Raven, pre-refresh OK
Symptoms: No heat pump yet — resistive heating draws lots of energy, so winter range drops sharply and cabin warms slowly.
Fix: Not a fault. Precondition while plugged in; expect a real winter range hit. (Heat pump arrived for 2021.)
Discussion & sources: TMC: Does the Octovalve improve cold-weather range? ↗
Symptoms: Car won't wake, random electrical faults, dead doors/screen; can strand you. Lead-acid units often fail at 3–4 years (sometimes without warning).
Fix: Replace the 12V battery (~$100–125, ~30 min). Cluster/app usually warns first; act promptly. Newer Li-ion 12V lasts longer.
Discussion & sources: TOO: 12V battery failure? ↗ · TMC: 12V battery dies without warning ↗ · TMC: How urgent is '12V battery degraded'? ↗ · TOO: 12V battery replacement ↗
Symptoms: Port door won't open or the cable won't release; or it won't latch shut. Worse in freezing weather; a faint motor with no movement = actuator.
Fix: App → Charging → Open Charge Port, or press the door when unlocked. Manual release lever behind the left trunk-trim flap. A small adjuster screw on the assembly sets open/close travel; clean ice/debris. Replace actuator if failed.
Discussion & sources: TOO: Charge port door will not open ↗ · TOO: Fixing 'push to open' charge door ↗ · TMC: Charge port not opening ↗ · TMC: Charge port door won't stay closed ↗
Symptoms: A-pillar trim rattle (the most-reported), plus center console, door panels, dash and rear-seat squeaks. Clips loosen with temperature swings.
Fix: Felt/foam tape at the contact point fixes most cases for under $10; replace A-pillar clips (P/N 1017648-00-A). Note: the A-pillar trim contains an airbag — careful on removal. Factory rattles are covered 4yr/50k.
Discussion & sources: TOO: Getting rid of interior creaks & rattles (journey) ↗ · TMC: How I eliminated a rattle and squeak ↗ · TMC: A-pillar trim removal ↗
Symptoms: Laggy maps/scrolling, occasional freeze or black screen needing a reboot. This is Intel-Atom aging — NOT the chronic MCU1 (Tegra) eMMC 'screen death' (which affected pre-2018 cars).
Fix: Reboot: hold both steering-wheel scroll wheels ~15 s. Keep software current. There is no official AMD Ryzen (MCU3) retrofit for the 3/Y.
Discussion & sources: TOO: MCU crashing ↗ · TMC: Consolidated eMMC / MCU repair thread (background) ↗
Symptoms: Rising hum/whine with speed (rear-drive-unit bearing wear, ~30k–80k mi); clunk shifting D↔R or on hard launch (worn CV/axle splines, or warped half-shafts on Performance).
Fix: Early fluid-related whine can ease with a drive-unit fluid change; worn bearings/gears need DU repair/replacement. Half-shaft vibration fixed with updated shafts (aftermarket ~$500–600/side).
Discussion & sources: TMC: Early drive-unit milling-noise fix ↗ · TMC: Front half-shaft replacement ↗ · TMC: DIY rear drive-unit repair (Model 3) ↗ · TMC: Out-of-warranty drive-unit replacement & cost ↗
Symptoms: Thin, sometimes soft clear coat; rock chips appear on rockers (ahead of the rear wheels) within weeks, especially on black cars.
Fix: PPF the rockers and front end (PPF is ~4× the clear-coat thickness); add mud flaps. Touch-up + PPF for existing chips. Document defects at delivery — Tesla often deems chips 'customer responsibility'.
Discussion & sources: TOO: 10-day-old Model 3 — rocker chips ↗ · TMC: Rocker-panel paint chipping ↗ · TMC: 2021 M3 LR rocker paint peeling ↗ · TMC: PPF — specifically the rockers ↗
Symptoms: Handle won't present, or presents but the door won't open. Cause is usually worn microswitch wiring or cracked Gen-3 motor gears.
Fix: Service-Mode handle calibration often fixes it; otherwise replace microswitch/motor gears (aftermarket gear kits exist) — ~$500 at Tesla. Some report fuses 32/40/41 restored function.
Discussion & sources: TMC: Handle presents but door won't open ↗ · TMC: The dreaded 'handle won't present' ↗ · TOO: 2017 Model S Gen-3 door-handle repair ↗ · TMC: Class-action — Model S door-handle failure ↗
Symptoms: Car sags overnight on one corner, compressor runs/noisy, or 'Air Compressor Disabled' message. Leaks come from air struts, the solenoid block, or chafed lines under the frunk.
Fix: Diagnose with the overnight-tape or bubble-spray test. Replace the leaking strut or fix the line/solenoid; OEM repairs run ~$2,000–3,300, aftermarket air springs ~¼ the price.
Discussion & sources: TMC: How I fixed my air-suspension leak ↗ · TMC: Air compressor/line/shocks inspection DIY ↗ · TOO: Problem with my Model X air suspension ↗ · TMC: Air-spring suspension leak ↗
Symptoms: Headliner sags near the windshield or shows a bare/frayed edge where it was trimmed short.
Fix: Re-seat under the A-pillar/seal; thin double-sided tape or Velcro holds it. Avoid glue (blocks future access). Warranty replacement requires windshield removal.
Discussion & sources: TMC: Headliner by windshield sagging ↗ · TMC: Headliner fraying edge — how addressed ↗
Symptoms: A yellow frame creeps in around the screen edges — a glue-curing issue that affects MCU2 displays over time.
Fix: Tesla's in-warranty UV-light treatment (~3–4 hr) usually clears it, though it can recur; some DIY with an Amazon UV lamp. Screen replacement is the permanent (pricey) fix.
Discussion & sources: TMC: Fix your own yellow border ↗ · TMC: UV-light fix for yellow screens ↗ · TMC: MCU yellow border — fixed! ↗
Confirm against your VIN: NHTSA recall lookup ↗ · Model S recall list ↗
A 2019–2020 'Raven' Long Range is a great used buy if you want a big Tesla — just budget for handle/suspension wear.