2023 Tesla MODEL S

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Below Average

Quick Summary

The 2023 Tesla MODEL S has 158 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 2.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is other problems (36% of all complaints), specifically: car suddenly accelerated and crushed into shop in parking lot.

10 crash reports

158

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

2.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

OTHER

57 complaints

36%

• Car suddenly accelerated and crushed into shop in parking lot
• I have only owned my Tesla S for three months and have had several close call situations that would not have been as close if the car had a proper horn trigger located underneath the steering wheel airbag cover. The small capacitive button on the right side of the wheel simply isn’t safe, and 30+ ye
• Dear NHTSA Officials, I recently became the proud owner of a 2023 Model S. As pleased as I am with most aspects of the vehicle, there's a pressing safety concern I believe warrants your immediate attention. Nature of the Issue: Over the past two weeks, I encountered two separate incidents where n

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 6 crashes

“Car suddenly accelerated and crushed into shop in parking lot”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

20 complaints

13%

• 1) Horn is hazardous. Small 1/4" area hard to locate and activate. Impossible to locate when steering. 2) Turn indicators is hazardous. Hard to locate. Impossible to locate when steering. 3) front parking sensors do not work, 4) rear parking sensors do not work, 5) active lane departure warning doe
• 1) Horn is hazardous. Small 1/4" area hard to locate and activate. Impossible to locate when steering. 2) Turn indicators is hazardous. Hard to locate. Impossible to locate when steering. 3) front parking sensors do not work, 4) rear parking sensors do not work, 5) active lane departure warning doe
• The car will rapidly break and decelerate with no obstacle in front. The care does this frequently but randomly. The car will slow by 10 -20 mps in a mater of a second or 2. The deceleration is had enough to throw unsuspecting passengers forward into locked seatbelts. It will do this with cars f

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“1) Horn is hazardous. Small 1/4" area hard to locate and activate. Impossible to locate when steering. 2) Turn indicators is hazardous. Hard to locate. Impossible to locate when steering. 3) front parking sensors do not work, 4) rear parking sensors do not work, 5) active lane departure warning doe”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

19 complaints

12%

• The steering wheel and lack of lane change and transmission stocks makes the vehicle hard to control at low speeds. Swiping the screen forward for Drive and backward for Reverse does not create any tactile confirmation. Low speed parking lot maneuvers have already resulted in a few close calls. Alon
• This is the second time in the last two weeks that my backup camera has stopped working. I have talk to the service center about this I was told that it is not a safety issue but a convenience to the driver and that I should use my mirrors and turn my head around to see what is behind me. I have tak
• The activation of the horn using a small capacitive button on the right side of the steering wheel is a serious safety problem. I have had numerous near miss incidents that were closer than they should have been because I was unable to quickly locate and activate the tiny horn button. I've tried u

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“The steering wheel and lack of lane change and transmission stocks makes the vehicle hard to control at low speeds. Swiping the screen forward for Drive and backward for Reverse does not create any tactile confirmation. Low speed parking lot maneuvers have already resulted in a few close calls. Alon”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

18 complaints

11%

• 3 separate times the right pillar camera and 2 times for all cameras: The car's computer lost contact with the cameras and could not reconnect. In 2023, Tesla changed from radar to camera sensing technology. All driving functions relating to car positioning and cruise/speed control were lost at thos
• 3 separate times the right pillar camera and 2 times for all cameras: The car's computer lost contact with the cameras and could not reconnect. In 2023, Tesla changed from radar to camera sensing technology. All driving functions relating to car positioning and cruise/speed control were lost at thos
• 1) Horn is hazardous. Small 1/4" area hard to locate and activate. Impossible to locate when steering. 2) Turn indicators is hazardous. Hard to locate. Impossible to locate when steering. 3) front parking sensors do not work, 4) rear parking sensors do not work, 5) active lane departure warning doe

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“3 separate times the right pillar camera and 2 times for all cameras: The car's computer lost contact with the cameras and could not reconnect. In 2023, Tesla changed from radar to camera sensing technology. All driving functions relating to car positioning and cruise/speed control were lost at thos”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

8 complaints

• 3 separate times the right pillar camera and 2 times for all cameras: The car's computer lost contact with the cameras and could not reconnect. In 2023, Tesla changed from radar to camera sensing technology. All driving functions relating to car positioning and cruise/speed control were lost at thos
• To activate the horn you must press a small label which is not in the middle of the steering wheel. This requires taking eyes off the road and looking for the small area. There is a horn-like appearing big area in center of the wheel that has movement when you press it, but doesn’t beep the horn -
• Tesla's decision to place the horn activation within a button on the steering wheel has impeded my ability to safely activate the horn in pretty much every emergency situation. It requires a glance down to find the button every time. This pulls focus off of the road and situation at-hand, posing maj

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

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

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 158 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
OTHER: Car suddenly accelerated and crushed into shop in parking lot
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: 1) Horn is hazardous. Small 1/4" area hard to locate and activate. Impossible to locate when steering. 2) Turn indicators is hazardous. Hard to locate. Impossible to locate when steering. 3) front parking sensors do not work, 4) rear parking sensors do not work, 5) active lane departure warning doe
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: The steering wheel and lack of lane change and transmission stocks makes the vehicle hard to control at low speeds. Swiping the screen forward for Drive and backward for Reverse does not create any tactile confirmation. Low speed parking lot maneuvers have already resulted in a few close calls. Alon
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
SPEED CONTROL: 3 separate times the right pillar camera and 2 times for all cameras: The car's computer lost contact with the cameras and could not reconnect. In 2023, Tesla changed from radar to camera sensing technology. All driving functions relating to car positioning and cruise/speed control were lost at thos
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)