According to Reddit user timdorr, Tesla has put at least 2,000 Model S units on a nationwide delivery hold as of Sunday, November 14, awaiting a mandatory firmware update that needs to be completed before they can be handed over to customers.
The hold affects both the Model S Long Range, and the Model S Plaid. The software update requires a wired connection, which is why all of the affected Model S units that had already gone out to Sales Centers for delivery are now being held there by the dozens.
The update appears to be related to the “center console module” on affected Model S vehicles, although do note that the information comes from Tesla’s sales and delivery staff, and not someone on the more technical side of things.
Whatever issue the update fixes is likely related to a component that Tesla may have had to swap during production due to the ongoing parts shortage.
One Tesla owner who recently got their Model S Plaid back from a Tesla Sales Center after experiencing issues with the vehicle not accepting OTA updates or connecting to the Tesla app was told the mandatory firmware update solved exactly that problem.
The hold only applies to units with newer Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), likely the only ones that had a specific component in the center console module swapped during production. Deliveries for vehicles with older VINs, units without the swapped component, are taking place as scheduled.
Earlier this year, Tesla placed a delivery hold on all Model S units across the U.S. — let’s hope this hold is as short-lived as the one that came before. With estimated delivery dates for newly-ordered Model S vehicles in the U.S. slipping into 2023, it’s pretty disappointing to see customers who were supposed to have already taken possession of their vehicles, still waiting.
