Owners of Tesla Model S sedans and Model X crossovers bought before 2018 can now upgrade the infotainment screens in their vehicles for just $1,500 – savings from $2,500 last month.
The upgrade is available through the Tesla app, but requires a trip to the dealer for installation. It nets buyers a more responsive touchscreen, and access to some features found on newer Teslas, such as in-car video streaming, support for 5GHz Wi-Fi, and the Sentry Mode alarm system.
But the timing of the discount is significant for Tesla more than for Tesla owners. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been pushing Tesla to recall these cars and replace the systems free of charge. The original infotainment employs an 8 GB eMMC device that records information about the vehicle. When it’s full, the screen goes dark. NHTSA finds that a safety concern, as owners can’t access important features like the reverse camera and defrosters once the screen has bricked.
The fix is simple – installing a new screen built with a larger, 64 GB memory device – but Tesla has resisted. NHTSA investigators warn Tesla that the matter may go to the Department of Justice for legal action if there’s no recall.
Thus, Tesla appears to be enticing owners to pay for an upgrade that would eliminate the need to recall their cars and upgrade them for free. We should note that owners who wait might not get all the content of the upgrade for free. A recall-driven upgrade might well involve the new chip, but would probably not give owners access to Hulu and Caraoke. Those features could be added a la carte in the future, however, and likely for less than $1,500.