Tesla Model S Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
5,166 NHTSA complaints (2012–2026).Complaint rate: 177.6 per 10,000 vehicles sold in the US.
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Should I buy a Tesla Model S?
Quick answer from 5,166 NHTSA complaints · 2012–2026
Tesla Model S reliability depends heavily on the model year. Several years show complaint spikes well above the model's own average, while others are meaningfully cleaner. The most commonly reported issue across all years is electrical faults. Pick the right year and this Model S can be a reasonable used buy; pick the wrong one and you're inheriting known problems.
- 2022 Tesla Model S· 20.6/10K sold
- 2019 Tesla Model S· 47.8/10K sold
- 2023 Tesla Model S· 55.8/10K sold
- 2015 Tesla Model S· 562.1/10K sold
- 2016 Tesla Model S· 416.7/10K sold
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- electrical faults — 940 complaints (4.1% involved a crash)
- suspension failures — 720 complaints (17.6% involved a crash)
- steering defects — 336 complaints (11.0% involved a crash)
- unintended acceleration — 261 complaints (42.9% involved a crash)
- forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control — 211 complaints (8.5% involved a crash)
Tesla Model S Generations
Manufacturer redesigns the car every few years (a “generation”). Each generation has different engineering and common issues. Click a generation to see year-by-year breakdown.
| Generation | Years | Code | Complaints | Crashes | US Sold | Volume | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 1 | 2012–2020 | — | 4,475 | 600 | 134,121 | Hide years | |||
| 2012 | 86 | 4 | — | View 2012View→ | |||||
| 2013 | 665 | 61 | — | View 2013View→ | |||||
| 2014 | 536 | 74 | — | View 2014View→ | |||||
| 2015 | 1,048 | 114 | 18,645 | View 2015View→ | |||||
| 2016 | 1,000 | 154 | 24,000 | View 2016View→ | |||||
| 2017 | 665 | 95 | 26,800 | View 2017View→ | |||||
| 2018 | 286 | 63 | 29,950 | View 2018View→ | |||||
| 2019 | 69 | 10 | 14,425 | View 2019View→ | |||||
| 2020 | 120 | 25 | 20,301 | View 2020View→ | |||||
| Gen 2 | 2021–present | Plaid refresh | 691 | 45 | 156,830 | Show years | |||
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold — normalized for production volume so low-sales years aren't falsely rated "good".
Bottom line: Avoid the 2013–2017 Tesla Model S (498 crash-related complaints). The 2022–2023 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Electrical System.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
Too New
Need 3+ years on the road for reliable complaint data.
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaint Rate per 10,000 Vehicles Sold
Normalized by US annual sales volume — higher = more complaints relative to sales
Show raw complaint counts
Common Tesla Model S Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Faults | 940 | 4.1% |
| Suspension Failures | 720 | 17.6% |
| Steering Defects | 336 | 11.0% |
| Unintended Acceleration | 261 | 42.9% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 211 | 8.5% |
| Brakes | 193 | 27.5% |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 188 | 1.6% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 156 | 12.8% |
| Body Structure | 139 | 20.1% |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 135 | 8.1% |
When Each Problem Spiked
Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Rate | US Sales | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012NO DATA | Gen 1 | 86 | — | — | 4 | 1 | View → |
| 2013NO DATA | Gen 1 | 665 | — | — | 61 | 27 | View → |
| 2014NO DATA | Gen 1 | 536 | — | — | 74 | 12 | View → |
| 2015AVOID | Gen 1 | 1,048 | 562.1 | 18,645 | 114 | 16 | View → |
| 2016AVOID | Gen 1 | 1,000 | 416.7 | 24,000 | 154 | 23 | View → |
| 2017AVOID | Gen 1 | 665 | 248.1 | 26,800 | 95 | 4 | View → |
| 2018 | Gen 1 | 286 | 95.5 | 29,950 | 63 | 9 | View → |
| 2019GOOD | Gen 1 | 69 | 47.8 | 14,425 | 10 | — | View → |
| 2020 | Gen 1 | 120 | 59.1 | 20,301 | 25 | — | View → |
| 2021AVOID | Gen 2(Plaid refresh) | 271 | 234.5 | 11,556 | 28 | 2 | View → |
| 2022GOOD | Gen 2(Plaid refresh) | 186 | 20.6 | 90,473 | 4 | — | View → |
| 2023GOOD | Gen 2(Plaid refresh) | 149 | 55.8 | 26,701 | 11 | — | View → |
| 2024TOO NEW | Gen 2(Plaid refresh) | 75 | 47.2 | 15,901 | 2 | — | View → |
| 2025TOO NEW | Gen 2(Plaid refresh) | 7 | 7.6 | 9,199 | 0 | — | View → |
| 2026TOO NEW | Gen 2(Plaid refresh) | 3 | 10.0 | 3,000 | 0 | — | View → |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (5,166 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: US annual vehicle sales from goodcarbadcar. Coverage: 80% of model years have sales data. Total US sales: 290,951.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint rate. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
See also: Tesla Model Saccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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