2017 Tesla Model S electrical problems
114 of the 424 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Tesla Model S name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). Filed under the same heading: 11 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls, 11 NHTSA investigations. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA complaint database6 of the 114 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 3 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 41 · 2021: 31 · 2022: 11 · 2023: 6 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 4
Half of the 70 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the electrical problem between 27,000 and 55,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
424 complaints in all about the 2017 Tesla Model S, 4 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Electrical System” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Tesla Model S electrical problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Mcu does not function as it should all the time. Dashboard gauges have turned off while vehicle was in motion disrupting normal and intended operation
The mobile control unit (mcu) screen will randomly reboot, shut down, or freeze. Happens randomly at any time, regardless if the vehicle is stationary or moving. This impairs critical safety functions such as defogger, backup camera, and all other electrical controls (ex. HVAC)
Main center screen (referred to as mcu1) quit working after I drove home from work one evening. The car was still drive-able and charge-able, but audio/safety chimes no longer worked because those are powered by the mcu1 which died. The car was approximately 2.75 years old with about 89,000 miles on odometer when this happened.
The mcu in my car simply stopped working. I could drive it but had no speedometer, no signals, nothing that is critical to driving safely. It would not start consistently and I was afraid it would stop in the middle of the highway on my way home. The mcu is the central computer in the car that controls everything
My main screen would completely go black randomly and when that happens my instrument cluster in front of me would also go black and as a result I can't see how fast i'm going or my blind spots or anything really. It's the mcu that continues to have this problem and Tesla won't replace it
What is on file about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecalls filed under this heading
- 24V051000 MinorJan 30, 2024 · 2,193,869 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- 23V838000 ModerateDec 12, 2023 · 2,031,220 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. 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.
NHTSA investigations
- EA26002 FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditionsopened Mar 18, 2026 · open
- The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Tesla’s Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the system’s ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time …
- PE25012 Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engagedopened Oct 7, 2025 · open
- The Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI”) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute traffic safety violations. This investigation concerns versions of FSD that Tesla has labeled as "FSD (Supervised)" and "FSD (Beta)." Tesla characterizes FSD as an SAE Level 2 partial automation sy…
- AQ25002 Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirementsopened Aug 20, 2025 · open
- The Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI”) has identified numerous incident reports submitted by Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”) in response to Standing General Order 2021-01 (the “SGO”), in which the reported crashes occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports. The majority of these reports involved crashes in which the Standing General Order in place at the time required a report to b…
- PE24033 Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.opened Jan 6, 2025 · closed Apr 3, 2026
- On January 6, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation 24003 (PE24033) to investigate Actually Smart Summon (Summon) sessions resulting in crashes during active sessions. According to Tesla, Summon is a short-distance SAE Level 2 system, controlled by the user from a cell phone within a certain distance and intended for use in parking lots and on private prope…
11 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- SB-25-16-003 Service bulletinJun 3, 2025
- On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the battery powered Pyrotechnic High Voltage (HV) Battery Disconnect will reach the end of its battery lifespan in the near future, which will trigger alerts and may limit the vehicle’s performance.
The 1 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Other systems with a record on the 2017 Tesla Model S
Source: the same files- suspension problems 107 complaints
- automatic emergency braking problems 87 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre electrical problems common on the 2017 Tesla Model S?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 114 owner complaints naming the electrical system on this model year (27% of everything owners filed about it), and 11 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls, 11 NHTSA investigations are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the electrical system on the 2017 Tesla Model S?
Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading: 24V051000, 23V838000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do electrical problems show up on the 2017 Tesla Model S?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 35,250 miles; half of them between 27,000 and 55,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Electrical System" heading cover?
Wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.