Owner complaints · Electrical System · every model year
Tesla Model S electrical problems, 2016–2026
370 of the 1,842 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Tesla Model S 2016–2026 name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). The loudest years: 2016 (150), 2017 (114), 2018 (34). Filed under the same heading across these years: 7 manufacturer bulletins, 8 recall campaigns, 11 NHTSA investigations. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.
370 complaints, 11 model years 20% of everything filed about the Model S typically at 38k miles
Tesla Model S electrical problems by model year
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsOne row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.
| Model year | Complaints naming the electrical system | Share of the year’s | Typically at | On file under the heading | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | — | — | 1 investigation | the year → |
| 2025 | 0 | — | — | 1 TSB · 1 recall · 4 investigations | the year → |
| 2024 | 8 | 21% | — | 2 TSBs · 2 recalls · 6 investigations | the year → |
| 2023 | 10 | 9% | — | 11 TSBs · 3 recalls · 7 investigations | the year → |
| 2022 | 17 | 12% | — | 18 TSBs · 6 recalls · 9 investigations | the year → |
| 2021 | 25 | 14% | — | 23 TSBs · 7 recalls · 9 investigations | the year → |
| 2020 | 7 | 9% | — | 7 TSBs · 5 recalls · 9 investigations | the year → |
| 2019 | 5 | 11% | — | 4 TSBs · 3 recalls · 10 investigations | the year → |
| 2018 | 34 | 20% | 20k | 5 TSBs · 3 recalls · 11 investigations | the year → |
| 2017 in depth | 114 | 27% | 35k | 11 TSBs · 2 recalls · 11 investigations | the record → |
| 2016 in depth | 150 | 23% | 51k | 11 TSBs · 2 recalls · 11 investigations | the record → |
Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the electrical system. Nothing here is a rate.
Advertisement
When the electrical complaints were filed, and at what mileage
Source: NHTSA complaint database370complaints name the electrical system, all years
Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2016: 5 · 2017: 8 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 9 · 2020: 123 · 2021: 70 · 2022: 45 · 2023: 22 · 2024: 33 · 2025: 26 · 2026: 25
38kmiles, typically
Across the model years, half of the 198 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the electrical problem between 20,000 and 60,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Failure of touchscreen of 2016 Tesla Model S #128735 (march 2016 build). Was told by Tesla mcu (media control unit) needed to be replaced because flash drive was filled. I had the mcu repaired by a 3rd party repair facility specializing in tesla's where the flash drive was replaced with a larger chip.
Re: NHTSA action number: dp19005 - investigation subject : battery management software updates starting with a software update in may 2019, Tesla capped the max voltage the high voltage battery would charge to. They claim they did this "out of an abundance of caution" after several non-crash fires happened to these models.
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)
The main console center screen in my would stop responding and will basically freeze up. The indicator clicker sound would stop working. The navigation system would remain stuck. The air conditioner would stop working. All these are happening while the driving.
What is on file about the electrical system, across the years
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year
- 25V172000 ModerateMar 19, 2025 · 91 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Model S and 2021-2025 Model X vehicles. An air bag with the incorrect horn pad may have been installed, preventing the horn from sounding.
- 25V002000 ModerateJan 6, 2025 · 239,382 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Model 3, Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The computer circuit board may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- 24V153000 MinorFeb 27, 2024 · 6,557 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2013, 2018-2021 Model S, 2020-2021 Model X, 2018-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A factory reset muted the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
- 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.
- 22V235000 MinorApr 12, 2022 · 594,894 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y, Model X, Model S, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
- 22V063000 MinorFeb 4, 2022 · 578,607 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model S, Model X, Model Y, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
- 22V045000 MinorFeb 1, 2022 · 817,143 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The audible chime may not activate when the vehicle starts and the driver has not buckled their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
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…
7 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading, any model year
- Sep 3, 2025
- On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the HV battery umbrella valves, over time, may become damaged due to road debris. Replace all 5 umbrella valves with updated parts. This new revision, R1, updates the affected Countries/Regions.
- Sep 2, 2025
- On certain Model S and Model X vehicles built between approximately January 2021 and September 22, 2022, the High Voltage (HV) battery ports’ plungers intended for internal water leak egress (also known as flood ports) can be replaced with plungers that are more robust against external ingress due to submersion during flooding or other similar high-severity abuse instances. Replace all 5 flood por
- Jun 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.
- Apr 3, 2025
- On certain Model S, Model X and Model Y vehicles, the interior camera requires replacement to mitigate reduced driver attentiveness detection performance in low-light conditions.
- Mar 21, 2025
- Some Model S and Model X vehicles with 1st Generation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas might suffer from lower-than-expected navigation signal strength under certain circumstances.
- Feb 28, 2025
- Some Model S and Model X vehicles with revision D interior cameras might suffer from lower-than-expected navigation signal strength under certain circumstances.
- Oct 1, 2024
- On certain Model S and Model X vehicles built before November 1, 2021, the vehicle may lack Bluetooth headphone hardware support for the rear touchscreen audio.
Every one filed under the heading is listed. 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 Tesla Model S
Source: the same filesEvery system, every model year: Tesla Model S problems by year →
From here
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsWhich Tesla Model S years have the most electrical complaints?
2016, 150; 2017, 114; 2018, 34. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2017 (27%).
Is there a recall for the electrical system on the Tesla Model S?
Yes — 8 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 25V172000 (2024), 25V002000 (2025), 24V153000 (2021), 24V051000 (2023). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do electrical problems show up on the Tesla Model S?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 38,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 20,000 and 60,000. 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.