Tesla Model S Complaints (2021)

176 consumer complaints on file.

#11515519April 5, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
All of a sudden my 2 driver side windows wouldn't fully close yesterday. I reported it to Tesla via the app and they thought it was their existing safety recall due to software issue, but service rep said it wasn't. Instead the window trim off the vehicle is very fragile and typically they noticed it needs to be fixed within 12 months of ownership. This is an obvious defect that can cause many issues with flooding, theft, and more if left as is. Getting a service appointment typically takes a week currently but I stressed the issue and that I don't have covered parking so they moved up my appointment. Regardless this needs to be addressed ASAP and customers shouldn't have to lose a work day or pay for resolving the defect... which I did reluctantly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11512115March 16, 2023
STEERING
The steering wheel needs a center push horn. This is not available in 2021 model s. On occasions when someone seerved into my lane or to alert anyone on the road in an emergency, driver can’t be scrambling to find a touch sensitive button on the steering. When palm is placed on right side, it just triggers the wiper instead of horn sometimes adding to the chaos of the situation. This is a major issue. Please get it fixed. Don’t recall the exact date. So selecting random.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11508882February 24, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I had surgery on my right hand and had very limited use. I was completely unable to engage the horn as it is a very small button on the yoke rather than the standard pressing of the center. Allegedly this was supposed to be addressed with a software update last year and this has yet to happen
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507071February 13, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
Im having total braking loss around freezing temps The issue occurs around freezing temps, after a car wash or if the roads are wet after driving on the highway for 20-30min without using the brakes. (Using one pedal driving) Last year I had the same issue and Tesla’s position was something to do with detergent in the car washes I use. Now they’re saying it’s because I put the “wrong” size rear tires on the car. They were sold to me and installed by Tesla as the factory recommended winter tires and rim package. They’re saying that the abs sensor is detecting the error and automatically applying ABS brakes because of the mismatch tire size. However, the issue is not an intermittent braking loss, it’s a complete braking loss. I’m also seeing abnormal front rotor wear. Tesla said this was an issue that was occurring on some other vehicles and they had a high level engineering team trying to figure it out. At the time mine was one of the first P2 refresh vehicles in Canada so I was guessing there weren’t that many being used in below freezing temps since they weren’t exporting to Europe at the time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11506840February 12, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The Traffic-Aware Cruise Control has been braking unexpectedly and for no valid reason. The most recent example was when we were driving along US Hwy 24 between Wilkerson Pass and Fairplay, CO. The car suddenly braked even though there was no hazard. This has been happening regularly on this drive, in both directions, multiple times per drive. When this happens, the road is generally straight, with little, if any, elevation change. This is a safety issue because if this happens when a car is driving closely behind us, the unexpected braking could result in a rear-end collision. I have not reported this to Tesla because I understand this is a widespread issue that many people encounter, so I believe Tesla is fully aware of the issue. This problem seems to have gotten significantly worse after Tesla deactivated RADAR in the vehicle (without my consent). My understanding is that they are now using only cameras to manage Traffic Aware Cruise Control. Regardless of the reason, this issue has been happening with much greater frequency since around December, 2022 or January, 2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11506770February 11, 2023
TIRES:SIDEWALL, TIRES:TREAD/BELT
15,000 miles and 22/32 (70%) tire tread evenly worn available. The tire tread completely separated from the sidewall of the tire. This is a common and known problem with this tire. Many cases are presented on various online forums with photos and documentation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11502382January 18, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Consistent with what is being reported on social media sites, my 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid is supposed to get 390 miles of range but in fact only gets approx 225-240 actual miles on a fully charged battery. This is wildly short of claimed mileage. Seems to be a common issue with Tesla Model S & Model X Plaid cars. Don't know if it's limited to the Plaid version of these cars or not
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11502181January 17, 2023
STEERING
The horn placement on the yoke steering is dangerous and problematic. It is illogical and useless in the prevention of accident avoidance. I have had several scenarios where I have needed to use the horn and could not find it because I was in a turn, or I intuitively slammed the palm of my hand on the center of the yoke, where the horn should be located. Also, when holding the yoke in the proper position my thumb is not long enough to reach the horn button. Just by luck and quick action I was able to avoid being hit in multiple scenarios. It is DISTRESSING and UNNERVING to be driving a vehicle where you CANNOT find the horn when needed! I cannot stress enough how important it is to recall these vehicles and place the horn in the center of the yoke/steering. How this design ever passed safety regulations and put into production is mind boggling!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11499743January 2, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The instrument panel (screen) goes blank for approximately 5 seconds while driving. This issue happens at random. It has happened while on city streets, the highway, and in parking lots. Because of this issue, I cannot see my speed, the visualization of the car and surroundings (blind spot or pedestrians), any warnings that may pop up (such as an issue with the Autopilot or Full Self Driving Beta), nor any lighting or wiper information (for auto high beams and auto wipers). Tesla says it is a known issue, and it is software related, but there is no timetable for a fix. They do not believe a replacement screen/components will have any effect, so they are not offering any type of fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11497969December 19, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
All 2021 Tesla Model S and/or X do not have horns in the center of the steering wheel. Instead, they have a button, which is impossible to find during an emergency situation, especially after many decades of muscle memory has been developed. Keep in mind that many, if not most, who can afford one of these cars do have decades of driving experience. I would really appreciate if these cars were recalled and Tesla were forced to replace the steering wheels with one that has a horn in the center of the wheel.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11497620December 15, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Our Tesla, in the "Full Self Drive" mode, has on more than one occasion applied the brakes suddenly without warning while traveling on the freeways. The date I indicate below was the last occurrence. I see that others have indicated this malady and I wanted to add our voice to this conversation. Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495814December 2, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The contact owned a 2021 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving approximately 100 MPH, as he took his foot off of the accelerator, with the vehicle brake control set to "aggressive slowdown," as the vehicle slowed the contact looked into the rearview mirror and observed white smoke issuing from the rear of the vehicle. The contact then depressed the brake pedal, and instead of slowing the vehicle accelerated at a dramatic rate and the contact lost control of the vehicle and left the roadway. The contact stated he was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The vehicle went into a ditch and continued straight following the ditch. The contact stated that the vehicle had not lost any speed, rather it seemed to be going faster. The vehicle crashed through a fence, drove up a slight berm, and went airborne. The contact's vehicle crashed into the ground, front end first, after flying 130 feet in the air, and began to roll end over end two to three times. The contact and his two passengers were unconscious after impact with the ground, the vehicle had come to a stop and caught on fire. The contact had attempted to exit the vehicle once he regained consciousness, however, he had difficulty since the driver's side door was jammed and his left ankle was dislocated and his right ankle was broken. The contact had managed to crawl out of the vehicle through the driver's side window which had completely shattered. The contact stated that the passenger in the front seat was not seriously injured, although he was transported to a hospital and released that same day. The passenger in the rear was transported and hospitalized with internal bleeding and a broken rib, the contact was not told which rib was broken by the passenger. The vehicle had been engulfed in fire and the contact had rolled into a ditch, a passerby was on the scene and called emergency services. The contact was transported from the scene by a rescue helicopter and flown to a trauma center. At the trauma center, the contact was treated for int
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
0
#11494709November 23, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I lost the use of my right hand and am unable to activate the horn as it is a tiny button on the right side of the yoke rather than simply pressing the center of the yoke.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11493763November 16, 2022
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
When in autopilot, at highway speeds, the car suddenly will brake. There is nothing that instigates this and it seems to be a safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11492901November 9, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was unable to locate the horn capacitive button on my steering yoke to alert a biker who strayed into my lane. finding this small button has been a repeated problem when in dangerous situations
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11492305November 4, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
In August 2022 I was driving my Tesla S. I was traveling 25 miles an hour or less. I unfortunately lost consciousness for a very short time. My tesla then crashed into a parked car. There was snow emergency braking nor any emergency alarms. In theory describes shouldn’t of happened with an emergency braking system.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11491043October 26, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Today was at least the 3rd time "phantom braking" has occurred. While traveling on I-64 in Virginia, my speed was about 75mph with adaptive cruise control on. Suddenly, the car braked hard, slowing to about 40mph. I thought the car was going to stop. Fortunately, there were no vehicles behind me or there could have been a rear end collision. I did not use the automatic feature again for the rest of that drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11489874October 18, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have had at least 2 panic situations where I needed to use the horn to warn another vehicle that didn't see me that it was going to collide with me (lane change without checking, or crossing in front of me). The horn on my vehicle is a small force-press button with no raised markings, just an icon picture, just to the right of the large center pad that is the steering wheel (actually called a steering yolk) air bag. Decades of muscle memory has me pressing/slamming the largest thing at the center of the steering wheel in a panic situation. The time it takes to look down at the wheel to find the force-press button that is the horn is a major safety issue. All Tesla Model Ss and Xs from 2021 on have a steering yolk instead of a round wheel with this particular design/implementation for the horn. I have twice asked Tesla service to make the steering center airbag pad activate the horn. The 1st request was ignored. The 2nd request (Oct 18'2022) was responded to with "We do not offer a retrofit for that at this time. I will mark this [request] as feedback and remove it from your service ticket."
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11489439October 16, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In emergency situations I have trouble finding the horn button resulting in not able to warn other drivers of a dangerous situation. Other vehicles are set up so you can press the center airbag but the Tesla has a small button on the right spoke. The button is flush so you can not find it by feel but must look for it. The button is especially troublesome to find if the steering wheel/yoke is in anything other than the straight ahead position.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11489392October 15, 2022
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Car repeatedly, randomly slams in brakes while cruise control engaged for no apparent reason. Not speeding, no other cars or blockages around, open highway on a bright, clear day.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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