What breaks most · 2012 to 2019 model years
Tesla Model S problems by year
Owners have filed 605 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Tesla Model S across model years 2012 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2016 for suspension complaints, 2015 for suspension complaints and 2013 for suspension complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2017 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2016, 2015, 2013
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2017, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 6052012 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2016189 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 20142 fires · 109 injuries · 21 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 10kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 77Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 8 | Suspension (6) | |
| 122 | 28 | 11 | Suspension (57) | |
| 85 | 34 | 9 | Suspension (43) | |
| 125 | 45 | 9 | Suspension (72) | |
| 189 | 56 | 10 | Suspension (95) | |
| 66 | 30 | 9 | Suspension (31) | |
| 10 | 5 | 11 | Speed control and throttle (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 10 | Steering (1) |
What fails on the 2016 Tesla Model S
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 50% |
95 | 29 | Shop suspension parts for the 2016 Tesla Model S |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 30% |
57 | 12 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 23% |
43 | 18 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 19% |
36 | 5 | — |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 14% |
27 | 13 | Shop brakes parts for the 2016 Tesla Model S |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 7% |
14 | 5 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
7 | 3 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2016 Tesla Model S |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 3% |
6 | 5 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Tesla in the junkyard: https://www.copart.com/lot/25226748/photos no crash, no impact damage, no airbags deployed. Just the usual wheel fallen off. Please investigate. Thank you. Persistent citizen
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I believe the right steering knuckle failed after hitting a bump. The failure cause the suspension to crash into the road causing a large amount of suspension damage.
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I was backing the car out of my garage when i heard a strange scraping sound. When i looked to see what was up i found that the right rear suspension had collapsed. The car was moving straight back at very low speed in my driveway. I was told by the tow truck technician that the lower control arm had failed.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Tesla Model S years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2016, 2015, 2013 carry the most filings on the Tesla Model S. The 2016 alone has 189 complaints, led by suspension.
What is the most common Tesla Model S problem?
On the 2016 model year, the most-reported component is suspension with 95 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Tesla Model S problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Tesla Model S complaints that include mileage is about 10,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.