What 129 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Tesla Model S 60d

The cable harness (slip ring) connecting the steering wheel controls including the vehicle horn, steering wheel buttons, scroll wheels, and potentially the airbag (according to the service technician) failed on this vehicle in January 2025. The vehicle was inspected by Tesla’s mobile service and they acknowledged that the cable harness had indeed failed. It is available for inspection. We have been forced to drive this car without a functioning horn and airbag. There were no warning signs or messages on the vehicle computer.

NHTSA ODI 11644246

Received and error message, Lane Departure Avoidance features unavailable and steering assist reduced simultaneously while driving between 65-75 mph. Steering will required extreme effort to turn. I was about 5 minutes from home exited the highway and took the backroads. Steering did require extreme effort. The following morning, car worked fine.

NHTSA ODI 11586895

I was driving on the [XXX] to for a work meeting on Monday [XXX], 2024, at about [XXX] (central). My 2018 Tesla Model S shut down while driving on the freeway. The power steering went off and so did the hazard lights. I pulled over to the shoulder. Unfortunately, the shoulder is not too wide on [XXX]. I was driving at 70 mph or so when this happened. The only warning that popped on the Tesla Screen was “Vehicle Shutting Down Pull Over Safely”. The battery still had about 175 miles left to empty. So, this was an unusually unsafe incident that could have been life threatening. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11584857

My vehicle did an update and after update I have received an error message “steering assist reduced”. I am unable to drive my vehicle and the wheel feels locked. I have reached out to Tesla and their soonest appt is over a week from now to even look at it.

NHTSA ODI 11582946

My vehicle suddenly displayed an alert saying, “steering assist reduced” and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. I became very concerned about my safety and the safety of other drivers, so I took the car to Tesla for service. It is currently being repaired.

NHTSA ODI 11580302

Maryland State Police Report [XXX] says: On [XXX], [XXX] was driving his 2018 Tesla Model S in Maryland on what is known in the DMV as the important highway, "The Beltway". According to Police Report [XXX], "Unit 1 was traveling southbound in Lane 1 on [XXX]. The Autopilot feature on the Tesla was engaged. The Autopilot malfunctioned causing the Tesla to lose control and leave the highway on the Left Side. The Driver was Transported by ambulance to the hospital ...." "Equipment Failure, Ran Off Road Left" INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11528444

HERE IS A 2018 TERDSLA MODEL S IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/39010278?ROWNUMBER=13 THE FRONT WHEEL HAS NOT JUST GONE WHOMPY IT HAS SNAPPED OFF ENTIRELY. THIS IS NOT THE RESULT OF CRASH DAMAGE. THERE IS HARDLY A MARK ON THE CAR AND NO AIR-BAGS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED. THE STEERING ARM HAS SNAPPED OFF. THE STEERING KNUCKLE HAS CRACKED IN HALF. THIS IS A CASTING FAILURE. BAD DESIGN BAD MANUFACTURE AND BAD QUALITY CONTROL. WHY NO RECALL FOR THESE DEADLY DEFECTIVE TENT BUILT CLOWN CARS? YOURS IN TOTAL DISGUST. KEEF

NHTSA ODI 11395822

THE CAR SOFTWARE HAS BEEN MODIFIED AND APPEARS TO BE COMPROMISED. SETTINGS RELATED TO SAFETY AND AUTOPILOT HAVE BEEN UNSTABLE. DRIVER PROFILE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. FACTORY RESET PERFORMED BY TESLA PARAMUS AND BY SWITCHING EMAIL ACCOUNT DOESN'T NOT REMOVE THE MALWARE. PERSONAL DATA AND MALFUNCTIONING OF THE CAR CONTINUE DESPITE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS TO TESLA.

NHTSA ODI 11322359

I HAD A 2018 TESLA S. I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON US 395 IN LANE 2 OF A 4 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY AT 0030 ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF LONE PINE, CA. IT WAS PITCH BLACK OUT. I WAS THE DRIVER OF A TESLA S IN SEMIAUTONOMOUS DRIVER-ASSIST MODE. THE ROAD WAS GOING UP HILL AND I CLICKED MY TURN SIGNAL TO PASS A SEMI TRAILER AND MY CAR WENT INTO THE LEFT LANE AND PASSED THE TRUCK. AFTER GOING A SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE IN FRONT OF THE TRUCK AND STARTING DOWN HILL AND I CLICKED MY TURN SIGNAL TO RETURN TO THE RIGHT LANE. THE CAR WENT INTO THE RIGHT LANE AND CONTINUED ONTO THE RIGHT LANE BUT CONTINUED ABRUPTLY ONTO THE SHOULDER. IT FELT LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL TURN TO THE RIGHT AND WE WENT OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH 15-20 FEET BELOW. MY HANDS WERE ON THE STEERING WEAL, A FACT I CAN PROVE BECAUSE I SUFFERED A FRACTURE OF THE THIRD METACARPAL HEAD OF MY LEFT HAND, A FRACTURE AN ORTHOPEDIST CALLED AN "AIRBAG FRACTURE". ALSO THERE WAS BUSING OF MY DISTAL DIGITS OF THE FINGERS OF MY LEFT HAND. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. MY WIFE WHO WAS SLEEPING AT THE TIME WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA FROM HER SEAT BELT, A FRACTURE OF THE LATERAL SPINE OF C-7, BILATERAL FIRST RIB FRACTURES, STERNUM FRACTURE AND A T-12 BLOWOUT FRACTURE. I HAVE COPIES OF MY X-RAY OF MY HAND FRACTURE AND A PICTURE OF THE ECHYMOSIS OF MY FINGERS. I REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO TESLA WITH THE DATE AND TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD GET BACK TO ME AFTER INVESTIGATING, BUT THEY HAVEN'T.

NHTSA ODI 11312175

TWICE RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, THE CAR COMPUTER STARTED FAILING. LIGHTS WENT OUT, TURN SIGNALS DIDN'T WORK, EVENTUALLY THE WHOLE SCREEN AND DASHBOARD THAT LET YOU DRIVE TURNED BLANK. I HAD TO FIND A WAY TO QUICKLY PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESET THE CAR BY PRESSING AND HOLDING THE TWO BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION.

NHTSA ODI 11282952