk -- and they never once got as far with my team or I considering a good faith exception. First try your Service Center, then contact Tesla Service NA. Your only alternative after that is an appropriate letter to the CEO asking for his help I suppose. You and others with a problem like this have nothing to loose with appropriate escalation. I would do the same thing in your shoes. GOOD LUCK!

Cyclone · Nov 13, 2015

demundus said:
I agree for most things, when you can apply solid logic and understand the rationale, but in this case the number of miles I've driven has nothing to do with the adhesive melting behind the touchscreen. The car is the same age as other guys here who had the replacement within warranty due to mileage. I will pony up for wear items like TPMS or new 12v, tires, brakes, door seals, etc; Things that have a obvious-to-loose correlation with the number of miles driven. I've noticed most of these guys are in SoCal/Southwest USA too...

This has always bugged me with auto warranties in general (not Tesla-specific). There are definitely parts that have more wear and tear on them with more miles driven, and there are parts that solely are exposed to time. I really wish, generally speaking, certain things would be time OR miles vs. time AND miles as they are handled today.

Good luck Op! I would follow BertL's advice.

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