What 365 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Tesla Model S Bev

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

NHTSA ODI 11721790

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

NHTSA ODI 11720129

Drivers door handle failed to operate, occupant was locked out of vehicle, safety of operator was compromised as elderly operator has to climb over passenger and center console to enter drivers area. Problem is ongoing as door handle will not operate at all. Vehicle has not been inspected yet. No symptoms, door handle failed and cannot be opened from the outside at all.

NHTSA ODI 11636859

The contact owns a 2014 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in park(P), a person approached the driver’s side rear door, and the door unintendedly opened slightly. The contact stated that prior to entering the vehicle, the driver’s side rear door opened slightly, and while reversing, the door opened completely. The contact closed the door; however, the failure recurred. There were no alerts during the failure; however, afterwards the contact's door was opened, and the App showed a message that the door was opened. The contact stated that all the doors were not opening from inside or outside the vehicle unless the vehicle was in park. The contact stated that the driver's side door was not opening whether in park or drive. The contact added Velcro to the door handle that was used to pull the door handle open. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11584692

Can't open driver's side door from outside, safety issue for parents/first responders. Online search shows this is a common defect that needs a safety recall, the wiring is defective and costly to repair. Thank you

NHTSA ODI 11565900

Three separate reports from car to Tesla: Traction Control Disabled Stability Control Disabled Automatic Emergency Braking Disabled Two hours later my car caught on fire while parked at my home. It was declared a total loss.

NHTSA ODI 11545459

I was driving on I93 North in Massachusetts when the front trunk (frunk) suddenly released. The secondary latch stopped it from coming all the way open. Since then it has happened 6 other times! I have a service scheduled with Tesla and thought I should report it as this could have been really bad.

NHTSA ODI 11514311

During my ownership of the car I have experienced very severe issues with the door handles. in total I have replaced 5 door handles in just my ownership. Meaning that I have replaced the same door handle more than once. One particular instance I had an issue while I was on a job where both the door handles on the driver side failed at one time. One was a mechanical malfunction and the other was a software related problem. I ended having to climb across the car for 3 weeks before they could get me into my appointment. Tesla has the ability to fix the problem. They have stated several times to me that it is just an outdated door handle with poor parts that they used on the first generation. if you have a child locked in the car it could be a serious issue.

NHTSA ODI 11478000

The door handles on my car get excessively hot in warmer weather. My 7 year old daughter burnt her hand attempting to open the door. I’m unsure of what material they are made out of, however it is impossible to open without using something to put over them first. I will be getting a temperature on them today. I’ve never had this be an issue with any other vehicle previously.

NHTSA ODI 11475148

Driver's door handle does not function. When car is unlocked, the door handle pops out BUT the door will not open. I had this same issue two years ago with the front passenger door handle and see that this is a recall item on my model (S) for vehicles starting in year 2016. Don't know why the 2014 sedan is not included in this recall, as it should be. It is a safety concern.

NHTSA ODI 11465987

Recently my drive unit has begin to fail. This is the second drive unit in the vehicle, approaching the 3rd. Then there is The issues with the doorhandles. The doorhandles when the sensor breaks or motor breaks can cause safety concerns related to doorhandles freely opening or inability to open. When the doorhandles motor defects the door handle cannot extend preventing access to any door in the car. When the door handles sensor fails, the doors will freely extend out words assuming someone is grabbing onto the handle. Recently my dog escaped the vehicle due to just me unlocking the car upon entry. I have had 2 door handle replacements and I am sensing a fault in another one. This is a common issue on the generation 1 Tesla model s door handles.

NHTSA ODI 11437035

The front passenger door handle has not extended for more than 90 days. The right rear door handle was replaced on 3/22/21 and has also failed. Tesla apparently has a giant parts shortage and has thus been unable to replace this door handle for months. All four door handles have already been replaced at least once due to failures, some at least twice. This appears to be a chronic nationwide manufacturing defect. The result is that first responders and passengers are unable to open doors with broken handles. Although a short-term failure of a single door handle may not be a significant problem, that problem multiplied by hundreds of thousands of non-functioning Tesla door handles will almost certainly lead to serious injuries.

NHTSA ODI 11424104

BECAUSE THE COMPUTER IN THE TESLA MODEL S FROM 2014 WAS BROKEN, THE CAR WAS VERY LOW IN SUSPENSION. TESLA KNEW ABOUT IT IN MAY 2020, BUT DID NOT OFFER A REPAIR EVEN IF I PAID $2,500. EVENTUALLY THE FRAME OF THE CAR TOUCHED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE AND THE TIRE EXPLODED AND THE WHEEL WAS SO LOW THAT IS BENT THE FRAME AND BIG PIECES OF THE FRAME OF THE CAR AS THE BASE OF THE CAR WAS TOUCHING THE STREET. THE CAR WAS DEEMED A TOTAL AND MY COMPENSATION FROM AAA DID NOT EVEN ALLOW ME TO BUY A USED MODEL S. THE CAR AT THE TIME WAS IN MOTION ON THE 380 FREEWAY AND I HAD TO DRIVE SEVERAL YARDS TO GET TO SAFETY RUNNING ON THE FRAME OF THE WHEEL WITH THE BASE OF THE CASE TOUCHING THE ROAD.

NHTSA ODI 11408046

1. REPLACED MCU, AT MY COST. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER A LESSER EXPENSIVE FIX WAS ANNOUNCED. SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THAT ANNOUNCEMENT TESLA NOTIFIED ME THAT I MAY FALL UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. IT TURNS OUT THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS OVER 100,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF REPLACEMENT (114,000) IT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I PURCHASE THE CAR AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED FROM TESLA WITH 22,000 MILES. MY OWNERSHIP MILES WAS UNDER 100,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE REPLACEMENT. CONSIDERING THE FAILURES OF THE MCU IN OLDER MODEL VEHICLES, AND A KNOWN PROBLEM, I WOULD THINK I WOULD BE COVERED. 2. DOOR HANDLES - ALL 4 DOOR HANDLES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST TWICE SINCE OWNERSHIP. AGAIN, A KNOWN ISSUE IN THE DESIGN. ALL BUT ONE REPLACEMENT WERE COMPLETED AT NO CHARGE. THE LAST REPLACEMENT WAS DONE AFTER 14 MONTHS FROM THE PREVIOUS REPLACEMENT. TESLA ONLY WARRANTIES FOR 1 YEAR SINCE REPLACEMENT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOMETHING THAT IS A KNOWN FAILURE WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBLITY. 3. TPMS SENSORS - AGAIN, A KNOWN ISSUE THAT THE ORIGINAL SENSORS WERE A BAD DESIGN. TESLA WILL ONLY REPLACE WITH THE UPGRADED VERSION, AT MY COST OF AROUND $1,000! I AM FORCED TO FIND A NON-TESLA REPAIR FACILITY TO REPLACE THE SENSORS, AT A LOWER COST. AGAIN, WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY ON TESLA TO STAND BEHIND KNOWN ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI 11386226

RETRACTABLE DOOR HANDLES STOP WORKING, THIS IS A SMALL PIECE BROKEN THAT NEEDS TO REPLACED. I HAVE GOTTEN IT REPLACED TWICE. IT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURE DEFECT

NHTSA ODI 11343698

THE FRONT TRUNK IS OPENING ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING. TESLA REPLACED THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT IN JUNE 2020 AND THIS PROBLEM HAS STARTED SINCE THEN. ADDITIONALLY THE REAR TRUNK OPENS ON ITS OWN TOO. THE FRONT AND REAR TRUNK OPEN ON THEIR FREQUENTLY WHILE PARKED AND THE FRONT TRUNK OPENED TODAY, WHILE DRIVING, ON A CITY STREET. TESLA HAS BEEN NOTICED OF THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11338678

THE DOOR HANDLE SOMETIMES DOES NOT EXTEND AND STUCK IN POSITION. IF THE DOOR HANDLE STUCK IN CLOSE POSITION, DURING AN FATAL ACCIDENT, THE FIRST RESPONDER WILL NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND SAVE LIFE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11330524

ALL FOUR HANDLE ON MY CAR HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITHIN 3 YEARS OF USAGE. THE DOOR HANDLE WERE STUCK IN CLOSE POSITION AND THE DOOR CAN NOT BE OPEN FROM OUTSIDE. IT SEEMS LIKE A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE DOOR HANDLE CAN NOT BE OPEN FROM OUTSIDE IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11330529

MY TESLA DID AN UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION, JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT A CHICK-FIL-A RESTAURANT ON 9/04/2019: 1) FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I AM 100% CERTAIN THAT I DID NOT TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR OR IN ANY WAY CAUSE THE UNCOMMANDED AND UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE DRIVEN CARS AND TRUCKS WELL OVER A MILLION MILES AND NEVER ONCE ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED AN ACCELERATOR OR JUMPED A CURB WHEN PARKING. 2) I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY TESLA DAILY FOR FOUR MONTHS AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE VEHICLE AND IT'S SYSTEMS AND CONTROLS. I AM ALSO VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE SPECIFIC PARKING SPACE WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. I HAVE PARKED THERE MANY TIMES IN THE PAST, AND MOSTLY IN THE TESLA DURING THE LAST FOUR MONTHS. 3) THE DETAILS OF WHAT TOOK PLACE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND SUNNY. WHILE GOING SLOWLY DOWN A SLIGHT SLOPE APPROACHING THE INTENDED PARKING AREA, I REMOVED MY RIGHT FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND ALLOWED REGENERATIVE BRAKING* TO SLOW THE CAR EVEN MORE WHILE I POSITIONED MY RIGHT FOOT VERY LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE CREEP MODE* KEPT THE CAR SLOWLY MOVING FORWARD. WITH ABOUT TWO FEET TO GO, I MODULATED THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE TO SLOW THE CAR MORE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE FRONT SPLITTER DIDN'T BUMP THE CURB..... SUDDENLY THERE WAS A HARD IMPACT, A LOUD BANG, AND THE FRONT RIGHT CORNER** OF MY CAR WAS IN THE BRICK WALL, ALL IN A VERY SMALL FRACTION OF A SECOND. IT FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN REAR-ENDED, BUT THERE WAS NO OTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED. * CREEP MODE & REGENERATIVE BRAKING -- SEE ONLINE OWNER'S MANUAL ** HIT ON "FRONT CORNER" BECAUSE PARKING SPACE IS AT AN ANGLE TO THE BUILDING.

NHTSA ODI 11302849

REAR SUBFRAME FAILED AT 78K MILES. TESLA RESPONSE WAS I DID HARSH ACCELERATION AND STREET POTHOLES WERE THE ISSUES. I WAS DRIVING 20 MPH WHEN I SUDDENLY HEARD KNOCKING NOISE. I CAME TO COMPLETE STOP. LOOKED AROUND AND UNDERNEATH MY CAR FOR ANY FOREIGN OBSTACLES. EVERYTHING WAS CLEAR SO I PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE. HEARD LOUD KNOCKING SOUNDS FROM REAR LEFT TIRE. TOOK IT TO TESLA SERVICE, WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT DRIVE UNIT( PART THAT'S UNDER WARRANTY, WHICH IS HOLD BY THE FAILED SUBFRAME AND WAS REPLACED TWICE PRIOR, BUT THE SUBFRAME ITSELF) AND ITS A SAFETY ISSUE. SPEAKING OF SAFETY ISSUE I HAD TO GO TO THE NEAREST TESLA SERVICE, WHEN I OCCURRED THIS ISSUE AND ADVISOR TOLD ME, THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO RESOLVE MY ISSUE RIGHT NOW , SO I HAD TO DRIVE IT 30 MILES AWAY TO A DIFFERENT ONE, WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11296615

IT'S ABOUT 8:18 ON SATURDAY, MARCH 2ND, DRIZZLE. I WAS DRIVING FROM FREEWAY 56 WEST TO SOUTH HIGHWAY 5. AFTER MERGE TO 5 FREEWAY, I FELT THE TIRES SLIP, THEN THE CAR SUDDENLY UNINTENDED ACCELERATED AND STEERING WHEEL FAILED, CAR WHIRLED AT HIGH SPEED BUMP INTO THE LEFT SIDE OF FREEWAY GUARD WALL, CONTINUED TO BE ACCELERATED SPIN CROSSED FOUR LANES HIT ON TO THE RIGHT GUARD WALL, SPIN ANOTHER HALF CIRCLE THEN STOP ON EMERGENCY LANE. LUCKILY, NO OTHER CAR WAS INVOLVED, I WAS NOT HURT AT ALL, EXCEPT THAT THE CAR COULD NOT DRIVE. BY THAT TIME THE CAR SHOW 'STABILITY CONTROL DISABLED' SEE PICTURE. SITTING IN MY CAR AND CALLING TESLA REPORT ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. THEY TOLD ME THE REASON WAS THE WEATHER. ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER, THE POLICE CAME AND LOOKED AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. AS NO OTHER CAR WAS INVOLVED, NO ONE WAS INJURED, NO PUBLIC EQUIPMENT WAS DAMAGED, THE POLICE DID NOT ISSUE TICKETS AND REPORTS.

NHTSA ODI 11185150

CAR HAD BEEN RENTED IN NOVEMBER 2016 FROM A TURO MEMBER FOR FOUR DAYS IN LAS VEGAS. THE CAR HAD BEEN IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WITH THE AUTOPILOT ON. THE CAR SENSED TRAFFIC MOVING CAUSING THE TESLA'S AUTOPILOT TO MOVE AT 10MPH. THEN THE CAR'S AUTOPILOT MALFUNCTIONED AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS ATTEMPTING TO MERGE LANES. DAMAGES TOTALED $3100 FOR THE TESLA AND UNKNOWN FOR THE OTHER VEHICLE. CAR HAD BEEN ADVERTISED AS BEING ABLE TO DRIVE ITSELF

NHTSA ODI 11092088

DOOR HANDLE EXTENSION. THE CAR HAS EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE DOOR HANDLE DEFECTS, WHEREIN THE HANDLE WILL NOT EXTEND TO OPEN THE DOOR. WITHOUT EXTENSION THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED. THIS ISSUE HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WAS NEW AND ALL FOUR HANDLES WERE REPLACED, AND AGAIN AT 62,000 MILES, WHEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR MALFUNCTIONED. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE, AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE DOOR TO RENDER ASSISTANCE IF THE DRIVER WERE TRAPPED OR INCAPACITATED. ALSO, IT MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENTER THE CAR WITHOUT CRAWLING ACROSS THE INTERIOR AND OPENING FROM THE INSIDE.

NHTSA ODI 11055221

I WAS PARKING MY CAR I HEARD AND FELT THE CAR BEGIN TO ACCELERATE. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND STEP FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE PEDDLE.THEN OF IT OWN VOLITION IT MOUNTED THE ADJOINING EMBANKMENT AND COLLIDED WITH THE TREE. THIS CAUSED EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE.

NHTSA ODI 10982961

THE CAR WAS STOPPED IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON LAS VEGAS BOULEVARD WITH AUTO-PILOT ENGAGED (BOTH ACCELERATION/DE-ACCELERATION/BREAKING AND STEERING). WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT BEGAN TO MOVE, THE TESLA BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. I WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND ANOTHER CAR TRIED TO MERGE INTO MY LANE. THE AUTO-PILOT FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE OTHER CAR AND COLLIDED AT APPROXIMATELY 10MPH, CAUSING MINOR EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES. DAMAGE FOR TESLA CAME TO $600. VEHICLE WAS A RENTAL FROM TURO

NHTSA ODI 10936111