2017 Tesla MODEL S

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Tesla MODEL S has 668 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 8.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (17% of all complaints), specifically: tesla model s 2017 sudden unintended acceleration- 1/18/2018, morning 9:05 am. i was pulling in to my office parking spot where i parked for 6 years, i let the car slow to roll closer in front of the curb. all of a sudden the car accelerated, got on the curb, hit the office building. the car was s. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.

2 fire reports 74 crash reports 27 injuries

668

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

8.3x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

112 complaints

17%

• TESLA MODEL S 2017 SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION- 1/18/2018, MORNING 9:05 AM. I WAS PULLING IN TO MY OFFICE PARKING SPOT WHERE I PARKED FOR 6 YEARS, I LET THE CAR SLOW TO ROLL CLOSER IN FRONT OF THE CURB. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR ACCELERATED, GOT ON THE CURB, HIT THE OFFICE BUILDING. THE CAR WAS S
• 2017 TESLA MODEL S STARTED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN OVER 100 MPH, WHEN TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AROUND 70 MPH, WITHOUT AUTOPILOT ENGAGED. AS SOON AS IT STARTED TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR TOOK CONTROL OVER THE STEERING WHEEL AND DROVE INTO THE GUARDRAIL ON THE LEFT OF THE LANE, THEN QUICKLY STEERED TO THE RI
• ON SATURDAY 5/11/2019 AROUND 12:45PM WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD SOUND THEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY LEAVING ME STUCK. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. THE CAR DISPLAY AN ERROR ON THE CENTER CONSOLE "UNABLE TO DRIVE, PLEASE PROCEED TO SAFETY"

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 6 crashes

“TESLA MODEL S 2017 SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION- 1/18/2018, MORNING 9:05 AM. I WAS PULLING IN TO MY OFFICE PARKING SPOT WHERE I PARKED FOR 6 YEARS, I LET THE CAR SLOW TO ROLL CLOSER IN FRONT OF THE CURB. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR ACCELERATED, GOT ON THE CURB, HIT THE OFFICE BUILDING. THE CAR WAS S”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SUSPENSION

107 complaints

16%

• HERE IS A 2017 MODEL S IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=25563471&ROWNUMBER=49&LOADRECENT=TRUE&ISNEXT=TRUE THERE IS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR EXCEPT FOR THE BACK WHEEL WHICH HAS GONE ALL WHOMPY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE REASON THAT THE TESLA WHEELS GO WHOMPY SO OFTEN.
• HERE IS A TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=26437884&ROWNUMBER=57&LOADRECENT=TRUE THE CAR HAS BEEN IN A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT AND IS SEVERELY DAMAGED. IT HAS BIO-HAZARD STICKERS WHICH MEANS THAT OCCUPANTS HAVE BEEN INJURED. THE CAR IS BADLY DAMAGED AND I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE O
• HERE IS A NEW VIDEO THAT HAS JUST BEEN UPLOADED: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=2M64KSYWTFU IT SHOWS A TESLA MODEL S WITH A COMPLETELY BROKEN SUSPENSION. IT HAS NOT BEEN IN A CRASH. BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS HAVE SNAPPED. WHEEL HAS GONE AMAZINGLY WHOMPY. THE LOCATION IS A CITY STREET. THERE IS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 14 crashes

“HERE IS A 2017 MODEL S IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=25563471&ROWNUMBER=49&LOADRECENT=TRUE&ISNEXT=TRUE THERE IS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR EXCEPT FOR THE BACK WHEEL WHICH HAS GONE ALL WHOMPY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE REASON THAT THE TESLA WHEELS GO WHOMPY SO OFTEN.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

101 complaints

15%

• AUTOPILOT 2 IS VERY DANGEROUS AND HAS MAJOR ISSUES ON HILLS, TURNS AND TURN LANES THAT CAUSE CAR TO DEPART LANE, NEW AUTOPILOT 2.5 RELEASED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF AUTOPILOT 2 BUT COMPANY IS FAILING TO UPGRADE THE CURRENT UNSAFE AUTOPILOT 2
• PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE TESLA MODEL 3 WHICH DOES NOT YET APPEAR ON YOUR DATABASE. AT LEAST 50 OF THESE HAVE ALREADY BEEN RELEASED TO TESLA EMPLOYEE GUINEA PIGS AND ARE LOOSE ON THE HIGHWAYS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THOUSANDS MORE WILL BE ON THE ROADS SOON. THE FOLLOWING VIDEO SH
• PARK, DRIVE, PARK, DRIVE, REVERSE AND NEUTRAL INDICATORS ("P,D,R,AND N" ARE ABOUT THIS SIZE) ON DASH ARE WAY TOO SMALL FOR AGING DRIVERS. SPEED INDICATOR IS MUCH LARGER, AND THERE IS ROOM ON THE DASH TO MAKE THESE INDICATORS MUCH LARGER. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TESLA SEVERAL TIM

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 9 crashes

“AUTOPILOT 2 IS VERY DANGEROUS AND HAS MAJOR ISSUES ON HILLS, TURNS AND TURN LANES THAT CAUSE CAR TO DEPART LANE, NEW AUTOPILOT 2.5 RELEASED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF AUTOPILOT 2 BUT COMPANY IS FAILING TO UPGRADE THE CURRENT UNSAFE AUTOPILOT 2”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

85 complaints

13%

• ON 3 OCCASIONS, VEHICLE MADE SUDDEN, SPONTANEOUS ATTEMPTS TO MAKE A LEFT LANE CHANGE. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WAS IN SELF DRIVE MODE ON A FREEWAY; ON THE 1ST OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND HIT A GUARD RAIL; ON THE 3RD OCCASION THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WHEN IT SUDD
• ON 3 OCCASIONS, VEHICLE MADE SUDDEN, SPONTANEOUS ATTEMPTS TO MAKE A LEFT LANE CHANGE. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WAS IN SELF DRIVE MODE ON A FREEWAY; ON THE 1ST OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND HIT A GUARD RAIL; ON THE 3RD OCCASION THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WHEN IT SUDD
• THE MCU TOUCHSCREEN FAILS CONSTANTLY CAUSING NO ACCESS TO REAR VIEW CAMERA, AC CONTROLS, NAVIGATION, AND LOSS OF PRESET SETTINGS FOR MIRRORS AND DRIVE SEAT POSITION. REBOOT TAKES OVER 5 MINS WHILE CAR IS IN OPERATION TO NO AC WORKING. BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED OVER 10 TIMES DUE TO

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 13 crashes

“ON 3 OCCASIONS, VEHICLE MADE SUDDEN, SPONTANEOUS ATTEMPTS TO MAKE A LEFT LANE CHANGE. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WAS IN SELF DRIVE MODE ON A FREEWAY; ON THE 1ST OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND HIT A GUARD RAIL; ON THE 3RD OCCASION THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WHEN IT SUDD”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

82 complaints

12%

• ON JULY 13, 2017, MY TESLA WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON THE I-680 IN THE VICINITY OF FREMONT, CALIFORNIA. MY VEHICLE WAS IN SELF-DRIVE MODE TRAVELING IN THE LEFT-MOST LANE AT 65 MPH. MY HANDS WERE ON THE STEERING WHEEL. WE ENTERED A LONG CURVE TO THE RIGHT AND APPROACHED STOPPED CARS AHEAD OF US. THE SELF-D
• THE TESLA SPED UP AND HAD A SUDDEN UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY SLOWLY AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO A VERY HIGH SPEED. IT ALMOST WENT OVER A WALL AND I HAD TO SWERVE THE WHEEL TO AVOID GOING OVER A WALL. WHEN I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, THE CAR STOPPED FULLY ONLY A
• WE WERE IN A PARKING LOT OF "KIDQUEST MUSEUM" IN BELLEVUE , WA. , TAKING OUR GRAND DAUGHTER, ONE YEAR OLD, TO THE MUSEUM. OUR CAR WAS IN STATIONARY POSITION. WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PARK. DURING THIS TIME, OUR MODEL X, TOOK OFF WITH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND WE COULD NOT CONTROL

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 21 crashes

“ON JULY 13, 2017, MY TESLA WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON THE I-680 IN THE VICINITY OF FREMONT, CALIFORNIA. MY VEHICLE WAS IN SELF-DRIVE MODE TRAVELING IN THE LEFT-MOST LANE AT 65 MPH. MY HANDS WERE ON THE STEERING WHEEL. WE ENTERED A LONG CURVE TO THE RIGHT AND APPROACHED STOPPED CARS AHEAD OF US. THE SELF-D”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

SUSPENSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 668 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: TESLA MODEL S 2017 SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION- 1/18/2018, MORNING 9:05 AM. I WAS PULLING IN TO MY OFFICE PARKING SPOT WHERE I PARKED FOR 6 YEARS, I LET THE CAR SLOW TO ROLL CLOSER IN FRONT OF THE CURB. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR ACCELERATED, GOT ON THE CURB, HIT THE OFFICE BUILDING. THE CAR WAS S
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
SUSPENSION: HERE IS A 2017 MODEL S IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=25563471&ROWNUMBER=49&LOADRECENT=TRUE&ISNEXT=TRUE THERE IS VERY LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR EXCEPT FOR THE BACK WHEEL WHICH HAS GONE ALL WHOMPY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE REASON THAT THE TESLA WHEELS GO WHOMPY SO OFTEN.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: AUTOPILOT 2 IS VERY DANGEROUS AND HAS MAJOR ISSUES ON HILLS, TURNS AND TURN LANES THAT CAUSE CAR TO DEPART LANE, NEW AUTOPILOT 2.5 RELEASED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF AUTOPILOT 2 BUT COMPANY IS FAILING TO UPGRADE THE CURRENT UNSAFE AUTOPILOT 2
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: ON 3 OCCASIONS, VEHICLE MADE SUDDEN, SPONTANEOUS ATTEMPTS TO MAKE A LEFT LANE CHANGE. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WAS IN SELF DRIVE MODE ON A FREEWAY; ON THE 1ST OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE LEFT LANE AND HIT A GUARD RAIL; ON THE 3RD OCCASION THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WHEN IT SUDD
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)