Tesla Model S Complaints

470 consumer complaints on file.

#11623026October 31, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Sept 26 1:38pm pulling in garage it swerved wheel towards wall and sounded alarms I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623024October 31, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Sept 27th 8:59am turning into serramonte center, blinker was on, sounds alarms and jerks wheel 6:53 pm into garage my garage jerked wheel swerved towards wall I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623023October 31, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Sept 29th 12:35pm passing truck double parked jerked wheel back towards truck I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623022October 31, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Oct 5th - blinker is on turning into driveway at 1mph and got the alarms / wheel jerking I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623020October 31, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023. Oct 9th - 3:48pm blinker on turning into supercharger on geary blvd Oct 4:09pm changing lanes with blinker on, 4:10pm left turn at intersection with blinker on
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623019October 31, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Oct 25 3:15pm blinker is on for right turn but vehicle jerks wheel left forcing me straight and sounds alarms I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623018October 31, 2024
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oct 31 9:48am my blinker on taking on ramp to highway and it jerks wheel forcing me straight I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623017October 31, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Oct 31 4:03pm blinker on turning into gus’ parking garage off noriega I have lane departure disabled, am manually driving under 15mph, and use proper blinker but this “safety feature” causes it to “jerk” the wheel and display warnings to the detriment of safety. This affects the entire fleet and was never an issue before around 2022-2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11622354October 28, 2024
TIRES
295 / 30ZR 21 - My tire failed well before the tread life expired. You can see in the attached images that the tire failed at the meeting point between the tread and the sidewall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11621864October 25, 2024
STEERING
Due to the yoke not having a traditional horn button it is hard to remember to push the tiny capacative touch button... very dangerous. Also the yoke feels more dangerous than a normal wheel.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11620970October 21, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, VISIBILITY/WIPER, STEERING
Experienced severe phantom breaking on [XXX] in route to Las Vegas at 70mph September 2024. In heavy rain, while windshield wipers set to auto...........wipers have stopped momentarily blinding the driver, a problem Tesla hasn't fixed on my neighbors 2019 Model 3. The stalkless design prevents safe use of turn signals, horn and gear shifts. Wife who only drives an ICE car can not safely operate turn signals, horn and gear shifts in my 2023 Tesla Model S. Camera system constantly renders 'Blinded' error messages halting Autopilot features. Tesla's resolution is to clean camera's before initiating Autopilot. 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
#11620961October 21, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn location is a button to the right of the center airbag on the steering wheel. It is small, difficult to find when under stress and needed. Impossible to find when in a turn. In the past 10 months I have had multiple occasions needed to alert another vehicle of an unsafe situation, and have never been able to activate the horn when needed. This is simply not safe. My car is a 2023 Model S. I noticed that Tesla did change this s few months after I purchased my vehicle. They should fix the cars, like mine that have the poorly positioned horn activation button to the middle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11620387October 17, 2024
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11618371October 7, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I received recall notice for 24V-554 on 9/22/2024. The recall notice informs that Tesla will resolve the recall safety defect by over-the-air update via the car's WIFI capabilities. I have informed Tesla that my car's WIFI capabilities are broken and I scheduled service for October 3rd. Tesla informed that parts for my vehicle are not yet ready and rescheduled my service for October 24th. I informed Tesla that I am missing a required safety recall update, and asked if they able to push the update to me via the car's internet or otherwise remedy the issue of my car not having capability to resolve the safety defect. Tesla responded "Due to contraints at the service center we unfortunately had to reschedule you" for October 24th. The Safety Recall notice informed that if the manufacter is unable to remedy the safety defect within a reasonable time, I may notify the NHTSA.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11617355September 30, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Tesla has not provided software updates for the 3 recalls listed for my VIN. Each time I ask them about the issue, they indicate my vehicle has the latest software update, but it does not.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11616484September 25, 2024
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Driving into my garage the vehicle is swerving the wheel and sounding alarms that I am “departing a lane” even though I do not have a lane departure Alerts or assistance enabled. Unlike Tesla response to my reports, this is when I am driving manually auto pilot is not engaged like they keep asserting
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11615859September 22, 2024
STEERING
The horn on this car is a button on the right side of the steering wheel. I nearly got into yet another accident when someone started backing up and nearly hit me. I panicked as they backed up and pressed the center airbag as a natural reaction, where a car horn had been for 100 years. Tesla has since changed this on new models, but they need to recall my model and repair this defect before someone gets killed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11615854September 22, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This vehicle has a small button on the steering wheel to actuate the horn, instead of part of the center airbag (as most modern vehicles.) In the ten months I’ve owned this car, I have experienced numerous situations where I tried to use the horn in an urgently evolving situation, but could not as I could not instinctively find the horn button. I have complained to Tesla that I view this issue as a safety concern. I know they recognize this, as all new cars manufactured since January 1st of this year now have the horn as part of the airbag. Their response to me has been to purchase the new horn and airbag, at a cost of over $2,200. I firmly believe this should be a recall situation, as the present system does not allow easy, instinctive use of a primary safety device.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11615738September 21, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
There is a design flaw in the functionality of the windshield wipers. Instead of the functionality being on a stalk like every other car, Tesla decided to make it a 2 step process. To operate the windshield wipers, you first have to press a capacitive button on the steering wheel and then you have to scroll a wheel on the steering wheel. The first problem is that the button to turn on the windshield wipers is a capacitive button that is not raised on the steering wheel - so the button moves as you turn the steering wheel and thus it is not in the same place all the time. This makes it very difficult and practically impossible to find the button without taking your eyes off the road to find the button on the steering wheel. The second problem is that once you find that button, you then have to find the scroll wheel on the other side of the steering wheel to then adjust the speed. So picture you are driving into a downpour. You instantly can't see because of the rain. Because you are turning slightly on the highway, you have to take your eyes off the road to find the button on the steering wheel. That will activate the wipers but only in intermittent mode. You then have to use the scroll wheel on the other side of the steering wheel to adjust the speed so it is continuous. And while the car does have an "auto" mode, I've owned 3 different Teslas over 9 years and it has never worked properly - often turning on the wipers on a day that is 100% sunny. The auto mode also doesn't work well when it is raining because it often doesn't sense the correct speed (so staying in auto mode is not a great solution). The correct solution would be to return the wiper functionality to a stalk on the steering column and most definitely not require 2 separate buttons/functions to use it. It is very dangerous having to take your eyes off the road when you enter a downpour or when you are in a drizzle situation and then it starts pouring because you need to do 2 things.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11615735September 21, 2024
STEERING, VISIBILITY/WIPER
Tesla removed the blinker stalk and replaced it with capacitive buttons on the steering wheel. This is very dangerous because the buttons move as you turn the wheel. To make it worse, they used capacitive buttons that are not raised so sometimes the ONLY way to turn your blinker on is to look away from the road and at the steering wheel to find the button. The buttons would be more useful had they simply been a rocker button like a lot of vehicles have on their steering wheel for volume control of the radio. But the real problem is that on multiple occasions, the turn signal button simply does not work. They do work 99% of the time but there have been several occasions where I have pressed the capacitive button and the blinker does not go on. I then have to look away from the road to confirm I am pressing the button but it still does not work. On a couple of occasions, if I press the other blinker button and then press the original blinker button, it will work. Other times if I press it enough times (i.e. over 5 times), it will then work. After the 1st complaint, Tesla replaced the component but it continues to happen. I believe it is a software bug and despite seeing other people report this problem to the NHTSA, Tesla told me no one else is reporting it. They suggested when I pick up the car that they show me how to press the button. What is more likely, that I don't know how to press a button or that there is a problem in their design? I know there is probably no rule against not having a blinker stalk because why would anyone ever design a car that would have moving buttons on a steering wheel but I think it is time for a rule and to require Tesla to fix this. If you can't require a blinker stalk, which would be the correct fix, then require the buttons to not be capacitive and to be raised. And who would design left and right buttons to be one on top of the other instead of being side by side. Terrible design and very unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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