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What 59 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Tesla Model S Bev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (59)Crash / fire / injury (4)Electrical system (36)Suspension (9)Visibility & wipers (6)Lights (5)Transmission & drivetrain (4)Equipment (3)Backup camera & sensors (2)Body & structure (2)Fuel system (2)Brakes (1)

3 of 59 complaints match · Equipment · clear filters

Feb 24, 2021Backup camera & sensorsEquipment

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A STICKY SUBSTANCE COMING OUT OF THE CENTER DISPLAY WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON OR OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER TESLA (135 US-22, SPRINGFIELD, NJ 07081, (973)921-0925) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE CENTER DISPLAY TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V035000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, VISIBILITY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING) HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,000.

NHTSA ODI 11397709

Feb 9, 2021Equipment

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER TESLA SERVICE CENTER (11163 SANTA MONICA BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025, (310) 473-8337) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT AND MOTHERBOARD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V035000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY, BACK OVER PREVENTION) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE TO AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.*DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11395449

Jun 25, 2020Equipment

THE VEHICLE'S MAIN DISPLAY, WHICH SHOWS THE BACKUP CAMERA, FREEZES/LOCKS WHEN TURNING ON THE VEHICLE. THE ERROR MESSAGE ON THE DRIVERS DISPLAY IS THAT THE LARGE DISPLAY IS "UNRESPONSIVE". THEN, WHEN RESTARTING THE DISPLAY'S OPERATING SYSTEM (BY HOLDING THE TWO BUTTONS DOWN ON THE CAR'S STEERING WHEEL), THE SYSTEM REBOOTS AND THE DISPLAY GOES PERMANENTLY BLANK UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS PARKED, THE VEHICLE POWERS OFF. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE FOR A SECOND TIME, THE SAME ISSUE OCCURS. SO I NO LONGER HAVE A BACKUP CAMERA. GIVEN MY MODEL S YEAR DOES NOT HAVE ANY SENSORS OTHER THAN THE VISUAL BACKUP CAMERA, I AM MISSING MY SAFEST METHOD TO BACKUP. I AM ALSO MISSING CONTROLS TO CHARGE MY VEHICLE, MAP MY ROUTING, AND ALL OTHER APPLICATIONS THAT THE VEHICLE HAS. THERE ARE NO ISSUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11330877

Working with the data? Download all 59 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Tesla Model S Bev verdict →