2013 TESLA MODEL S

11 recalls, 677 complaints - 86 TSBs - 5/5 safety rating

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirem... Read more

Consequence

A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.

125,233 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

Defect Description

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 Sta... Read more

Consequence

Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, release 2023.44.30.14, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-006.

6,557 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Defect Description

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 vehicle... Read more

Consequence

Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.

2,193,869 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:DRIVER MONITORING:SOFTWARE

Defect Description

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... Read more

Consequence

In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.

2,031,220 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Tesla Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles with a center display equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. When the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the eMMC ... Read more

Consequence

The eMMC controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners, and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge. The recall ... Read more

134,951 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with Bosch steering racks. The aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and fracture causing a reduction or complete loss of power steering assist.

Consequence

Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts and add a corrosion-preventative sealer, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-18-32-002.

70,421 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2013 Model S vehicles equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these... Read more

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2018. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-18-20-001.

17,846 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.

PARKING BRAKE

Defect Description

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016 Model S and Model X vehicles. The electric parking brake calipers have an internal gear that may be improperly manufactured, possibly resulting in the gear fracturing during parking brake application or release.

Consequence

If the gear breaks during parking brake release, the vehicle will not be able to be moved. If the gear breaks during parking brake application, the parking brake may not adequately hold the vehicle, potentially resulting in the vehicle rolling, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will replace both the left and right electric parking brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2018. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-17-33-002.

31,709 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla Motors, Inc.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

Defect Description

Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Model S vehicles manufactured May 31, 2012, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with driver or front passenger seat belts that may be improperly connected to the outboard lap pretensioner.

Consequence

If the seat belt is not correctly attached to the pretensioner, it may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy

Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will inspect the driver and front passenger seat belts, correcting their connection, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB... Read more

59,415 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla Motors, Inc.

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

Defect Description

Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain model year 2013 Model S vehicles equipped for, and delivered with, certain NEMA 14-50 (240 volt) Universal Mobile Connector (UMC) adapters. During charging, the adapter, cord, or wall outlet could overheat.

Consequence

An overheated adapter, cord, or wall outlet increases the risk of burn injury and/or fire.

Remedy

Tesla will notify owners and provide an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Some owners have already received this update. This update allows the Model S on board charging system to detect any unexpected fluctuations in the input power or higher resistance connections to the vehicle. If detected,... Read more

21,081 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla Motors, Inc.

SEATS

Defect Description

Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain model year 2013 Model S electric vehicles manufactured May 10, 2013, through June 8, 2013. An improper method for aligning the left hand seat back striker to the bracket may have weakened the weld between the bracket and the frame of the vehicle.

Consequence

In the event of a crash, the left hand seat back may not stay mounted, increasing the risk of injury to passengers.

Remedy

Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will inspect the left hand second row strikers. Tesla will add additional mounting hardware to ensure a proper joint between the bracket and the frame, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2013. Owners may contact Tesla at 1-650-681-5000... Read more

1,228 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Tesla Motors, Inc

Complaint Statistics

677 total complaints 62 crashes 28 fires 47 injuries 10 deaths

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	184
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	112
SUSPENSION	88
POWER TRAIN	36
STEERING	29
ENGINE	26
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	25
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	23
SERVICE BRAKES	21
VISIBILITY/WIPER	18

Incident date: Jun 21, 2026

The vehicle has suffered a catastrophic, intermittent low-voltage network crash caused by a failing Body Control Module (BCM), resulting in multiple dangerous safety-critical failure modes. On a previous occasion, the vehicle woke up with severe network faults and automatically forced itself into Ne... Read more

Incident date: Jun 21, 2026

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

This issue appears to be related to a known MCU failure affecting early Tesla Model S vehicles. The touchscreen exhibits screen melting/discoloration and eventually goes blank or becomes inoperative. When this occurs, critical functions including occupant detection indicators, seatbelt warnings, and... Read more

Incident date: Jun 2, 2026

Incident date: May 22, 2026

The driver side Keyless door entry pillar has come off on the highway and hit something. The keyless door entry panel came off in 2023 and Koons Ford of Annapolis charged me $ 523.00 to fix the panel. The panel has a small clip and double stick tape. Sorry, double stick tape is not going t... Read more

Crash

Incident date: May 22, 2026

While driving my 2013 Tesla Model S at normal road speed, the vehicle suddenly lost all propulsion without any warning. I had to coast and maneuver across traffic to avoid being hit before the car came to a stop. After shifting into Park, the vehicle displayed DI_w072 and DI_f072 gate‑drive faults... Read more

Incident date: May 22, 2026

Crash

Incident date: Mar 28, 2026

NHTSA SAFETY COMPLAINT: RECALL SC336 (CAMPAIGN 21V-301) NON-COMPLIANCE VIN: [XXX] I. PATTERN OF RECALL EVASION Vehicle (2021 Kia Soul) was towed to Classic Kia [XXX] ) on 3/13 with documented engine stalling, knocking, and codes P0014/P0017 (VVT/Timing failure). The dealership withheld this data f... Read more

Incident date: Feb 14, 2026

Driver of the 2022 Ram 3500 pulled out of a driveway onto a street and ran over a pedestrian who was crossing in front of him. Driver states he did not see the pedestrian. I understand the 2022 Ram 3500 is equipped with front ParkSense Sensors, but these sensors failed to deploy. The pedestrian suff... Read more

Crash 1 injured

Incident date: Feb 14, 2026

The car has started giving warnings every time I turn it on (as of 6 months ago): adaptive cruise control problem, collision mitigation system problem, auto high beam problem, lane keeping assist problem. It seems there must be a fault in the windshield camera that renders all these safety features ... Read more

Incident date: Feb 14, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving 65-70 MPH on the highway, the drivetrain malfunction warning light illuminated with a message to “See Dealer” was displayed. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was deter... Read more

Incident date: Feb 11, 2026

Incident Summary On February 14, 2026, without warning, the vehicle stalled and shut down while I was backing into my driveway. The engine restarted briefly only to fail again. Two independent mechanics have confirmed a blown head gasket resulting from coolant intrusion into the engine cylinders tha... Read more

Incident date: Oct 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V512000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manuf... Read more

Incident date: Oct 26, 2025

Rear lift gate hinge bent. No known cause other than hinge may be faulty

Incident date: Jan 17, 2026

Was driving 70 mph on nj 287 when all sudden I hear something that sounded like implosion and air was coming from sunroof. Ended up being sun roof glass flew out of car sunroof frame. Toyota knew it was a defect as they did inspection but did not want to cover it because they said it’s out of wa... Read more

Incident date: Jan 2, 2025

Faulty lifters replaced on passenger side. Had only 25000 miles on engine. GM extended warranty on thousands with this engine but not mine. Have only 28000 miles on truck and just turned 5th year so warranty is void. GM should extend warranty on all vehicles with this engine.

Incident date: Oct 6, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Oct 6, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Oct 6, 2025

All of a sudden the van starts running very hard, trying to stall, the stop/start warning comes on, engine light comes on and the van has a lot of trouble accelerating. If the van will stall in the middle of the road it would put me, my kids and other cars around me at risk, especially if we are on ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 16, 2025

The rear view camera is not working when placing the vehicle in reverse. The dash screen is blank even though it changes to appropriate display mode. The area where camera image is supposed to be to display is blank.

Incident date: Sep 19, 2025

Screen went black, had to replace the computer behind the screen for 1,500 dollars.

Incident date: Aug 28, 2025

On the night of 9/4/25, I parked my 2019 BMW 530i in my closed garage and believed I had turned off the vehicle. I removed the key fob. Hours later, our household carbon monoxide detector activated. The fire department responded and measured 480 ppm CO throughout the house and 1,500 ppm inside the ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 28, 2025

Incident date: Jul 20, 2025

Random warning messages and lights. Power steering fails, as does the power brakes. Usually, as I'm driving, it begins with airbag warning message. Then, the warning messages increase: Front collision, lane departure, blind spot, brake, power steering. While all of these things are happening I hear ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 2, 2025

Subject: Engine Failure Due to Bearing Defect – No KSDS Recall Notification Vehicle: 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport VIN: [XXX] Date of Purchase: April 2016 Complaint Summary: I am filing this complaint regarding my 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which experienced catastrophic engine failure due to ... Read more

Incident date: Oct 15, 2024

I was driving down the road and my car started shaking, I was about 5 or 6 miles from an exit so continued and within 1 mile a rod broke and fell on top of my tire causing me to catastrophically have to stop n swerve off the road in 5 o'clock traffic. I just purchased this car 3 months ago, no issu... Read more

Incident date: Jun 14, 2025

I have a 2013 Hyundai Sonata 4 door sedan. I am unable to open the driver's left hand door to exit the car after turning off my vehicle. Only way I can open door to exit is to lower the window while motor still running, reach outside and grasp door handle from outside to open and Push/pull handle wh... Read more

Incident date: Jan 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the contact stated that after depressing the brake pedal the cruise control briefly failed to disengage. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure... Read more

Incident date: Jan 16, 2025

Incident date: Aug 23, 2024

I was due for an inspection sticker and my vehicle did not pass due to it initially during and not having driven enough miles to reset the code. I had drove enough miles and was going to get it reinspected but the battery died again. I had jumped my vehicle and drove it to reset the code again how... Read more

Incident date: Aug 23, 2024

When I try to back the car out of parking lot, it shows "Camera temporary unavailable". The problem disappears sometime. It is a new car and this has happened a couple of times already.

Incident date: Dec 7, 2024

Hyundai has absolutely dropped the ball on this Ioniq 5's ICCU and 12V battery issue. After numerous recalls to fix a hardware problem through a series of software fixes that don't work and refusal to give a loaner for loss of use, I would like to pursue a buyback option for this vehicle. On Tuesday... Read more

Incident date: Dec 7, 2024

multiple errors show up on the dash. I was told it’s dealership, but this is due to a failure of the multipurpose computer in the car. This is the issue that keeps recurring across all their cars of this type that has this unit.

Incident date: Nov 1, 2024

These cars has some serious engine issues they are literally defective I've had 5 different engines installed in my car I keep the maintenance up on my car but its still no luck with the engines I've risked my life from almost having accidents due to engine failure I have proof that these calls have... Read more

Fire 1 injured

Incident date: Oct 4, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was firm while depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond immediately. The "Service Brake Assist" message was displayed. The contact firmly depressed the brake pedal, and the... Read more

Incident date: Oct 4, 2024

the ABS light will come on while I am driving along with traction control turning off with a ding. While the warning comes on, the cruise control will turn off. It will turn on and off several time during a drive and will ding when it comes on. Very distracting and annoying and distracting. the dea... Read more

Incident date: Jul 16, 2024

Few month ago, I received a paper from the manufacturer saying that the car was on recall. I brought the car to the car dealer and they said that there was a problem with the battery. They changed the battery for a new one. Later on, I received a letter from the Jeep saying that they used my factory... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2024

Potential frame failure. First noticed [XXX]. Grand Design contacted, but no appointment due to "Customer Care Center" being moved. Referred to Royal RV in Middlebury, IN. Appt. set for Mid May. No concern by GD that we would be traveling 1500 miles. Visual inspection @ Royal RV suggested pote... Read more

Incident date: Jun 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Subaru Forester. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the SRS warning light illuminated when a passenger entered the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired from a previous recall with the OCS wiring harness. The vehicle was taken to the dealer whe... Read more

Incident date: Sep 15, 2020

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown local dealer where it was diagnosed that the PCM, electrical system, f... Read more

Incident date: Jan 10, 2024

I have received multiple recall notifications for problems with air bag on the passenger side, and a fuel tank that Suzuki says may crack. It would be great to have these things taken care of, but the repair providers that Suzuki has authorized are both 3 HOURS away! That means 6 hours total drivi... Read more

Incident date: Oct 30, 2022

I went to start my car up 10 days ago and it began to alarm with a message to check the brake system. My car was stuck and wouldn't drive. This also happened in July 2022 while I was on the highway. I could no longer accelerate and the gas pedal no longer gave power. I had to put on my hazard li... Read more

Incident date: Sep 13, 2023

the car shut off doing 60mph it was very scary took it to mechanic it had 2 codes the check engine light was on they cleaned the throttle body it ran but was struggling and rough idling drove to work and it wanted to stall multiple times put it in neutral to get idle up at a light then it stalled at... Read more

Incident date: Sep 27, 2023

The driver door spot welds for the support arm broke. The door would not close. The dealer said it is not covered by Ford. I called Ford customer satisfaction. Case CAS45401361. Have an appointment for October 9th. Can you help?

Incident date: Sep 27, 2023

I want to draw attention to a significant concern: U.S. auto safety regulators announced in August of this year that they are currently investigating whether Ford Motor's 2022 recall of nearly 49,000 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles comprehensively addressed the associated safety concerns. The ... Read more

Showing 50 of 677 complaints.

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2013 TESLA MODEL S

2013 Tesla Model S 5 HB RWD

Category	Rating
Overall Rating	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash, Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Rollover	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Rollover Risk	5.7%

Safety Technology

Feature	Status
Electronic Stability Control	Standard
Forward Collision Warning	No
Lane Departure Warning	No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. Ratings are based on crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Technical Service Bulletins, 2013 TESLA MODEL S

86 manufacturer communications from 61 unique bulletins. TSBs describe known problems and recommended fixes from the manufacturer.

Most Affected Components

Component	Bulletins
350000 EQUIPMENT	22
355200 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL	6
111000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY	6
110000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	5
356000 EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY	5
199000 TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS	4
220000 SEATS	3
162000 STRUCTURE:BODY	3

353620 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT

Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software ver

353610 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:SOFTWARE

353600 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT

350000 EQUIPMENT