2018 Tesla Model S Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Model S years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 11 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 169 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Tesla Model S. That ranks 7th out of 15 Model S model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is forward collision avoidance (50 complaints, 30%), typically at around 40,500 miles. Complaints mention 36 crashes, 3 fires, 21 injuries. There are 11 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 17 defect investigations involving it.
- 169owner complaints
- 11safety recalls
- 17NHTSA investigations
- 36complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Tesla Model S problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance problems | 50 | 30% | 40,500 | “cruise control” (38%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 36 | 21% | 17,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 34 | 20% | 15,750 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 27 | 16% | 7,255 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 25 | 15% | 2,973 | — | — |
| Suspension | 20 | 12% | 15,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 15 | 9% | 19,950 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 13 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 6% | 17,687 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 5% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 4% | 69,205 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 3% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 2% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 2% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 3,100 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 9,500 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Tesla Model S recalls (11)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:front:warning light/devices
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
Forward collision avoidance: warnings:external/pedestrian alert; electrical system:software
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2013, 2018-2021 Model S, 2020-2021 Model X, 2018-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A factory reset muted the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 141, "Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles."
Risk: Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, release 2023.44.30.14, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 27, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-006.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
Electrical system:adas:driver monitoring:software
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
Risk: In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
Steering:automated/adaptive steering
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution. In addition, the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits.
Risk: FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles. The electronic power assist steering (EPAS) system may experience a loss of power steering assist when driving on rough roads or after hitting a pothole.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update to recalibrate the EPAS system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 31, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-014.
Back over prevention:display function
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model S, Model X, and 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles equipped with Autopilot Computer 2.5 and operating certain firmware releases. The rearview image may not immediately display when the vehicle begins to reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A delayed rearview camera image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-004.
Steering:automated/adaptive steering
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Risk: Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2014-2021 Model S vehicles. The front trunk latch assembly may be misaligned, preventing the secondary hood latch from engaging. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 113, "Hood Latch System."
Risk: If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could open unexpectedly, obstructing the driver's view and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and reposition the latch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 18, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-11-003.
Forward collision avoidance: sensing system: camera; forward collision avoidance:software; forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking; forward collision avoidance: warnings
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.
Risk: Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system; exterior lighting:turn signal; back over prevention:software
Problem: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Tesla Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles with a center display equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. When the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the eMMC controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center display functions.
Risk: The eMMC controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners, and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-21-001.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions (EA26002) — opened Mar 18, 2026, still open.
- Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged (PE25012) — opened Oct 7, 2025, still open.
- Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements (AQ25002) — opened Aug 20, 2025, still open.
- Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness (RQ24009) — opened Apr 25, 2024, still open.
- Sudden Unintended Acceleration (DP23002) — opened Jun 29, 2023, still open.
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
- Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts. (PE24033) — opened Jan 6, 2025, closed Apr 3, 2026.
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions (PE24031) — opened Oct 17, 2024, closed Mar 18, 2026.
- Defect Petition Interlock Request (DP23001) — opened Apr 7, 2023, closed Mar 18, 2026.
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
- Autopilot System Driver Controls (EA22002) — opened Jun 8, 2022, closed Apr 25, 2024, led to recall 23V085.
- Tesla Passenger Play (PE21023) — opened Dec 21, 2021, closed May 26, 2023.
- Autopilot & First Responder Scenes (PE21020) — opened Aug 13, 2021, closed Jun 8, 2022.
- Loss of rearview camera (EA20003) — opened Nov 12, 2020, closed May 2, 2024, led to recall 21V035.
- Loss of rearview camera (PE20010) — opened Jun 22, 2020, closed Nov 22, 2020.
- Sudden Unintended Acceleration (DP20001) — opened Jan 13, 2020, closed Jan 8, 2021.
- Battery Management Software Updates (DP19005) — opened Oct 1, 2019, closed Sep 28, 2021.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Full self driving mode floored the accelerator on our vehicle and after a few seconds immediately cut off the self driving feature display a fault code.
I pulled my Tesla Model S in a parking lot, and as I turned the car into a parking spot, the car suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb next to the parking lot and hit a tree. The car speed when I pulled into the parking lot and then into a parking spot was very low. so I was very surprised and…
Tesla designs a single piece headlight with no serviceable parts. This includes headlights, high beams, and namely daytime running lights. All of these components are on an LED strip that overheats and un-solders due to this high heat, which causes premature failure. Some owners have reported as…
Car was in summon mode and crashed into a fence . Caused damage to frond end of the car
On February 11, 2026, at approximately 11:00 a.m., I picked up my Tesla vehicle from the Tesla Service Center located at 16955 Chesterfield Airport Road, Chesterfield, Missouri following battery repair. After paying for the service and being told the vehicle was ready, I discovered in the parking…
Other Tesla Model S years
← 2017 Model S · 2019 Model S →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model S | 7 | 0 |
| 2025 Model S | 6 | 2 |
| 2024 Model S | 38 | 6 |
| 2023 Model S | 114 | 13 |
| 2022 Model S | 139 | 20 |
| 2021 Model S | 179 | 23 |
| 2020 Model S | 80 | 11 |
| 2019 Model S | 44 | 10 |
| 2018 | 169 | 11 |
| 2017 Model S | 428 | 9 |
| 2016 Model S | 648 | 10 |
| 2015 Model S | 668 | 9 |
| 2014 Model S | 366 | 9 |
| 2013 Model S | 460 | 11 |
| 2012 Model S | 61 | 8 |
See all Tesla Model S problems by year, every Tesla model, or the Tesla VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Tesla Model S?
Owners most often report forward collision avoidance, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, forward collision avoidance, accounts for 50 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Tesla Model S?
Yes, 11 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Tesla Model S a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Model S model years, the 2018 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.