Tesla Model S Complaints

470 consumer complaints on file.

#11559457December 11, 2023
STEERING
This vehicle came with a YOKE style steering wheel, I did not order it this way, it is how the new car arrived. It is TERRIBLE and I cannot believe TESLAS is allowed to put it in their cars. (This is my second Model S, my first is a 2015 and I love it). It has none of the standard stalks on the side (Directional signal, headlight flash, etc.). I heard that removing the stalks saved the company a pile of money too. It is a very uncomfortable shape to hold and control. I find myself holding it with just my THUMBS, draped over the top corners of the wheel. All the important features: left turn signal, right turn signal, horn, headlight flash, and wiper are controlled by SMALL icons illustrated on the front of the yoke. They are NOT user friendly and you have to LOOK at the wheel every time you want to use them, which takes your eyes off the road!! I have been driving this car for over a year now and I still cannot honk the horn or flash the lights in time to warn other drivers of impending trouble. Many times I end up doing the wrong thing: like flash the lights instead of honk! The turn signals are terrible, it is very hard to determine if I have even engaged the signal I want as it is a small spot to press, and it is easy to press the wrong direction signal. When backing up and having to look over your shoulder (sometimes you can not use the back-up camera), the flat top of the yoke wheel is extremely hard to hold on to while you try to move the wheel from left to right to back up safely: a round wheel is MUCH easier to handle. Also, the layout of the wheel and the monitor screen (it's now horizontal) is such that it blocks the entire lower left corner of the screen. I would also complain about the 2 scroll wheels on the yoke, they are too sensitive and control too many functions depending on how you push them, but that is mostly TESLA "high-tech" stuff which they still can't get right. GET RID OF THE YOKE STEERING WHEEL, and the small icons: it is dangerous to use.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11559068December 8, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
First of all, I have been driving tesla for 9 years and love them. But this new model S has a tiny button for a horn instead of a center horn. This was a meer annoyance up until today when I was nearly plowed into a by a car going the wrong direction at 60mph and no horn when I'm slamming the middle of the steering wheel. This is a serious and dangerous design flaw that needs to be remedied and recalled. The panic of needing a horn is reflexively to slam your hands in the middle of the steering wheel, not look for a tiny button on the right hand side of the yoke.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11558073December 2, 2023
WHEELS
Both of my rear tires have the inner tread (closest to the center line of the vehicle) separating from the sidewall. Tesla blames the issue on Michelin because the alignment is within specification, and Michelin blames Tesla claiming that the problem is the rear alignment. Every single Tesla Model S Plaid owner I know that has the factory 21” wheel option is having this issue somewhere between 6,000 miles and 16,000 miles (estimated). My vehicle has 12,151 miles on it now, and I first noticed the issue at approximately 11,100 miles. The vehicle is close to being unsafe to drive due to potentially catastrophic issues associated with one or both tires failing at speed. There is absolutely no indication of impending failure, and because it is the inside edge of the tires which are separating, and there is plenty of tread left on the tire, owners are unlikely to notice the issue, especially since the tires are failing well before anyone would expect a tire to fail. Thanks for your consideration. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557795November 30, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Tesla, in multiple cars that I own, has repeatedly changed user-preferences of user-selections, without warning, or update notes, for a variety of functions. This seems to be a consequence of sloppy software coding and seems to coincide with new software releases. In recent months, Tesla has attempted to inform people of new software update functionality with ‘release notes’. However, these notes seldom, if ever, explain that a user’s preference is getting discarded (though could be restored -- if the user were aware). One example, is the operation of ‘Traffic Aware Cruise Control’ was changed from a double click of a scroll wheel to a single click. No release nor or manual page was called out to indicate the change — at least prior to this driver’s noticing and diagnosing the problem. Nor was any pop-up message explaining the new, and surprising functionality of a ‘double-click’ — which was to momentary activate and deactivate TACC. Other functions that get changed, without notice: 1) operation of automatic windshield wipers is deactivated (and set to ‘manual) — from the user-preference of ‘auto’; 2) Auto park chimes sounds are turned off — despite a user-preference setting them to 'on'. These changes to the UI, necessitating guesswork using the large glass screen, prove to be highly distracting to a driver in the midst of driving. In addition, these undocumented and un-communicated changes lead the consumer to contact Tesla and even setup ranger service to make a repair for what ends up being a sloppy manual — to the detriment of Tesla’s effectiveness of their Service Department. If Tesla cannot make the user interface operate in a coherent manner day-to-day, there is no hope that any alleged full self driving will avoid reverting to some unknown configuration on unknown time scales. Perhaps Tesla should repurpose engineers that make video games for the car to the purpose of regression testing to avoid surprises like these.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557479November 29, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The problem is with the regenerative braking. On an icy road, when the driver takes their foot off the accelerator, regenerative braking starts immediately and is quite strong as this is an electric vehicle. If the braking power is more than the icy road can afford, the wheels will lock up. This can and has caused drivers, including myself, to lose control and spin out. There’s nothing that the driver can do to avoid this, as there is no setting to attenuate or disable this feature (although there used to be a way up until 2021). In fact, the user’s manual actually warns of this: “In snowy or icy conditions, Model S may experience loss of traction during regenerative braking.” That’s it—just a warning as there’s nothing the driver can do about besides to driving in these conditions.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11556759November 25, 2023
WHEELS
Have just learned (on routine check) that Front/Rear tire configuration has been backwards since delivery from the FACTORY; 24 mo, 24k miles. Factory specified FRONT REAR 255/45R19 285/40R19 NOTE REVERSAL Actual upon delivery FRONT REAR 285/40R19 255/45R19 ONLY service has been 1 left/right switch at 19k with NO front/back, per tire service recommendation; not detected then. And there’s NO chance it was reversed after delivery. I'm wondering effect on tread life, safety, drive-ability. Tech said this error would vastly affect performance, "Haven't you noticed car 'driving really funny'?" Notified Tesla; no response yet. In photos, Note door decal, fender placement will show front/rear.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11555470November 16, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side indicator was inoperable on the yoke steering wheel. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 24,500.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552774October 31, 2023
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Today I parked my car front of my house after couple ours I heard the voice and when I come close to my car I see the airbag is deployed I want you know the car doesn’t have any impact any accident when the airbag is deployed the car was off
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551967October 26, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Tesla Yoke Steering, horn button is nearly impossible to find in a panic situation. By the time you find the horn button an incident that could maybe have been otherwise avoided may have already occurred. Suggest Tesla, make all horns center steering wheel, it has been proven effective since the 1900's. As the NHTSA this is a complete failure in approving such a failed placement of the horn, one of any car most valued safety devices.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551946October 26, 2023
WHEELS
I purchased my new 2023 Tesla Model S in 02/2023 (delivered in Fife, WA). The vehicle has staggered wheel sets - rear wheels/tires wider than the front. After being hit by a vehicle in 07/2023, the two back wheels were damaged. I took the vehicle to Exotic Collision center in Bellevue, WA, a Tesla-approved body-shop. While replacing the wheels in 09/2023, the body-shop found that the front wheels were installed in the rear, and vice versa. As a result, the tires didn’t fit properly which internally damaged the two wheels where wider tires were fit on narrower wheels, and all four tires. This was unrelated to the accident, hence not covered by insurance. I reached out to Tesla in 10/2023, with photos from the body-shop, and contact info of their technician. However, Tesla had denied accountability and demanded I pay in full for replacement tires/wheels. The two reasons they provided are - 1) I should have heard a noise, and brought back the vehicle to them immediately, instead of waiting for a body shop to find it, and 2) I couldn’t provide evidence that I didn’t change the wheels out myself. To me, neither reasoning makes sense. For #1, Tesla couldn’t show me what kind of noise I should have expected. Also, my vehicle is the proof that there would not be noticeable noise from the issue in every case. On #2, it is a case of proving a negative, which does not seem logical in this case. I know this to be an issue at the time I took delivery, given nothing else was done to the wheel-tire assembly until the body-shop tried to replace them in September. Also, this seems to be a safety issue. The body-shop recommended we do not drive as-is, and I had to pay $2718.00 at a local Les Schwab tire store (on 10/23/2023) to purchase a set of tires and wheels so that I can drive the vehicle safely. I strongly believe this should be Tesla’s accountability to resolve. Along with sharing this safety issue with you, I urge your help to resolve the matter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551552October 24, 2023
SUSPENSION, WHEELS
The 2021 and beyond Tesla Model S comes installed with camber arms that cause the wheel to be tilted in and thus wears the tire on the inside to the point of wearing out within 6 months. This is a flaw in the building and pertains to all the model S's 2021 and greater. This is a safety issue and is not addressed by Tesla. I think Tesla should be forced to provide a recall for this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551459October 23, 2023
WHEELS
The OEM 21 inch wheel cracked which resulted in a flattening tire.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551159October 21, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car does not have a horn button in the center of the steering wheel. There have already been multiple emergency situations where I needed to use the horn but could. It locate the button during the time sensitive emergency. This was a contributor to an an accident on 10/1.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11549374October 11, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dear NHTSA Officials, I recently became the proud owner of a 2023 Model S. As pleased as I am with most aspects of the vehicle, there's a pressing safety concern I believe warrants your immediate attention. Nature of the Issue: Over the past two weeks, I encountered two separate incidents where nearby vehicles swerved into my lane. On both occasions, my instinct was to press the center of the steering wheel, expecting the horn to sound. However, it did not. Design Flaw: The actual horn mechanism in these vehicles is situated as a small capacitive touch button on the right side of the steering wheel. For seasoned drivers, such a drastic deviation from convention is not only counter-intuitive but can prove dangerous. Potential Resolution: There is already a discourse around a potential fix for this issue. An over-the-air software update by Tesla was proposed around 18 months ago, which, if implemented, could address the concern. Here is the pertinent tweet from Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, dated March 1, 2022: Link to Post: [XXX] Request for NHTSA Intervention: I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter and compel Tesla to either release the promised firmware update or retrofit the steering wheels on the affected Model S and Model X vehicles produced since the design refresh. The implications of this design oversight go beyond just the driver's safety and extend to anyone in proximity to these vehicles. I trust that you will treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and look forward to your timely action. Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547897October 3, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving at midnight, I pulled away from a stop sign in a residential neighborhood, and hear a loud bang. The dash display turned red immediately, and the car lost all propulsion. The dash display said "Pull over safely, Vehicle shutting down." My phone app also showed a message of "Your car suffered a failure and will no longer drive. Contact Test Roadside..." I coasted to the side of the road. While calling Tesla Roadside assistance, within 15 minutes of the breakdown, the center display said "Low voltage energy remaining = 30%" and a few minutes later the entire car went dark. The doors, windows, trunks, glovebox, center screen, tow mode, and the hazard flashers no longer worked. The tow truck driver said he has seen this problem a lot and based on my description, he correctly diagnosed a failed inverter, which was Tesla's diagnosis. I searched online user forums and found many other people having the same catastrophic failure in new Tesla's. It's incredibly dangerous to lose all forward power. This is a new car with only 5K miles. And to lose all accessory power within 15 mins so not even the safety hazard flashers work is terribly dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547327September 29, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The backup camera randomly stutters and pauses. Sometimes long as 2-3 seconds. It makes as if a car or pedestrian will wait for you but in fact they just walked behind you. I agree to not rely on the camera but it’s dangerous as this potentially tricks you to go and can hit a person. Tesla has replaced all hardware however dismisses my issue. On the forums there are plenty of post about this but no fix.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545573September 20, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
"Tesla Vision" is the ADAS sensor system in the car which relies exclusively on video cameras with no LIDAR or ultrasonic sensors to measure distance. It is highly inaccurate and prone to failure. It consistently reports false warnings and fails to identify actual threats.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545272September 18, 2023
AIR BAGS, STRUCTURE:BODY, SEAT BELTS
I have had my Tesla to their shop FOUR times to try to fix a safety airbag issue in the drivers side which they have had my car for weeks and weeks on end, only for me to get it back with the same issue after only a few days of repair! I asked them for a refund and other things and they have done nothing! They still make me pay full price for my lease even though they have had my car in their shop more than I have driving it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544761September 15, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Phantom breaking. I picked up my new Model S on Sept 7th. While on the thruway on AutoPilot, the car will suddenly brake. I am not near to anyone. This is a hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544008September 12, 2023
TIRES:SIDEWALL
Tire sidewall delaminated above the DOT markings. Vehicle purchased new, with only 8500 miles. No tires impacts and tire pressure maintained within recommended PSI (automatically remotely monitored by vehicle). Second rear tire to fail within last 500 miles of driving - failed in exact same way, and exact same place -delaminated above the DOT markings. 295/30ZR21 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S T2 Acoustic
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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