Tesla CP_a056
Charging stopped - Charge cable disconnected Close charge port - Press brake pedal and retry
Common search variants: CPa056 · CP-a056 · CP a056 · Search ignores case and common separators.
Quick answer
CP_a056 means charging stopped because the vehicle detected that the connection between the charge port and charge cable was unexpectedly interrupted. Tesla’s displayed instruction is: close the charge port, press the brake pedal, and retry.
This page separates verified manufacturer/regulator evidence from supporting material. Unsupported causes, repairs or safety conclusions are not guessed.
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1. What does CP_a056 mean?
CP_a056 means charging stopped because the vehicle detected that the connection between the charge port and charge cable was unexpectedly interrupted. Tesla’s displayed instruction is: close the charge port, press the brake pedal, and retry.
2. Technical explanation
Verified Tesla owner-documentation evidence filed with NHTSA describes CP_a056 as a charging interruption caused by an unexpectedly interrupted connection between the vehicle charge port and the charge cable. The alert text is: “Charging stopped - Charge cable disconnected Close charge port - Press brake pedal and retry.”
3. What system is affected?
Charging connection between the vehicle charge port and charge cable.
4. How serious is this code?
Unknown. The supplied verified evidence does not assign a severity level.
5. Symptoms you may notice
- Charging has stopped.
- The vehicle displays CP_a056: “Charging stopped - Charge cable disconnected Close charge port - Press brake pedal and retry.”
6. Possible causes
- The vehicle detected that the connection between the charge port and charge cable was unexpectedly interrupted.
7. Can I still drive the vehicle?
Not yet established by verified evidence.
8. Can I charge the vehicle?
Charging has stopped when this alert is present. The documentation directs the driver to retry charging; whether charging can continue successfully is not yet established by verified evidence.
9. What you can safely do
- Before disconnecting a charge cable, first stop charging.
- Close the charge port.
- Press the brake pedal and retry charging.
- Tesla documentation states that a Tesla Supercharger or Destination Charging location may be tried if the vehicle still does not charge.
10. Step-by-step troubleshooting
- Close the charge port, press the brake pedal, and retry, as stated in the alert.
- If charging does not resume, Tesla documentation states that trying a Tesla Supercharger or Destination Charging location may help distinguish an equipment issue from a vehicle issue; if the vehicle still does not charge, the issue may be with the vehicle.
11. When to contact service
Not yet established by verified evidence.
12. What the service center may check
- Not yet established by verified evidence.
13. Possible repair or resolution
- Not yet established by verified evidence.
14. Affected vehicles
- Tesla Model 3 · 2013–2022 · US
- Tesla Model 3 · 2017–2023 · US
- Tesla Model 3 · 2017–2024 · US
- Tesla Model S · 2012–2020 · US
- Tesla Model S · 2013–2022 · US
- Tesla Model S · 2021–2024 · US
- Tesla Model S · 2021–2023 · US
- Tesla Model S · 2024 · US
- Tesla Model X · 2016–2020 · US
- Tesla Model X · 2021–2023 · US
- Tesla Model X · 2021–2024 · US
- Tesla Model Y · 2020–2024 · US
- Tesla Model Y · 2020–2023 · US
15. Related TSBs / service bulletins
- NHTSA manufacturer communications include Tesla owner documentation describing CP_a056, including NHTSA communication 10250484 (published December 1, 2023): https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10250484-9999.pdf
- Additional verified NHTSA-filed Tesla owner-documentation communications contain the same alert description, including 10253666 (published March 27, 2024): https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2024/MC-10253666-9999.pdf
16. Recall information
- Not yet established by verified evidence.
17. Official manufacturer information
Tesla owner-documentation evidence filed with NHTSA is the verified source for this alert. Example: NHTSA communication 10250484, https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10250484-9999.pdf. Supplied applicability evidence identifies US Tesla Model 3 (2013–2024), Model S (2012–2024), Model X (2016–2024), and Model Y (2020–2024), with overlapping year ranges in the source data.
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238117: Manual · official_tsb
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238118: Owners Manual · official_tsb
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238121: Manual-5 · official_tsb
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238122: Manual-6 · official_tsb
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238123: Manual-4 · official_tsb
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238124: Manual-3 · official_tsb
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10240947: Manual · official_tsb
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10240948: Owner's Manual-2 · official_tsb
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10240949: Owner's Manual-1 · official_tsb
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10240952: Documentation · official_tsb
19. Frequently asked questions
What does Tesla alert CP_a056 mean?
It means charging stopped because the vehicle detected that the connection between the charge port and charge cable was unexpectedly interrupted.
What does Tesla say to do for CP_a056?
Close the charge port, press the brake pedal, and retry. Before disconnecting a charge cable, first stop charging.
Can another charging location be tried?
Yes. Tesla documentation states that a Tesla Supercharger or Destination Charging location may be tried if the vehicle still does not charge.
Does CP_a056 confirm a vehicle fault?
No. Verified documentation says an interruption was detected at the charge-port/cable connection. It also states that if the vehicle still does not charge after trying another charging location, the issue may be with the vehicle.
20. Sources & verification
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238117: Manual · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238118: Owners Manual · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238121: Manual-5 · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238122: Manual-6 · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238123: Manual-4 · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10238124: Manual-3 · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10240947: Manual · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10240948: Owner's Manual-2 · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10240949: Owner's Manual-1 · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10240952: Documentation · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247391: DocumentationA · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247393: DocumentationC · 2023
Show all 58 verified sources
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247395: DocumentationE · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247397: DocumentationG · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247398: DocumentationH · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247399: DocumentationI · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247832: Manual · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247833: ManualF · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247834: ManualJ · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247836: ManualL · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247837: ManualM · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247839: ManualN · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247841: ManualP · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247843: ManualR · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10247844: ManualS · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10250480: Manual · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10250481: ManualA · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10250484: ManualD · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10250485: ManualE · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10250486: ManualF · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10250488: ManualI · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10250489: ManualM · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10250490: ManualN · 2023
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10251046: Owners documenta · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10251049: Owners documenta · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10251050: Owners documenta · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10251051: Owners documenta · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10251056: Owners documenta · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10251057: Owners documenta · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10251059: Owners documenta · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10251061: Owners documenta · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252948: develop · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252950: developB · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252952: developD · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252953: developE · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252956: developF · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252959: developJ · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252961: terminal · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252962: terminalA · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252963: terminalB · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10252964: terminalC · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10253655: Index389 · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10253656: Index392 · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10253657: Owners · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10253659: Index355 · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10253661: Index382 · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10253666: Index390 · 2024
- NHTSA: NHTSA Manufacturer Communication PDF 10253669: Index393 · 2024