Tesla Model S problems, by model year and system
1,842 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Tesla Model S 2016–2026, and the 5 systems the record is deep on — automatic emergency braking (391), suspension (387), electrical (370), steering (238), cruise control (187). Each system has a page across the years; 10 model-year pages go deeper still. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate or a verdict on one car.
The systems the record is deep on
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsAutomatic emergency braking problems across every model year, and the years with a page of their own →
Suspension problems across every model year, and the years with a page of their own →
Electrical problems across every model year, and the years with a page of their own →
Steering problems across every model year, and the years with a page of their own →
Cruise control problems across every model year, and the years with a page of their own →
Tesla Model S complaints, year by system
Source: NHTSA complaint database| Model year | automatic emergency braking | suspension | electrical | steering | cruise control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 4 in all | 2 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 2025 6 in all | — | 2 | — | 1 | — |
| 2024 38 in all | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4 | — |
| 2023 113 in all | 25 | — | 10 | 20 | 6 |
| 2022 138 in all | 46 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 9 |
| 2021 179 in all | 63 | 16 | 25 | 29 | 16 |
| 2020 80 in all | 31 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 8 |
| 2019 44 in all | 15 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| 2018 169 in all | 70 | 20 | 34 | 15 | 27 |
| 2017 424 in all | 87 | 107 | 114 | 48 | 35 |
| 2016 647 in all | 50 | 209 | 150 | 86 | 81 |
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA naming each system, per model year; a bold count links the year’s own page on that system. Counts scale with sales and with time on the road; nothing here is a rate, and NHTSA’s headings are coarse (“Power Train” is the transmission and the driveline).
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseWhich Tesla Model S system draws the most complaints?
Automatic emergency braking: 391 complaints across 11 model years, 21% of everything owners filed about the Tesla Model S. A count, not a rate — it says nothing about how many were sold.
Which Tesla Model S year has the most complaints?
2016 (647), 2017 (424), 2021 (179). Older years have had longer to collect them; the year pages show each year's share by system.