Reliability & cost of ownership
Tesla Model S Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Tesla Model S? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Tesla Model S problems by model year
72 recall entries and 3280 owner complaints on file across 15 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model S | 0 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2025 Model S | 0 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2024 Model S | 0 | 38 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2023 Model S | 0 | 113 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2022 Model S | 20 | 138 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2021 Model S | 24 | 177 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2020 Model S | 0 | 80 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2019 Model S | 0 | 37 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2018 Model S | 0 | 149 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 Model S | 0 | 395 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2016 Model S | 0 | 611 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 Model S | 0 | 650 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 Model S | 9 | 365 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2013 Model S | 11 | 459 | 5.0 | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 Model S | 8 | 59 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Tesla Model S, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system962 complaints
- unknown or other845 complaints
- suspension720 complaints
- steering331 complaints
- forward collision avoidance308 complaints
- vehicle speed control265 complaints
- service brakes195 complaints
- exterior lighting190 complaints