repaired · 2026 Q2
Front: warning light/devices
Risk. A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
2013 Tesla Model SProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 461 owner complaints about the 2013 Tesla Model S, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 11 safety recalls, and for recall 21V-035 the manufacturer reports only 66% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 18, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Niels de Wit from Lunteren, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2013 Tesla Model S has problems
461 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
195Electrical system19 crash/fire/injury
92Suspension15 crash/fire/injury
35Power train
29Steering
25Vehicle speed control
24Fuel/propulsion system
22Service brakes
21Engine
19Structure
9315 other systems5 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 195 | 19 |
| Suspension | 92 | 15 |
| Power train | 35 | 0 |
| Steering | 29 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 25 | 13 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 24 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 22 | 10 |
| Engine | 21 | 3 |
| Structure | 19 | 2 |
| 15 other systems | 93 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
11 recalls
2013 Tesla Model S recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2026 Q1
Electrical system: software
Risk. Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2025 Q4
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Risk. Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2025 Q4
Driver monitoring: software
Risk. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as…
Show 7 more recalls
repaired · 2023 Q1
Back over prevention: software
Risk. The eMMC controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting,…
repaired · 2020 Q3
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk. Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2019 Q2
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2019 Q2
Parking brake
Risk. If the gear breaks during parking brake release, the vehicle will not be able to be moved.
repaired · 2017 Q1
Seat belts: front
Risk. If the seat belt is not correctly attached to the pretensioner, it may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing their risk…
repaired · 2015 Q2
Cable/cord: accessory
Risk. An overheated adapter, cord, or wall outlet increases the risk of burn injury and/or fire.
no report yet
Seats
Risk. In the event of a crash, the left hand seat back may not stay mounted, increasing the risk of injury to passengers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Tesla.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
90kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 120 electrical system complaints. 60% were reported before 100,000 miles.
11under 30k miles72under 100k miles48100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Electrical system
26 owners mentioned a cost$1,758median
Middle half: $1,500 – $2,675
Unknown or other
14 owners mentioned a cost$1,650median
Middle half: $1,500 – $2,289
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2013 vs. every other Model S year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Model S median. How we score
'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2013 Tesla Model S safety ratings
2013 Tesla Model S 5 HB RWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 5 stars (5.7% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
12 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2013 Tesla Model S, and the recalls they led to.
- Battery Management Software UpdatesNo recall
- Sudden Unintended AccelerationNo recall
- Pedestrian alert soundsLed to recall 22V-063
- Defect Petition Interlock RequestNo recall
- Sudden Unintended AccelerationOpen
- Loss of rearview cameraLed to recall 21V-035
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
- Autopilot System Driver ControlsLed to recall 23V-838
- Fire - Propulsion Battery - Road DebrisNo recall
- Loss of rearview cameraNo recall
- Fore Link FailureNo recall
- Recall 23V838 Remedy EffectivenessOpen
In owners' words
What Model S owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The vehicle has suffered a catastrophic, intermittent low-voltage network crash caused by a failing Body Control Module (BCM), resulting in multiple dangerous safety-critical failure modes. On a previous occasion, the vehicle woke up with severe network faults and automatically forced itself into…
While driving my 2013 Tesla Model S at normal road speed, the vehicle suddenly lost all propulsion without any warning. I had to coast and maneuver across traffic to avoid being hit before the car came to a stop. After shifting into Park, the vehicle displayed DI_w072 and DI_f072 gate‑drive faults,…
The contact owns a 2013 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the parking brake seized while leaving a charging station, and the vehicle screeched into oncoming traffic and stalled. The parking brake warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled.…
Own a 2013 Model S?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.