NHTSA lists 61 complaints for the 2012 Tesla Model S, 4 of them mention a crash and 1 mention a fire. 1 complaints mention an injury, with 6 injuries and 1 deaths reported.
Data build 2026-10-08.
NHTSA lists this vehicle as TESLA MODEL S.
Recalls
See new recalls and investigations this week.
8 recalls.
Date: 2024-05-28. Systems: SEAT BELTS.
Defect: 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."
Consequence: A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2024-01-30. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Defect: 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, "Hydraul (excerpt)
Consequence: 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. (excerpt)
Remedy: 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. (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2023-12-12. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Defect: 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 advance (excerpt)
Consequence: 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. (excerpt)
Remedy: 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. (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2021-01-29. Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY.
Defect: 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 (excerpt)
Consequence: 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. (excerpt)
Remedy: 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 (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2018-03-29. Systems: STEERING.
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with Bosch steering racks. The aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and fracture causing a reduction or complete loss of power steering assist.
Consequence: Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts and add a corrosion-preventative sealer, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-18-32-002.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2017-04-19. Systems: PARKING BRAKE.
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016 Model S and Model X vehicles. The electric parking brake calipers have an internal gear that may be improperly manufactured, possibly resulting in the gear fracturing during parking brake application or release.
Consequence: If the gear breaks during parking brake release, the vehicle will not be able to be moved. If the gear breaks during parking brake application, the parking brake may not adequately hold the vehicle, potentially resulting in the vehicle rolling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will replace both the left and right electric parking brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2018. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-17-33-002.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2017-01-10. Systems: AIR BAGS.
Defect: Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2012 Model S vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term ex (excerpt)
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death. (excerpt)
Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2017. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. (excerpt)
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2015-11-23. Systems: SEAT BELTS.
Defect: Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Model S vehicles manufactured May 31, 2012, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with driver or front passenger seat belts that may be improperly connected to the outboard lap pretensioner.
Consequence: If the seat belt is not correctly attached to the pretensioner, it may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will inspect the driver and front passenger seat belts, correcting their connection, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-15-20-002.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Investigations
8 investigations; 3 open.
RQ24009
Opened: 2024-04-25. Closed: Not listed.
Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening a Recall Query to assess the remedy adequacy of Recall 23V838. On December 12, 2023, Tesla filed a Defect Information Report (Recall 23V838) applicable to all Tesla models produced and equipped with any version of its Autopilot system, which Tesla described as an SAE Level 2 (L2) Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Autopilot is the simulta
Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Linked campaign numbers: None listed.
DP23002
Opened: 2023-06-29. Closed: Not listed.
Sudden Unintended Acceleration
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP20-001 on the basis that intermittent high electrical current demands on the vehicles' 12VDC systems may have caused some or all of the incidents examined by ODI in DP20-001. The petitioner bases this information on a review of open-source research and the DP20-001 denial. The petiti
Systems: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Linked campaign numbers: None listed.
DP22005
Opened: 2023-01-27. Closed: 2023-08-07.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele
Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Linked campaign numbers: 22V063000.
EA22002
Opened: 2022-06-08. Closed: 2024-04-25.
Autopilot System Driver Controls
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded PE21020 to EA22002 on June 8, 2022, to extend work and deepen the PE21020 crash analysis, to supplement that analysis with additional data, and to perform vehicle evaluations to understand how Teslaa s Autopilot system may exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the drivera s supervision. To suppor
Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Linked campaign numbers: 23V085, 23V838.
EA21002
Opened: 2021-09-17. Closed: Not listed.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupt
Systems: AIR BAGS.
Linked campaign numbers: None listed.
EA20003
Opened: 2020-11-12. Closed: 2024-05-02.
Loss of rearview camera
On November 20, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) 20-003 to investigate incidents of media control unit (MCU) failures resulting in loss of rearview camera in model year (MY) 2012-18 Tesla Model S and model year (MY) 2016-2018 Tesla Model X vehicles equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with an integrated 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. During
Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY.
Linked campaign numbers: 21V035.
PE20010
Opened: 2020-06-22. Closed: 2020-11-22.
Loss of rearview camera
On June 22, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-010 to investigate incidents of media control unit (MCU) failures resulting in loss of rearview camera in model year (MY) 2012-2015 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with the NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor with an integrated 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. EMMC NAND flash devices have a finite lifespan based
Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Linked campaign numbers: None listed.
DP19005
Opened: 2019-10-01. Closed: 2021-09-28.
Battery Management Software Updates
In a letter dated September 17, 2019, Mr. Edward Chen petitioned the NHTSA to initiate a defect investigation of certain Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles that received revised battery management software in one or more over-the-air (OTA) updates from Tesla, beginning in May 2019. The petitioner bases his request on vehicle fires that took place worldwide and OTA software updates Tesla made to th
Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Linked campaign numbers: None listed.
Manufacturer communications
87 manufacturer communications.
Communications by system| System | Count |
|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 39 |
|---|
| EQUIPMENT | 21 |
|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 10 |
|---|
| STRUCTURE | 6 |
|---|
| EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY | 4 |
|---|
| SEATS | 4 |
|---|
| TIRES | 4 |
|---|
| VISIBILITY | 3 |
|---|
11020189
Date: 2025-06-03. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the battery powered Pyrotechnic High Voltage (HV) Battery Disconnect will reach the end of its battery lifespan in the near future, which will trigger alerts and may limit the vehiclea s performance.
11008803
Date: 2024-09-30. Type: Over The Air. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available ownera s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. This file
11008805
Date: 2024-09-30. Type: Over The Air. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available ownera s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. This file
11008806
Date: 2024-09-30. Type: Over The Air. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available ownera s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. This file
11008807
Date: 2024-09-30. Type: Over The Air. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available ownera s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. This file
11008824
Date: 2024-09-30. Type: Over The Air. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available ownera s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. This file
11008827
Date: 2024-09-30. Type: Over The Air. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available ownera s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. This file
11008829
Date: 2024-09-30. Type: Over The Air. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available ownera s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. This file
11008830
Date: 2024-09-30. Type: Over The Air. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available ownera s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. This file
11008831
Date: 2024-09-30. Type: Over The Air. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available ownera s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. This file