Tesla bulletin SB2118002
What it saysCertain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may be equipped with refrigerant pressure/temperature (P/T) sensors in the heat pump that can fault over time. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Tesla filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Mar 21, 2024, received Apr 29, 2024, about the visibility/wiper. It names 4 model years (2020–2021). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationCertain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may be equipped with refrigerant pressure/temperature (P/T) sensors in the heat pump that can fault over time.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB2118002 | Service bulletin | Mar 21, 2024 | 10253653 | not found |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,507 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
My defroster has failed for the second time. The car fails to provide heat in cold temperatures, suddenly and without warning. This presents a dangerous condition when driving in winter climates and results in the windshield icing up inside and out. I have been in constant contact with the dealer and they have replaced sensors.
2021 Tesla Model Y · Visibility/Wiper · filed with NHTSA Feb 11, 2021 · ODI 11395759
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the visibility/wiper
Source: same model, same component group2 other manufacturer communications filed against these Tesla models under the same component group (visibility/wiper), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB23-17-009 | Service bulletin | Oct 13, 2023 | On some Model Y vehicles built at Fremont, the passenger side windshield wiper arm may make a ticking noise when the wiper is in operation.… |
| SB-23-17-009 | Service bulletin | Oct 13, 2023 | On some Model Y vehicles built at Fremont, the passenger side windshield wiper arm may make a ticking noise when the wiper is in operation.… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Tesla, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Tesla SB2118002 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SB2118002 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does SB2118002 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years: 2021 Tesla Model 3, 2020 Tesla Model 3, 2021 Tesla Model Y, 2020 Tesla Model Y. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.