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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2013 Tesla Model S — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 461 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

461
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
41
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
19
Involved Fire
owner-reported
24 / 5
Injuries / Deaths
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Tesla Model S — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

0 complaints

0 complaints

59 complaints

461 complaints

366 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Electrical System 195 reports
Unknown Or Other 122 reports
Suspension 92 reports
Power Train 35 reports
Steering 29 reports
Vehicle Speed Control 25 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 24 reports
Service Brakes 22 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Electrical System ODI 11708089 12/31/2025

The screen abruptly shuts down and that is a safety hazard. Tesla has refused to fix this issue.

Unknown Or Other ODI 11445711 12/31/2021

The Tesla Center Console Display screen which controls the entire car functions has bubbles and LCD leaks developing on the screen making screen extremely reflective and dangerous to use. The lamination glue leaks often and makes hands extremely sticky to touch steering wheel or any other parts. The Glue is industrial quality and doesnt come off easily - This screen should be …

Electrical System ODI 11445667 12/30/2021

The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive and electrical power. A warning message stating that the vehicle was about to shut off was illuminated. The contact swerved to the right, attempting to veer to the side of the road on the right lane; however, the vehicle stopped midway and a semi-truck …

Suspension ODI 10938616 12/29/2016

HERE IS A TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://M.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETENC.ASPX?AUCTIONID=0&ITEMID=23837634&ROWID=31&PAGESOURCE=VEHICLERESULTS THE BACK RH WHEEL ASSEMBLY HAS TORN OFF AND EXITED THROUGH THE REAR OF THE CAR TEARING OFF THE BACK BUMPER. THE CAR HAS THEN HAD A MAJOR COLLISION. IT IS MOST UNLIKELY THAT IT IS A MERE COINCIDENCE THE BACK WHEEL HAS FALLEN OFF. THE ALLOY S…

Electrical System ODI 10557627 12/29/2013

ALLEGEDLY: A TESLA OWNER AWOKE TO THE SMELL OF BURNING ELECTRICAL. SHE CALLED 911. A FIRE FIGHTER WAS INJURED RESPONDING TO THE GARAGE FIRE. FIRE INVESTIGATORS SUSPECT THAT THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS THE WALL SOCKET OR THE TESLA UNIVERSAL MOBILE CONNECTOR FROM THE TESLA CHARGING SYSTEM PLUGGED INTO THE WALL OUTLET. I'VE SEEN EVIDENCE OF MANY OF TESLA'S CHARGING CONNECTIONS FAI…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2013 Tesla Model S, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

Check Another Car

Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2013 Tesla Model S reliable?
Owners have filed 461 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Tesla Model S, most often about electrical system. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Tesla Model S years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.