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2014 Tesla Model S problems & recalls

NHTSA has issued 9 recalls covering the 2014 Tesla Model S and owners have filed 365 complaints. The most-reported area is electrical system (132 complaints). 9 complaints describe a fire and 52 complaints describe a crash.

Recalls
9
Complaints
365
Crash reports
52
Fire reports
9
Injuries
19

Recalls (9)

May 28, 2024#24V376000Over-the-air fix

Seat belts › Front › Warning light/devices

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 requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

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

Fix: 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.

Jan 30, 2024#24V051000Over-the-air fix

Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel

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 vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

Dec 12, 2023#23V838000Over-the-air fix

Electrical system › Adas › Autonomous/self driving › Software

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 of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

Dec 21, 2021#21V00B000

Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2014-2021 Model S vehicles. The front trunk latch assembly may be misaligned, preventing the secondary hood latch from engaging. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 113, "Hood Latch System."

Risk: If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could open unexpectedly, obstructing the driver's view and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and reposition the latch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 18, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-11-003.

Jan 29, 2021#21V035000

Back over prevention › Software

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 controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center display functions.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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 began March 29, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-21-001.

Jan 7, 2019#19V002000

Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2014-2016 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 inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

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

Fix: Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began May 29, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-19-20-001.

Mar 29, 2018#18V204000

Steering › Electric power assist system

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.

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

Fix: 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.

Apr 19, 2017#17V260000

Parking brake

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.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

Nov 23, 2015#15V780000

Seat belts › Front

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.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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-15-20-002.

Owner complaints (365)

What owners reported to NHTSA, by component. One complaint can name several components.

  • Electrical system132
  • Suspension90
  • Unknown or other82
  • Power train27
  • Exterior lighting27
  • Steering27
  • Structure26
  • Fuel/propulsion system23
  • Vehicle speed control22
  • Visibility/wiper15
  • Air bags13
  • Engine12

Complaints over time

Sep 2014: 2 complaintsOct 2014: 0 complaintsNov 2014: 0 complaintsDec 2014: 0 complaintsJan 2015: 2 complaintsFeb 2015: 3 complaintsMar 2015: 2 complaintsApr 2015: 0 complaintsMay 2015: 1 complaintJun 2015: 3 complaintsJul 2015: 0 complaintsAug 2015: 1 complaintSep 2015: 1 complaintOct 2015: 0 complaintsNov 2015: 1 complaintDec 2015: 1 complaintJan 2016: 1 complaintFeb 2016: 4 complaintsMar 2016: 3 complaintsApr 2016: 0 complaintsMay 2016: 0 complaintsJun 2016: 2 complaintsJul 2016: 0 complaintsAug 2016: 2 complaintsSep 2016: 1 complaintOct 2016: 1 complaintNov 2016: 1 complaintDec 2016: 2 complaintsJan 2017: 2 complaintsFeb 2017: 5 complaintsMar 2017: 2 complaintsApr 2017: 2 complaintsMay 2017: 2 complaintsJun 2017: 1 complaintJul 2017: 1 complaintAug 2017: 1 complaintSep 2017: 2 complaintsOct 2017: 5 complaintsNov 2017: 1 complaintDec 2017: 1 complaintJan 2018: 2 complaintsFeb 2018: 1 complaintMar 2018: 3 complaintsApr 2018: 1 complaintMay 2018: 8 complaintsJun 2018: 0 complaintsJul 2018: 0 complaintsAug 2018: 0 complaintsSep 2018: 0 complaintsOct 2018: 2 complaintsNov 2018: 0 complaintsDec 2018: 2 complaintsJan 2019: 0 complaintsFeb 2019: 1 complaintMar 2019: 3 complaintsApr 2019: 2 complaintsMay 2019: 1 complaintJun 2019: 0 complaintsJul 2019: 2 complaintsAug 2019: 4 complaintsSep 2019: 4 complaintsOct 2019: 9 complaintsNov 2019: 5 complaintsDec 2019: 2 complaintsJan 2020: 5 complaintsFeb 2020: 4 complaintsMar 2020: 4 complaintsApr 2020: 0 complaintsMay 2020: 1 complaintJun 2020: 31 complaintsJul 2020: 28 complaintsAug 2020: 18 complaintsSep 2020: 4 complaintsOct 2020: 6 complaintsNov 2020: 7 complaintsDec 2020: 5 complaintsJan 2021: 11 complaintsFeb 2021: 6 complaintsMar 2021: 4 complaintsApr 2021: 10 complaintsMay 2021: 2 complaintsJun 2021: 4 complaintsJul 2021: 1 complaintAug 2021: 1 complaintSep 2021: 1 complaintOct 2021: 1 complaintNov 2021: 1 complaintDec 2021: 3 complaintsJan 2022: 0 complaintsFeb 2022: 6 complaintsMar 2022: 1 complaintApr 2022: 1 complaintMay 2022: 1 complaintJun 2022: 2 complaintsJul 2022: 2 complaintsAug 2022: 6 complaintsSep 2022: 2 complaintsOct 2022: 2 complaintsNov 2022: 2 complaintsDec 2022: 5 complaintsJan 2023: 3 complaintsFeb 2023: 1 complaintMar 2023: 3 complaintsApr 2023: 2 complaintsMay 2023: 0 complaintsJun 2023: 3 complaintsJul 2023: 0 complaintsAug 2023: 7 complaintsSep 2023: 2 complaintsOct 2023: 2 complaintsNov 2023: 2 complaintsDec 2023: 1 complaintJan 2024: 4 complaintsFeb 2024: 1 complaintMar 2024: 4 complaintsApr 2024: 2 complaintsMay 2024: 2 complaintsJun 2024: 0 complaintsJul 2024: 2 complaintsAug 2024: 0 complaintsSep 2024: 1 complaintOct 2024: 1 complaintNov 2024: 0 complaintsDec 2024: 0 complaintsJan 2025: 2 complaintsFeb 2025: 1 complaintMar 2025: 2 complaintsApr 2025: 0 complaintsMay 2025: 1 complaintJun 2025: 0 complaintsJul 2025: 1 complaintAug 2025: 2 complaintsSep 2025: 0 complaintsOct 2025: 1 complaintNov 2025: 1 complaintDec 2025: 2 complaintsJan 2026: 0 complaintsFeb 2026: 3 complaintsMar 2026: 2 complaintsApr 2026: 1 complaintMay 2026: 2 complaintsJun 2026: 1 complaintJul 2026: 1 complaint201520172019202120232025
Complaints filed per month. Peak: 31 in Jun 2020. Hover a bar for its count.
Complaints filed per month
MonthComplaints
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Recent owner reports

Jul 13, 2026Unknown or other

Dashboard is leaking glue out the bottom center causing the computer screen and dash control panels to move. I'm not feeling safe driving as I'm not sure if they will drop down or stop functioning at any point. Tesla wants $1500 to fix, and I don't have that money being retired. How can Tesla glue their cars together, and it only last for about 10 yrs?? I feel like this is a safety issue that they should be fixing.

Jun 15, 2026Air bags, Seat belts, Unknown or other

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 windshield defrost controls may become unavailable. The loss of these functions creates potential safety risks involving visibility, occupant protection, and driver awareness while operating the vehicle."

May 31, 2026Vehicle speed control, Service brakes⚠ Crash

I have been driving my Model S Tesla for 13 years. On 30 April as I was pulling into a parking space at my local grocery store, I applied the brakes to ease into the space and my car surged forward with unintended acceleration. I smashed into the concrete base of a light pole, the airbags deployed and my car ricocheted back about 8 feet. There were no warning messages. I was taken to the emergency room and had whiplash and a burn on my leg from the airbag. No one else was hurt. I know it was the car that malfunctioned because my foot was still on the brake after the collision and the airbags…

May 1, 2026Power train, Exterior lighting, Engine

Motor suddenly failed after a required update while driving, nearly causing a crash with multiple commercial vehicles and pedestrians, leaving brake lights dangerously always on and alarm sounding, killed 12v as well.

Apr 28, 2026Power train

**Incident / Defect Description for NHTSA Safety Complaint** **Vehicle Information** - Make: Tesla - Model: Model S - Year: 2014 - VIN: [XXX] - Approximate Mileage: 148,129 miles - Date of Discovery / Failure: 04/23/2026 **Description of the Defect** This vehicle is equipped with Tesla’s Large Drive Unit (LDU / rear drive unit), which was used in the majority of 2012–early 2020 Model S vehicles (RWD and Performance models). The LDU design routes coolant through the hollow rotor shaft. Over time, the rotor seal fails and allows ethylene glycol coolant to leak internally into the mot…

Mar 12, 2026Electrical system

Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration I am submitting a complaint regarding repeated denial of access to charging infrastructure for my electric vehicle due to fraudulent billing activity within Tesla’s Supercharger network. I own a 2014 Tesla Model S located in Alabama. My Tesla account has repeatedly recorded Supercharging sessions in California that were not performed by my vehicle. Tesla customer support representatives have acknowledged that this issue appears to involve VIN cloning or a flaw in their charging identification system. Because I blocked my credit card to pr…

Mar 3, 2026Structure

Rear Door handles are inoperable again after repairs made by dealer. The fault is due to design fault with the wiring harness on the door handles. Manufacturer refuses to make repairs under warranty

Feb 24, 2026Electrical system, Structure, Unknown or other

The rear door handle has failed and now the door pops open when parked.

Tesla Model S news

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall and complaint records, updated Oct 1, 2026. Complaints are owner reports and are not verified by NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.