2020 Tesla Model S Reliability Report

Front suspension links and control arms tear or break and make creaking, rattling, or tearing noises when turning or backing out. This tends to show up near 40,000 miles, and some owners need the repair more than once. Other reports describe power steering failing after a warning that steering may need extra force. Some say the steering turned sticky at speed or locked up completely. A few crash reports involve suspension parts breaking at speed and the car losing control. 8 of 54 complaints involve crashes.

Unintended acceleration at very low speed drives this category. Drivers say the car surged forward while pulling into a parking space, garage, driveway, or drive-through lane, or while sitting at a light, and that the brake did not stop it. The cars hit walls, poles, buildings, and other vehicles, sometimes hard enough to deploy the airbags. Some of the cars were nearly new, one with only 40 miles. This category has the most injuries: 17 crashes and 10 injuries across 47 complaints.

Range loss and charging failures lead the non-crash reports. Owners say full-charge range falls far below the rating, and charging hardware fails so the car can no longer charge on a Level 2 charger, with one owner reporting this at 46,000 miles. Others describe a constant drain that kills the 12-volt battery and sudden warnings that ABS, power steering, and regenerative braking are unavailable. Frozen rear cameras, a blanking screen, and dashcam faults also appear. Crash reports involve sudden acceleration and Smart Summon.

Phantom braking is the main complaint. With Autopilot, cruise control, or Full Self-Driving on, the car brakes hard at freeway speed with nothing in front and sheds 5 to 10 mph. Sometimes Autopilot switches off when this happens. Owners report many events on a single road trip. Some were told there is no fix yet or that software updates would address it, and one technician found nothing wrong. Other reports mention leaking rear brake hoses and warnings that disable ABS, traction control, and automatic emergency braking.

Rear doors that will not open are the most common non-crash concern. A loose interior door panel can wedge against the body seal and jam the door, sometimes more than once. The manual release for the rear doors is hidden under a mat or cover, or needs a screwdriver to reach. Other reports describe the front hood flying open at about 40 mph, a sheared subframe bolt, mirrors unfolding while backing out of a garage, and the power trunk closing on fingers. Most crash reports here describe sudden acceleration while parking.

Airbags that did not deploy in serious crashes are the main crash complaint, and occupants report fractures, head injuries, and whiplash. Most of these reports describe the Model Y. A separate fault, the front passenger safety restraint system warning, comes and goes and can disable the passenger airbag. Repairs often mean replacing a sensor or the seat, with quotes of $1,100 to $2,000. The warning sometimes returns after repair. 10 of 17 complaints involve crashes, with 9 injuries.

Front half-shaft and CV axle failures cause a wobble, shudder, grinding, or whining sound under acceleration. Repairs sometimes fail again, and owners pay once the warranty runs out. Other reports describe the car shutting down while driving after an unable-to-drive warning, and the gear stalk shifting into neutral or reverse when the driver cancels cruise control. Some owners also report a frozen touchscreen that left the car unable to accelerate and an accelerator pedal that broke off. Both crash reports describe sudden acceleration after pressing Park.