195 of the
5,283 complaints filed about the Tesla Model S
are about the lighting —
4% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2016.
In Nov 2019, while driving at night, the center touchscreen (MCU) of my 2015 Model S went blank and would not recover after restarts. I lost access to nearly all vehicle controls. The daytime running lights remained on, but the headlights did not illuminate despite being set to auto, and I had no way to turn them on manually because the headlight control is on the failed touchscreen. Climate control was inoperative and the windshield began fogging, reducing visibility. I could not open the charge port despite a low battery. I avoided the freeway and took local roads home. This is the failure covered by Recall 21V035 (8GB eMMC wear-out). Tesla service confirmed via diagnostic logs an internal fault within the MCU and replaced it with a remanufactured unit. I paid $2,045.47 out of pocket (invoice uploaded). The defect was not remedied. The remanufactured MCU contains the same 8GB eMMC; since the 2019 replacement the screen still goes blank 2-3 times per year, recovering only after 10-15 minutes of holding the reboot buttons. As of Aug 2026, NHTSA's VIN lookup shows Recall 21V035 as "Recall Incomplete": Tesla has never performed the free remedy (64GB eMMC daughterboard). Component available for inspection. In Feb-Mar 2021, Tesla notified me my vehicle was covered and invited a reimbursement claim per its NHTSA-filed plan (49 CFR 573.13). I submitted the claim through my Tesla account within the claim period. Tesla's portal confirms this: it displays "You have already submitted for the reimbursement" and blocks resubmission (screenshot uploaded). The plan commits to a decision within 60 days. Five years later: no decision, no payment. In Feb 2026, Tesla Support confirmed it has no mechanism to check or process reimbursement claims. I am reporting Tesla's non-compliance with its filed reimbursement plan and its failure to remedy this recall.
NHTSA complaint #11756104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The center high-mounted stop lamp (CHMSL / third brake light) fails on 2021 and newer Tesla Model S vehicles (including Plaid). This is a common issue reported by many owners, particularly as vehicles exit the warranty period. No redesigned or corrected replacement part has been made available by Tesla. Pre-2021 CHMSL units are incompatible and will not fit. Repair requires removal and replacement of the entire rear liftgate glass assembly, which is extremely expensive and labor-intensive for owners. Prior model years did not experience this problem. A non-functional CHMSL reduces the vehicle's visibility to following traffic and increases the risk of rear-end collisions, especially at night or in poor weather. This appears to be a design or manufacturing defect affecting safety. Discussions [XXX] Repair process [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11736496 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Motor suddenly failed after a required update while driving, nearly causing a crash with multiple commercial vehicles and pedestrians, leaving brake lights dangerously always on and alarm sounding, killed 12v as well.
NHTSA complaint #11735218 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle lights turned off while driving home with my family. Pulling over and turning off and on the car reset the problem. When lights turned off I received a warning light identifying a faulty right headlight and faulty left headlight. No accident and vehicle is currently outside manufacture warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11727760 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tesla designs a single piece headlight with no serviceable parts. This includes headlights, high beams, and namely daytime running lights. All of these components are on an LED strip that overheats and un-solders due to this high heat, which causes premature failure. Some owners have reported as little as 3 months of life before failing. The daytime running lights are essential for safety driving in low light situations. These daytime running lights are seemingly built to fail. The lights dim then eventually no longer work. Tesla's solution is to have the customer purchase a brand new headlight at $2,500. My vehicle is 2018 Tesla s with 43,400 miles and always kept in carnage. Tesla should either goodwill swap out these headlights for a non-built to fail component, or offer a repair for a quality LED strip with proper heat distribution. Without daytime running lights safety is a major concern on foggy, rainy, and low light situations. I have attached an image showing how the failure begins on top then slowly goes all the way down to the side of the headlight which fails later,.
NHTSA complaint #11727785 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH at night, one of the headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that both headlights had become intermittently inoperable, causing the contact to hesitate to drive the vehicle due to safety concerns. Upon investigating the issue online, the contact learned that several other vehicle owners were experiencing similar failures. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11710658 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am the current owner of a 2014 Tesla Model S equipped with MCU1. While driving, including at freeway speeds, the center touchscreen has rebooted unexpectedly, showing only the Tesla logo before recovering. During these reboots, critical vehicle functions are unavailable, including the rearview camera, HVAC/defrost controls, and other essential features. This failure matches the exact safety defect described in NHTSA Recall 21V-035 related to the MCU/eMMC failure. I reported this safety issue to Tesla Service and provided photo evidence of the screen rebooting while driving. Tesla has refused to address this as a recall or safety repair. Tesla claims the recall was previously completed under a prior owner but refuses to provide any documentation proving that the recall repair was actually performed, citing prior owner privacy. Tesla has further stated that diagnosis of this active safety defect would be customer-paid due to the basic warranty being expired and has indicated that the only path forward is a paid infotainment upgrade. Tesla is effectively requiring payment to diagnose and resolve a known safety defect. As the safety defect is actively occurring while driving and Tesla has marked the recall as complete without providing proof or correcting the issue, I am requesting NHTSA review whether Tesla is improperly closing out recalls without ensuring the defect has been remedied and whether charging customers to diagnose known safety defects is appropriate. After entering my VIN into NHTSA’s recall lookup, NHTSA shows Recall 21V-035 (MCU/eMMC failure) as Recall Incomplete for my vehicle. This directly contradicts Tesla’s claim that the recall was previously completed. Tesla has refused to provide documentation and is requiring paid diagnosis and a paid infotainment upgrade despite the recall being listed by NHTSA as unresolved.
NHTSA complaint #11705673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The reverse lights are incredibly insufficient and pose a safety risk when backing up. The lights are so dim, they are virtually ineffective to the point that they illuminate nothing that may be behind the car. This is not a bulb issue as they came from the factory, new, in this condition and the service center said there is nothing they can do. Other owners I have spoken with report the same issue.
NHTSA complaint #11691415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have documented examples of 3 total incidents now where a Tesla OTA "Update" on my vehicle caused a safety issue. Event 1: Nov 27, 2025. Tesla OTA Update renders my left turn light non-functional for ~24 hours. Resolution per forums only was to not touch the card for 24 hours to allow it to shift into "sleep" mode which would resolve the issue. Instructions were that only a service center could resolve the issue. Event 2: Sept 3, 2025. Tesla OTA Update renders my car unable to charge. The issue is resolved following a ~24 hour "sleep" cycle which allows my car to somehow resume charging. Telsa advised the only resolution was to come in for service and to replace a $3000 part. Event 3: Sept 23, 2025. Tesla OTA Update once again renders my car unable to use it's left turn light. Power cycling the vehicle was able to resolve the issue but once again the instructions was only that service could resolve the issue. Each "update" risks sigificant "safety" related issues and Tesla's only resolution is to pay hundreds of dollars for someone to "troubleshoot" that which shouldn't be a problem.
NHTSA complaint #11689254 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tonight, shortly after dusk, on a lightly traveled road near my home, the high-beams failed to function as described in the manual, or according to any alternative way to activate them. Traffic is 30 MPH with a single lanes divided by a double yellow center line with cat-eyes. This area frequently has deer and other wildlife. Accordingly, whenever possible, high beams should be activated. Conditions were dry, and clear, without oncoming traffic -- while driving at or near the posted limit. Pushing and persistently holding the high-beam light maintained high-beam only while pressing the high-beam marked part of the steering wheel. Typical operation, in the past, operated the high beam if the button (capacitative sensitive surface on the steering wheel) was held in for about a full second and then released. This is no longer how it operated tonight. Driver pushed the high-beam for a full second. Upon release the high beams reverted to normal low beams. Driver repeated this 2 more times. After doing this twice, the driver is already distracted from wildlife and starting to focus on the car -- looking for error messages of some kind. After three times, its clear that it is Tesla software that is broken. Although the car is in good repair, no messages were presented. Again, conditions were clear and dry. Failure to operate visibility mechanisms is highly contrary to safe driving. Some features which should always work: 1. Wind shield wipers; 2. Defogger 3. Defroster 4. head lights 5. high beams Hopefully, Tesla has not abandoned functional high-beams like they have with Full Self Driving. On the other hand, if FSD is no longer among the executive compensation goals, perhaps providing a visible landscape to the all-camera FSD algorithm is also superfluous.
NHTSA complaint #11687128 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tesla originally confirmed issues with the MCU1 system in my vehicle and upgraded it to MCU2. I Paid $1,599 for the repair/upgrade. Since then, the center screen has continued shutting off while driving. When this happens, the instrument cluster and controls go dark, I cannot see my speed, use the blinkers to signal, operate the AC/defroster, or access other critical vehicle functions. This has occurred multiple times on highways, including US-22 in New Jersey, which created serious danger because I could not monitor speed or signal properly. Although Tesla addressed the MCU1 problem by upgrading me to MCU2, they told me afterward the vehicle was still “safe to drive,” despite the failures continuing. I believe this is unsafe because I lose visibility of all driving information and access to basic controls. Tesla now refuses to repair these ongoing problems. After I raised complaints about the severity of the issue, I was dismissed and mocked for my speech disability during phone calls, and Tesla placed me on a service restriction. As a result, I am unable to obtain further repairs for this safety defect. I am afraid to drive the car. No Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assistance, Parking Collision Warning, or Rear Cross Traffic Warning features were involved in this failure.
NHTSA complaint #11682696 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the digital screen intermittently blacked out and several safety features were inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the resort block remained at 90%, and the same EMMC ID that should have been covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11680333 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The left turn signal is intermittent, it works most of the time, but many times the button on the yoke will not turn on the turn signal. Tesla wants $265 to fix it even though I still am under the factory warranty. After a quick internet search this appears to be a known problem. Because there is no turn yoke (which is a very poor design and that should be recalled) I have to rest my finger on the detent for the left and right switch. If I do not I am turning on the incorrect signal. This is either a button problem or software issue, I had to have my first yoke replaced on 4/22/24 as it was defective.
NHTSA complaint #11661468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I don't have this problem anymore because I had the circuit board replaced. The issue I have observed is the auto high beam feature doesn't work properly. They get stuck in the high setting and don't adapt to on-coming traffic. It's primarily in model y cars but all models have been observed. This might be as simple as needing the adaptive setting to be default or in my case a new control board replaced. The remedy before I got it fixed was to not have high engaged with the stock. I don't think there is a manual solution with the y or any newer teslas.
NHTSA complaint #11632308 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving in dense fog about 9 am on December 2, 2024. It was about an hour after sunrise. I passed an approaching car without lights on and thought to myself how dangerous it was to be driving in dense fog without lights. I then realized that my automatic headlights were off! That means my fog lights were also off. They were on when I first left the house. The fog was dense enough that cars without lights appeared out of the fog with 10-15 feet warning. Very dangerous when turning left onto roads or at stop signs. The fog was dense enough that the driver assist cameras were complaining about being blocked or blinded, but the car had decided to turn off the headlights and fog lights without notification (except removing the lights on indicators on the dash). I have tried to contact Tesla support on their web support and haven't been able to figure out a way to provide comments. I only find a "help" section that provides answers to a few questions and seems to go in circles for anything else. I was able to move the headlights from Auto to On and solve the problem, but that required messing with the touchscreen while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11628665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Daylight Running Lights (DRLs) burned out, and Tesla charges exorbitant amounts to repair each DRL and headlight assembly, over $3,500 for each side. This is apparently a known issue with all 2017-2021 Tesla Model S vehicles, as it is widely discussed on Tesla owner forums. The DRLs are prone to repeated failures even after being replaced. Tesla will replace the DRL and headlight assembly as long as the vehicle is under warranty, but will not replace the failed DRL and headlight assembly after the warranty expires unless the vehicle owner pays for the replacement. This would seem to be a known chronic failure item, and since the DRLs are a safety feature, it would seem that Tesla should stand behind their vehicles and resolve this failure as a recall.
NHTSA complaint #11622412 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have owned a 2023 Model S Plaid for 6 months. I like the vehicle overall but it has 2 features that are actually dangerous. 1) Horn - There is a small hepatic area on the right of the steering wheel that engages the horn. It is impossible to find and press in an emergency situation. One has to take their eyes off the road to find the area before attempting to press it. Even then it is small and can still be missed. Their have been multiple times my car was almost hit because I could not use the horn to warn people in time. Tesla has now moved the horn to the middle of the steering wheel but will not retroactively fix this for existing customers. This will 100% cause unnecessary accidents. 2) Turn signals These are also small hepatic spots on the steering wheel next to each other. You have to look down to find them and pressing the wrong side signal is a common occurrence. This is also dangerous and requires user to take their eyes off the road to find.
NHTSA complaint #11604435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Left Turn Signal Button About 1 in 20 times, the left turn signal button on the steering wheel does not register a press. Pressing multiple times in multiple places on the left arrow icon makes no difference. If I click the right button and then the left it's fine. Or, if I try later, the left button will work again for a while This has happened many times over the past several weeks
NHTSA complaint #11582617 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Passenger side headlight, daytime running light portion, is flickering, approximately 1-2 times a minute. I only noticed this as I parked in a dark garage with my lights on, seeing the light flickering against the wall. There is no warning from my car telling me this is happening. This is a safety issue because headlights are a safety feature. If my headlight is going on and off, it will affect my visibility, as well as the visibility of my car to other drivers/pedestrians on the road. I notified Tesla, they had mobile technician come to my house, he visually confirmed this issue, and he subsequently replaced the entire headlight. After the replacement, I noticed that this did not resolve the issue. I notified Tesla and they had me bring in my car to service center for inspection. Per tesla tech service summary: "identified customer concern as a known characteristic with no resolution available at this time. Please maintain regular WIFI connection to ensure timely downloads of future firmware updates. No repairs recommended at this time". I need this issue resolved, I do not feel safe driving my car. Tesla is not repairing the issue and has no clear timeframe as to when this issue will be fixed. I attached 2 photos from my video capture showing when the light is on and off.
NHTSA complaint #11580942 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The design of the car which uses turn signal buttons on the steering wheel instead of the traditional stalks creates a critical safety hazard. When attempting to use a turn signal while the steering wheel is turned (which happens when pulling out for circular driveways, making two very quick turns, or in emergency maneuvers), it is nearly impossible to find these buttons and be able to press the correct button. In fact, when the steering wheel is turned 180 degrees, the left and right buttons point in the wrong directions, and even if you can locate the buttons, it becomes very counterintuitive to press the correct position. There are so many times when I have had to take my eyes off the road just to see where the turn signal buttons are. Additionally there are multiple occasions when I have kept pressing the turn signal button but it does not turn on. It might be due to its capacitative nature. Turn signals need to be intuitive and easy to use. They should not require the driver to think where they are and guess the correct direction. This is such a fundamental safety feature. I am not sure how this design was approved in the first place. The NHTSA should require the manufacturer to replace the steering wheel with the traditional stalks instead of turn signal buttons on the steering wheel. Otherwise it creates a highly unsafe condition every time the vehicle is driven. The other safety hazard is the use of a tiny horn button on the steering wheel instead of the center of the steering wheel being the horn, as is the case with almost every car. So when is a horn used? Mostly in an emergency to warn other drivers. How does it make sense to take eyes off the road and look for that horn button on the steering wheel when even fractions of seconds are important to avoid a crash. I urge NHTSA to require Tesla to install stalks for turn signals and a center horn button, as these poorly thought of design elements jeopardize people's safety every time you drive the car.
NHTSA complaint #11569741 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.