Tesla
Tesla Model S years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015, 2016 and 2017. Best years: 2019, 2020 and 2024.
The 2015, 2016 and 2017 Tesla Model S draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 668 complaints (56 for each year on the road), 2016 has 647 complaints (59 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 424 complaints (42 for each year on the road), against a median of 28 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is suspension (209 reports).
- 2,701complaints
- 34recall campaigns
- 8model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: infotainment (256 reports, median 61,000 miles) and suspension (149 reports, median 15,000 miles).
2016
Most reported: suspension (209 reports, median 19,232 miles) and infotainment (169 reports, median 50,361 miles).
2017
Most reported: infotainment (109 reports, median 33,000 miles) and suspension (107 reports, median 19,000 miles).
Best years
2019
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any Tesla Model S year here: 668 of 2,701 (25%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Infotainment leads in 4 of the 8 model years and has the most reports overall, 693. Pooled across the years, half of the 464 owners who gave a mileage for infotainment were under about 55,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 13% of Tesla Model S complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2018, 40 of its 169 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- Every model year where owners report infotainment also has a recall on the same system. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2020 at 653 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 133. So far in 2026, 101 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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Pre, facelift
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 363 | 28 | 9 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (103) | 55,000 |
| 2015 avoid | 668 | 56 | 9 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (256) | 50,000 |
| 2016 avoid | 647 | 59 | 10 | Suspension noise, struts or alignment (209) | 29,000 |
| 2017 avoid | 424 | 42 | 9 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (109) | 27,000 |
| 2018 | 169 | 19 | 11 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (25) | 17,000 |
Photo: Dllu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2019 (44), 2020 (80), 2024 (38).
Year by year
2023 Tesla Model S
113 owner complaints, 28 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). 8 reports involved a crash. 13 recalls, including 26V-283 on the backup camera and 24V-051 on the electrical system.
2022 Tesla Model S
138 owner complaints, 28 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: phantom braking (19 reports), driver assist (18 reports) and wheels (14 reports). 3 reports involved a crash. 20 recalls, including 26V-283 on the backup camera and 25V-172 on the airbags.
2021 Tesla Model S
179 owner complaints, 30 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: phantom braking (20 reports), wheels (19 reports, median 12,000 miles) and brake wear (16 reports). 13 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 24 recalls, including 24V-153 on collision avoidance and 21V-846 on collision avoidance.
2018 Tesla Model S
169 owner complaints, 19 for each year on the road (0.7 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (25 reports), phantom braking (24 reports) and infotainment (23 reports, median 17,500 miles). 36 reports involved a crash and 21 people were hurt. 11 recalls, including 24V-376 on the seat belts and 24V-153 on collision avoidance.
2017 Tesla Model S avoid
424 owner complaints, 42 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (109 reports, median 33,000 miles), suspension (107 reports, median 19,000 miles) and phantom braking (34 reports, median 37,798 miles). 55 reports involved a crash and 23 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 24V-051 on the electrical system and 23V-838 on the electrical system.
2016 Tesla Model S avoid
647 owner complaints, 59 for each year on the road (2.1 times the model median). Most reported: suspension (209 reports, median 19,232 miles), infotainment (169 reports, median 50,361 miles) and brake wear (54 reports, median 10,000 miles). 92 reports involved a crash and 64 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 24V-376 on the seat belts and 24V-051 on the electrical system.
2015 Tesla Model S avoid
668 owner complaints, 56 for each year on the road (2.0 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (256 reports, median 61,000 miles), suspension (149 reports, median 15,000 miles) and A/C failure (55 reports, median 59,400 miles). 70 reports involved a crash and 29 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 24V-051 on the electrical system and 23V-838 on the electrical system.
2014 Tesla Model S
363 owner complaints, 28 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (103 reports, median 64,000 miles), suspension (90 reports, median 24,000 miles) and A/C failure (26 reports, median 62,100 miles). 50 reports involved a crash and 18 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 24V-051 on the electrical system and 23V-838 on the electrical system.
Recalls that cover several model years
An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights.
In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended.
In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution.
The front trunk latch assembly may be misaligned, preventing the secondary hood latch from engaging. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 113, "Hood Latch System."
The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Compare the Model S with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Model S vs Tesla Model 32018 to 2023
Questions
What Tesla Model S years should you avoid?
The 2015, 2016 and 2017 Tesla Model S draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 668 complaints (56 for each year on the road), 2016 has 647 complaints (59 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 424 complaints (42 for each year on the road), against a median of 28 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is suspension (209 reports).
What are the best years for the Tesla Model S?
The 2019, 2020 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2019 has 44 (6 a year), 2020 has 80 (11 a year) and 2024 has 38 (13 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Tesla Model S?
Infotainment, with 693 reports across the 8 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2023.
How many recalls does the Tesla Model S have?
34 recall campaigns cover the Tesla Model S model years 2014 to 2023 on this site. The widest, 23V-838 on the electrical system, covers 8 model years.
How many Tesla Model S complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
13% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2018 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for infotainment on the Tesla Model S?
Yes, on every model year where owners report it.