Code ESP_a089 was reported by the “Stability control and ABS (ESP)” controller in the car. The letter “a” in the middle places it among entries of the alert type.
The electronic stability program — ESP, ABS, traction control and brake force distribution. These codes show up as warning lights and some assistance systems dropping out. The car still brakes, just without electronic help.
The most common type. The car logged the event and may have shown it on the screen. The range is wide — from something trivial that clears itself to something that needs attention.
This is how the fault is named inside the car's firmware. For codes without a description it is the most precise clue there is — the name itself says what the event is about.
The text below comes from Tesla's technical documentation. We leave it in the original English so that translation cannot shift its meaning.
ABS controler has detected, that there has been no pressure increase for an implausible long time.
ABS controller detects that there have been no pressure increases and wheel has not recovered. Returns brake pressure control to driver
VDC/TC disabled, possible wheel lock
Longitudinal Acceleration Sensor: Plausibility against second signal failed
Invalid Data Received From Air Bag Control Module: Alive Counter invalid
WSS_FR HET TU buffer noise (enormous amount of edges ocurred).
Signal from WSS is noisy/implausible
Check connections for short circuit and/or replace WSS
Copy it exactly, letter and number included. Photographing the screen is safest — codes often differ by a single digit, and mixing them up leads somewhere else entirely.
Some codes clear after a screen restart or after the car sits locked for a few hours. If the code does not come back, it was usually a one-off glitch.
A one-off entry and a code that appears after every drive are two different things. It helps a service centre enormously if you know exactly when it shows up.
With airbags, brakes, steering and high voltage there is no point waiting it out. With the other groups you can watch and see whether the code returns at all.
Error codes are only part of the picture. For cars on TesList you also see battery health pulled straight from the vehicle, plus a price calculator that works out from current listings what a given car is actually worth today.