Tesla Model S problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 8 model years (2018–2025), NHTSA has logged 708 owner complaints and 31 safety recalls for the Tesla Model S. That averages 17.4 complaints per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (index 0.41 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Electric vehicles segment it ranks #1 of 10 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 56.4.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
Across eight model years from 2018 to 2025, NHTSA has logged 708 owner complaints and 31 safety recalls for the Tesla Model S, averaging 17.4 complaints per year which is far fewer than typical vehicles. While the overall trend is worsening with 2023 and 2024 models running 325% above older years, the 2025 model year shows the lowest rate at 3.6 complaints per year compared to the highest rate of 31.0 for the 2021 model year. The most common problem areas are Interior & equipment at 18.4%, followed by Driver-assist systems at 16.7% and Electrical at 15.0%, with recurring terms including "horn", "yoke", "wheel", "button" and "center". Owners report 29 injuries and 1 death across all model years, while the latest open investigation covers FSD collisions in reduced roadway visibility conditions opened on 2026-03-18.
Summary drafted by an AI model running on our own server from the figures on this page, and checked number by number against the data before publishing. The statistics and the analysis above come from our fixed methodology, not from the model.The trend is worsening. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 325% above the 2018 and 2019 models (60 early complaints per model year versus 15).
The 2021 model year has the highest rate (31.0 complaints per year) and the 2025 model year the lowest (3.6). Model years 2021, 2022 and 2023 run at least 50% above the model's own average — the ones to research most carefully. The 2019 model year sits well below the model's average.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Interior & equipment (18.4% of complaints), followed by Driver-assist systems (16.7%) and Electrical (15.0%). Interior & equipment complaints are 2.0 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Recurring terms in owner reports: “horn”, “yoke”, “wheel”, “button” and “center”. 77 complaints (10.9%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 29 injuries and 1 death.
In the last 12 months owners filed 60 complaints versus 102 in the previous 12 months — the pace is falling. The 2022 model year generated the most recent reports (17). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 21 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 31 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2022 (12), 18 fixable over the air. 19 NHTSA defect investigations have covered this model, 6 still open; the latest is “FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions” (opened 2026-03-18, still open).
It has fewer complaints per year than every other tracked model among Electric vehicles, including Chevrolet Bolt EV, Tesla Model X, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Complaints in first 2 years on the road | vs. same-year average | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 128 | 14.8 | 0.35 | 21 | 0.24 | 0 | 11 | Electrical | View › |
| 2019 | 32 | 4.2 | 0.1 | 10 | 0.12 | 0 | 10 | Wheels, tires & suspension | View › |
| 2020 | 80 | 12.0 | 0.29 | 27 | 0.47 | 6 | 11 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2021 Years to research carefully | 176 | 31.0 | 0.74 | 87 | 1.42 | 12 | 24 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2022 Years to research carefully | 136 | 29.1 | 0.69 | 88 | 1.19 | 17 | 20 | Interior & equipment | View › |
| 2023 Years to research carefully | 112 | 30.5 | 0.72 | 85 | 1.02 | 16 | 13 | Interior & equipment | View › |
| 2024 | 38 | 14.2 | 0.34 | 36 | 0.51 | 4 | 6 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2025 Fewest complaints | 6 | 3.6 | 0.09 | — | — | 5 | 2 | Transmission / powertrain | View › |
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 60 · Previous 12 months: 102 Falling
Problem areas
Interior & equipment ›
130 · 18.4% · 2.05 vs. all vehicles · Falling
- horn73
- button64
- center steering27
- yoke22
Driver-assist systems ›
118 · 16.7% · 2.91 vs. all vehicles · Falling
- autopilot29
- cruise control38
- phantom25
- lane40
Wheels, tires & suspension ›
92 · 13.0% · 5.21 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- tire59
- suspension37
- tread26
- wear29
Steering ›
83 · 11.7% · 1.81 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- yoke28
- horn39
- steering63
- wheel54
Body & structure ›
49 · 6.9% · 0.75 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- door15
- opened12
- latch7
- distortion windshield3
Brakes ›
47 · 6.6% · 1.09 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- brakes26
- braking18
- phantom10
- cruise14
Transmission / powertrain
23 · 3.2% · 0.28 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- half shafts3
- center8
- front11
- power reduced3
Other
20 · 2.8% · 1.56 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- accelerated11
- police filed6
- injuries6
- air bags6
Airbags & seat belts
19 · 2.7% · 0.7 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- airbag6
- seatbelt5
- safety restraint3
- seat belt4
Lighting
14 · 2.0% · 1.27 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- daytime running4
- headlights5
- running lights3
- signal4
Engine
4 · 0.6% · 0.03 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
3 · 0.4% · 0.1 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Common terms in reports
- horn133
- yoke64
- wheel208
- button126
- center158
- steering185
- right125
- emergency94
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 21 months
What owners report
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model 3. The contact stated that while exiting a supercharging station with the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature engaged, the message "Take Over Immediately" was displayed.
I was in full self driving mode and was travelling North bound 110 freeway transitioning to 405 freeway Northbound. In the right lane. Transition curved left.
My 2023 Tesla Model S has a horn activated by a small button on the right side of the steering wheel rather than by pressing the center of the steering wheel.
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the cruise control feature engaged, the brakes independently activated without the brake pedal being depressed. No warning light was illuminated.
My Tesla Model S has a touch-sensitive horn button on the right side of the steering wheel. In urgent situations, I've often had difficulty quickly locating it to get another driver's attention.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Electric vehicles
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla Model S | 708 | 17.4 | 0.41 | Worsening | Falling | 31 | Interior & equipment |
| 2 | Chevrolet Bolt EV | 532 | 17.8 | 0.42 | Stable | Steady | 13 | Electrical |
| 3 | Tesla Model X | 736 | 18.6 | 0.44 | Worsening | Falling | 33 | Interior & equipment |
| 4 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | 650 | 28.9 | 0.69 | Improving | Steady | 0 | Electrical |
| 5 | Ford F-150 Lightning | 536 | 33.4 | 0.79 | Improving | Falling | 2 | Electrical |
| 6 | Kia EV6 | 535 | 38.5 | 0.91 | Improving | Rising | 5 | Electrical |
| 7 | Volkswagen ID.4 | 991 | 48.7 | 1.16 | Worsening | Steady | 24 | Electrical |
| 8 | Tesla Model 3 | 4,228 | 100.4 | 2.39 | Worsening | Steady | 35 | Driver-assist systems |
| 9 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 1,319 | 114.8 | 2.73 | Improving | Rising | 14 | Electrical |
| 10 | Tesla Model Y | 3,749 | 128.3 | 3.05 | Stable | Steady | 36 | Driver-assist systems |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 31
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 18
Safety recalls: 2018 (11) · 2019 (10) · 2020 (11) · 2021 (24) · 2022 (20) · 2023 (13) · 2024 (6) · 2025 (2)
Investigations
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Teslaâs Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the systemâs ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient t…
- Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (âODIâ) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute traï¬c safety violations. This investigation concerns versions of FSD that Tesla has labeled as "FSD (Supervised)" and "FSD (Beta)." Tesla characterizes FSD as an SAE Level 2 partial automat…
- Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (âODIâ) has identified numerous incident reports submitted by Tesla, Inc. (âTeslaâ) in response to Standing General Order 2021-01 (the âSGOâ), in which the reported crashes occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports. The majority of these reports involved crashes in which the Standing General Order in place at the time required a…
- Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts. Closed
On January 6, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation 24003 (PE24033) to investigate Actually Smart Summon (Summon) sessions resulting in crashes during active sessions. According to Tesla, Summon is a short-distance SAE Level 2 system, controlled by the user from a cell phone within a certain distance and intended for use in parking lots and on private prope…
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions Closed
On October 17, 2024, NHTSAâs Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24031) of Teslaâs Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) to assess: the ability of the FSD system to detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions; whether any other FSD crashes had occurred under degraded roadway visibility co…
- Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening a Recall Query to assess the remedy adequacy of Recall 23V838. On December 12, 2023, Tesla filed a Defect Information Report (Recall 23V838) applicable to all Tesla models produced and equipped with any version of its Autopilot system, which Tesla described as an SAE Level 2 (L2) Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Autopilot is the simulta…
Frequently asked questions
Which Tesla Model S model year has the most complaints?
The 2021 model year has the highest rate (31.0 complaints per year) and the 2025 model year the lowest (3.6).
Is the Tesla Model S getting better or worse?
The trend is worsening. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 325% above the 2018 and 2019 models (60 early complaints per model year versus 15). In the last 12 months owners filed 60 complaints versus 102 in the previous 12 months — the pace is falling.
What are the most common Tesla Model S problems?
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Interior & equipment (18.4% of complaints), followed by Driver-assist systems (16.7%) and Electrical (15.0%). Recurring terms in owner reports: “horn”, “yoke”, “wheel”, “button” and “center”.
How does the Tesla Model S compare with other Electric vehicles?
Within the Electric vehicles segment it ranks #1 of 10 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 56.4. It has fewer complaints per year than every other tracked model among Electric vehicles, including Chevrolet Bolt EV, Tesla Model X, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning.
Does the Tesla Model S have recalls or open investigations?
Recalls: 31 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2022 (12), 18 fixable over the air. 19 NHTSA defect investigations have covered this model, 6 still open; the latest is “FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions” (opened 2026-03-18, still open).