2016 TESLA MODEL S Complaints

All 4 door handles have ceased working. 1st responders wouldn't be able to gain entry.

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the center display screen went blank, causing the gear shifter, cameras, and defroster to become inoperable. The center display screen inadvertently rebooted shortly afterwards. The contact stated that the Tesla app confirmed that the EMMC was still operating and functioning as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

At 22 degrees fahrenheit, the vehicles cabin heat shut off after hearing a noise. The Noise appeared to be a broken cabin heating element. The window screen quickly fogged, and water began attaching to the outside of the windscreen, building up as ice. The windscreen was completely almost blocked. This problem has appeared common in my online research. I was informed by a non manufacture repair business that the issue became apparent during the low temperature cold weather in December 2022. The vehicle will be inspected by the manufacture. No warnings, alerts, or service indicators were show. The vehicle is still showing proper operation.

While driving, left front lower fore link broke. Front wheel became lose in the fender well. Smashing the wheel front and back in the well, whilst pulling the car very hard to the left. Front link completely broken. Inspection shows, two rear links cracked and ready to break . Telsa knows about this in Safety Bulletin SB-17-31-001 . They did not notify us. And additionally refuse to fix it unless we pay over $10,000 in repairs. I purchased this car brand new. Has never been wrecked, well serviced and well maintained.

Windows both on passenger and driver side won’t close once open. They close halfway and go back. It takes multiple attempts to close them. It is happening for more than 3 years.

When in Autopilot mode on I287S highway , the vehicle in my right lane changed to my lane with more than enough distance. But, Tesla applied sudden break bringing car speed from 65mph to around 45 mph. Luckily, no one was following me, and, I took control and disengaged autopilot.

Tesla vehicles suffer excessive “toe-in” wear on all tires. Tesla claims it is a function of the vehicle being heavy and that it is “normal” Tires have to be replaced every 12-24 months as a result of the inner portion showing cord, wire, and losing air. The tread on the rest of the tires appears to have 1/8 to 1/4 inch of usable tread however all tires have to be replace as a result of the toe in. Vehicle was repeatedly aligned by Tesla but that did not alleviate the issue. Presents a real danger as the portion of the tire dangerously worn down is on the most inner side of the tire. Not easily visible.

While driving with Auto Pilot engaged on the highway, traffic slowed and AP applied the brakes at a light to moderate level. I immediately heard a loud squeal come from the front passenger wheel area that stopped when braking stopped. No warning lights or messages showed but I could tell I had reduced steering response after disengaging AP. I was able to get off the highway and navigate to a nearby service center, where they told me that a ball joint had sheared off. The squeal was a result of the tire contacting the wheel well. The service estimate called for replacement of right and left fore link and aft link assemblies of the front suspension. A web search revealed that Tesla was aware that "Some Model S and Model X vehicles may have been manufactured with front suspension fore links that may not meet Tesla strength specifications," per service bulletin SB-17-31-001.

The driver’s seat back will only rise partly from the reclined position. All other driver seat functions seem to be normal. I estimate the maximum upright angle to be 30 degrees from vertical, making driving difficult and sometimes painful. The manual states to not drive the car with more recline than 30 degrees as seat belts may not function as intended (driver may slip under belt during impact).

There is fluid a fluid leak in the main large display and edges of driver display. The large display leak is obscuring driver view of display information. Driver side display is distracting and appears to move. Tesla verified that this problem exists in most of these vehicles, of this age, but it is not covered by warranty. Apparently, the fluid origin was from the breakdown of the adhesive used to attach glass. She could not assure me that the fluid would not leak out of glass screens or if the fluid was toxic to touch or inhalation. Despite the number of cars affected, there was never a recall, but many were fixed during another recall of a different display problem. The replacement of the screens will cost over $2000. Tesla was very much aware of this problem. There were many people affected and most were trusting Tesla’s replaced speech. Very sad.