Model S (1st)
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Battery & Propulsion Reliability
Battery Electric (BEV)
Battery & propulsion complaint analysis for the 2012-2020 Tesla Model S
That's roughly 14.8x the typical rate for BEVs in this dataset (median 5.5 per year). This generation has materially more battery & propulsion complaints than its peers, even after accounting for sales volume.
What kind of battery complaint?
Among the 732 battery-related complaints, here's the type mix. These percentages describe what the complaints are about — not how reliable the vehicle is overall.
Propulsion battery defects, capacity loss, BMS faults, replacement claims.
Loss of power, drive unit, inverter, traction motor, DC-DC converter.
Charge port, cable, mobile connector, or session failures.
Low-voltage battery deaths, common on EVs and hybrids that use a 12V for accessories.
Battery fires, smoke, thermal runaway. Includes any complaint with fire reported.
Regen brake feel, one-pedal driving, B-mode complaints.
Battery & propulsion recalls (1)
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.
Sample complaint excerpts
High-Voltage Battery
- [2012] I charge my Model S on a 30 amp circuit with the car location amperage set to 20 amps to avoid overheating the circuit. Around Sept 12 while plugged in to the 30 amp, the car pulled in 50 amps off the line causing a melting of the wires and a near fire based on the damages later found. The car is supposed to send charging error alerts or problems via the Tesla app. Instead it continued to try
- [2012] Both the 12 volt system and High voltage battery system or a component communicating between the two failed. I received a warning message that my vehicle may not restart and within 30 seconds it completely shutdown while driving in the middle of the road. The vehicle was essentially dead weight at this point. None of its features worked, the ability to unlock it, the ability to use electronic do
- [2012] THE MCU - MEDIA CONTROL UNIT IS SLOW TO RESPOND TO INPUTS AND SLOW TO STARTUP WHEN ENTERING THE VEHICLE. THE SCREEN HAS LOCKED UP SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING WHICH LEAVES THE TURN INDICATORS UNUSABLE AND THE DEFROSTER DEACTIVATED UNTIL THE MCU RESETS. THE HAZARD INDICATORS ARE INACTIVE WHEN THE MCU TURNS OFF. THE FRONT SUSPENSION LINKS WEAR OUT PREMATURELY DUE TO A POOR DESIGN AND THE WEIGHT OF
Electric Propulsion
- [2020] This is a follow up to my previous complaint about corroded ground connections causing loss of power steering on Tesla Model Y. Having done more research it is certain that this problem affects all Tesla models. Here is a thread on the Tesla Motors Forum. [XXX] "Mar 28, 2023 #1 About 2 weeks ago, while reversing in my driveway, during a hard turn left, I lost power steering and received the ser
- [2012] The drive unit has water damage from normal driving. The car never went through deep water or was flooded, but the tech at the service center is saying the units are sealed but still can get water in them and corrode. How can a vital sealed part of the vehicle be damaged by normal driving and claim water damage? The car operated just fine the day before. Please advise.
- [2012] The contact owns a 2012 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding noise without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a service center where they replaced the drive unit under warranty. Recently, the contact had taken the vehicle to a service center for the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prev
Charging System
- [2012] THIS COMPLAINT MAY REFER TO THE REFERENCE NUMBER PROVIDED BELOW: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT: BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES TO WHOM IT MIGHT CONCERN, BACK TO MAY 2019, TESLA PUSHED A SOFTWARE UPDATE, FIRMWARE NUMBER 2019.16.2, TO MY CAR VIA OVER-THE-AIR(OTA) METHOD. RIGHT AFTER INSTALLING IT IN MY CAR, I NOTICED THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN THE CAR'S RANGE.
- [2013] While charging my 2013 Tesla Model S, the vehicle experienced a charging system failure and would no longer charge. Upon inspection, I discovered water intrusion and corrosion on the lower portion of the charging-related electronic circuit board at the bottom of the charging port and right where the High Voltage cables are located as well. The affected electronics are located in an area that is n
- [2013] The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated upon attempting to remove the charger from the vehicle charging port, the charger remained plugged in. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent a certified technician who assisted in releasing the charger. The certified technician diagnosed that the charging port and the charger cord had melted and needed to be replaced. The ma
12V Auxiliary Battery
- [2020] This is a follow up to my previous complaint about corroded ground connections causing loss of power steering on Tesla Model Y. Having done more research it is certain that this problem affects all Tesla models. Here is a thread on the Tesla Motors Forum. [XXX] "Mar 28, 2023 #1 About 2 weeks ago, while reversing in my driveway, during a hard turn left, I lost power steering and received the ser
- [2013] The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the parking brake seized while leaving a charging station, and the vehicle screeched into oncoming traffic and stalled. The parking brake warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle had not been charged prior to a snowstorm, and the battery became fully drained. The vehic
- [2013] While driving on the freeway at 70 MPH with 39 miles of range left, the vehicle abruptly slowed down to 20 MPH...cars behind us almost hit us due to the car slowing down despite me accelerating. We pulled to the right shoulder, rest the car and then was only able to go up to 20MPH...range still said 39 miles. Shortly after the car stopped, there was a warning displayed, and the car turned off and
Thermal Events
- [2013] RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES AFTER MOST RECENT FIRMWARE UPDATE (EXACT DATE UNKNOWN -- SOMETIME LATE THIS SUMMER)-- SUPERCHARGING SPEED APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN LIMITED. IT NOW TAKES 2-3X THE AMOUNT OF TIME TO CHARGE WHEN TRAVELING. I TESTED MULTIPLE SUPERCHARGERS FOR MY TRIP WHICH OCCURRED ON DURING THE WEEKEND OF 9/2. I AM FULLY
- [2013] THIS IS IN REGARDS TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES TESLA PUSHED A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO OUR CARS IN APRIL/MAY OF THIS YEAR THAT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES RANGE AND POWER USING A VOLTAGE CAP THAT ALSO REMOVED ABOUT $30,000 WORTH OF PAID UPGRADES TO RANGE AND HORSEPOWER (ELECTRIC CARS NEED VOLTS FOR BOTH RANGE AND POWER, SO TESLA'S REDUCTION
- [2013] ON OR ABOUT JUNE 24, 2019, MY PARKED CAR'S SOFTWARE WAS FORCIBLY UPDATED WITHOUT MY PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION AND WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION. THIS FORCED SOFTWARE UPDATE REDUCED THE NOMINAL CAPACITY OF MY BATTERY BY 16.02%. ON JUNE 23, 2019, MY 100% STATE OF CHARGE (SOC) WOULD CHARGE EACH CELL IN MY BATTERY PACK TO 4.2 VOLTS, RESULTING IN A RATED RANGE OF 256 MILES. UPON ENTERI
Regenerative Braking
- [2013] THIS IS A TELSLA MODEL S IN THE JUNKYARD THAT IS JUST ONE OF MANY WHICH HAVE RUN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=22544553&ROWNUMBER=3&LOADRECENT=TRUE THERE APPEARS TO BE A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF TESLAS APPEARING IN SALVAGE YARDS WITH HEAVY FRONT END DAMAGE. IT SEEMS PROBABLE THAT THE HABIT OF "ONE PEDAL DRIVING" THAT TESLA OWNERS BRAG ABOUT ON THE F
- [2016] A newer Tesla will come to a complete stop with the one pedal operation, however my older car does not. It will roll through a stop sign or red light. This has been fixed on full self driving cars but should be fixed on single pedal operation cars.
- [2016] A newer Tesla will come to a complete stop with the one pedal operation, however my older car does not. It will roll through a stop sign or red light. This has been fixed on full self driving cars but should be fixed on single pedal operation cars.
Source: classified from NHTSA complaint and recall data. "Battery-related" includes high-voltage propulsion battery, charging system, hybrid drivetrain, electric propulsion, regenerative braking, 12V auxiliary battery, and thermal-event complaints. Other complaints (suspension, steering, brakes, infotainment) appear in the engine and vehicle-level sections. Rates are absolute counts, not normalized per-VIN — high-volume models naturally produce more raw complaints than low-volume ones. Self-reported death and injury counts are capped per complaint to limit form abuse.
Battery: Tesla 18650 (Panasonic NCA, Legacy S/X)
Pack overview
Known issues
How this pack ages (industry context)
Industry fleet aggregates: 2.3% average annual capacity loss across 22,700 EVs / 21 models (Geotab, 2026), and 95% range retention at 5 years on average across 30,000+ vehicles (Recurrent, 2026).
OEM warranty floor on this pack: 8 yr / 150k mi to 70% capacity.
Public per-pack degradation curves are not available for most models. Individual results vary materially with climate, charging behavior, and DC fast-charge frequency.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common 2012-2020 Tesla Model S problems?
The 2012-2020 Tesla Model S has accumulated 15,841 NHTSA complaints. The most frequently reported problem areas are general mechanical issues. As with any used vehicle, a pre-purchase inspection and vehicle history report are recommended.
Which Tesla Model S engine is most reliable?
The 2012-2020 Tesla Model S was offered with 0 engine options. Based on NHTSA complaint data, the base engine has the lowest complaint density and is considered the most reliable choice for buyers.
Is the 2012-2020 Tesla Model S a good used car?
The 2012-2020 Tesla Model S can be a solid used car purchase depending on trim, mileage, and maintenance history. With 15,841 total NHTSA complaints on record, prospective buyers should review the known problem areas and check for open recalls before buying.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012-2020 Tesla Model S have?
The 2012-2020 Tesla Model S has 15,841 complaints filed with NHTSA as of our latest data pull. Complaint counts reflect owner-reported issues and do not necessarily indicate defects or safety risks on their own.
What recalls affect the 2012-2020 Tesla Model S?
There are 0 NHTSA recalls affecting some 2012-2020 Tesla Model S vehicles. Recall status varies by VIN — check the NHTSA recall database at recalls.nhtsa.dot.gov with your specific VIN to confirm which campaigns apply.
What should I check before buying a used Tesla Model S?
Before buying a used Tesla Model S, verify all open recalls are completed via the NHTSA VIN lookup tool. Pay particular attention to general mechanical issues, which are the most commonly reported problem areas. Request maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle, and run a vehicle history report to check for prior accidents or title issues.
What are the NHTSA crash test ratings for the Model S?
The 2020 Tesla Model S received an overall N/A-star safety rating from NHTSA. Frontal crash: N/A stars. Side crash: N/A stars. Rollover: 5 stars (5.7% rollover probability). Electronic Stability Control: Standard. Forward Collision Warning: Standard. Lane Departure Warning: Standard. These ratings are based on standardized crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 15,841 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-04-07.