2013 TESLA MODEL S Complaints

View complaints related to 2013 TESLA MODEL S. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 450 complaints submitted for the 2013 TESLA MODEL S. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - BROOKLYN, NY

    KNOWN DEFECT IN A TESLA 2013 MODEL S ARE SLIDING OUT DOOR HANDLES. THEY SIMPLY FAIL TO SLIDE OUT DUE TO POOR MICROCHIP WIRE HARNESS INSTALL. I BELIEVE THIS IS ASSOCIATED IN OLDER TESLA MODEL S MODELS. IT'S SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY FIRST RESPONDERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND PULL SOMEONE OUT. TESLA SHOULD REACH OUT TO ALL CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE OLDER MODELS AND REPLACE THE HARNESS ON ALL DOOR HANDLES.I OBSERVED THE ISSUE AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. AFTER CONDUCTING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON LINE I DISCOVERED EVERY PERSON HAD THEIR DOOR HANDLES GO BAD, ALL OF THEM SOONER OR LATER. PLEASE HELP MOTIVATE TESLA TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS ISSUE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - BEVERLY HILLS, CA

    HERE IS ANOTHER TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/42232387/PHOTOS IT HAS BEEN IN A ROLLOVER. THE SUSPENSION HAS COLLAPSED ON ALL FOUR WHEELS AND BOTH BACK WHEELS HAVE GONE WHOMPY. THERE IS A STRONG LIKELIHOOD THAT THE WHOMPY WHEELS CAUSED THE CRASH RATHER THAN BEING MERELY THE RESULT OF IT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE REASON THAT TESLA SUSPENSIONS COLLAPSE SO OFTEN. THANK YOU. CONCERNED CITIZEN ETC.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - BEVERLY HILLS, CA

    HERE IS ANOTHER TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=26175292&ROWNUMBER=59&LOADRECENT=TRUE THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAS TOTALLY COLLAPSED AND THE WHEELS ARE JAMMED UP IN THE WHEEL ARCHES. THE WHEELS ARE NOT POINTING STRAIGHT BUT ARE SKEWED IN TOWARDS EACH OTHER. NO AIR-BAGS HAVE DEPLOYED. THERE IS NO IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE BODYWORK. THIS LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER CASE OF SPONTANEOUS COLLAPSING SUSPENSION. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. VERY CONCERNED CITIZEN ETC. ETC.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA

    I MADE A LEFT TURN ON KELLOGG DRIVE.I RAN OVER SOME SAFETY DOTS ON THE FLOOR. THE SAFETY DOTS WAS ABNORMAL LARGE IN SIZE. BOTH MY FRONT AND REAR WHEEL RAN OVER MANY LARGE SAFETY DOTS. THE COMPLETE TESLA BRAKE FUNCTION FAILED AND I HAVE NO BRAKE. BY THE TIME MY CAR STOPS I WAS LITERALLY SITTING ON TOP OF SAFETY DOTS. ONCE I COME OUT OF THE CAR I SAW THAT MY LEFT REAR TIRE AND RIMS LOOK LIKE IS FALLING OUT OF PLACE. THE POLICE CAMPUS CAME AND SAID IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR AXEL WAS BROKEN. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE OUTER APPEARANCE OF MY TESLA ONLY A UPPER SUSPENSION WHICH WAS DAMAGE. I BELIEVE THE PARTS WAS AN INTEGRITY ISSUE AND TESLA DENIES IT.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - BOLTON, MA

    MY TESLA HAS HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES RELATED TO THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THE FIRST ISSUE WAS THAT A SEATBELT SENSOR TIED INTO THE AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILED DUE TO A PINCHED WIRE IN THE SEATBELT MECHANISM, CAUSING THE SRS/AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT TO STAY ON. TO FIX THIS, TESLA REPLACED THE SEATBELT LATCHING MECHANISM AND CHARGED ME FOR THE REPLACEMENT. SHORTLY AFTER, THE WARNING LIGHT CAME BACK ON. THIS TIME, A SEAT SENSOR TIED INTO THE SYSTEM FAILED. TESLA HAS TOLD ME THAT TO FIX THIS, THE DRIVER'S SEAT MUST BE REPLACED, AND THAT I MUST PAY FOR IT, A $2500 BILL. I WAS FURTHER INFORMED THAT IT WOULD TAKE 4 TO 6 WEEKS TO ORDER THE SEAT, DURING WHICH TIME THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WOULD REMAIN NON-OPERATIONAL. AT THE MOMENT I AM REFUSING TO PAY FOR THE SEAT, SO I'M DRIVING AROUND WITH A DISABLED AIRBAG SYSTEM. I FEEL THAT TESLA SHOULD BE FIXING SUCH DEFECTS FREE OF CHARGE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - LOS ALTOS HILLS, CA

    THE MODEL S, ESPECIALLY THE EARLY ONES (2012/2013) ARE PRONE TO DEVELOPING A PROBLEM WHERE ONE OF THE DOORS WILL OPEN AUTOMATICALLY. THIS MAY BE CAUSED BY MOISTURE/WATER, SINCE MULTIPLE OF THE REPORTS ASSOCIATE IT W/ WATER. HERE IS JUST ONE OF THE FORUM THREADS WHERE YOU CAN SEE MULTIPLE OWNERS COMPLAING ABOUT THE PROBLEM: HTTPS://FORUMS.TESLA.COM/FORUM/FORUMS/DOOR-OPENS-ITSELF

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - BEVERLY HILLS, CA

    HERE IS ANOTHER TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.COPART.COM/LOT/35967857/PHOTOS THE CAR IS COMPLETELY UNDAMAGED APART FROM THE LH REAR WHEEL WHICH IS SKEWED OVER AT A CRAZY ANGLE. NO AIR-BAGS HAVE DEPLOYED. THERE IS NO IMPACT DAMAGE. THE TIRE AND WHEEL ARE UNDAMAGED. THIS CAN NOT BE THE RESULT OF A COLLISION. IT IS SIMPLY A CASE OF WHOMPY WHEELS DUE TO WEAK AND UNSAFE SUSPENSION. PLEASE RECALL THESE CARS BEFORE MORE LIVES ARE LOST. CONCERNED CITIZEN ETC.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - BEVERLY HILLS, CA

    HERE IS A FRESH REPORT OF A TESLA SUSPENSION FAILURE: HTTPS://TESLAMOTORSCLUB.COM/TMC/THREADS/TESLA-UPPER-CONTROL-ARM-CRACKED.96329/#POST-2257474 SNIP:IT ALL TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY WHEN MY WIFE WERE DRIVING TO VISIT ONE OF HER COLLEAGUE. WHILE TURNING INTO A LEFT TURN AT A RELATIVELY LOW SPEED SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG. SHE DID NOT THINK OF MUCH BUT IMMEDIATELY SHE NOTICE THAT HER BRAKE WERE COMPLETELY GONE AND THE DASH HAD MALFUNCTION WARNING ALL OVER THE PLACE. SHE HAD TO STRUGGLE TO PULL THE CAR TO SAFETY BUT WAS HITTING MANY OF THE SAFETY BUMP ON THE GROUND. WITHIN MINUTES THE CAMPUS POLICE PULL UP AND ASK HER WHAT HAPPEN. SHE GOT OUT OF THE CAR NOTICE THE OUR 2013 MODEL S P85 WAS SITTING ON THE GROUND WITH ONE OF THE WHEEL COMPLETELY BEND. IT LOOKS LIKE AS IF THE AXLE HAD GAVE AWAY. *** TO ME IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS NOT AN WEAR AND TEAR. IT IS AN MANUFACTURER PART DEFECT. AND AFTER READING ON MANY FORM IT SEEM THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS A BIG PROBLEM ON THE EARLY PRODUCTION TESLA MODEL S. I HAVE BEEN IN MERCEDES FOR YEARS AND MY PREVIOUS S CLASS WERE AT 125,000 MILES. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS. CURRENTLY THEY ARE STILL REFUSING TO COVER THE REPAIR. LUCKILY ENOUGH MY WIFE WAS DRIVING LOCALLY NOT ON THE FREEWAY. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT IT WILL BE IF SHE WERE TRAVEL AT A HIGH SPEED. *** IF NHTSA CONTINUES TO IGNORE THESE FAILURES THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES. PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT A TESLA OWNER. I AM CONTINUING TO FILE THESE REPORTS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE BY READING THE THREAD THAT OWNERS COME UNDER PRESSURE FROM TESLA SUPPORTERS TO KEEP THESE FAILURES A SECRET. THE PRO-TESLA FORUMS FREQUENTLY CENSOR, DELETE, OR BURY SUCH COMPLAINTS. I HAVE USED A DUMMY US ADDRESS TO COMPLY WITH WEBSITE REQUIREMENTS. MY GENUINE CONTACT DETAILS HAVE BEEN SUPPLIED TO NHTSA.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - BEVERLY HILLS, CA

    HERE IS A TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLE?ITEMID=25626248&ROWNUMBER=65&LOADRECENT=TRUE&ISNEXT=TRUE IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY BURNED OUT. THE AIRBAGS HAVE NOT BEEN DEPLOYED. THE FRONT LH WHEEL IS PUSHED BACK IN THE WHEEL WELL AND THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE BY MAKING THE COOLANT LEAK OUT. IF THE BATTERY PACK IS HOT FROM RECENT CHARGING OR FROM HARD DRIVING IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY TO CATCH FIRE IF COOLANT IS LOST. TESLAS SEEM TO CATCH FIRE MORE OFTEN THAN ANY OTHER ELECTRIC VEHICLE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2013 TESLA MODEL S
    - BEVERLEY HILLS, CA

    HERE IS A TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD: HTTPS://WWW.SALVAGERESELLER.COM/CARS-FOR-SALE/30827127-2013-TESLA-MODEL-S-JACKSONVILLE-FL IT HAS NOT BEEN IN A CRASH. THERE IS NO COLLISION DAMAGE AND THE AIR-BAGS HAVE NOT DEPLOYED. THE SUSPENSION HAS COLLAPSED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR CAUSING THE WHEELS TO JAM UP IN THE WHEEL WELLS. THIS SAME FAILURE IS OCCURRING REPEATEDLY. IT SEEMS THAT THE DESIGN IS LACKING A BUMP STOP AND THAT A SIMPLE AIR LEAK IN THE SUSPENSION CAN RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE