What 647 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Tesla Model S 60

I had driven to a shopping center for buy a new backpack for my daughter who was starting school. After shopping, as I reversed my car, I felt as if I had gone over a bump. I came out to see if there was a bump or something else in the parking lot but found nothing that my car could have gone over. I got back in the car and started my drive and immediately, started hearing loud and griding noises. The noise would get worse as I would turn the steering wheel and the car would also seem as it is going over bumps. I immediately came out and look around and found nothing; I then looked at the wheel well and the surrounding area and didn't detect anything out of ordinary. I was able to drive the car home (roughly 1.5 miles) at speed no faster than 3-5 miles/hour without continuous loud and griding noise. I contacted Tesla who gave me an appointment for a week later. Inspection found fore-link broken. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Left fore-link connected to the front suspension of the car. Part is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The breakage of the part made the wheel get disconnected from the suspension. Had I been driving on a highway or other roadways at higher speed, my car would have certainly gotten out of control and endangered my life and the lives of others. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? This is a known issue that has been reported by many Tesla Model S owners. There is also a recall in China for the similar parts. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, it was inspected by Tesla service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warnings or other symptoms prior to the failure of the fore-link.

NHTSA ODI 11543277

When the car is put in parked mode the rear left door opens by itself causing a hazard to the passenger and/or to any nearby pedestrian.

NHTSA ODI 11542430

Tesla is seemingly not producing replacement key fobs for early models. I have been attempting to order one for over two years and to my knowledge new stock has never once become available over that time. I have also checked with multiple dealerships in person. On older models, the key fob is required to operate the vehicle. I only have one working key fob. I am anxiously awaiting the day when it is lost or malfunctions and I am unable to rely on our only vehicle... seemingly indefinitely. Tesla cannot consider their mobile app as an alternative to physical key fob. I live in rural Vermont. It would be incredibly wreckless to rely on remote start/unlock. Internet connectivity is required on both the car and the mobile device on older models (newer models use Bluetooth locally).

NHTSA ODI 11541792

I have replaced the steering knuckle two separate times I-SHAFT STEERING LINK - NON ISOLATOR - LOWER(1030622-00-A) this makes is hard to steer and is dangerous. Tesla does not have an updated part for this. I have asked

NHTSA ODI 11537936

I drove through 3 inches of water at about 20mph, Nothing else in the car got wet, it cause the car to go into shutdown mode with a high voltage error. We had hell getting it to neutral as the computer kept shutting down. I am still under warranty but they claim the seal fail because of high water yet nothing else got wet and is not under warranty, only the drive unit and the motors are. Well with out the battery connection to the motors the car does not run. I have tried to deal with them and they refuse to do anything about it. I think the seal was installed incorrectly at the factory to allow this to happen, I do have parts to view.

NHTSA ODI 11537941

the steering is hard to steer. I had to replace the i-shaft. It is dangerous to drive when it happens to you, I live in Wyoming and something needs to be done to stop these from going out, this is the second one I have had done since 11/11/21. I-SHAFT STEERING LINK - NON ISOLATOR - LOWER(1030622-00-A)

NHTSA ODI 11537942

Recently I had an accident while I was driving my car (Tesla model S) with my wife and daughter in the car. The reason for accident was the front hood popped up in the middle of the county highway due to the secondary latch malfunction leaving us completely blinded as the hood fully blocked our vision. Luckily we were not met with a collision and had no bodily injuries, but the hood of the car got damaged. The repairs are running in thousands of dollars but Tesla is not covering. When we reached out to Tesla they informed there is a recall for the latch malfunction and sent us the recall, unfortunately they were sitting on this recall for 3 years and only sent us when we actually reached out. Still they denied any coverage owning no responsibility and even refused to fix the latch until we get the hood fixed by ourselves leaving it in unsafe condition as the hood might pop up again if we drive.

NHTSA ODI 11528836

lower control arm of front passenger wheel cracked and came off while backing out of driveway. rendered undriveable, required tow to fix.

NHTSA ODI 11528106

My MCU (onboard computer system) glitched out and the screen began flickering. I lost all of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, navigation, music, phone link, sunroof venting, climate control, including defrost. The screen froze and I had no functions. This has happened 4 times, possibly a 5th time, while driving in the last 6000 miles. I put in a service request to Tesla and they ran a remote diagnosis, and told me that the old MCU1 is overwhelmed by the new software updates. Their solution was for me to upgrade to the newer MCU2 at my cost. I am afraid to drive my car as it will malfunction while I need the safety features, like basic defrost or AC in the 105 degree heat in Phoenix. Tesla acknowledged that the previous MCU1 failure due to the eMMC chip was a recall, but this is a new problem that has not yet been acknowledged by Tesla as a recall problem.

NHTSA ODI 11526350

Door handle that allows for opening the door from the outside fails to present. Motor just turns and turns, and it is impossible to open the door from the outside. This is the SECOND time for this defect on this vehicle - in 2021 the driver-side door failed in the same manner. This is the passenger side door that has failed now. Tesla said in 2021 that this was a known defect with a cheap gear that fails. There is also a class action lawsuit pending in California federal court, Urban v. Tesla, related to this identical defect which involves 2014-2016 Model S vehicles. No warning signs before the failure. In the event that the vehicle is in an accident, this failure would make it difficult for emergency personnel to open the door from the outside (which they otherwise would be able to do, because the key fob in the vehicle would ordinarily allow extension of the handle upon merely pushing in the handle).

NHTSA ODI 11526083

My instrument cluster is delaminating in my tesla model S. When I took it to the service center for the recall service the service center stated that the main screen was also delaminating. Service tech told me that the instrument cluster (and main screen) would eventually fail because of the delamination. I have had the car for less than 8 years. both the instrument cluster and the center screen have a lot to do with safe operation of the vehicle so I believe they should be replaced for free under recall or at least have a much cheaper upgrade option. It is extremely rare for any car to have a common problem of the intstument cluster delaminating and this should be a recall since it is an ongoing, common issue. This is a problem Telsa knows about and hasn't done anything to remedy for a reasonable price. They want $1,750 for the upgrade of the instrument cluster and the main center screen. I bought the car when they were talking about self driving features that are not even possible for this car so I was mislead on that too. Here is other documentation of this issue. https://www.carproblemzoo.com/tesla/models/instrument-cluster-panel-problems.php

NHTSA ODI 11525419

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently swerved in and out of the lane and accelerated unintendedly for approximately 8 to 10 seconds and then performed as designed. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that no failure was detected and informed that a report would be filed. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.

NHTSA ODI 11523468

As I arrived home after a 50 mile trip, I pressed the homelink indicator on the central console of my 2015 Tesla model S and found it was inactive (the garage door didn't go up). I then pressed other areas on the central console and found none of them responded to the touch of my finger. This included all functions (e.g., temperature, defroster, lights, rear camera, navigation, radio, turn car off, etc.). Unlike a previous incident that I reported (reference # 11459567) , the center display did not go black, it just became inoperable. This is definitely a safety hazard. It can not be fixed while driving. One must stop the car and exit to turn the car off, or one must stop the car and press 2 buttons on the steering wheel to reboot the center console. This might be difficult to do while driving on the highway. I will reboot the center console the next time I drive the car, and I am sure it will be fixed. However, this is a problem that should not have occurred. (Present software version 2022.8.10.12, updated recently)

NHTSA ODI 11523121

When backing out of my garage, and reverse my car often times stops violently on its own

NHTSA ODI 11521634

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the center display screen became inoperable. The contact stated that the defroster, exterior lights, back-up camera and radio were inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the center display screen needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11521301

April 21, 2023 me and my daughter was driving from Jacksonville Beach to Fernandina Beach around 6pm. Exiting from 295 to i95, I removed my autopilot to reduce speed, I was very focus driving, not on my cellphone and even sleepy. Then I saw the car in front of me suddenly stopped, i know i have enough distance and confidently press the break hard enough to make it stop. But the tesla, while started beeping loud as it sensored the sudden stop of the car , seems to just slowed down and not stopping even with the full hard press of the break, the Tesla just keep on moving slow until it just hit the car and we just heard a loud bang from the airbags that blew up, gas fumes all over inside the car, shocked with what happened, I immediately opened the car door due to the gas fumes. It was traumatizing. I have been driving for almost 20 years, a lot of experience from high way to city driving, years of experience with crazy Manila traffic and highways, using different kind of cars, SUV, family van, even U-Haul, I am very familiar with how breaks work and how breaks could save life and save from accidents even with a split seconds, but the experience with Tesla’s break system is different. With this crash with Tesla, I remember this was not the first time the break didn’t work as expected. Had the same instance happened before with Tesla, though we didn’t hit any car but almost – me and my daughter together with her classmate was driving to school. Suddenly the car in front stopped due to the traffic light turned red. Again the car started beeping loud, I know we have enough distance and confidently press the break, but to my surprise, and the kids started getting scared when the Tesla seemingly not stopping and seemingly gonna hit the car as it continuous to drive and the break not helping to stop quickly even when the break was fully pressed.I believe this is a serious issue.My car now assessed Total Loss and just paid for market value, lost $20k in a year span

NHTSA ODI 11520539

The issue began during the week of April 10, 2023. I started to experience significant steering wheel resistance in 90 degree intervals. My initial assumption was the power steering was starting to fail. The amount of force required to turn became progressively worse towards the latter half of the week. However, there were no warning lamps or messages indicating there were issues with the car. On the morning of Friday, April 14th after dropping my kids off at school, I was using the vehicle's Autopilot function while turning on an eastbound interstate on-ramp and noticed the car began to veer off course towards the concrete ramp barrier, forcing my to immediately grab the wheel to prevent a collision. It felt as if the wheel was stuck again at one of the 90 degree intervals mentioned above. I've driven this route countless times utilizing the feature and have never had an issue. It's worth noting that the resistance was felt regardless of whether or not the Autopilot feature was turned on. That afternoon I took my vehicle to the local Tesla service center and the representative immediately said it sounded as if the u-joint was going bad. They took the car in and had the part replaced within 24-hours. That evening I browsed numerous forums and learned this is a common issue due to the u-joint's lack of protection and exposure to the elements. I have never submitted a safety complaint before but the fear I experienced that morning combined with the lack of any warning lamps or notifications from the vehicle compelled me to share. I do believe this is a broader issue that needs to be reviewed.

NHTSA ODI 11517371

The control arm that holds my tire in place completely broke apart. It looks like the ball joint severed from the rest of the unit. I didn’t hit anything - not even a pot hole. I was driving in a residential area going 25 mph. I thought my tire went flat so I checked the car and didn’t see anything. I continued to drive the car and turned on the main road and my car almost veered me into oncoming traffic almost causing a crash. Luckily with sheer strength I was able to pull the car barely over to the side. Had I not been driving where I was, this could have been a scary situation. Tesla admitted to me this is a known safety issue but then said because my car isn’t under warranty, I was responsible. I asked for the defective part and have it in my possession.

NHTSA ODI 11516085

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while adjusting the temperature in the vehicle, the infotainment screen froze. The contact stated that several minutes later the screen started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the screen and the console needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 168,000.

NHTSA ODI 11511202

Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am writing to bring to your attention a serious safety issue that I experienced while driving my Tesla Model S 2015 on Freeway 680 in [insert location]. On 2/27/2023], the left rear wheel of my car suddenly dropped, causing a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. Fortunately, the incident occurred at night with less traffic, or it could have been catastrophic for myself, my children, and other road users. I have learned that Tesla has issued a recall in China for the same suspension issue that I experienced. However, I am deeply concerned that there has been no such recall or acknowledgment of this issue in the USA. It is alarming that such a dangerous fault could occur on a car that is marketed as a high-tech and safe vehicle. I believe that it is crucial to investigate and take immediate action to rectify this potentially fatal flaw in Tesla Model S 2015's suspension system. I urge you to look into this matter and work with Tesla to issue a recall for affected vehicles and implement a fix to prevent any further accidents. As a concerned citizen and a victim of this unsafe suspension issue, I implore you to prioritize the safety of Tesla owners and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I hope that you will take swift action to address this serious safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11510346

The retracting door handle mechanism is defective. The motor that activates the door handles breaks and I cannot open my passenger doors from the outside. I have to deactivate the child safety locks and open the door from the inside. This creates a hazard in emergency situations. I have two young children that are still in car seats. They need assistance in and out of the vehicle. Tesla has replaced both the rear passenger door handle mechanism at cost. The tech says this is a known problem for early models of this car.

NHTSA ODI 11510122

I had the eMMC replaced under recall in December of 2021. The board failed again in December of 2022 resulting in all controls of the car being inaccessible, the center screen was black. I had no control of lights or HVAC and all the traction control, ABS, and emergency avoidance features were not working. Tesla told me there was no fix except to upgrade to the MCU2 computer which cost me $1,872. This was related to the original recall that didn't really fix the problem. The MCU just went dead, no waring.

NHTSA ODI 11508358

Driver door of vehicle will unexpectedly and randomly unlatch and open whenever the vehicle is unlocked. While moving, as well as parked and when vehicle is unattended.

NHTSA ODI 11507907

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with the autonomous self-driving feature activated, the contact attempted to use the turn signal while changing lanes and almost struck another vehicle. The contact was able to control the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic made the contact aware that the failure was a known issue however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 35,000.

NHTSA ODI 11507689

This is the second time that a wheel becomes "lopsided" and no longer perpendicular to the axle. On 4/13/22 I was driving to work and suddenly I heard noises coming from the back wheel and I felt the car dragging. I found that the passenger rear tire was lopsided and almost falling out of the car. Then this year on 2/4/23 as I was going to work I found the driver rear tire also lopsided. Both times I had to pay for towing and $4000+ get the tire back on securely mounted to the axle. Both times the REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS - FORWARD and REARWARD - need to be replaced. Last time we took it to a local repair shop, this time we took it to Tesla. This time, the following parts also needed to be replaced: REAR UPPER LINK SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY HALFSHAFT - REAR DRIVE UNIT - LH SUSPENSION - REAR UPPER - LH TOE LINK ASSEMBLY - REAR - LH INTEGRAL LINK - REAR - LH DROP LINK - SWAY BAR - REAR - LH SPRING and DAMPER ASSEMBLY - REAR - LH This is a unsafe car to drive - I understand that it's a low car and there are pot holes on NYC streets. But this car is still unreliable if it happens within 12 months that I cannot get to where I need to go because the car is undrivable.

NHTSA ODI 11507378