2023 Tesla Model S problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (14) · Visibility/Wiper (6) · Vehicle Speed Control (6)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Tesla Model S model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (13)
Back Over Prevention:software 2026-05-04 · campaign 26V283000 · 218,868 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017, 2021-2023 Model 3, 2020-2023 Model Y, 2021-2023 Model S, and Model X vehicles operating software version 2026.8.6. The rearview camera image may be delayed when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A delayed rearview image reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-26-00-001.
Air Bags 2025-03-19 · campaign 25V172000 · 91 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Model S and 2021-2025 Model X vehicles. An air bag with the incorrect horn pad may have been installed, preventing the horn from sounding.
Risk: An inoperative horn may prevent the driver from alerting other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla service will inspect and install an air bag with the correct horn pad as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-20-001.
Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:cushion 2024-12-23 · campaign 24V967000 · 487 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Model S and Model X vehicles. The driver's air bag could tear during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 212, "Windshield Mounting."
Risk: A torn air bag may not adequately protect an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Tesla service will replace the air bag assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 21, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-20-001.
Electrical System:software 2024-07-24 · campaign 24V554000 · 1,849,638 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles. The hood latch assembly may fail to detect an unlatched hood condition after the hood has been opened.
Risk: An unlatched hood can fully open, obstructing the driver's view and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-012.
Seat Belts:front:warning Light/Devices 2024-05-28 · campaign 24V376000 · 125,233 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
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.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel 2024-01-30 · campaign 24V051000 · 2,193,869 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
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.
Fix: Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 2024-01-22 · campaign 24V035000 · 199,575 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model S, X, and Y vehicles equipped with full self-driving computer 4.0 and running a software release version 2023.44.30 through 2023.44.30.6 or 2023.44.100. Software instability may prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.
Risk: A rearview image that does not display while in reverse decreases the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 22, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-002.
Electrical System:software 2023-12-19 · campaign 23V862000 · 120,423 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Model S and X vehicles. The cabin doors can be unlocked during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Risk: An unlocked door may unlatch and open during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-009.
Electrical System:adas:driver Monitoring:software 2023-12-12 · campaign 23V838000 · 2,031,220 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
Risk: In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar 2023-11-03 · campaign 23V743000 · 194 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Model S and Model X vehicles. An incorrect air bag may have been installed when the steering yoke or round steering wheel was replaced with a different style of yoke or steering wheel.
Risk: An air bag that is not designed to function with the replacement steering yoke or wheel may deploy incorrectly, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and replace the driver air bag as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-20-005.
Seat Belts:front 2023-07-14 · campaign 23V488000 · 15,869 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Model S and Model X vehicles. The front-row seat belts may not be connected properly to the pretensioner anchors, which can cause the seat belts to detach.
Risk: A detached seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect the front-row seat belts and connect the seat belts to pretensioner anchors, or replace the seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 12, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-20-004.
Forward Collision Avoidance: Sensing System: Camera 2023-07-14 · campaign 23V489000 · 1,337 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The forward-facing camera may be misaligned, causing some of the active safety features such as emergency braking, forward collision warning, and lane assist to become unavailable without alerting the driver.
Risk: Safety features that are unavailable without any warning to the driver may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and adjust the pitch angle, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 12, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-17-006.
Steering:automated/Adaptive Steering 2023-02-15 · campaign 23V085000 · 362,758 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traf
Risk: FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
Service bulletins (73)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-02-04 · SB-26-18-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 ingress is present, rework the hvac drain funnel seal.
Electrical System 2025-04-03 · SB-24-17-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Electrical System 2025-03-21 · SB-24-21-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Electrical System 2025-01-16 · SB-24-17-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Electrical System 2024-12-11 · SB-24-21-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Unknown Or Other 2024-09-30 · fsd-12-5-4-1_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air
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 configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. this file c
Showing the 6 most recent of 73 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-25 · Steering“while driving at freeway speed at about 9:15 pm with full self-driving (supervised) engaged, the car suddenly jerked and told me to take over. several safety systems then failed at once: abs disabled (esp_a025), stability control disabled (di_a222), traction control disabled (di_a223), automatic emergency braking unavailable (app_w009), vehicle hol…”
2026-09-30 · Vehicle Speed Control“tesla removed speed control from their "full self-driving" product. they have removed the ability to conveniently switch to normal cruise control (have to pull over on freeway or get off freeway to park first) and speed profiles use outdated map data and frequently suddenly change speeds. sometimes they go away faster than the speed limit and somet…”
2026-09-09 · Wheels“catastrophic structural failure of the rear driver-side (lh) brake caliper assembly on a 2023 tesla model s plaid at approximately 18,036 miles. while driving normally on a public roadway, the factory-installed rear lh brake caliper bolts backed out completely due to improper assembly torque or a latent material defect. the unbolted caliper detac…”
2026-08-28 · Steering“my 2023 tesla model s has a horn activated by a small button on the right side of the steering wheel rather than by pressing the center of the steering wheel. during a recent dangerous traffic situation, i needed to use the horn immediately to warn another driver, but i could not locate and activate the horn button quickly enough while concentrati…”
2026-08-10 · Unknown Or Other“my tesla model s has a touch-sensitive horn button on the right side of the steering wheel. in urgent situations, i've often had difficulty quickly locating it to get another driver's attention. tesla quoted me $1800 to replace the steering wheel with a model that has the horn in the center, like most other cars. this is a safety concern because ow…”
2026-08-05 · Electrical System:adas:autonomous/Self Driving · 150,332 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2023 tesla model 3. the contact stated that while exiting a supercharging station with the full self-driving (fsd) feature engaged, the message "take over immediately" was displayed. the contact stated that the vehicle abruptly accelerated into an intersection and crashed head-on with another vehicle. the air bags deployed as nee…”
2026-07-28 · Seats“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 safe limits of the track when …”
2026-06-13 · Seat Belts“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 12, 2026. …”
2026-06-12 · Unknown Or Other“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 space. the purpose of the box is to…”
2026-06-04 · Electrical System:horn“the contact owns a 2023 tesla model s. the contact stated that the horn button on the right side of the steering wheel was not easily accessible. the contact was concerned that the issue could prevent the driver from beeping the horn during emergencies, increasing the risk of a crash. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the con…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.