Korean fury over Tesla battery error builds as gov't mulls subsidy review

A Tesla is charged at a Supercharger in southern Seoul. [YONHAP]

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The Korean government is weighing a subsidy cut for Tesla over unresolved battery errors that have rendered some three-year-old models unchargeable, escalating scrutiny of the EV giant’s commitment to consumer protection.


This comes as Tesla owners in Korea grow increasingly furious — first over the battery errors, and again over what they describe as the EV firm's “irresponsible” response.
 
Owners have begun rallying online, demanding recalls or free battery replacements, and have even filed a petition with the National Assembly, garnering over 14,000 signatures, which has prompted Korea’s transport and environment ministries to monitor the issue. 
 

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“We cannot continue offering subsidies to vehicles that disadvantage consumers; We will even consider pulling subsidies depending on Tesla’s countermeasures,” an official who heads the EV subsidy program at the Environment Ministry told the Korea JoongAng Daily.
 
“We’ve asked Tesla Korea to provide a detailed explanation, but have failed to receive a response so far.”  
 
Tesla sold 29,750 units in Korea last year, making it the third-largest imported car brand, behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Notably, in the first half of this year, the Model Y was named the country’s top-selling EV, with 15,432 units sold, even beating the EV6 and Ioniq 5 from homegrown brands Kia and Hyundai Motor.
 

BMS_a079 alert in Tesla reads ″Unable to charge. Maximum charge level reached,″ in a photo shared by a Korean owner in an online community. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 

 

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What’s the matter?

 

Tesla owners in Korea — mostly those driving Model 3 and Model Y Long Range variants produced in 2020 and 2021 — are increasingly vocal about a recurring issue: the BMS_a079 error, which limits the battery’s maximum charge level to some 50 percent.
 
This error, accompanied by the message “Unable to charge — maximum charge level reached,” occurs when Tesla’s Battery Management System (BMS) detects a fault within the high-voltage battery. To prevent battery overload and reduce the risk of fire, the system restricts the maximum charge to 50 percent.
 
The BMS, often described as the “brain” of an EV, monitors critical factors such as voltage and temperature to optimize battery performance and alerts users of any anomalies that require prompt attention.
 
However, the severity and manifestation of this issue vary widely, with some owners experiencing charge limits as low as 20 percent or 30 percent, while others are capped at roughly 50 percent. In some instances, the error triggers an immediate restriction, and for others, the limitation develops gradually over time.
 
With the issue now also appearing in the recently launched Juniper Model Y in April, concerns are growing that it may affect an increasing number of Teslas in the future.
 
The problem was formally raised through a public petition submitted to the National Assembly, garnering support from 14,008 people between Aug. 12 and Sept. 11.
 

A banner made by Tesla owners in Korea demanding the EV giant to come up with compensation for the continuous BMS error [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 

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A patchwork fix

 

What has angered many owners even more is how Tesla Korea has handled the issue — customers are offered “remanufactured” batteries as replacements.
 
A Tesla remanufactured battery is rebuilt using salvaged cells from older packs to restore functionality, often meeting factory specs. While offered as warranty replacements or cheaper alternatives, concerns remain about reduced capacity, shorter lifespan and inconsistent quality.
 
“The error warning first showed up on June 27, and my car’s battery was replaced with a remanufactured one. But the same error returned just three months later,” said a Model 3 owner in Korea’s largest Tesla owners’ community, which has over 330,000 members. “After the first replacement, my full-charge range dropped from 450 kilometers to 408 kilometers.”
 
“With this current issue, Tesla feels like a bad-faith company now,” another user wrote. “Back in 2020 and 2021, when trust in EVs was still fragile, we supported Tesla with a purchase. And now, they’re pushing early production defects onto customers and walking away.”
 
For vehicles no longer under warranty, customers must bear the full cost of a replacement, which is approximately 30 million won ($22,000). Tesla’s battery and drive unit warranty covers 8 years or 160,000 kilometers for the Model 3 and Y.
 
A total of 2,080 Teslas have experienced the BMS issue in Korea, with 846 being Model 3s and 1,234 being Model Ys, according to a report from Democratic Party lawmaker Park Sang-hyuk’s office, citing data from the Korea Consumer Agency.
 
“The root cause has been identified as an imbalance in the battery cells’ state of charge,” Tesla Korea said. “We have requested new battery packs from our North American headquarters and plan to expand staffing at our remanufacturing center to increase supply capacity.”
 

Tesla's new Model Y Juniper, which launched in Korea in April. [TESLA]

 

 

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Tesla’s chronic service woes

 

Tesla’s cavalier approach to after-sales service is far from a new problem.
 
The number of Teslas registered in Korea soared by 650 percent from 15,000 units in 2020 to 112,000 in 2025. Its sales have also jumped 137 percent to 1.7 trillion won last year.
 
Yet, the company operates only 14 service centers nationwide. Notably, eight provinces, including the populous Daejeon and Ulsan regions, lack any Tesla service facility at all.
 
Consequently, service times have become excessively long. Between August 2020 and September 17, 2025, Tesla Korea recorded 4,637 repair cases related to BMS issues, and the average repair time was 23.4 days, according to data submitted to the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee.
 
Some repairs have dragged on for as long as 926 days, with only 24.5 percent of cases resolved within seven days, and 24 percent took more than 729 days. There were 124 cases where repairs took 16 months, and three instances between six months and a year. Alarmingly, 10 cases of BMS errors were reported on vehicles with fewer than 250 kilometers on the odometer, and multiple owners reported recurring repairs on the same vehicle.
 
 

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]