Tesla Model S vs Chevrolet Equinox

Both cars' complete complaint records, side by side.

Read the totals carefully. NHTSA publishes no sales figures, so the car that sold more collects more complaints regardless of quality. The rows worth weighing are the proportions — the share of complaints that involved harm, and which part dominates.

Measure	Tesla Model S	Chevrolet Equinox
Complaints on file	5,283	12,688
Model years covered	2012–2026	2005–2026
Worst model year	2016	2005
Best model year	2024	2009
Crashes reported	659	573
Fires reported	94	141
Injuries reported	207	360
Deaths reported	35	6
Most complained-about part	Electrical System	Engine & Cooling
Share of complaints involving harm	18.8%	8.5%

Tesla Model S by year

89 677 546 1,057 1,027 673 288 73 123 279 198 162 78 7 6

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Electrical System 1,001 18.9%

Other & Unspecified 863 16.3%

Suspension 730 13.8%

Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance 672 12.7%

Steering 344 6.5%

Acceleration & Cruise Control 273 5.2%

Brakes 208 3.9%

Lights 195 3.7%

Chevrolet Equinox by year

950 950 950 535 151 1,118 1,139 943 988 699 845 493 370 583 418 488 128 220 140 126 346 108

05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks

Engine & Cooling 3,179 25.1%

Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 1,564 12.3%

Electrical System 1,223 9.6%

Transmission & Drivetrain 1,085 8.6%

Fuel & Propulsion 1,053 8.3%

Other & Unspecified 783 6.2%

Brakes 753 5.9%

Airbags 632 5.0%