Major Problems with Tesla Model S Derived from Complaints & Recalls

Learn about the common problems with a used Tesla Model S to avoid purchasing a bad year of the model.

Tesla Model S complaint overview

754 recorded complaints across model years
Years covered 2012–2019
Most recorded categories SUSPENSION (342), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (126), VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (120)
Highest recorded count 221 in 2016

Complaint counts are reports, not confirmed defect rates. Older model years have had more time to accumulate reports, and sales volume and reporting coverage differ by year. A higher count does not by itself make a year the least reliable, and these figures are not a failure probability.

Compare two model years

Year A Year B

Problem category

Tesla Model S FlawScore

Best and Worst Years for Tesla Model S

Explore the chart showing how many complaints have been filed for each year of Tesla Model S.

Model Year	Complaints
2019 Model S	4
2018 Model S	23
2017 Model S	80
2016 Model S	221
2015 Model S	159
2014 Model S	109
2013 Model S	147
2012 Model S	11

Worst 3 Tesla Model S complaints

2013 Tesla Model S AIR BAGS Victims: 8

2012 Tesla Model S SUSPENSION Victims: 7 Mileage: 10000 miles

2016 Tesla Model S SERVICE BRAKES Victims: 5

Browse Tesla Model S complaints by category

Problems with SUSPENSION, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from Tesla Model S owners.

Problem Category	Number of Problems
SUSPENSION this car is up for sale as a total write off salvage. https://www.easyexport.us/vehicle-finder/lot-14402615/2014-tesla-tesla-certificate-of-destruction-fl-west-palm-beach from the photographs it appears that the...	342 ~ 17577 miles
UNKNOWN OR OTHER i left my girlfriend in the car while i went into a courthouse for about an hour. i took the...	126 ~ 21150 miles
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL tl* the contact owns a 2014 tesla model s. while pulling into a parking space the vehicle surged forward jumped...	120 ~ 13463 miles
STEERING tesla's recent over the air software updates has changed the steering performance at highway speeds. now the steering is less...	118 ~ 13821 miles
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM p85d lost power on road "pull over safely". with tesla's latest firmware updat e0.167 pushed otu untested to all...	93 ~ 25198 miles
SERVICE BRAKES reportedly several tesla model s' have had antilock and power assist failures with the braking system. *tr...	60 ~ 12697 miles
BODY > STRUCTURE the default setting on a tesla model s is to lock the car if you leave your keys in it...	43 ~ 32366 miles
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM the car gave a failure message and then lost all power. it shut down completely as i navigated through traffic...	39 ~ 37618 miles
POWER TRAIN p85d lost power on road "pull over safely". with tesla's latest firmware updat e0.167 pushed otu untested to all...	31 ~ 37342 miles
AIR BAGS tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2014 tesla model s. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 18v031000...	29 ~ 10465 miles
WHEELS i was driving on the freeway going approximately 60mph when i suddenly lost control on a slight turn to transfer...	19 ~ 24124 miles
ENGINE p85d lost power on road "pull over safely". with tesla's latest firmware updat e0.167 pushed otu untested to all...	16 ~ 39959 miles
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL from a coasting position in an underground garage i turned right to round a 90 degree corner. after completing the...	12 ~ 10887 miles
EXTERIOR LIGHTING tesla model s do not conform to lighting standard 108. the model s do not have a yellow reflex reflector...	12 ~ 27295 miles
VISIBILITY/WIPER i have owned this vehicle since dec 2014. i have replaced 2 windshields and had 2 other rock-chips filled. i...	7 ~ 36100 miles
SEATS my 2 day old p85d suddenly died in the middle of an intersection: tesla built these p85d cars with...	5 ~ 2040 miles
STRUCTURE this is not so much a complaint as it is a question. i had thought about purchasing a tesla and...	5 ~ 9020 miles
PARKING BRAKE tl* the contact owns a 2016 tesla s60. while the contact was attempting to exit the parked vehicle it independently...	3 ~ 11474 miles
SEAT BELTS front seat-belts fixed to wall of car (not 3 position for driver height). for anyone 5'5'' or less this puts...	3 ~ 7583 miles
DOOR > BODY > STRUCTURE the driver's door handle (exterior) will not present which makes it impossible to open the driver's door from the outside....	2 ~ 79000 miles
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE i purchased the tesla model s on 10/17 with 'autopilot' hardware and features i've consistently used autopilot on the highway...	2 ~ 8500 miles
TIRES i have had a 3 month old model s. there are hundreds of owners who have significant and excessive tire...	2 ~ 53500 miles
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM tl* the contact owns a 2015 tesla model s. the contact stated that the instrument panel screen was illegible because...	1 ~ 47000 miles
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE beginning in june the subject vehicle suffered from a severe and sudden decrease in the amount of range available as...	1 ~ 42000 miles
LANE DEPARTURE on 3 occasions vehicle made sudden spontaneous attempts to make a left lane change. on two occasions the vehicle was...	1 ~ 3000 miles
AUTOMATIC STEERING > LANE KEEP > LANE DEPARTURE on 3 occasions vehicle made sudden spontaneous attempts to make a left lane change. on two occasions the vehicle was...	1 ~ 3000 miles
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES cpsc: i own a tesla model s made in november 2013. all 4 door handles are broken or malfunctioning. after...	1
SOFTWARE > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM before defective nema-1450 could be replaced i had a melt-down of the device while charging the car. the reason for...	1 ~ 4000 miles
EQUIPMENT despite the 14v006000 recall being issued about a month ago customers are complaining that they have not received a recall...	1
ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT an individual claims that when he charges at a lower rate that if the new software detects a problem it...	1

FAQ

What year Tesla Model S is the most reliable?

Speaking of the models produced in the last 8 years, Tesla Model S models of 2019, 2012, 2018 year of manufacture have had the least number of complaints.

What year was a bad year for Tesla Model S?

Tesla Model S models of 2016 and 2015 are probably the years to be avoided like the plague due to a higher than an average number of issues reported.

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