What 604 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Tesla Model S 75

Component Failure: The Tesla NEMA 14-50 charging adapter for my 2016 Model S malfunctioned, causing overheating that melted a prong and led to an electrical fire. The defective adapter appears identical to those in Tesla's November 2016 recall, though mine was designated "not affected." The damaged adapter and charging cable are available for inspection. Safety Risk: This malfunction created a serious fire hazard endangering myself and my property. The electrical fire damaged both my vehicle and charging equipment, and the fire could have spread to my home, potentially endangering my family and neighbors. Verification: I took the damaged adapter to the Tesla Service Center in Colorado Springs, where technicians acknowledged the damage but refused to replace it under the recall. They visually confirmed the melted prong and fire damage. Manufacturer Response: After the incident, I contacted Tesla Corporate requesting replacement of the defective equipment. They responded that they don't believe the electrical fire was caused by the defective plug, despite physical evidence showing the same issue as recalled units. Warning Signs: Prior to failure, I noticed intermittent charging interruptions and the adapter becoming unusually hot. These symptoms began approximately three weeks before the fire incident. There were no dashboard warnings about potential charging equipment issues.

NHTSA ODI 11645180

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while turning into a parking spot, there was an unintended acceleration of the vehicle; it surged forward, jumped the parking barrier, and crashed into a wall. There were no warning lights illuminated. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire, injuries, or air bag deployment. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11622945

On September 7th, 2024 around 7:35 PM, my tesla model S 2016 Suddenly accelerated, smashed in the siding of my house breaking the the siding of the wall and was totaled. All of this happened while my mom was trying to park the car in the garage the car suddenly took off without her pressing the accelerator. I have tesla to send an engeneer to collect the data of the car in which they said they did but have not yet gotten back to me on the issue. They informed me that they have collected the data on 09/20/2024

NHTSA ODI 11620457

Turned right into garage slowly. Car suddenly accelerated very fast by itself. I swerved and avoided 1 parked vehicle. Was not able to avoid another one. I braked. The car stopped. Airbags had gone off.

NHTSA ODI 11614992

Incident Tesla Model S was up to date on recalls as far as we can tell, including the recent autopilot update via Tesla internet vehicle update releases. While driving in autopilot mode on the freeway in the lane next to the HOV lane, the autopilot got confused as to which lane it should keep and failed to maintain its lane. Incident vehicle drifted across the double lines into the HOV lane, where another Tesla Model S was driving. Both cars were damaged in the ensuing side bump impact, then the incident vehicle made a slight impact to another car rear bumper in front of the incident vehicle. No injuries were reported. A subsequent Traffic Crash Report was filed as required with CA Highway Patrol. We are awaiting this report in the mail. Our safety and others was put at risk due to the failure of the autopilot to maintain its lane. Insurance was contacted. The insurance company, USAA, has deemed the incident vehicle (our vehicle) damage too expensive to fix due to the very high cost of replacement/repair parts and has deemed our vehicle a "total loss." We have not been able to access the software of the vehicle. Since USAA has deemed the vehicle a total loss, they are selling the car for salvage and thus we have no further access to the vehicle for legal purposes. As far as I know, USAA has not pulled the vehicle software records nor has requested such records and has completely ignored the autopilot issue. That is part of the reason for our complaint here as well. Since there were no injuries, legal representation in this case has not been forthcoming. We ask the NHTSA to investigate since we can get no help from Tesla, USAA or any other legal advocate.

NHTSA ODI 11587408

So essentially I stopped for a charge about 30 minutes before, I charged it, then hopped back on the turnpike as I was heading to Outer Banks NC, while I was on the turn pike where I believe at the time I started to go around a curve not a sharp one but a curve right after coming off this bridge. Every 1 minute and 30 seconds you have to put your hands on the wheel and give it a jerk to keep it enable so it had to have popped up within the 1 minute and 30 seconds. As I was changing the album of the artists I was listening too I heard the BEEP BEEP BEEP which means you are approaching something and are about to hit it, As I looked up all I saw was blinking lights and really smacked the rear end of this traffic control truck, anywhere from 65-75 miles per hour with no time to react. If I remember correctly I had my car on 7 lengths away (maximum amount you can have away). As I hit the control I hit my head pretty hard on the steering wheel so the whole memory is blurry following when it happened and my adrenaline was very high but I didn’t wanna go to the Emergency room even though they suggested highly because I have no health insurance and that would have had to come out of my own pocket and I was stuck in Pennsylvania by myself and didn’t wanna get stuck in the hospital too. Thank you so much for taking your time to look at this it means a lot.

NHTSA ODI 11560159

Sudden unintended acceleration appeared to cause the Tesla while parking the car on the street in front of home accelerate go out of control and crash into the home totaling the car and damaging the house. Two days prior the vehicle was brought into a Tesla service location where Tesla replaced the 12 volt battery that they believed was causing the car not to power on properly at that time. After the crash and googling to see if others suffered similar issues it appears the NHTSA recently reopened a review of sudden unintended acceleration and this incident seems to align with concerns of the petitioner [XXX] . The police filed a report and it’s at the towing place where the insurer Allstate is going to evaluate the car for a total loss. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11558021

Dear NHTSA, I am writing to file a complaint regarding a SUA incident that occurred on October 20, 2023, involving my 2016 Tesla Model S. On the day of the incident, I pulled into my garage and began to park my car. When I pressed the brake pedal, the car suddenly accelerated forward, crashing into the garage wall and totaling the vehicle. The garage wall was severely damaged and will need to be rebuilt. This is not the first time that my Tesla has experienced SUA. In 2017, I filed a complaint with NHTSA regarding a similar incident. In my previous complaint (issue # 11000097 dated June 19, 2017), I described a similar incident that occurred in December 2016. At the time, Tesla denied that the incident was caused by SUA and no further action was taken. I am convinced that the SUA incident on October 25, 2023, was caused by a defect in my Tesla Model S. I am also concerned that other Tesla owners may be at risk of similar incidents. I urge NHTSA to investigate this matter and take appropriate action to protect consumers. I believe that Tesla should be held liable for the damages to my vehicle and my garage wall, and that the company should be required to recall all Tesla Model S vehicles that are at risk of SUA. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,

NHTSA ODI 11554936

The car was on enhanced auto pilot and was moving at about 50 mph, the traffic in front of me slowed down. The car failed to give an alert, it failed to slow down and stop. I applied the breaks, but by then the car crashed into the pick-up truck in front of me. The car came to a complete stop after the crash and the computer system in the car completely shut down. The car had to be towed to the garage. My safety and the safety of the driver in front of me were at risk due to malfunction of the enhanced auto pilot system We immediately filed a service ticket with Tesla and upon repeated requests we were told that car could not be inspected and the breaks or auto pilot system could not be tested as the car was not drivable. Police and car insurance company were notified. Tesla was able to provide us with a EDR There were no warning signs or messages prior to the malfunction.

NHTSA ODI 11530361

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the display screen was leaking fluid into the vehicle. The contact stated he sustained respiratory issues and medical attention was provided. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11478649

Brakes became 95% unresponsive after a car wash and near 0 degree F weather. This caused a low speed rear-end collision. Some ice build up on calipers, rotors were clean. Unsure of exact cause. Vehicle will be inspected ASAP, but I'm betting we find nothing after the ice dissipates. No warning lights. Contacted Tesla and remote diagnostics revealed no issues.

NHTSA ODI 11446550

Sir/Madam, I own a Tesla Model S 2016 year car. I bought it in Nov 2018 from Tesla dealership. The car had free super charging and all warranty. In a parking lot entrance, someone rear ended my car and affected car back bumper and slight dent on quarter panel. The other car may not have traveled more than 5 miles as he was turning inside parking lot. The insurance company totaled my car saying Tesla won't provide parts quickly to repair. Since they can't wait, they totaled the car. Insurance company gave the car to us after deducting salvage value. Tesla didn't do body work in our area. So I took it to another shop and repaired the bumper and quarter panel. Due to pandemic we couldn't get rebuilt title quickly. Since my car was fully insured, insurance company said we can drive the car. While we were waiting for rebuilt title, I continue to use super charging and other work from Tesla. Once the salvage title entered into the DMV system, Tesla had access to it and since then, they removed all warranty and super charging. I am a realtor and use this car very much for my business. I explained to Tesla officers the need to have super charging, but they are saying once the car has rebuilt title, they will remove super charging capability. I told them I was using super charging it after my car was fixed, but they didn't care. I asked them if they can inspect the car for safety issue and they don't want to do it. Now my problem is I couldn't super charge even in other providers super charging location also. I provided all the details about the fix, rebuilt title etc. Even if they don't want to provide warranty, I certainly need super charging for free or by paying fee. I am wiling to do any safety check they want me to do. I am doing all other services in Tesla dealership only. I hope your department could intervene and help with situation.

NHTSA ODI 11445229

I backed my tesla out of my driveway on 12/17. I could see as I backed into the street another car at the stop sign waiting to turn left. I was blocking part of the road so as the car was in reverse moving back, I put my tesla in "D". I clearly saw the D. I stepped on accelerator seeing they were patiently waiting and I wanted to get out of their way. As I touched gas I was in shock-I kept going in reverse! The car dash said "D" and in my shock i pressed down on the gas more. I ended up accelerating more in reverse and smashed right into a parked car on the street! I knew I was swerving back and steered into the middle of the street I thought. I never heard the warning sign on my car because it was in D. I didnt see the car in my rearview mirror and in the shock of the speed and my correct into the middle of the road, I dented my neighbors front left bumper only. Thankfully I didn't damage their lights. It only did a small scrape in the front right rear side of my model S. I did replicate the problem one more time on camera about 15 minutes later. But I was in such shock the camera drops below the road so it has my voice on it and I didn't want to hit someone else again. This is very dangerous to accelerate backwards when the dash says "D". I've taken the tesla in many times for the screens freezing. They say its memory issues and want me to pay 2500 to upgrade the internal parts. This puts my kids and anyone at risk if they're behind me when Im shifting to drive and drive off. There again were no warnings before the crash because the car was in D.

NHTSA ODI 11443419

The doors on my Tesla are electronic from the inside and outside. Sometimes the car will not let me out or in, especially in the rear drivers side door where the kids are. It will not open the door and presents a huge safety issue. My sons was trapped in the door previously and we couldn't get the door to open - it took about 5 cycles of locking and unlocking the car for the doors electronic door handle to finally allow the door to be opened Recently there was a lawsuit for a similar issue in which a man became trapped inside a Tesla and died of smoke inhalation because the doors would not open and first responders couldn't get in the car either. I contacted Tesla, who was able to diagnose my car and create a repair estimate for the malfunctioning door handles without even looking at the car because the problem is so widespread and well known. They want $700 to repair my door handles that are locking me and the kids inside the car but i don't have money to repair right now.

NHTSA ODI 11436809

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that after releasing the brake pedal while parking, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and lurched forward crashing into the rear of a second vehicle. During the incident, no injuries were reported and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the incident. The contact indicated that prior to the incident a chip was installed due to a navigation problem. Also, the control panel display screen had a malfunction and audible warnings such as turn signals were not available. The failure mileage was 25,000

NHTSA ODI 11421831

Door/Door Handle. Puts my children at risk, as when I place car in park, door opens on it's own. With or Without someone sitting there. Drivers side rear door. Not the first time this has happened. Tesla blames their self-extending door handles. This will happen if I am outside the vehicle and unlock it. Door opens, it also happens if we are driving, and I put the vehicle in PARK. When the door handles extend, the door opens. My son has unbuckled himself preparing to exit the vehicle, not expecting the door to open on it's own. When it did, if a passing car drove by, the door may even have been ripped off and/or my child injured. Thankfully, THIS TIME, he only got a few scrapes when he hit the concrete. The whole mess of the self-extending door handles has been a nightmare since the beginning. These handles have caused endless problems, and have been replaced on both my current and previous Tesla Model S multiple times, at minimum FIFTEEN DOOR HANDLES HAVE BEEN REPLACED. I would need to go through countless service invoices to get an exact number. A door handle should operate problem free for the life of the vehicle. I should NOT have so many problems with one of the most basic functions of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11420598

I WAS STOPPED, PREPARING TO PULL INTO MY GARAGE, WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED RAPIDLY AND SMASHED THROUGH MY WALL, BREAKING FREEZER & SHEVING UNIT IN MY GARAGE. IT ALSO DAMAGED MANY ITEMS IN THE BATHROOM AND LAUNDRY ROOM, DOORS, AND WALLS ON OTHER SIDE OF GARAGE WALL. THIS IS THE 2ND INCIDENT, IN 2019 THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON A STREET. I WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC AND WHEN I STARTED TO MOVE THE CAR ACCELERATED AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT I DID NOT FILE A CLAIM. TESLA WAS CERTAIN THAT I HAD ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR INSTEAD OF BRAKE, AND ACCEPTED THAT. IN BOTH INCIDENTS THE CAR FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS FLYING, THE CAR WAS MOVING SO FAST.

NHTSA ODI 11415675

PARKED MY CAR IN A REGULAR PARKING SPOT. AFTER 30 MINUTES, I RE-ENTER THE CAR AND WHEN I BACKED OUT, THE CAR HAD APPARENTLY LOWERED ITSELF ON THE CONCRETE PARKING BUMPER AND THE CAR DRAGGED THE CONCRETE BARRIER OUT AS WELL AND HEAVILY DAMAGED MY CAR'S FRONT ($6,600 WORTH OF REPAIRS). IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO TESLA SERVICE CENTER AND THEY ESTABLISHED THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE SUSPENSION OR ANY OTHER PARTS. "WE ADVISE OUR CUSTOMERS NOT TO PARK OVER PARKING BUMPERS" I WAS TOLD BY THE TSC MANAGER. I FILED A COMPLAINT AND CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT WITH TESLA BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE. A PARKED CAR SHOULD NOT MOVE. NOT FORWARD, NOT BACKWARD, NOT UP NOT DOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11378546

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT ABOUT 30-35 MPH IN A HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION ZONE, AND I HEARD A BANG, VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND WAS SENT OFF THE ROAD. WHEN I INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AFTER THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP, I NOTICED THE FORE LINK/FORWARD CONTROL ARM WAS LOOSE. THE STUD THAT HELD THE BALL JOINT TO THE STEERING KNUCKLE HAD BEEN SHEERED OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11377957

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN. ON AUGUST 5TH 2020 IT ACCELERATED WHILE IT WAS BEING PARKED RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE CAR. ON OCTOBER 30TH, 2020 THE CAR ACCELERATED AFTER I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR FOR APPROXIMATELY 20-30 YARDS.

NHTSA ODI 11372844

PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED REPORT I FILED ON SAFER CAR.GOVE AND THE LETTER I WROTE TO TESLA. I HAVE NOT GOT RESPONSE TO ANY OF THOSE.. .THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED AFTER I HAD SUCCESSFULLY TURNED THE CAR 90 DEGREE TO PARK HEADON. THE CAR HAD TO BE AT A VERY LOW SPEED AT THAT TIME. THEN WHEN I AS JUST A COUPLE OF FEET FROM THE CURB, THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. IF YOU GET THE REPORT FROM TESLA, YOU WILL FIND THAT CAR COULD NOT HAVE ACCELERATED THIS FAST EVEN IF I HAD PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BY MISTAKE. MANY OTHER DRIVERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY. I ASKED TESLA TO GIVE ME THE REPORT OF THAT TIME AND THEY DID NOT GIVE. WE ALL FEEL THAT TESLA HAS BECOME SO MIGHTY THAT IT DOESN'T CARE. WE DEPEND UPON YOU FOR OUR SAFETY. SO PLEASE DO FULL ENQUIRY.*DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11342364

PLEASE ADD THIS INCIDENT TO YOUR TESLA BATTERY FIRES INVESTIGATION. I HAVE USED THE VIN FROM ANOTHER WRECKED TESLA SINCE I DO NOT HAVE THE VIN FOR THE TESLA WHICH BURNED TO A CRISP IN THIS INCIDENT. HERE IS A REPORT AND VIDEO FROM THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT HTTPS://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/TV/CCZTAHGHCRU/?IGSHID=1DGYLUPMY80I0 HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=MNTUZBIOFTY IT IS REPORTED THAT THE CAR WAS PLUGGED IN AND RECHARGING IN THE GARAGE WHEN IT IGNITED. THE FIRE IS FEROCIOUS AND CONTINUES TO REIGNITE EVEN WHEN THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE BLASTING IT WITH WATER. THIS FIRE COULD EASILY HAVE KILLED AN ENTIRE FAMILY. PLEASE SPEED UP YOUR INVESTIGATION INTO THESE DEADLY TESLA CARS. THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).”

NHTSA ODI 11338714

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A YEAR AGO, WHILE TRYING TO EXIT THE PARKING LOT, THE GEAR WAS PUT IN DRIVE, HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE BEHIND. THERE WAS NO INJURY. THERE WAS NOT POLICE REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BUT WAS NOT TOWED. THE FAILURE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE RECURRED RECENTLY AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PARK BETWEEN TWO VEHICLES THE VEHICLE WENT IN REVERSE AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE ON THE LEFT. THE CONTACT WAS NOT SURE OF ANY WARNING. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED IN EITHER CASES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF ANY OF FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 33,000.

NHTSA ODI 11337638

VEHICLE WAS TBONED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND NEITHER THE SIDE NOR CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11331105

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT A PEDESTRIAN AND CRASHED INTO A BRICK WALL WHILE HITTING ANOTHER PEDESTRIAN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A HEAD AND FOOT INJURIES SUSTAIN BY THE PEDESTRIANS THAT NEEDED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO ANSWER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

NHTSA ODI 11315591