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.
2015 Tesla Model SProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 672 owner complaints about the 2015 Tesla Model S, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 9 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 November 8, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2015 Tesla Model S has problems
672 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
269Electrical system11 crash/fire/injury
150Suspension34 crash/fire/injury
51Steering
46Exterior lighting
40Vehicle speed control
32Forward collision avoidance
32Fuel/propulsion system
31Visibility/wiper
30Structure
17613 other systems20 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 269 | 11 |
| Suspension | 150 | 34 |
| Steering | 51 | 4 |
| Exterior lighting | 46 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 40 | 16 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 32 | 5 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 32 | 5 |
| Visibility/wiper | 31 | 0 |
| Structure | 30 | 6 |
| 13 other systems | 176 | 20 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
9 recalls
2015 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 · 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…
repaired · 2023 Q4
Hood: latch
Risk. If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could open unexpectedly, obstructing the driver's view and…
Show 5 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
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 · 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
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…
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?
56kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 199 electrical system complaints. 91% were reported before 100,000 miles.
20under 30k miles181under 100k miles18100k 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
31 owners mentioned a cost$1,639median
Middle half: $1,415 – $2,084
Unknown or other
8 owners mentioned a cost$2,061median
Middle half: $1,721 – $2,370
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
2015 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
13 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2015 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
- Automatic vehicle control systemsNo recall
- Loss of rearview cameraNo recall
- Fore Link FailureNo recall
- Autopilot & First Responder ScenesNo 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 center touchscreen suddenly went completely black and became unresponsive without warning. Repeated attempts to restart it using the steering-wheel scroll buttons have failed. The black screen prevents me from accessing important vehicle functions, including the rearview camera and other…
This complaint concerns the failure and subsequent denial of coverage for a critical high-voltage safety component: the Pyrotechnic High Voltage Battery Disconnect (commonly known as the pyro fuse). This device is engineered to catastrophically isolate the high-voltage battery pack during a…
Car suddenly unable to drive and stranded on the street. The vehicle had to to towed to Tesla SC. Upon inspection, Tesla said: "we identified that the first-generation fuse cover has developed rust, which allowed moisture to enter the fuse assembly. This has rendered the vehicle inoperable." This…
Own a 2015 Model S?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.