Welp. DI_a137

Cyanervia | 2026-03-02 14:27 | 22 views

2023 MYP with 22k miles decided to strand me 7 hours from home. Tesla roadside is pretty helpful and relatively responsive even thought it was 9PM on a Sunday night. Drove from SF -> LA, full FSD all the way. Started noticing some jolting in the rear wheels after the car would make a left or right turn at a stop light it stop sign. Thought the tires lost grip or something, but it consistently happened, specifically on turns from a stop. Was going on a straight after a turn, from 5mph to 25 when it suddenly told me to pull over and that it was shutting down with all the error codes. Told me that exiting and reentering might solve the issue, which I did along with a power cycle. Errors went away and started driving to the nearest parking lot, then called a tow. The rear wheels felt jolty the entire drive, and you could feel that only the front wheels had power and regen braking. Just feeling lucky it wasn’t on the highway in the middle of nowhere, and that the service center is near an airport since I’ll probably have to book flights back and forth… Car will probably get diagnosed today, let me know if you guys have any questions! Also, does anyone know if flights can be reimbursed/can drive loaner anywhere in case you’re stranded out of town?

Comments (6)

Cyanervia 2026-03-02 15:11

Appears to be rear drive unit failure

K24Z3 2026-03-02 15:13

Looks familiar. When my rear inverter failed in the middle of Utah, I also had *DI_a139 - Rear motor disabled - Avoid steep grades* and *BMS_a170 - Acceleration and top speed reduced.* We are out of the Sacramento area, and they wouldn’t let us take the loaner out of state. Needed to get a rental for SLC > SAC, and back to SLC a day later.

NecessaryInternet603 2026-03-03 05:47

You are within the original warranty program so Tesla will provide you a loaner vehicle while they repair your vehicle. If you are on a trip that involves time and location constraints you need to explain your circumstances to Tesla and they will make every effort to accommodate your needs. This repair might require a motor replacement. That motor probably will need to be shipped in and take a few days. Keep us informed as to how this trip interruption turns out.

NecessaryInternet603 2026-03-03 06:04

I asked Grok and it replied (excerpted for your convenience): * **Complimentary loaner vehicle** (usually another Tesla) — provided as a courtesy when the repair is estimated to take more than 4–24 hours. This is the most common outcome for drive-unit failures. Availability has improved in recent years, but it is still subject to fleet size at that specific center. * **If no loaner is available**: Many centers (especially when you explain you’re on a trip with time/location constraints) will arrange a **rental car** through Enterprise or their own $45/day Tesla rental program and frequently cover or reimburse it for warranty cases. This is not a contractual right, but it is extremely common goodwill when you clearly state your situation.

Cyanervia 2026-03-06 01:05

Got uber credits to uber from stranded location to where I’m staying. Tow truck was able to do contactless pick up so I just left my key card and locked my car. Service was done in about 3 days, and the invoice said they swapped out the rear drive unit. First day they couldn’t even find the car due to overnight drop off. The car was in service by Thursday, and finished Wednesday morning. Solid turnover overall, but I wish they had quicker communication with updates, especially since I was out of town.

NecessaryInternet603 2026-03-06 01:32

Three days seems real quick but I suppose it matters how far the replacement motor had to travel. Needing to attend to other unrelated duties complicates the process as well as monitoring that same process. Did you interact/converse using the app much? Did you know you can also spontaneously add information or questions through the app to help clarify what is happening?

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