What 129 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Tesla Model S 75

Driving the vehicle and all of a sudden all these warning lights came on. The dash flashed warning signs stating: "Power reduced - exiting and entering the vehicle may restore operation" "High voltage battery requires service - Acceleration and charging performance reduced" and a turtle sign appeared. The vehicle was almost inoperable moving at 1-2 mph. Pulled into a parking lot, parked the car, and exited the vehicle. After reentering the vehicle the error continued. Had the vehicle towed to the Tesla service center. It is currently being diagnosed. An online search showed many Tesla forums with similar issues and there were suggestions to report the incident because there no consistent resolution that has been provided by Tesla thus far - issues range from 2020 - 2023.

NHTSA ODI 11549787

The car does not come with a spare. I got a flat tire and Tesla will not provide a spare or a tow for free, they charge a fee for both. This has created a safety issue that can be life threatening due to their lack of a spare tire and not towing the car.

NHTSA ODI 11540944

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while washing the vehicle, there was orange rust coming out of the bumper. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer and confirmed that there was a failure with the bumper. The vehicle was being repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,374.

NHTSA ODI 11539218

I was using the Enhanced Cruise Control and the car just slammed on brakes out of nowhere. There was not any cars ahead or beside me at the time. This has happened about 5-6 times since I purchased the vehicle on March 10, 2023

NHTSA ODI 11534345

My wife, [XXX] was driving the car on April 12, 2023 and following is her statement of the incident. April 12, 2023, I was pulling my car into a parking space of a supermarket. It was about to come to a stop and all of a sudden it accelerated, hit the car parked facing it and then dragged for about 20 feet before coming to a stop. it was an unintended acceleration, which I have been trying to contact Tesla for investigation. I requested pre-accident scan data using Tesla App. Did not get any response from Tesla for weeks. After making numerous calls and spending 40-50 hours on the phone trying to get a hold of someone regarding the data I requested, I drove down to West Covina (CA) Tesla service. The service manager told me that the report has been run and reviewed by Tesla and it is determined that the car did what it was supposed to be doing. I requested a copy of the report (scan) to understand how it was determined. He said it can not be released. I have to formally request using the link he provided. I did so and the report (vehicle data) that I received is a bunch of matrix which can not be understood. I am trying to contact Tesla and once again "No Response". It is very frustrating. I am afraid of driving my car so have not used since the day of incident. I want the bug to be fixed before using my car. Anybody whom I have spoken with knows somebody who has experienced similar situation. All of the Tesla owners are unhappy about Tesla's customer support. I am reaching out for a help to investigate the glitch in the software and also to get it fixed. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11528438

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

Power Reduced Error. Tesla do not even know how to fix this issue and it seems to be apparent in many of their cars. Please see here: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/“power-reduced”-warning-and-turtle-icon.229299/page-2

NHTSA ODI 11527066

While driving on the highway using cruise control, the car unexpectedly and rapidly slowed down. This has happened several (5-10) times, day and night, generally in low traffic areas (mostly with no traffic anywhere nearby). I have experienced this issue throughout my ownership of the car. In the most recent case, the car seemed to think that the speed limit had dropped to 35mph, perhaps seeing a sign from a nearby road. Other times, I could perceive no cause, so UNKNOWN. The date below is the most recent time, where the car thought the speed limit dropped.

NHTSA ODI 11526759

Rear suspension on 2020 and older model s and x is not adjustable for alignment. Factory camber comes 2 aggressive which burns only the very inner part of the tire at a rapid pace. Upon checking tread depth with gauge you will not see this wear and tires will appear to be good. Tire wear is not visible unless you crawl under vehicle and inspect visually. Many Many reports of blow out tire due to this issue. Look it up. To top it off the vehicle does not come with a spare.

NHTSA ODI 11523654

Steering wheel buttons INCLUDING HORN have stopped functioning. Not able to use the horn seems to be a serious safety issue to prevent accidents. Not repairable due to parts shortage. Epidemic failure according to Tesla Service.

NHTSA ODI 11516627

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10-15 MPH, the rear subframe assembly failed inadvertently. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side wheel appeared to be caved inward. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear subframe and rear wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000. The contact stated that the failure can be explained by poor design. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's own expense, and they are requesting a reimbursement from the manufacturer. The contact has concerns that even after the repair that the vehicle will eventually fail again.

NHTSA ODI 11515804

I have repaired my Tesla door handles once under warranty and then again to a “3rd generation” out of warranty by a Tesla Service Center. 2 weeks after the “upgrade repair” another door handle stopped operating and would not close the car door continually unlocking and propping the door open while driving. I had to drive home with an open door handle. There was most recently a class action with another owner having the same issue, and numerous videos and articles posted online regarding the faulty safety defect.

NHTSA ODI 11513342

Door handle not working and not popping out as expected and driver can’t go inside the car. A few complaints already from the internet and a lawsuit already filed by other owner and this seems to be recall already but nothing was mentioned yet Camera get blinded or get block easily with rain or sun. This is an issue if you’re using the autopilot.

NHTSA ODI 11513151

On March 17, 2023 at approximately 4:00 pm MT, I was traveling at approximately 75 MPH with adaptive cruise control and auto pilot engaged when the car suddenly applied brakes with no obstruction ahead or behind or on the side. The car quickly slowed down to approximately 55 MPH, released the brakes and began to accelerate back to the speed limit of 75 MPH.

NHTSA ODI 11512646

On freeway in traffic, autopilot is enabled. Vehicle is running perfectly fine in start stop traffic slowing down and speeding up as needed. Traffic starts to clear up, and as vehicle speeds up, there is a sudden slowdown again. Instead of braking/slowing down, autopilot turns off without an additional audible alarm (just the standard sound for turning off autopilot), instead the forward collision warning alert goes off. Able to brake in time to prevent accident.

NHTSA ODI 11511387

Second door handle has failed and no longer unlatches door from outside, therefore dangerous to be unable to reach the back seats

NHTSA ODI 11511456

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that he noticed that the display screen was distorted and that the adhesive around the display touchscreen was leaking. The contact stated that the adhesive also leaked onto the console. Additionally, the contact stated that due to the toxicity of the adhesive, he started to get headaches. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the display was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed to contact the Service Center, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11509985

I was pulling into my driveway and beginning to pull into the garage. Immediately after straightening the car out to fit the space in the garage, the car immediately launched itself, accelerating extremely quick with no chance to brake or brace for impact. The car and the house suffered damage and I’m currently awaiting MRI results for possible injuries. It was an evident malfunction in the car’s system.

NHTSA ODI 11502292

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at a complete stop, he activated the Auto Park feature to park the vehicle. The vehicle unexpectedly rolled forward and crashed into another vehicle next to his front passenger's side. The contact stated that it was a minor collision and that no police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle away from the scene. The vehicle was taken to a body shop, where it was diagnosed that an unknown part near the passenger's side front wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the Auto Park feature was activated; however, the Auto Park inadvertently disengaged, causing the vehicle to roll. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11501459

Component that failed is daylight running lights and is available for inspection. Daylight running lights are important to be seen easier by other vehicles and pedestrians, since they don’t work my vehicles is more difficult to be seen during the day. Confirmed by service center. Unknown if inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others, most likely not. No warning lights, no messages, no symptoms, first appeared approximately sept 2022

NHTSA ODI 11499558

I was travelling on the highway at high speeds when the traffic suddenly comes to a halt. My tires were screeching without any signs of ABS kicking in whatsoever. My car slid 20-30 feet since i braked.

NHTSA ODI 11497797

MCU2 Failure. Dashboard and Screen no longer works Turn signals and headlights do not work There are no seatbelt warning Can no longer see battery levels / range (via app or inside car) Can no longer see car's location (via app) The car will drive, brake lights and windows work THAT'S IT. Car it totally unsafe to drive otherwise. Tesla is charging $1965.75 plus taxes which equals $2083.70 Parts $1800 Remove and Replaces $165.75

NHTSA ODI 11492143

Tesla designs a single piece headlight with no serviceable parts. This includes headlights, high beams, and namely daytime running lights. All of these components are on an LED strip that overheats and un-solders due to this high heat, which causes premature failure. Some owners have reported as little as 3 months of life before failing. The daytime running lights are essential for safety driving in low light situations. These daytime running lights are seemingly built to fail. The lights dim then eventually no longer work. Tesla's solution is to have the customer purchase a brand new headlight at $1500. My vehicle is 4 years old and has been through 3 pairs of headlights already, when the last set burnt out I just left them as is. Tesla should either goodwill swap out these headlights for a non-built to fail component, or offer a repair for a quality LED strip with proper heat distribution. Without daytime running lights safety is a major concern on foggy, rainy, and low light situations. I have attached an image showing how the failure begins on top then slowly goes all the way down to the side of the headlight which fails later.

NHTSA ODI 11491487

The contact had rented a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while his wife was making a U-turn at a low rate of speed, the vehicle accelerated with her foot on the brake pedal and crashed into a tree. The contact stated that his wife heard two warning beeps prior to the failure which the contact stated it signaled that the autopilot had independently engaged. The air bags did not deploy during the accident. The contact's wife did not suffer any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The rental company had yet to receive a diagnosis as to the cause of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ODI 11489941

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while pulling into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated at high speeds without any warning, causing the vehicle to run through a construction site and collide with a building. The air bags were deployed, and the passenger in the vehicle was injured and sought medical attention. The contact was unsure if a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11486791