Tesla Model S Complaints

470 consumer complaints on file.

#11518088April 20, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
To honk the horn, you have to find and push a very small button on the steering wheel. I have been in multiple situations where I have been unable to honk the horn in time to avert a potential accident because I could not find the horn button. Tesla appears to have recognized the problem and added a horn to the airbag on new vehicles, but they have refused to offer any retrofit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11517040April 14, 2023
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V702000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516156April 9, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Vehicle is typically operated in FSD Beta mode. I have had approximately a thousand driver initiated disengagements due to unsafe or potentially unsafe operation in Beta mode. At times there have been indirect indications of unintended vehicle operation potentially due to anomalies with system hardware and communications between modules and control systems. The refreshed S and Y models feature a vehicle display behind the yoke steering wheel. When at stop signs, stop lights, or when turning, the yoke (in an upright or near upright position) blocks safety related displays indicating intended vehicle path, bollards and critical safety-related driver annotations. Visibility of these safety critical displays is further degraded when stopped making unprotected turns with the yoke erratically moving. The ability of the driver to safely takeover control of the vehicle is further degraded by the chaos associated with the yoke whipping back and forth on unprotected turns, and drivers and passengers being unable to see critical displays. When the vehicle, driver and passengers all have a reduced capability to ensure safe operation the chaos further degrades safe vehicle operation. At a minimum an over the air recall is required to add safety critical displays/annotations to the large rectangular display between the driver and front passenger similar to Y and 3 models. As noted above I also have hardware related concerns on my vehicle which at times appear to be masked/accommodated by the firmware but are more evident on secondary systems independent of safe vehicle operations.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11515686April 5, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STEERING
The horn is a small button on the steering wheel which isn't easily located in an emergency. Tesla has said a software update was coming to move the horn to the center as with all other vehicles but it still hasn't done so. This could cause accidents while a driver is searching for the horn.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#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
#11514107March 27, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
While utilizing the car’s cruise control (TRAAC) and the advanced autopilot features, the car brakes often, unexpectedly and without warning when there are no hazards or vehicles in its path. This is a well documented problem called “phantom braking” involving Teslas. My experiences include traveling on straight open highway with no other vehicle’ within hundreds of yards. Scary and unsafe.
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
#11511466March 12, 2023
STEERING
Yolk turn signal button issues. Does not register a click. Issue has also been reported on the following site with a video demonstrating the issue. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/yolk-turn-signal-button-issues-does-not-register-a-click.285402/
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11509924March 2, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
The hood/frunk open by itself. I was driving at around 25 MPH when hood/frunk suddenly opened. This is a serious saftey issue luckily I was able to avoid an accident as I could not see with the hood obstructing view. Vehicle will be taken to Tesla for inspection. No warning lamps or indications Also seems as if there is no secondary latch.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11509551February 28, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
We had the adaptive cruise control, turned on and the car braked violently on I 90 in Washington state heading east. The brakes slammed on so hard that the tires screeched. We were in the fast lane and it was fortunate that no one was directly behind us or there would’ve been a serious accident. It happened again about 5 miles later, but not as violently.
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
#11508830February 23, 2023
STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:DASHBOARD
1) Lower drivers knee airbag panel improperly installed. Photos available. 2) This could cause malfunction of the airbag in an accident 3) No response from Tesla service when reported in the Tesla App, and in person. 4) No, but I have photos and the EPC identifies the parts in question. 5) Loose trim panel made the problem apparent, noted at delivery. Noted loose and broken lower dash trim panel under the steering Yoke. Upon investigation, noted the panel was designed to be held in place by 4 circular magnets, two on the panel and two on the lower dash support. However, in this case, a 10mm high strength steel bolt with a torque stripe was inserted into the mating magnet on the lower dash structure. The strength of the magnet was such that the bolt was apparently fully seated. The problem was, where did this bolt belong? It was found the adjacent lower panel was the knee airbag panel was designed to be secured by two 10mm bolts, and one was missing! The errant bolt was placed into the proper hole and torqued per the SM. The passenger side panels and bolts were found to be properly installed, and torque striped. I believe the placement of the Yoke makes it difficult for assembly personnel to ensure the airbag bolt is placed into the proper hole, and the magnet keeps the bolt in position when it is incorrectly placed. The problem is this leaves the lower knee airbag secured by a single bolt, and that is a potential safety concern. Please contact me for photos and supporting documents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507724February 16, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
The vehicles horn is too difficult to locate during an emergency and requires you to look down at the wheel to find it. The "Yoke" steering wheel does not have the horn in the center as traditional across all other brand vehicles. It's a touch-capacitive area to the right and only about the size of a thumb tack. It's not raised or textured in anyway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507215February 14, 2023
WHEELS, SUSPENSION
My car has 10K miles and rear wheels started to layer off. This is the same issue as many other reporting on the web. I tired to reach out to Tesla but they deny any responsibilities. Something needs to be done ASAP before people will get hurt. I am lucky that I noticed this issue.
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
#11505936February 6, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
Windshield cracked after preheating the car and pulling out of driveway in cold weather. Saw and heard the crack happen. Found hundreds of other complaints online of owners reporting similar issues. Brought into Tesla dealer and they claim it was from an external windshield chip that then spread although no external chip was present. They seemed very knowledgeable about this issue and trained to try to not cover this under warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11504409January 30, 2023
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle was hit in the parking lot with my car being stationary/parked as I could not click the horn button as it is not in the center of the steering wheel. Per CEO comments: [XXX] Replying to @[XXX] All cars made since November also have push center for horn – just waiting on firmware update. If you mash right side of yoke with your palm, horn will trigger. 7:13 PM · Mar 1, 2022 on Twitter INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11503174January 23, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while her husband was driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced "phantom braking" approximately 8-times in total. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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