Worst years for a Tesla Model S
Owners have filed 5,283 complaints about the Tesla Model S with NHTSA across model years 2012 to 2026. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.
Every Tesla Model S year, graded
The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.
| Year | Grade | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Median miles | Most reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance |
| 2025 | — | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | Transmission & Drivetrain |
| 2024 | A | 78 | 2 | 0 | — | Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance |
| 2023 | B | 162 | 13 | 0 | — | Other & Unspecified |
| 2022 | B | 198 | 4 | 0 | 2,236 | Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance |
| 2021 | C | 279 | 30 | 2 | 6,000 | Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance |
| 2020 | C | 123 | 25 | 0 | 2,000 | Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance |
| 2019 | C | 73 | 10 | 0 | 5,100 | Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance |
| 2018 | D | 288 | 65 | 9 | 14,000 | Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance |
| 2017 | F | 673 | 95 | 4 | 25,000 | Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance |
| 2016 | F | 1,027 | 160 | 23 | 25,972 | Suspension |
| 2015 | F | 1,057 | 114 | 16 | 51,000 | Electrical System |
| 2014 | D | 546 | 76 | 12 | 57,800 | Electrical System |
| 2013 | D | 677 | 61 | 27 | 74,897 | Electrical System |
| 2012 | A | 89 | 4 | 1 | 65,000 | Electrical System |
What breaks on a Tesla Model S
Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.
Exactly what failed on a Tesla Model S
The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.
Complaints filed over time
Every complaint about every Tesla Model S, by the month it reached NHTSA.
Tesla Model S problems by state
Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.
Compare the Tesla Model S
Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.