Which Tesla Model S years have the most acceleration complaints?

The 2021 model year has the most complaints in this area and the highest rate against sales. The 2022 and 2023 years follow. The 2019, 2024, and 2025 years have few, but 2024 and 2025 are recent and have had less time to collect reports.

Is the Model S safe to drive with this problem?

Owners report serious crashes, injuries, and totaled cars, so treat any sudden surge or unexpected braking as a safety issue. Do not drive a car that has done this until a shop has inspected it. Many excerpts also name a Model X or Model Y, so not every report is a Model S.

Is there a recall for Model S acceleration or cruise control problems?

Federal recall records list no recalls in this area for the Model S. Check the VIN with the manufacturer or NHTSA before buying, since recall status for a specific car can change.

What does it cost to fix?

The data does not give a repair cost. Owners rarely describe a fix. Some say Tesla called the issue known with no fix, or that its data showed the pedal was pressed. Ask the seller for written service records instead.

Why does my Model S brake suddenly on cruise control?

Owners call this phantom braking. The car sheds speed on the highway with no hazard ahead, sometimes several times on one trip. One owner says Tesla called the behavior beta software. Another group reports cruise control going unavailable, including after an AP4 computer failure.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Tesla Model S Acceleration And Cruise Control Problems

Tesla Model S owners report sudden unintended acceleration at parking speeds, and brakes that seem not to stop the car.

Owner complaints: 521
Share of all complaints: 11%
Crash / fire / injury reports: 85 / 2 / 45
Related recalls: 0

Model S acceleration and cruise control complaints by model year

The 2021 model year has the most complaints in this area by a wide margin, and the highest rate against sales. The 2022 and 2023 years come next. The 2020 and 2018 years sit in the middle, and 2020 carries the heaviest injury toll of the older years. The 2019 year has few complaints. The 2024 and 2025 years also have few, but they are recent and have had less time to collect reports, so low counts there do not make them safer picks.

2018
32 · 10.7/10k sold
2019
8 · 5.5/10k sold
2020
47 · 23.2/10k sold
2021
148 · 128.1/10k sold
2022
119 · 13.2/10k sold
2023
141 · 52.8/10k sold
2024
20 · 12.6/10k sold
2025
6 · 6.5/10k sold

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA under vehicle speed control. Newer model years have had less time to collect complaints.

What goes wrong

Most complaints in this area describe the car surging forward at very low speed. It happens while pulling into a parking space, turning into a garage or driveway, creeping through a drive-through, or sitting stopped. Drivers say the brake pedal did not stop it, and many say no warning light came on first. A smaller group describes phantom braking under cruise control, where the car sheds speed on the highway with nothing ahead. Newer years add complaints about cruise control going dead and speed settings that change after software updates.

The safety risk is real. Owners report hitting garage walls, buildings, trees, poles, and parked cars, and airbags deployed in a number of these crashes. Injuries are common in the filings, and several cars were totaled. Fires appear in the 2021 and 2024 filings. Phantom braking has led to rear-end collisions. One caution: many excerpts name a Model X or Model Y, so not every story involves a Model S. Tesla has sometimes said its data showed the accelerator pedal was pressed.

Symptoms owners report

Surge while parking

The car lunges forward at walking speed while pulling into a space, garage, or driveway. Drivers describe it reaching high speed within feet and hitting walls, poles, or parked cars. Many say no warning light or chime came first.

Brake does not seem to stop it

Drivers say they pressed the brake and the car kept going. Some describe it surging while stopped at a light or in traffic. Tesla has sometimes reported that its data showed the accelerator pedal was pressed, which owners dispute.

Lunge after lifting off the pedal

Several owners were using regenerative braking, easing off the accelerator to stop, when the car took off instead. Others report lunges forward or backward when shifting, releasing the brake, or during automatic parking.

Phantom braking on cruise

On adaptive cruise control or Autopilot, the car brakes hard at highway speed with no hazard ahead. Some owners say it happened several times on one trip. One Model S was rear-ended this way at freeway speed.

Cruise control goes unavailable

Some owners report cruise control becoming unavailable. In newer years, an AP4 computer failure disables cruise control and cameras, and owners wait for parts. Full Self-Driving updates also draw complaints about removed manual speed adjustment and misread speed limits.

When the problems start

Owners who give mileage often report problems on cars that were nearly new. One car had only 40 miles, another was totaled at 160 miles, and several 2021 cases came within the first few hundred miles. Some 2023 events happened at 1,800 miles or less. One AP4 computer failure was tied to lost cameras and safety features within 700 miles. Most owners do not give mileage, so wear does not look like the main trigger.

Repairs and recalls

Federal recall records list no recalls in this area for the Model S. Owners rarely describe a fix. Some say Tesla reviewed the car's data and reported the accelerator pedal had been pressed. One owner says service called the cruise problem a known issue with no fix. Another says Tesla called the braking behavior beta software. One owner says Tesla did not follow up on a complaint. Owners with AP4 computer failures describe waiting for parts. The data gives no repair costs.

Checking a used Model S for acceleration and cruise control problems

Ask the seller whether the car ever surged, lunged, or braked on its own, and ask for service records covering those events.
Run a vehicle history report and look for crash or airbag entries, since many of these events end in front-end impacts.
On a test drive, use adaptive cruise control on a highway and note any sudden braking with no traffic ahead.
Confirm cruise control, cameras, and driver-assist features all work, with no unavailable messages or warnings.
Check that speed settings can be adjusted manually and that the car reads posted speed limits correctly.
Test low-speed driving and parking in an empty lot, with your foot ready on the brake.

A VIN check shows whether the car you're looking at had its recall work done, plus accident and title history.

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