Home · 2014 Tesla Model S Bev · Complaints

What 365 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 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 (365)Crash / fire / injury (59)Electrical system (132)Suspension (90)Lights (27)Steering (27)Transmission & drivetrain (27)Body & structure (26)Fuel system (24)Speed control (22)Visibility & wipers (17)Airbags (13)

24 of 365 complaints match · Fuel system · clear filters

Nov 22, 2025Electrical systemFuel system

After a high-voltage junction box repair performed by Tesla, the vehicle shut down 15 miles after leaving the service center. Tesla replaced the high-voltage harness at no cost but provided no explanation. After the HV harness replacement, new proximity/sensor alerts began triggering that were not present before their HV work. Multiple reasonable diagnostic procedures were refused, including bench-testing the sensors. Tesla is pressuring me to take possession of the vehicle without providing written confirmation that it is safe to operate following the HV system failure and subsequent replacement of HV components. I am concerned the vehicle may have unresolved high-voltage or wiring issues that could pose a safety hazard.

NHTSA ODI 11701015

Jan 17, 2025Fuel system

The drive unit was leaking coolant into the electrical inverter space. The issue was verified by a mechanic who then repaired the drive unit to prevent additional coolant intrusion.

NHTSA ODI 11636513

Sep 10, 2024Electrical systemFuel system

Overnight while plugged in and after the battery showed it was fully charged, the battery suddenly lost charge, and the car sent repeated alerts to immediately pull over and stop driving. A notice on the car showed mileage was reduced and to immediately schedule a service call. After returning home, I downloaded to the car a recent software update that cleared the error. However, after the software upgrade, Tesla messaged that they did removed tests and the high voltage battery must be replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11613809

Sep 26, 2020Fuel system

TESLA OTA SOFTWARE UPDATE 2019.16.X CAPPED BATTERY CAPACITY TO 72.8 KWH, PREVIOUSLY 85 KWH, VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY.

NHTSA ODI 11361320

Jul 9, 2020Fuel system

THE BATTERY RANGE ON THE CAR WAS LIMITED BY 10% IN ORDER TO PREVENT A FIRE FROM HAPPENING.

NHTSA ODI 11338434

Jun 29, 2020Electrical systemLightsFuel system

WHILE PARKED WITH THE SUNROOF OPEN, WHEN I WENT TO RE-ENTER THE VEHICLE, THE MAIN SCREEN (MCU) REMAINED BLANK AND NEVER CAME BACK TO LIFE. WHILE DRIVING HOME, I WAS UNABLE TO USE TURN SIGNALS, ADJUST BASICALLY ANY DRIVING ITEMS INCLUDING SUSPENSION, DRIVE MODE, STEERING CONTROLS, HVAC, LIGHTS, OR CLOSE THE SUNROOF. THE CAR WAS TECHNICALLY ABLE TO BE DRIVEN, BUT I ALSO HAD NO LIGHT CONTROL, NO BACK UP CAMERA, AND IT COULD ONLY CHARGE AT A BASICALLY UNUSABLE SPEED. TESLA'S ONLY FIX WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MCU UNIT.

NHTSA ODI 11331412

Jun 24, 2020Electrical systemFuel systemVisibility & wipers

MY CAR EXPERIENCED THE ISSUES DESCRIBED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE20010 WITH A PREMATURE MCU FAILURE DUE TO THE EMMC CARD FAILING. THIS EMMC CARD HAS BEEN FOUND TO FAIL TOO QUICKLY DUE TO TESLA ALLOWING DEBUG LOGGING TO THE EMMC CARD THAT IS NOT NEEDED FOR NORMAL VEHICLE USERS. THIS EXCESS LOGGING WAS CONFIRMED BY ELON MUSK ON OCTOBER 12 2019 HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/WK057/STATUS/1211704973970550785. THIS EXPENSIVE FIX AFTER FAILURE HAD TO BE REPAIRED OUT OF WARRANTY FOR A LARGE COST. THIS FAILURE CAUSES THE REAR VIEW CAMERA TO FAIL TO WORK, THE CLIMATE CONTROL TO FAIL TO WORK MEANING THAT DEFROSTING DOES NOT WORK CAUSING POTENTIAL VEHICLE ISSUES, AND POTENTIAL SLOW CHARGING OF THE CAR. THE CAR ALSO TAKES ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE TO GET OUT OF PARK WHILE THE VEHICLE SUBSYSTEMS "FAIL" THE MCU ALSO CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE DRIVER NEEDS TO GET OUT OF A TROUBLING SITUATION QUICKLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11330535

Mar 6, 2020Electrical systemEngineFuel system

RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES - VEHICLE HAD SUDDEN LOSS OF BATTERY CAPACITY AND CHARGING VELOCITY AFTER SOFTWARE UPDATE IN MAY 2019. THIS HAS CONTINUED WITH A ROUGHLY 15% REDUCTION IN THE KWH RATING OF THE BATTERY (PUBLISHED RATING 85.0, ACTUAL 71.65). I AM DISAPPOINTED WITH THE REDUCTION IN THE PERFORMANCE AND USABILITY OF THE CAR, BUT MORE CONCERNED WITH THE POTENTIAL OF AN UNDISCLOSED DEFECT OR RISK THAT I AM AM NOT AWARE OF.

NHTSA ODI 11316609

Mar 4, 2020Fuel system

RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES A SOFTWARE UPDATE IN MAY 2019 IS WHEN THIS BEGAN, TESLA HAS CAPPED THE MAX VOLTAGE THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY WOULD CHARGE TO, SHOULD BE 4.2 VOLTS AND NOW ITS 4.08 VOLTS. TESLA CLAIMS THIS WAS DONE "OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION" AFTER SEVERAL NON-CRASH FIRES HAPPENED TO THESE MODELS. TESLA TOOK ACTION TO DOWNGRADE HORSEPOWER AND RANGE ALONG WITH ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE THROUGH A TOTAL VOLTAGE CAP AFTER CLAIMING TO BE RELEASING A FIRE-SAFETY UPDATE. THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFICIAL SAFETY UPDATE TO DATE. THIS CHANGE HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND STATIONARY.

NHTSA ODI 11316041

Feb 22, 2020Transmission & drivetrainFuel system

TESLA HAS LIMITED CHARGING SPEED AFTER A 2019.16.X SOFTWARE UPDATE TO ALMOST 3X SLOWER, FOLLOWING REPORTS OF FIRES WITH CARS WHILE JUST SITTING THERE. THE CAR HAS ADDITIONALLY BEGAN DETERIORATE QUICKLY AS DISTANCE AVAILABLE TO DRIVE AFTER THE 2019.16.X UPDATE HAS GONE DOWN AS WELL. THIS IS NOW KNOWN ON THE INTERNET AS "BATTERYGATE" AND "CHARGEGATE". DUE TO LACK OF COMMUNICATION FROM TESLA ON THIS ISSUE AND FIRES SURROUNDING CARS WITH SIMILAR BATTERIES, I AM NOT CONFIDENT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED WITH JUST SOFTWARE AND THE CAR IS COMPLETELY SAFE TO OPERATE WITH THE BATTERY IT WAS SOLD WITH. I AM NOT EVEN SURE IT IS SAFE TO SLEEP UNDER THE SAME ROOF AS WHERE IT IS BEING PARKED.

NHTSA ODI 11310706

Jan 29, 2020LightsBody & structureFuel systemCrash

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

Nov 25, 2019Fuel system

RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES THE BATTERY RANGE ON MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN CAPPED VIA A SOFTWARE UPDATE BY TESLA WITHOUT MY CONSENT. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT TESLA WOULD CAP MY BATTERY'S MAXIMUM CHARGE, WHICH IN TURN REDUCED THE RANGE AND POWER OF MY VEHICLE VIA AN OVER THE AIR SOFTWARE UPDATE. THE CAR WAS ADVERTISED AS A 85 KWH BATTERY, BUT NOW, WITH THE BATTERY CAP, THE BATTERY IS MUCH LESS THAN 85 KWH. IF THERE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE BATTERY, TESLA SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED ME. ALSO, THE BATTERY SHOULD BE REPLACED INSTEAD OF HAVING THE SAFETY ISSUE STILL THERE AND DECREASING THE PERFORMANCE.

NHTSA ODI 11282366

Nov 3, 2019Electrical systemFuel system

IN MAY 2019 OUR TESLA MODEL S P85D BATTERY CHARGING CAPACITY REDUCED FROM ABOUT A MAXIMUM CHARGE OF 248 MILES TO ABOUT 218 MILES. TESLA DID NOT NOTIFY US THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN AND AFTER SEVERAL PHONE CALLS AND LETTERS THERE HAS NOT EXPLANATION OR INFORMATION AS TO WHY IT OCCURRED.

NHTSA ODI 11277777

Oct 19, 2019Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemFuel system

I HAVE A P85D AND SINCE RECENT SOFTWARE UPDATES MY RANGE HAS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY.. MY SUPERCHARGER SESSIONS HAVE ALSO BECOME EXTREMELY SLOW RESULTING IN ALMOST AN AN EXTRA HOUR TO CHARGE THE CAR COMPARED TO BEFORE UPDATES. THESE UPDATES SEEM TO BE A MAKESHIFT COVER FOR DEFECTIVE BATTERIES DUE TO HIGH FIRE AND EXPLOSION RISK, WHICH HAVE OCCURRED ON OTHER TESLA CARS. SO INSTEAD OF FIXING BATTERIES TESLA REDUCED THEIR CAPABILITIES ACROSS THE BOARD.

NHTSA ODI 11269564

Oct 10, 2019Fuel system

RE: NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 - INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATESSTARTING WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE IN MAY 2019, TESLA REDUCED BATTERY CAPACITY FROM 73KWH TO 62KWH. THEY CLAIM THEY DID THIS "OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION" AFTER SEVERAL NON-CRASH FIRES HAPPENED TO THESE MODELS. TESLA TOOK ACTION TO DOWNGRADE HORSEPOWER AND RANGE ALONG WITH ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF PERFORMANCE THROUGH A TOTAL VOLTAGE CAP AFTER CLAIMING TO BE RELEASING A FIRE-SAFETY UPDATE, BUT OFFICIALLY NO SAFETY UPDATE WAS RELEASED. THIS CHANGE HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND STATIONARY. THERE IS A FIRE SAFETY ISSUE HERE THAT IS NOT MADE PUBLIC BY TESLA.

NHTSA ODI 11267572

Oct 10, 2019Fuel system

NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: DP19005 ' INVESTIGATION SUBJECT: BATTERY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE UPDATES I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY BEING IN AND AROUND MY CAR. ON MAY 29, 2019 I RECEIVED SOFTWARE 2019.16.2 73D3F3C. ALTHOUGH NOT KNOWN AT THE TIME, WHEN INSTALLED, IT REDUCED BATTERY CAPACITY BY ABOUT 8KWH, AND PERFORMANCE BY ABOUT THAN 40KW. THERE WAS NO NOTIFICATION FROM TESLA THIS WAS BEING DONE. ON 14 FEBRUARY 2017, (BEFORE SOFTWARE 2019.16.2 73D3F3C), AT 100% AND 76.6KWH OF 76.4KWH REMAINING CAPACITY, MODULE VOLTAGES WERE ABOUT 4.19V. THIS IS EXPECTED AND TYPICAL FOR A FULLY CHARGED LI ION BATTERY. AFTER THE SOFTWARE CHANGE THE BATTERY CHARGES TO 390V, AND A MAX CELL VOLTAGE OF ABOUT 4.07V. IT IS WELL UNDERSTOOD THE LI ION BATTERIES DEGRADE WITH USE. HOWEVER, LIMITING THE CELL VOLTAGES AT 100% SOC IS NOT 'NORMAL DEGRADATION', BUT THIS IS CLEARLY NOW BEING DONE, BASED ON THE DATA ABOVE, AND THE LACK OF REGEN WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT THESE REDUCED CELL VOLTAGES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DELIBERATE ACTION ON THE PART OF TESLA. IT MAY BE THE RESULT OF SOME NOW-DETECTABLE DEFECT, WHICH THROUGH DECEPTION, TESLA IS ATTEMPTING TO COVER UP. TESLA CLAIMS TO HAVE DONE THIS 'OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION' AFTER SEVERAL NON-CRASH FIRES. I BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE A SAFETY ISSUE. IF MY BATTERY IS 'NORMAL" THEN IT SHOULDN'T NEED PROTECTING VIA A SOFTWARE UPDATE, THE CONDITIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO TESLA FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IF TESLA DECIDES TO SUDDENLY, AND WITHOUT ANY OWNER NOTIFICATION, TO "PROTECT" SOMETHING FIVE YEARS AFTER IT WAS MANUFACTURED, I SUSPECT IT'S BECAUSE SOMETHING IS VERY, VERY WRONG. THERE ARE ALSO INDICATIONS THIS WAS DELIBERATELY DONE IN SUCH A WAY AS TO MAKE IT LESS NOTICEABLE TO OWNERS. PLEASE PROVIDE AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF THE SAFETY OF MY CAR AND BATTERY PACK.

NHTSA ODI 11267632

Oct 10, 2019Electrical systemFuel system

MY ELECTRIC CAR BATTERY OVERHEATS SO MUCH AND LOST MORE THAN 25% OF THE RANGE WITH THE LATEST COMPUTER UPGRADE. THIS IS CHEATING. TESLA REMOTELY LOWERED MY BATTERY RANGE WITHOUT MY APPROVAL

NHTSA ODI 11267674

Oct 10, 2019Electrical systemFuel system

THE CAR HAS LOST A LARGE AMOUNT OF CHARGING SPEED. TESLA HAS INFORMED ME MULTIPLE TIMES THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WHEN I KNOW FOR A FACT THE CHARGE SPEED HAS DROPPED AN AVERAGE OF 10KW FROM WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT IT. MY MAIN MARKER WAS AT 5P% THE CAR WOULD BE AT 72KW AND NOW AFTER A RANDOM OTA UPDATE A FEW MONTHS AGO AT 5P% I'M AM USUALLY AROUND 55KW. THIS DROP IN CHARGE RATE HAS CAUSED ME TO BE LATE, AND IT MAKES EVERY CHARGE STOP TAKE ABOUT 15 MINUTES LONGER THAN IT WOULD PREVIOUSLY

NHTSA ODI 11267744

Oct 6, 2019Electrical systemFuel system

SHORTLY AFTER UPDATING THE VEHICLE WITH TESLA'S SOFTWARE UPDATES 2019.16.1 AND 2019.16.2, IT WAS DISCOVERED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT THE VEHICLE HAD SUFFERED FROM A SUDDEN AND IMMEDIATE LOSS OF APPROXIMATELY 26 MILES OF RANGE AS A RESULT OF THE PAIR OF SOFTWARE UPDATES. THE UPDATES IN QUESTION ALSO SEVERELY DECREASED THE SUPERCHARGING SPEEDS FOR THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE SOFTWARE UPDATES ISSUED BY TESLA DID NOT DISCLOSE ANYTHING WITH REGARDS TO THE RANGE LOSS OR DECREASED CHARGING SPEEDS. TESLA HAS RELEASED UPDATES SINCE INITIAL RANGE-REDUCING AND CHARGE-SPEED LIMITING UPDATES WHICH WERE SUPPOSED TO AND PURPORTEDLY WERE ISSUED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS, HOWEVER, THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OR INCREASE IN RANGE OR CHARGING FOR THE VEHICLE TO DATE. NOTE - THIS COMPLAINT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED BY LEGAL COUNSEL WHO CURRENTLY REPRESENTS THE AFFECTED OWNER FOR THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE. LEGAL COUNSEL HERE ALSO SERVES AS COUNSEL TO THE PUTATIVE CLASS MEMBERS AND NAMED CLASS PLAINTIFF IN THE LITIGATION CURRENTLY PENDING IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT, NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CA, CASE NO. 5:19-CV-01422-VKD.

NHTSA ODI 11266565

Aug 23, 2019Fuel systemElectrical system

BEGINNING IN JUNE, THE SUBJECT VEHICLE SUFFERED FROM A SEVERE AND SUDDEN DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF RANGE AVAILABLE AS A DIRECT RESULT OF SOFTWARE UPDATES ISSUED BY TESLA WITHOUT DISCLOSURE TO OWNERS. PRIOR TO THE UPDATES, THE SUBJECT VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 255 RATED MILES AVAILABLE. FOLLOWING UPDATES 2019.16.1 AND 2019.16.2, THE SUBJECT VEHICLE SUFFERED IMMEDIATELY FROM A RANGE DROP TO 225 AVAILABLE MILES. THE SUBJECT VEHICLE HAS ALSO BEEN UNABLE TO CHARGE FULLY AND NOW SUFFERS FROM DECREASED CHARGING SPEEDS. THE OWNER OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLE WENT TO NCDS ARBITRATION, SEEKING A MANUFACTURER REPLACEMENT OF THE BATTERY UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE ARBITRATOR DECIDED THAT THERE WAS NO PROOF OF DEFECT. TESLA CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NORMAL DEGRADATION. HOWEVER, THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS WERE CAUSED SOLELY BY TESLA'S SOFTWARE UPDATES, FOR WHICH IT HAS YET TO DISCLOSE WHETHER THERE ARE CARS AFFECTED AND POTENTIALLY AT HIGHER RISK OF CATCHING ON FIRE. TESLA HAS FAILED TO COMMUNICATE ANYTHING WITH REGARDS TO THE SAFETY OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES AND HAS CONTINUED TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SOFTWARE WITHOUT PROVIDING OWNERS WITH ANY NOTICE OR INFORMATION THAT THEIR VEHICLE MAY BE AFFECTED. THE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE WAS DENIED A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT AFTER HAVING THE CLAIMS ARBITRATED WITH NATIONAL CENTER FOR DISPUTE SETTLEMENT, WHERE THE ARBITRATOR FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE SUBJECT VEHICLE CONTINUES TO SUFFER FROM A HIGH RATE OF BATTERY LOSS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED AND NOT IN OPERATION. THE CAR HAS NOT REGAINED ANY MILEAGE AS A RESULT OF TESLA'S MOST RECENT UPDATES THAT HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. THE SUBJECT VEHICLE SUFFERS FORM REDUCED CHARGING SPEEDS AND IS NOT CAPABLE OF REACHING THE SAME NUMBER OF MILES AS IT DID BEFORE.

NHTSA ODI 11246771

May 14, 2018Fuel systemCrashFire1 injury2 deaths

TESLA S AND X BATTERIES ARE A DESIGN FLAW. TESLA'S PANASONIC CELLS ARE MADE WITH THIN METAL CASINGS SO THAT THE HEAT FROM ONE BURNING CELL CAUSES THE NEIGHBORING CELLS TO BURST ESPECIALLY WHEN EXPOSED TO AIR IN AN ACCIDENT. THESE FIRES EMIT TOXINS SUCH AS FLORINE GAS. THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE BATTERIES REPLACED WITH A SAFER DESIGN. THE RECENT ACCIDENT IN FLORIDA SHOWS THE NEED FOR THIS RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11093601

May 10, 2018SuspensionFuel system

THIS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE FATAL TESLA CRASH IN FORT LAUDERDALE. EVEN THOUGH THE NTSB IS INVESTIGATING THIS CRASH THE INQUIRY IS LIKELY TO TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR. I AM CERTAIN THAT THIS CRASH WAS CAUSED BY YET ANOTHER SUSPENSION FAILURE. HTTP://MIAMI.CBSLOCAL.COM/2018/05/10/NTSB-TO-INVESTIGATE-FIERY-CRASH-OF-TESLA-IN-FT-LAUDERDALE/ CRASH SCENE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THAT THE RH BACK WHEEL AND SUSPENSION HAVE FALLEN OFF THE CAR. THE ROAD IS RELATIVELY STRAIGHT AT THE CRASH SITE. THERE IS JUST A SINGLE SKID MARK WHERE THE CAR SUDDENLY WENT SIDEWAYS. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF THE CAR SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL DUE TO TAKING A CURVE TOO FAST. THE SKID MARK SHOWS A VERY SUDDEN SWERVE TO THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INTO THE WALL. THE VIDEO SHOWS WHAT APPEARS TO BE A DETACHED WHEEL AND TIRE LYING IN THE ROADWAY. IT IS ALSO VERY CONCERNING THAT TESLAS BURST INTO FLAMES SO EASILY AND THAT THE ELECTRIC DOOR HANDLES BECOME INOPERATIVE PREVENTING OCCUPANTS OR RESCUERS FROM OPENING THEM. ONCE AGAIN THE EARLY STAGE OF THESE FIRES SEEMS TO BE FUELLED BY THE 7 GALLONS OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL. THE STORED ENERGY IN THE BATTERIES CAN EASILY BOIL OFF THE WATER CONTENT OF THE COOLANT CAUSING IT TO BECOME HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. THE FIRE DOES NOT YET APPEAR TO HAVE IGNITED THE ACTUAL BATTERIES SINCE THESE BURN WITH A WHITE HEAT AND THE INDIVIDUAL CELLS EXPLODE LIKE FIRECRACKERS. THIS SITUATION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. PLEASE ACT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE MORE LIVES ARE LOST.

NHTSA ODI 11093243

Oct 30, 2017Fuel systemFire

HERE IS A TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/39926687/PHOTOS IT HAS BEEN TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE. THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION INTO TESLA FIRES BACK IN 2014 AND IT WAS CLAIMED THAT FIRES WERE CAUSED BY ROAD DEBRIS PUNCTURING THE BATTERY PACK AND THIS PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BY FITTING A BATTERY SHIELD. TESLAS ARE STILL CATCHING FIRE AT AN ALARMING RATE. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAUSE OF MANY OF THESE FIRES IS NOT THAT THE LITHIUM BATTERY CATCHES FIRE FIRST BUT THAT THE ETHYLENE GLYCOL LEAKS OUT AND CATCHES FIRE. THE ATTACHE PHOTOGRAPH OF A 2013 FIRE CLEARLY SHOWS THE COOLANT BLAZING BENEATH THE CAR. A GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH FOR "TESLA FIRE" SHOWS MANY OF THESE GLYCOL FIRES. THE LITHIUM BATTERIES MAY WELL IGNITE AS WELL BUT IN MOST CASES IT SEEMS THAT THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF FIRE IS THE GLYCOL. ADVICE TO FIRST RESPONDERS SHOULD BE MODIFIED BECAUSE USING WATER IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO EXTINGUISH A FLAMMABLE LIQUID FIRE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. CONCERNED CITIZEN.

NHTSA ODI 11041379

Feb 27, 2015Fuel system

THE CAR GAVE A FAILURE MESSAGE AND THEN LOST ALL POWER. IT SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY AS I NAVIGATED THROUGH TRAFFIC IN NEUTRAL ONTO THE SHOULDER. I CALLED TESLA AND WAS TOLD THIS IS A KNOWN SOFTWARE RELEASE BUG. THEY SAID TO TURN OFF RANGE MODE AND THE ISSUE WILL NOT RECUR. MEANWHILE THEY ARE WORKING ON A SOFTWARE FIX. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH ISSUE. IT IS BEING REPORTED BY MANY OTHER MODEL S P85 D OWNERS ON THE TESLA FORUM. I BELIEVE THAT TESLA SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT ALL OWNERS AS THIS ISSUE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND MAY CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS - THE ERROR CAUSES THE CAR TO SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND HAS AFFECTED MANY TESLAS ALREADY. IT ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IN MY CASE AND WILL CERTAINLY CAUSE A MORE SERIOUS EVENT IF NOT ADDRESSED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10691000

Working with the data? Download all 365 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 2014 Tesla Model S Bev verdict →