2015 Tesla Model S Complaint Log

Tesla Refused honey my warranty! My car stopped charging fully. Would only charge to 23%. Took it to Tesla, they said a row of battery not functioning correctly and since the battery is under warranty until 12/2/2023 I would not be charged. But, Left car with Tesla Service on 6/7/22 for warranty battery replacement as confirmed by Tesla same day with no charge to customer per warranty item. On 6/23/22, car is but Myra Vasquez and Tesla informed that I would have to pay 1432.10 to fix and retrieve my car after which I reminded them the original reason for the service is under warranty and I should not pay anything per Tesla Service on 6/7/22. Warranty expires 12/2/2023 so I am well within my rights. Under duress and to be able to retrieve my car I had to agree to the service or would have not way to go to work or take my children to school.

Rear drive unit failure Failed while driving, letters turned red and car became unresponsive. Car later became responsive between 3-10 seconds. Has occurred 5 times in a week. Dealer claims moisture to drive unit is what caused it and repair was covered under warranty except the harness attached to it, dealer charged me $599 for the harness. If seals are failing and allowing moisture to happen, which then leads vehicles to be unresponsive while driving is a huge risk. Please look into this, there are others online with the same issue

This appears to be a common problem as seen in the forums. But suddenly my steering locks at intervals when turning. Feels like the power steering went out and is very jerky. Requires a lot of force to turn the wheel. Sticks and then is loose. Apparently cause by a steering column or Lower U-joint when exposed to salt roads in northern snow climates. Also it appears Tesla has replaced this part with a covering preventing this from rusting and filling up with dirt and grime. My car does not have this feature. Hopefully the car does not lose steering completely or fail before my next appointment on June 9th. I called roadside assistance and they said to try a reset. That didn’t work.

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center where it was diagnosed that the front passenger’s side knee air bag was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,057.

Sudden braking for no reason. On Autopilot on freeway. Sudden braking from 70 MPH to 15 MPH. Happens about 1 in 3 road trips. No car in front.

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the liquid crystal display was leaking from the instrument panel causing a glare while driving. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the instrument panel needed to be replaced at his expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 92,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The vehicle had previously been serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lightning) however, the failure occurred after the recall was repaired. The contact stated that while driving at an 60 mph, the center display screen went black and then rebooted, causing the defroster, the rearview camera display, and the navigational system to become inoperable. The auto pilot function and other unknown warning messages were displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000. When he reported the failure to Tesla, they believe a firmware update in the near future should fix this problem.

This is in regards to the same complaint about the Tesla charging at the super charging being very slow on my vehicle. I went to Canada with the car charging and it was ridiculously slow even though it was at various superchargers

I was behind a car at a stop light when a SUV hit me very hard from behind, I hit the car in front of me. My face hit the steering wheel, 2 teeth came out whole, ripped from the gums, one tooth pushed up into my upper jaw. I got a laceration on my lower lip. i hit my forehead left side of my mouth and nose (very swollen, deviates to the right).

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle took 5 – 10 minutes to be started. The contact stated that the doors and apps were inoperable. The contact stated that there were several error messages displayed. The contact was concerned about the vehicle stalling. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with the autonomous self-driving feature activated, the contact attempted to use the turn signal while changing lanes and almost struck another vehicle. The contact was able to control the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic made the contact aware that the failure was a known issue however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 35,000.

I was driving on a street and needed to stop fast to avoid rear ending a stopped car. The control arm of my car broke. There was no debris on the road and I didn't hit anything. My car was towed to a Tesla Service center and they replaced both control arms (per the service person) and charged me only $200.

Wheel speed sensor kept getting disconnected. When it does, systems like ABS, traction control, and other anti-collisions systems are disabled immediately. This resulted in lost of vehicle control on wet pavement. The service center replaced the sensor twice but the problem continues to pop up randomly. They won’t look at the issue unless I pay for troubleshooting at $150/hr with no limit of how long or if they will find something.

On two or three occasions now my Model S will slow down for no apparent reason while autopilot is engaged. It's happened at speeds between 35 - 45 mph and highway speeds. Problem seems to have started after OTA updates. Car never had this problem before prior to the most recent OTA updates.

The current mcu is useless. Freezes and restarts. It's really slow to utilize

When driving above 45 MPH, there is a shuddering sound that comes from the front left of the car. After taking the car in for service, I was told that "the front AFT and Fore links are bad on the car" and need replacement.

The Navigation system stops and doesn't start. Checking on Google, I see that this has happened to many Tesla Model S owners who have an older model. This is because of a chip store card that fails after 4-6 years. On a long drive, this doesn't take us to the next super charger. This can cause the car to stop suddenly when it runs out of charge, and create risk for drivers and for other vehicles on the road too. The navigation is important on Teslas to know that one can safely complete her journey without running out of charge.

Front right suspension lower forelink sheered apart while backing out of a parking space.

I am from Florida and was passing through Vegas. The time was about 9:41 pm. I was on my way from Las Vegas, NV and I charged the car to 90% and was on my way to the Kingman, AZ Supercharger (Traveling on U.S. 93). The car was at 32% at the bottom of the mountain (Approx +3400ft). The cars indicators showed arrival to Kingman supercharger @ 31%. However, while reaching near the Cerbat Foothills Recreation Area (Approx +4000ft - so approx gradual 600ft climb). The car started to alert me that I needed to pull over as there is no more power. The car still showed 30% power remaining and approx 23 miles. The destination was 2.7 miles (5 min) away. The car drove for about 20 - 50ft then lost the ability to accelerate. I put my hazards on and had to cut drivers off to get over to the right shoulder (No shoulder on left) before it stopped rolling uphill. There were also no street lights (very dark) and the cell signal was very weak. I was able to call Tesla roadside who saw remotely that the car had 38% remaining power. The battery immediately started dropping quickly while talking to him. The car refused to start/go into neutral when the tow company came. We had it taken back to Vegas where it took Tesla over a month to acquire a replacement battery. I slept in the car and was not provided a loaner for months. Even had to get a job there. While waiting for the repair I discovered the cooling system had issues. Tesla won't say it but I am sure the cooling system failure led to the battery not being cooled and dying. The louvers were all broken, and the compressor needed to be replaced. I mentioned to Tesla long before I did this trip that the AC was making noises and they ignored it multiple times. I even recorded the sounds it made and played it for them. I have a video and more info than I can fit in here. Even though there is proof of past issues I still am responsible for the cost of their mistakes. In more ways than 1. I spent the holidays and my birthday stuck here.

System Failure: Adaptive speed control Safety Risk: My 2015 Tesla Model S, at highway speeds, smashed into the rear of a jacked up Ford F250 Pickup. A Head on collision at highway speeds put my wife (and dog) and I at great risk. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I am unsure if or how Tesla is dealing with the problem of adaptable speed control failure. Has the vehicle been inspected? Yes. Dan's Paint & Autobody and USAA Insurance Company adjuster My accident happened in the southbound passing lane at mile marker 178 on I-10, south of chandler on the Gila River Community in Maricopa/Pinal County It was dark outside with heavy traffic in both southbound lanes. My software version was 2021.40.6 I had the distance between cars at the closest setting , and had the adaptive speed control set at ~75. I was attentive with both hands on the wheel, eyes forward watching traffic with my wife whom was also watching the traffic. Without warning a Ford F250 stopped hard in front of me and my adaptive speed control did not react. The few beats I gave the adaptive speed control to respond first cost me precious braking time. I did hit my abs brakes and could feel the vibration as they attempted to slow down, but it was too late. I submarined under the bumper of the truck at a very high speed. There was no warning lamps, messages at the time of the accident. There was one early symptom that I recall. There was a Tesla software update a few days before the collision. On 11/27/22 before leaving for my trip, the dash screen to the far left did not display the map which it usually does when you set the GPS to map the path. I rebooted with the steering wheel toggles, and the display returned to normal. There were no other software malfunctions that I recall prior to the adaptive speed control failure.

A recall for my main media control unit was announced in March 2021. I have STILL not received the replacement unit from Tesla. My main screen goes black while driving. I lose ability to control HVAC, navigation, music, suspension, security etc. I also am unable sometimes to drive the vehicle from standing as the car will "reboot" unexpectedly.

While I was backing out from my car garage and turn the steering wheel, I heard a squeaking sound while applying a brake on the passenger front tire area. I stopped the car and went out to check, the front passenger tire pretty much pushed all the way back touching the wheel arch liner (see photo). I called tesla and they sent a tow truck to towed it to their service center near by. I didn't realize how wide spread the issue was until I research the problem online. I filed this complaint to solidify with other people which have the same problem.

The car will issue a BMS_w035 warning which is connected to the battery heater failing/failed. In this case, the car may not restart, per Tesla's on-screen warning. If this occurs while driving, or in stop-and-go traffic, this could lead to a dangerous situation of not being able to remove the car from the road safely without a tow truck. From recent incidents online, this is occurring in many 2014-2016 Model S vehicles with the colder weather change.

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the backup camera functioned intermittently and on other occasions, the image would remain frozen on the screen. The contact also stated that the MCU Unit failed and went blank on several occasions. While driving on some occasions, the MCU Unit would reboot. In addition, the defroster and turn signal chimes failed to function. The failure had gotten progressively worse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the failure persisted. The service center offered the contact a special offer of $2,000 for an Entertainment System Upgrade (NVIDIA Tegra 3 to Intel Atom Processor). The contact declined and Tesla acknowledged that there was a known issue with NVIDIA Tegra 3 Processor in the MCU and that an upgrade to the NVIDIA Tegra 3 would resolve the known failure. The contact was concerned that the backup camera failure might result in a crash with another vehicle or pedestrian. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on three separate occasions and on each occasion, the vehicle remained in their possession for approximately 2 weeks. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

I have replaced the steering knuckle two separate times I-SHAFT STEERING LINK - NON ISOLATOR - LOWER(1030622-00-A) this makes is hard to steer and is dangerous. Tesla does not have an updated part for this. I have asked

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and slowing for a traffic light or signal, the vehicle infotainment system activated and then froze. The contact stated that the digital screen remained viewable however, the touch screen functionality was unresponsive to the touch. The contact stated that once the screen had frozen, he could not access the functions controlled by the touch screen. The contact stated that the failure required a full re-boot of the system. The contact stated that the re-boot time averaged eight to ten minutes. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed physically, and over the air, and determined that the infotainment center console needed to be replaced and the main computer processer needed to be upgraded. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

No early alert before slamming on the brakes, only tapping a rear bumper on a 1999 Toyota Tundra. No damage to the Toyota but to my surprise, the insurance company said the Tesla's totaled. The airbags for the driver were deployed only, with no other passengers in the car. Quite a loud noise. I have an EDR report, not sure how to interpret it. Did not hear any warning lamps. Fortunately, both the other driver and I suffered no injuries. I would like to find out exactly what happened.

Car door would not open or get stuck.

Brake and accelerator pedals are configured such that both are easily pressed together. Other unintended acceleration or loss of brakes complaints here may be the same issue. I was cornering and needed to slow. Pressing the brake pedal did not slow the vehicle. An error that both pedals are pressed was seen in the first occurrence. This time I only heard the chime. I couldn’t look to see the message. No crash, just a scary incident.

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Trunk states it's open, but it's closed. I can't reset it. When I crawled into the area to use the safety pull cord to open it, nothing happened! Well, the pull cord broke. What if I'd been kidnapped and put in there?? I cannot open the hatch and it looks like an expensive repair from what I've read online. Surely this is a safety issue and should be covered under a recall.

I have developed bubbles in my central LED display. The car was being serviced. They were repairing a recalled eMMC chip. When I receive the car back, the central touchscreen had bubbles. They tell me that I need to replace it for a cost of $797. I am told that this is a safety issue oh, a fact that I can readily believe

when backing out of my garage, I heard some loud metal breaking sounds from the front of the car on the passenger side. I drove the car a short distance and heard grinding sounds ... at which point I had the car towed. The part that broke was one of the Fore Link Assembly parts (or else the Front Suspension Aft Link Assembly .... the Tesla service department replaced both) .... these are the components that control the direction of the right front wheel when turning. I will upload a picture of the parts that were replaced ... showing the broken part. To the best of my knowledge, there was no apparent precipitating cause for the failure.

The driver side screen and the central touch screen developed bubbles with multiple air fluid lines and bubbles. With the sun shining in from the side or rear of the vehicle, it made the screens nearly impossible to read. This created very unsafe driving conditions, as the driver was not able to see critical information from speed, dash board warnings, rear camera view and vital air conditioning functions such as defrost/defog. This was noticed within 1-2 days of having the recall repair for the VCM to upgrade 8GB eMMC. The Tesla Repair Center said the two events were not related. Ultimately, I was left to replace both screen through and infotainment system upgrade costing $2250.00.

Sometime about a month ago, when driving along the Capitol Expressway going home, the huge Center Console screen suddenly went blank for a few seconds. With the screen off, most vehicle controls as not accessible. Since i was near a Supercharging Station, i parked there and performed reset while proceeding to charge. After a few minutes, screen went back on.

Left front wheel rubs against wheel well when turning and a rubbing sound is heard at speeds around 55 mph. The dealer inspected and said that the suspension had failed and needed replacement.

On September 7, 2021 I was driving in heavy rain conditions. The rain was so heavy I could only drive at speed of 25 mph. My car displayed a message "Car may not restart - service required" I pulled under a canopy of a gas station and put the car in PARK. The car did not restart after that and was towed to Tesla Service Center. The next day I was told that a RAPID MATE vehicle side connector failed due to water ingress and that HV battery needs to be replaced due to same damage. I was presented with a $23622.54 invoice even, though, the battery is covered under existing powertrain warranty. The car was never driven into standing water or a puddle. Water has NOT entered the interior of the car. The battery and other electrical components of the car are poorly insulated / isolated presenting the risk of water damage and or electric shock under ordinary driving conditions.

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the Media Control Unit eMMC screen was blank and inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that a chip replacement was needed. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The screen behind the steering wheel on the TESLA forms bubbles on the screen which is a common problem with these vehicles. The screen behind has controls of the vehicle and there is a fluid that leaks behind and is causing this issue. Tesla doesn’t want to accept it and repair it but so many customers with models prior to 2016 have the same problem.

Suspension keeps making noises such as knocking roughly in both front wheels. Feels week and in high speeds it might get broken causing loss of control. Took it to service they will charge me even with the repair bulletin I found in NHTSA. Correction: Four Wheel Alignment (Air Suspension) (Adjust Camber Caster Toe) Correction: Links - Front Suspension - Lower - Aft - LH/RH (Remove & Replace)

Instrument cluster is coming apart at edges and progressing into the actual display area. This will cause speedometer and other information to be distorted or unreadable. It appears as though the glue used to assemble the display is deteriorating and causing the issue. The dealer has explained that it is a common issue with these vehicles. The suggested repair would cost approximately $1500. This seems unreasonable for an obvious manufacturing defect affecting many vehicles. I have included pictures of my instrument panel as well as others with the same issue.

Hello, My driver's side door handle broke back in November/December of 2020. As a result, it prevented me from entering the car on the driver's side. I had it repaired in December 2020. Now, my passenger side door handle has broken as well. My concern here is that if there is an accident where the car is on fire, etc., and the passenger(s) inside my car are unconscious, that someone from outside the car would have a difficult time opening the door to pull them out. they wold need to break the glass and pull them out through the window. Although this is an option/workaround, I believe it puts all passengers in the car at risk of sever injury or death if this type of situation is experiences and time of essence it critical. I'm submitting this information b/c I believe that with the multiple door handle failures that this creates a significant risk to the safety of passengers in my Tesla. As a result, I think a more robust longer term solution is needed for the Tesla Model S. Thanks, Trevor

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel stiffened while turning. There was a loud clanking sound while turning the steering wheel. The eMMC center display screen inadvertently turned off while the contact was driving. The eMMC screen was also slow to start up while starting the vehicle. The contact stated that the failures started after receiving the vehicle back from a collision repair shop. The vehicle was involved in a collision where another vehicle had crashed into the driver’s side door. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 115,480.

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the vehicle went into autopilot and crashed into the median divider. No medical attention was received on the scene but the contact later went to the hospital for injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's girlfriend's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired and will be towed to a body shop to examine if it is totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they would contact back after their investigation. The failure mileage was 51,720.

When using auto pilot on the freeway my vehicle sometimes comes to a halting stop for no reason putting myself and passengers in great danger.

I received an “important safety recall” letter from Tesla, dated July 14, 2021. This is to replace the embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC) in the media control unit. The instructions were to set up an appointment with Tesla to replace the VCM daughter board with on containing an enhanced eMMC. Yesterday, upon receiving the letter, I created an appointment for this Friday per Tesla’s instructions. I received confirmation of the appointment. Today I received a message from Tesla: “For this recall, unless you are currently experiencing issues with this touchscreen that we are able to verify, we will not be replacing it at this time. Please let us know if you have any other concerns, otherwise we will close this work order.” I wrote back asking for them not to cancel my appointment. I have had the main screen “blank out” with no controls. This also turns off my air conditioner, rear camera, and other controls. This screen has gone out three times over the past year. I’m concerned that they are not going to fulfill their obligation for me and others who have these cars and are experiencing the same problem. I have asked Tesla to remedy the situation and have not heard back.

Today, I encountered what I now know to be a common problem with the U Joint in Steering Rack binding heavily at 45 degree, 90 degree, and 180 degree positions. This resulted in my steering wheel being stuck in position while driving and nearly caused me to crash into another vehicle today as a result. Luckily I was able to unbind the steering but it got really stiff. I drove to a safe area with steering continued to show binding/seizing behavior. I got a profession who inspected the U Joint and found a lot of debris. Teflon lubricant was applied and cleaned to their best ability but the part is really hard to reach and requires removal of the front drive unit for the dual motor cars. The binding is still occurring but not as strongly as before. This is already a flagged item and should be considered a recall. This issue could have killed someone today. The U Joint should have a boot over it and not be exposed to the elements. Posted below is a related bulletin for RWD Model S. I have a dual motor Model S so this issue is not only RWD S. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10177030-9999.pdf The steering U Joint issue is not something to take light hearted. I did not know the steering could potentially bind until it occurred and it was so sudden. With so many occurrences with other owners, there will be an increased chance someone may crash and cause injury to themselves or others. If this happens during a lane change, it can cause the steering to bind and in the wrong situation, a pedestrian can get killed. I beg for the NHTSA to take a deeper look and announce a recall. Please see other owners who have this issue: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/steering-u-joint-lower-shaft-issue-and-my-solution-so-far.212604/ Thank you. Best Regards, James

I own a 2015 Model S - 85D / Mileage 42967 purchased September 2015. On July 11, 2021, I visited family in IL and returned to my residence. I was heading to the grocery store and backing the car out of the driveway by the garage door going 5-10 mph. As I turned to the left to back out, I immediately heard a squeaky grinding noise by the front left driver-side of the tire area. I moved forward and backwards to straighten the car and heard the grinding noise again. I also felt the left front driver tire rubbing into the wheel well liner around the tire and a little wobbly. I very felt uncomfortable and decided not to drive the vehicle and parked it in the garage until it was towed. I was without my vehicle and drove an alternate vehicle with gas. I called Tesla on 7/12/21 to inquire and was inform I may need a wheel alignment and scheduled appointment for 8/2/2021. There was the risk and danger of having a severe accident as I did not feel safe hearing the grinding noise. On Sunday, 8/1/2021, as I pulled the Tesla out of the garage to be towed this friend noticed the left tire moving from side to side. I updated my Tesla appointment and informed them of this issue. I received a call on 8/3/2021 from the Tesla Repair technician stating the problem was a broken suspension joint with the Front Driver Front Fore Link. My thought was – “What if this had occurred and broke while on the highway driving 65-70 mph?" I immediately went online to google and found the article that Tesla posted a 2017 service bulletin about the fore link suspension. I informed the Tesla repair center about the article and asked if Tesla would cover the repair expense since my vehicle problem has the exact issued addressed by Elon Musk. I had to pay $978.36 repair bill. There was no inspection except the Tesla repair center. There was no warning indication, alert or message for this critical failed nor correspondence from Tesla regarding the critical suspension problem

While backing out of the driveway I heard a loud crack and grinding noise when turning the wheel to pull out into the street. Upon stopping a checking where the noise was coming I found that the left lower fore link completely sheared/ cracked off and the wheel was up against the back of the wheel well. ***The area where the wheel was backed up against (Completely tore the liner) has the cooling tubing (now leaking) & a high voltage wireline. This could've resulted in serious issues if we were traveling at higher speeds. Tesla has failed to reach out and call back regarding the issue and the vehicle is rendered completely useless/ undrivable. I've owned many vehicles and this is most certainly NOT NORMAL WARE AND TARE! This is a big safety issue and needs to be addressed ASAP. Thank god my family wasn't on the highway or any road above 5MPH when this happened. The damage would've been catastrophic.

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had to experience the failure for the recall repair to be completed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.