2016 Tesla Model S Problems and Recalls (644 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2016 Tesla Model S is Suspension (30% of 644 owner reports). There are 10 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Suspension — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 644 complaints · 10 recalls
What problems show up on the 2016 Tesla Model S?
196 of 644 filings named Suspension (30% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Electrical (79 reports).
There are 10 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Steering, Airbags, Rear camera / backup safety, Electrical, and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2015 has 666 reports on file; this year has 644. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Suspension 196 complaints · 30.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 92
- Fires 12
- Injuries 64
- Deaths 8
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 196 | 30.4% | 35 crashes · 8 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 79 | 12.3% | 3 crashes · 2 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 39 | 6.1% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 35 | 5.4% | 24 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 33 | 5.1% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 28 | 4.4% | 7 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 16 | 2.5% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 16 | 2.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) | 13 | 2.0% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 200 | 31.1% | 17 crashes · 2 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 18V204000 was reported 632 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V002000 was reported 41 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V035000 was reported 11 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V00B000 was reported 2,067 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 22V037000 was reported 2,032 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V085000 was reported 2,416 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V838000 was reported 2,741 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V051000 was reported 2,790 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 65 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V260000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V204000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V002000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V035000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V00B000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V037000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V085000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V838000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V051000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V376000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE16007 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP19005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP20001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE20010 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA20003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE20020 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE21020 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA22002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP22005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP23001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP23002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ24009 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE24031 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE24033 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | AQ25002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE25012 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA26002 |
Safety Recalls (10)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Steering, Airbags, Rear camera / backup safety, Electrical, and Seat belts.
-
Recall campaign 17V260000
Safety recall 17V260000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 18V204000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 19V002000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began May 29, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-19-20-001.
-
Recall campaign 21V00B000
Safety recall 21V00B000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 21V035000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- 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.
- 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 for this recall is SB-21-21-001.
-
Recall campaign 22V037000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 23V085000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 23V838000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- 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.
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 24V051000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- 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.
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 24V376000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- 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.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 5 of 644 complaints · page 1 of 26
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I had a new windshield installed by a official Tesla Service Center that has a large distorted area in the center of the windshield. I complained about the large distortion and I was told that all the of stocked parts for my car are affected by the issue and they don't have any estimates or information that the items in stock will be replaced or updated. I am attaching a video of the distortion that I believe is a significant safety issue. The affected area is in the center below the rearview mirror and is approximately 4 x 3 inches in size. This issue needs to be resolved by Tesla by getting the supplier to correct the issue and replace their stock so they can replace my windshield.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
UPDATE to Complaint XXX. Reference VIN [XXX] Tesla Model S 2016. Incident XXX [XXX] XXX Report XXX. Tractor [XXX] Unit XXX + Trailer XXX. 11 sec forward camera video proves Tesla BEHIND trailer at Time 0, 30ft gap. Tesla travels 88ft (30ft gap + 53ft trailer + 5ft to diesel tank/step) in 3-4 sec to lateral impact at driver diesel tank/step. Calculation: 88ft/3sec=29ft/sec avg requires 50-60 mph peak. At 5 mph (7.33 ft/sec) would need 12 sec - impossible. Proves Sudden Unintended Acceleration. Lateral impact, video shake rightward, NOT CVC 21658(a) lane change. AEB failure + FCW failure, no braking/warning. Request EDR preservation. Contact [XXX] [XXX] [XXX]. OMB [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
This complaint covers a 13-month continuous chain of severe electrical system failures stemming from a deficient federal safety recall remedy on my vehicle's Media Control Unit (MCU) architecture. Tesla's corporate policy has been to replace only the isolated center screen explicitly tracked by the recall while leaving connected legacy components intact on mismatched architecture. This creates an uneven electrical strain loop that has systematically destroyed my vehicle’s electronics over the last year.In July 2025, the initial recall failure required a VCM processor card swap. In September 2025, the resulting voltage strain forced a center navigation screen upgrade, during which the facility held my car for two full weeks. In December 2025, this continuous parasitic power drain burned out my 12V auxiliary system, forcing me to pay out of pocket for a replacement battery. Now, in August 2026, the 2016 dashboard instrument cluster has completely blacked out while traveling at highway speeds (70 MPH), leaving the vehicle completely illegal and unsafe to drive with zero speedometer visibility.The service facility is actively attempting to evade its 12-month workmanship and parts warranty obligations. Their official technician notes confirm the dashboard screen arrived completely black, yet their recorded remedy was to execute a temporary software reboot and officially instruct me in writing to 'perform scroll wheel resets as needed' while actively operating the vehicle on public highways. Following my official written rejection of the vehicle due to this safety hazard, the local facility even attempted an unauthorized forced delivery transport of the vehicle to my house to hide their failed repair before turning back. They are using temporary software patches to run down the remaining days on my parts warranty and dodge an incomplete federal recall remedy. I am requesting a formal federal investigation into this facility.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the hood inadvertently opened and blocked the windshield. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road while the windshield was blocked. The hood was securely closed after several attempts. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that the hood was bent, and the hood arms were bent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,700.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving my vehicle straight approaching an intersection, I lost complete steering capability and feedback from the steering wheel. The lower intermediate shaft on the steering column complete separated from the splines on the rack and pinion. If I wasn't already preparing to stop at the stop sign this could have happened while driving on a curve in the road or at high speeds on a highway. The car was taken to a Tesla service center for repair (towed at my expense). I was told by the service representative that this is issue was not a safety issue nor product fault of Tesla's and the repair would need to be out of pocket ($8,500). There were no indicator lights nor warnings of a steering problem prior to the incident. Tesla has a known safety service bulletin for this model which states the u-joint on the intermediate shaft may become corroded and seize due to exposure to wintery conditions forcing binding in the steering wheel, and this issue is not considered a safety risk. It does not state the shaft may come off while driving the car.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2016 Tesla Model S?
Owners named Suspension most often — 196 of 644 reports (30%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2016 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA lists 10 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Steering, Airbags, Rear camera / backup safety, Electrical, and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2016 Tesla Model S?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.