2026 Tesla Model S problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 7 owner complaints about the 2026 Tesla Model S, or 7.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.17, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2026 vehicles we track, it ranks #23 of 73 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Tesla models its rate is 88% lower; against other Electric vehicles it is 86% lower.
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
Limited data: fewer than 30 complaints, so shares and indexes are unstable.
Complaints filed between 2025-10-13 and 2026-10-12. Median delay from incident to filing: 4 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2025) drew 3.4 complaints per year, fewer than this one.
The most common problem area is Unspecified or other (28.6% of complaints), followed by Brakes (14.3%) and Driver-assist systems (14.3%). Unspecified or other complaints are 3.2 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 1 report (14.3%) describes a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
6 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions” (engineering analysis, opened 2026-03-18, still open).
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.17
- vs. other Tesla models0.12
- vs. other 2026 models0.28
- vs. other Electric vehicles0.14
- #23 of 73 · 2026Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Unspecified or other · Driver-assist systems · Electrical · Wheels, tires & suspension · Steering · Body & structure · Brakes
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 1
- Fires reported: 1
- Injuries: 1
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 5 months
What owners report
I purchase my Tesla Model S in February 2026. Shortly after the purchase, My Tesla car drove through red light twice with its Full Self Drive (FSD) engaged.
COMPONENT: The rear window glass has optical distortion in the zone viewed through the interior rearview mirror. Vehicles behind me visibly warp and change apparent size as they move across the affected area of the glass.
Subject: Safety Concern—Model S Plaid Rear Tire Wear I am submitting a formal complaint regarding severe premature wear on the inside edges of both rear tires on my Model S Plaid\. I have owned the vehicle since XXX, and it has only 11,980 miles\.
Speed profiles don't adhere to actual speed limits. Speed can be higher or lower than posted. I can be driving in a 55mph speed zone and it will drop to 35 then accelerate to 65.
Supervised FSD does not have a remedy if it assigns an incorrect speed limit to the current roadway. The only action available is to disengage FSD.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2026 · Electric vehicles
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tesla Model Y | 1 | 1.0 | 0.02 |
| 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E | 1 | 1.0 | 0.02 |
| 2026 Tesla Model S | 7 | 7.0 | 0.17 |
| 2026 Tesla Model X | 7 | 7.0 | 0.17 |
| 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 25 | 25.0 | 0.62 |
| 2026 Tesla Model 3 | 28 | 28.0 | 0.69 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Tesla’s Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the system’s ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time …