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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2014 Tesla Model S — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 366 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

366
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
52
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
9
Involved Fire
owner-reported
19 / 13
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

460 complaints

366 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

0 complaints

179 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Electrical System 133 reports
Suspension 90 reports
Unknown Or Other 82 reports
Power Train 27 reports
Exterior Lighting 27 reports
Steering 27 reports
Structure 26 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 23 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Suspension ODI 11385738 12/31/2020

WHILE DRIVING WITH MY SON ON LOCAL ROADS, WITH NO UNUSUAL BUMPS OR POTHOLES, I EXPERIENCED AN ALARMING LOSS OF STABILITY. I SLOWED MY SPEED DOWN AND MADE IT HOME. ONCE THE CAR WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY, I SAW THAT THE REAR WHEEL WAS CANTILEVERED ABOUT 15 DEGREES FROM VERTICAL. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO HOIST THE CAR AND LOOK UNDERNEATH, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS A B…

Suspension ODI 11384961 12/26/2020

WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEED AND TURNING THE CAR OVER SLIGHTLY UNEVEN SURFACES LIKE A DRIVEWAY OR CAR PARKS THE FRONT SUSPENSION MAKES A CLUNKING AND CLICKING SOUND. VIBRATION AND THUDS CAN BE FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL AND FOOTWELLS OF THE CAR. I BROUGHT TO TESLA AND THEY SAID THIS IS WEAR AND TEAR AND CHARGED ME $2,700 TO FIX EVEN THOUGH MY CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY. MA…

Service Brakes ODI 11444793 12/23/2021

This vehicle has a faulty parking break that will enable it to roll when placed in park. Tesla previously recalled this issue on Model S and X but wants us to pay $1486.66 to have this repaired.

Wheels ODI 11444886 12/23/2021

The TPMS system has failed and has been a known issue with Telsa since 2014. The system will not reset and Telsa has said it has to be upgraded for 1000. The warning light comes on randomly and goes away after the car drives for a while or gets parked.

Suspension ODI 11290797 12/23/2019

HERE IS A MODEL S IN THE SALVAGE YARD. SOMEBODY RAN INTO THE BACK OF IT. MOST LIKELY BECAUSE THE FRONT WHEEL AND SUSPENSION FELL OFF CAUSING IT TO SLOW DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/58905699/PHOTOS EVEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE INTACT. THE AIR-BAGS HAVE NOT DEPLOYED. SO WHY DID THE SUSPENSION FALL TO BITS? I THINK WE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. THE SUSPENSION PART…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2014 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 2014 Tesla Model S reliable?
Owners have filed 366 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2014 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.