Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
One Model S owner says Tesla is trying to charge him $250 every time this issue arises, but Tesla has no solution.
Hey everyone, welcome back to Torque News.
Today we’re talking about a 2016 Tesla Model S P90D with 80,000 miles, some recurring BMS error codes, and an owner who says Tesla keeps charging him $250 every time the problem comes back — without actually fixing it.
Let’s get straight to what happened.
Jordan posted this in the public Facebook group Tesla High Mileage Club. I’m going to read his post in full so you can hear exactly what he’s dealing with.
When you see intermittent BMS warnings combined with a “voltage too low” message, the 12V battery immediately jumps to the top of the suspect list. A failing 12V battery in a Tesla can cause cascading electronic gremlins. And on a 2016 Model S with 80,000 miles, if that battery hasn’t been replaced recently, it’s absolutely worth checking.
The thing about Teslas — and EVs in general — is that people focus on the high voltage battery pack. But the low voltage 12V system runs the computers, the contactors, and the logic that allows the high voltage system to function. If that’s unstable, you get phantom warnings, reduced power, and scary restart messages.
Now let’s talk about the battery heater.
On early Model S vehicles, the battery heater plays a role in maintaining pack temperature. If it fails, especially in colder climates, the system can limit performance. But here’s the key question: is the heater actually failing, or is the system falsely detecting a heater failure because of voltage irregularities?
That’s where deeper diagnostics matter.
The other possibility Imtiaz mentioned — high voltage contactors — is more serious. If contactors are corroded or intermittently failing, that’s not a quick reset fix. That’s hardware. And that could explain why a reset temporarily clears the issue.
Now let’s address the $250 charge.
From Jordan’s perspective, paying $250 each time for a reset without a permanent fix feels wrong. Especially when the service center says they “can’t figure it out.” That’s frustrating. No one wants to pay diagnostic fees repeatedly for the same unresolved Tesla battery issue.
At the same time, service centers typically charge diagnostic labor. The bigger issue here isn’t the fee itself. It’s the lack of resolution.
Also see: I'm Ready To Buy a 3rd Tesla Model S, But These Changes Are Insignificant And a Great Disappointment
torquenews.com/1/im-ready-buy-3rd-tesla-model-s-these-changes-are-insignificant-and-great-disappointment
This is Armen Hareyan from Torque News. Please follow us at twitter.com/torquenewsauto on Twitter and torquenews.com for daily automotive news. Also, follow us on Telegram at https://t.me/teslaev
Reference: Tesla High Mileage Club
facebook.com/groups/teslahighmileageclub/posts/1201463957757184
One Model S owner says Tesla is trying to charge him $250 every time this issue arises, but Tesla has no solution.
Hey everyone, welcome back to Torque News.
Today we’re talking about a 2016 Tesla Model S P90D with 80,000 miles, some recurring BMS error codes, and an owner who says Tesla keeps charging him $250 every time the problem comes back — without actually fixing it.
Let’s get straight to what happened.
Jordan posted this in the public Facebook group Tesla High Mileage Club. I’m going to read his post in full so you can hear exactly what he’s dealing with.
When you see intermittent BMS warnings combined with a “voltage too low” message, the 12V battery immediately jumps to the top of the suspect list. A failing 12V battery in a Tesla can cause cascading electronic gremlins. And on a 2016 Model S with 80,000 miles, if that battery hasn’t been replaced recently, it’s absolutely worth checking.
The thing about Teslas — and EVs in general — is that people focus on the high voltage battery pack. But the low voltage 12V system runs the computers, the contactors, and the logic that allows the high voltage system to function. If that’s unstable, you get phantom warnings, reduced power, and scary restart messages.
Now let’s talk about the battery heater.
On early Model S vehicles, the battery heater plays a role in maintaining pack temperature. If it fails, especially in colder climates, the system can limit performance. But here’s the key question: is the heater actually failing, or is the system falsely detecting a heater failure because of voltage irregularities?
That’s where deeper diagnostics matter.
The other possibility Imtiaz mentioned — high voltage contactors — is more serious. If contactors are corroded or intermittently failing, that’s not a quick reset fix. That’s hardware. And that could explain why a reset temporarily clears the issue.
Now let’s address the $250 charge.
From Jordan’s perspective, paying $250 each time for a reset without a permanent fix feels wrong. Especially when the service center says they “can’t figure it out.” That’s frustrating. No one wants to pay diagnostic fees repeatedly for the same unresolved Tesla battery issue.
At the same time, service centers typically charge diagnostic labor. The bigger issue here isn’t the fee itself. It’s the lack of resolution.
Also see: I'm Ready To Buy a 3rd Tesla Model S, But These Changes Are Insignificant And a Great Disappointment
torquenews.com/1/im-ready-buy-3rd-tesla-model-s-these-changes-are-insignificant-and-great-disappointment
This is Armen Hareyan from Torque News. Please follow us at twitter.com/torquenewsauto on Twitter and torquenews.com for daily automotive news. Also, follow us on Telegram at https://t.me/teslaev
Reference: Tesla High Mileage Club
facebook.com/groups/teslahighmileageclub/posts/1201463957757184
