There are 2 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2016 Tesla Model Sin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
While driving on the freeway in the fast lane at 75 MPH I80W, the car began a loud humming sound that came from the rear. My passenger and I noted that it was significant sound that we took a video to record the sound. I was the driver and I noticed that the sound increased as I accelerated. Then without any warning the car began to decelerate and no longer accelerated. The car slowed considerably to 35 MPH and it became a major safety issue because I had to cross all lanes of traffic at this slow speed. It was only after the car had completely shut down that the warning messages began to display. I reached the side of the road and we waited for the tow truck driver for about an hour. Subsequently, the car was towed to a Tesla dealer near my home. I was informed that the drive unit needed to be replaced with an explanation of internal failure, costing over $7000. However, the root cause of the internal failure was never explained or investigated even at my request stating that they do not take apart the drive unit. This incident occurred after driving 7hrs of heavy rainfall for 2 days. A quick google search of "2016 Tesla model S drive unit failure" reveals plenty of Tesla owners that had similar issues.
WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH ON A HIGHWAY FRONT MOTOR SHORTED LOOSING POWER AND CAR SLOWED TO A HALT AT A UNSAFE HIGHWAY LOCATION.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026