U.S. public vehicle records

2015 Tesla MODEL S problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

667 owner complaints analyzed

9 distinct recall campaigns

49,240 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2015 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 455 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 261 of 667 complaints (39.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Electrical and battery issues	83	12.4%
Steering behavior	69	10.3%
Braking behavior	67	10.0%
Transmission and shifting	6	0.9%
Engine operation	3	0.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

261

Unknown Or Other

189

Suspension

149

Steering

Exterior Lighting

Vehicle Speed Control

Fuel/Propulsion System

Visibility/Wiper

Electrical System: 261; Unknown Or Other: 189; Suspension: 149; Steering: 51; Exterior Lighting: 44; Vehicle Speed Control: 40; Fuel/Propulsion System: 32; Visibility/Wiper: 31

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

121

25,000 to 49,999

110

50,000 to 74,999

124

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 121; 25,000 to 49,999: 110; 50,000 to 74,999: 124; 75,000 to 99,999: 60; 100,000 to 149,999: 34; 150,000 and above: 6

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (124). 212 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

284

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2015: 8; 2016: 52; 2017: 36; 2018: 21; 2019: 47; 2020: 284; 2021: 80; 2022: 43; 2023: 42; 2024: 27; 2025: 17; 2026: 10

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 83 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 69 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 67 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10782978 · 2015-10-16 (October 16, 2015)

THIS IS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE TESLA MODEL S AUTOPILOT SYSTEM WHICH HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED. DESPITE THE DISCLAIMER BY TESLA MOTORS THAT THIS SHOULD BE USED SAFELY WITH HANDS ON THE WHEEL IT IS CLEAR THAT OWNERS ARE NOT GETTING THE MESSAGE. THERE ARE MANY VIDEOS UP ON YOUTUBE SHOWING OWNERS DRIVING FOR LONG DISTANCES TOTALLY HANDS FREE WHILE PAYING LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE ROAD. HERE IS A YOUTUBE VIDEO ENTITLED TESLA AUTOPILOT TRIED TO KILL ME! HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=MRWXEX8QOXA HE IS USING AUTOPILOT ON AN UNDIVIDED ROAD HERE IS …

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10782978 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10783859 · 2015-10-20 (October 20, 2015)

PLEASE NOTE I HAVE USED A FICTITIOUS ADDRESS TO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE WEBSITE. I AM NOT A US RESIDENT, JUST A CONCERNED CITIZEN I HAVE ALREADY REPORTED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TESLA REAR SUSPENSION AND I AM FINDING SEVERAL CASE WHERE THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAS FAILED AND CAUSED A CRASH. THIS VEHICLE HAS CRASHED AND BURNED AND IS FOR SALE AS SALVAGE. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLES/VEHICLEDETAILS.ASPX?AUCTIONID=0&ITEMID=19224036&ROWNUMBER=0&LOADRECENT=TRUE I HAVE ENLARGED THE IMAGES AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LH SUSPENSIO…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10783859 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10826008 · 2016-02-13 (February 13, 2016)

I AM RAISING THIS AS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. THIS CAR IS FOR SALE AT A SALVAGE AUCTION. HTTPS://M.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETENC.ASPX?AUCTIONID=0&ITEMID=21255219&ROWID=10&PAGESOURCE=VEHICLERESULTS THE TIP OF THE STEERING KNUCKLE HAS SNAPPED OFF AT THE SAME POINT OF WEAKNESS AS HAS HAPPENED IN MANY OTHER INCIDENTS. THE FACT THAT THIS IS A 2015 CAR SHOWS THAT THE DESIGN/MANUFACTURING DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN RECTIFIED. THE WHEEL AND TIRE ARE RELATIVELY UNDAMAGED. THE PATTERN OF FAILURE POINTS TO THIS WEAKNESS BEING THE CAUSE OF …

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10826008 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10845878 · 2016-03-10 (March 10, 2016)

THIS VEHICLE IS UP FOR SALE AS A SALVAGE WRECK. THE TIP OF THE STEERING KNUCKLE HAS SNAPPED OFF AGAIN IN THE SAME WAY AS MANY OTHER INCIDENTS. THIS BROKEN PART APPEARS TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH AND NOT THE RESULT OF IT. THIS PART IS WEAK AND IS FAILING REPEATEDLY PUTTING THE PUBLIC AT RISK. HTTPS://M.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETENC.ASPX?AUCTIONID=0&ITEMID=21255219&ROWID=8&PAGESOURCE=VEHICLERESULTS

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10845878 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10785214 · 2015-10-21 (October 21, 2015)

PLEASE DON'T THINK I AM MAKING FRIVOLOUS COMPLAINTS. THERE IS A PATTERN OF SUSPENSION FAILURES. THIS ONE HAS RESULTED IN A VERY SERIOUS CRASH. 2015 TESLA 70D IS FOR SALE AT SALVAGE COMPANY IAAI. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLES/VEHICLEDETAILS.ASPX?ITEMID=20460578&ROWNUMBER=2&LOADRECENT=TRUE IT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A MAJOR NOSE-TAIL CRASH. THE BACK WHEEL IS SKEWED OVER IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE OTHER DAMAGED CARS THAT I HAVE REPORTED TO YOU. THERE IS ZERO DAMAGE IN THAT AREA OF THE CAR AND NO REASON FOR THE WHEEL TO BE SKEWED LIKE THAT. …

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10785214 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10810457 · 2015-12-15 (December 15, 2015)

ON THE AFTERNOON OF NOVEMBER 25, 2015, I WAS DRIVING INTO A STRIP MALL PARKING LOT. I WAS GOING TO PULL INTO ONE OF THOSE SPACES WHERE YOU CAN PARK PERPENDICULAR TO A SIDEWALK CURB AND THE SIDEWALK LEADS UP TO THE STORE FRONTS. WHEN APPROACHING THE PARKING SPACE, THE CAR WAS ALREADY IN REGENERATIVE BRAKING MODE, AND ACCORDING TO TESLA'S LOGS, THE CAR SLOWED DOWN TO 3.5 MPH. SINCE THE CAR HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO ROLL INTO THE SPACE ON ITS OWN, MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR OR THE BRAKE PEDAL. MY FOOT WAS UP RESTING ON ITS HEEL, READY T…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,458 miles reported. Look up ODI 10810457 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11075212 · 2018-02-27 (February 27, 2018)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH A CURB. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FEATURE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. NO DEALER THE CAR IS PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM CALIFORNIA. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WAS INITIATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000. *TT *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11075212 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11331187 · 2020-06-27 (June 27, 2020)

MCU FAILED. WHEN IT FAILED CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. BEFORE FAILURE MCU WAS CONSTANTLY REBOOTING WHILE DRIVING. DURING REBOOT WOULD LOSE HEADLIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, RADIO, AND AIR CONDITIONING. COMPLETE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE STATIONARY. REBOOTING OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 48,401 miles reported. Look up ODI 11331187 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11132094 · 2018-09-28 (September 28, 2018)

A MALFUNCTION CAUSED THE SUDDEN DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAGS AND SUBSEQUENT UNINTENTIONAL UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JUMP A CEMENT BLOCK AND VIOLENTLY SMASH INTO A POLE WHILE I WAS SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING STALL AT A GROCERY STORE.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11132094 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11459887 · 2022-04-06 (April 6, 2022)

The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle took 5 – 10 minutes to be started. The contact stated that the doors and apps were inoperable. The contact stated that there were several error messages displayed. The contact was concerned about the vehicle stalling. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000. The VIN was not available.

Owner-reported narrative. 73,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11459887 at NHTSA ↗