2023 Tesla Model S problems & reliability

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.

Most reported problems

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

Complaints by incident year

What owners report

• “​The driver's seat assembly on the vehicle suffers from a critical mechanical and software tracking defect that causes the seat to permanently jam into a mechanical lock, creating an immediate and severe safety hazard. ​The electronic calibration soft-stops for the driver's seat allow the mechanism to travel past the…”

  Seats · filed Jul 28, 2026

• “Repeated warning of failure of Front left safety restraint system. Now also a seatbelt warning light. Have already bright car to service three times. Tesla acknowledges inability to resolve recurrent issue. I think this was a recall issue for previous years of this model, Model S. Most recent yesterday, Friday, June…”

  Seat Belts · filed Jun 13, 2026

• “I feel Tesla has introduced two safety issues with a recent version of software relating to the "Full Self Driving (Supervised)" feature. Issue #1. When disengaging the Full Self Driving ("FSD") software, Tesla positions a dialog box over the main center display screen. The box takes up a fairly large portion of…”

  Unknown OR Other · filed Jun 12, 2026

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Federal defect investigations

• FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions

  Engineering Analysis EA26002 · opened Mar 18, 2026 · open

• Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged

  Preliminary Evaluation PE25012 · opened Oct 7, 2025 · open

• Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements

  Audit Query AQ25002 · opened Aug 20, 2025 · open

• Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.

  Preliminary Evaluation PE24033 · opened Jan 6, 2025 · closed Apr 3, 2026

• FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions

  Preliminary Evaluation PE24031 · opened Oct 17, 2024 · closed Mar 18, 2026

• Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness

  Recall Query RQ24009 · opened Apr 25, 2024 · open

• Sudden Unintended Acceleration

  Defect Petition DP23002 · opened Jun 29, 2023 · open

• Defect Petition Interlock Request

  Defect Petition DP23001 · opened Apr 7, 2023 · closed Mar 18, 2026

Technical service bulletins

73 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2023 Tesla Model S. The 10 most recent:

• On some Model S and Model X vehicles, the compression gap of the HVAC drain funnel seal is wider than intended, which may cause water ingress. Inspect the sponge area of the HVAC drain funnel for water ingress. If water…

  SB-26-18-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 4, 2026

• On certain Model S, Model X and Model Y vehicles, the interior camera requires replacement to mitigate reduced driver attentiveness detection performance in low-light conditions.

  SB-24-17-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 3, 2025

• Some Model S and Model X vehicles with 1st Generation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas might suffer from lower-than-expected navigation signal strength under certain circumstances.

  SB-24-21-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 21, 2025

• On certain Model S, Model X and Model Y vehicles, the interior camera requires replacement to mitigate reduced driver attentiveness detection performance in low-light conditions.

  SB-24-17-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2025

• Some Model S and Model X vehicles with 1st Generation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas might suffer from lower-than-expected navigation signal strength under certain circumstances.

  SB-24-21-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 11, 2024

• Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…

  fsd-12-5-4-1_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024

• Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…

  fsd-12-5-4_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024

• Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…

  fsd-12-5-3_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024

• Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…

  2024.38_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024

• Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…

  2024.26.9_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024

TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.

Safety recalls

The 2023 Tesla Model S has 13 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.