2016 Tesla Model S electrical system problems
149 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2016 Tesla Model S — 23% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“This complaint covers a 13-month continuous chain of severe electrical system failures stemming from a deficient federal safety recall remedy on my vehicle's Media Control Unit (MCU) architecture. Tesla's corporate policy has been to replace only the isolated center screen explicitly tracked by the…”
filed Aug 15, 2026
“On 6/11/26, around 2:10 pm, when i was slowly pulling over to park on a road side, the car suddenly rushed forward unexpectedly. It was so powerful, at the time I could only hear the panic reactions from the two passengers and sense the imminent collision with the parked bmw in the front of several…”
filed Jun 29, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and…Campaign 24V051000 · Jan 30, 2024
- In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the…Campaign 23V838000 · Dec 12, 2023
Related service bulletins
On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the battery powered Pyrotechnic High Voltage (HV) Battery Disconnect will reach the end of its battery lifespan in the near future, which will trigger alerts and may limit the…
SB-25-16-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2025
Electrical System problems in other Model S years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Model S | 7 | 18% |
| 2023 Model S | 9 | 8% |
| 2022 Model S | 16 | 12% |
| 2021 Model S | 25 | 14% |
| 2020 Model S | 7 | 9% |
| 2019 Model S | 5 | 11% |
| 2018 Model S | 34 | 20% |
| 2017 Model S | 113 | 27% |
| 2015 Model S | 265 | 40% |
| 2014 Model S | 132 | 36% |
| 2013 Model S | 195 | 42% |
| 2012 Model S | 37 | 61% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 Tesla Model S
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.