2018 Tesla Model S Problems and Recalls (168 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2018 Tesla Model S is Automatic braking / collision warning (23% of 168 owner reports). There are 11 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Automatic braking / collision warning — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 168 complaints · 11 recalls
What problems show up on the 2018 Tesla Model S?
39 of 168 filings named Automatic braking / collision warning (23% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Suspension (18 reports).
There are 11 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Rear camera / backup safety, Automatic braking / collision warning, Steering, Electrical, and Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2017 has 423 reports on file; this year has 168. 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: Automatic braking / collision warning 39 complaints · 23.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 36
- Fires 3
- Injuries 21
- Deaths 0
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 39 | 23.2% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 18 | 10.7% | 3 crashes · 1 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 16 | 9.5% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 14 | 8.3% | 11 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) | 10 | 6.0% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 8 | 4.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 8 | 4.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 6 | 3.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 4 | 2.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 95 | 56.6% | 15 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 21V846000 was reported 331 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V00B000 was reported 1,289 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 22V037000 was reported 699 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 22V818000 was reported 977 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V085000 was reported 1,083 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V838000 was reported 1,512 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V051000 was reported 1,561 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V153000 was reported 1,589 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V035000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V846000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V00B000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V037000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V169000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V818000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V085000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V838000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V051000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V153000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V376000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP19005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP20001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE20010 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA20003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE21020 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE21023 | |
| 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 (11)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Rear camera / backup safety, Automatic braking / collision warning, Steering, Electrical, and Seat belts.
-
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 21V846000
Automatic braking / collision warning
- Report date
- Component:
- Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE)
- Consequence:
- Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
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 22V169000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- Consequence:
- A delayed rearview camera image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 22V818000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
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 24V153000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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.
-
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 7 of 168 complaints · page 1 of 7
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 startled to see the car suddenly on its own accelerating and jumping the curb.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 little as 3 months of life before failing. The daytime running lights are essential for safety driving in low light situations. These daytime running lights are seemingly built to fail. The lights dim then eventually no longer work. Tesla's solution is to have the customer purchase a brand new headlight at $2,500. My vehicle is 2018 Tesla s with 43,400 miles and always kept in carnage. Tesla should either goodwill swap out these headlights for a non-built to fail component, or offer a repair for a quality LED strip with proper heat distribution. Without daytime running lights safety is a major concern on foggy, rainy, and low light situations. I have attached an image showing how the failure begins on top then slowly goes all the way down to the side of the headlight which fails later,.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Car was in summon mode and crashed into a fence . Caused damage to frond end of the car
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was entering my drive way waiting for the garage to open suddenly my car just accelerated and hit the wall.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 lot that the hood was not latched and was misaligned. The hood had been opened during service. Prior to drop-off, the hood latched properly and securely. Releasing the vehicle in this condition created a significant highway safety hazard. At highway speeds, an unlatched hood can deploy and completely obstruct forward visibility, potentially resulting in a catastrophic collision. When I immediately reported the issue to service management, responsibility was dismissed and attributed to a prior front collision history, despite the hood functioning normally before service. The service center did not promptly correct the unsafe condition. I was forced to leave the premises, purchase mechanical tools across the street, and physically resecure/realign hinge hardware myself in order to safely operate the vehicle. I have preserved video documentation of the hood condition at the time of release, along with service records and receipts. This represents unsafe post-repair vehicle release and failure of final safety verification. I have video evidence of my vehicle after I paid $1170 service fee and inspected the hood not latching. It was too big to attach but I am more than willing to put on a flash drive and send. please call me and instruct where to send it. Thank you. [XXX] , concerned Missouri resident [XXX] cell INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Steering the vehicle is extremely difficult leading to major safety concerns. When making turns, right or left, where the steering wheel travels greater than 90 degrees, the steering wheel becomes hard to push past that 90 degree mark (I am 6' 200lb man). Once past 90 degrees, the wheel will stay at that turning angles without correcting to straight. A few times I have had to "muscle" the steering wheel quickly back the opposite direction to keep from running into parked cars on the right side on a right turn. I appears the lower steering column U-joint has rusted and is binding every 90 degrees making steering unpredictable, dangerous and difficult altogether.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Recently right side blind spot monitor camera stopped working. As result, majority of safety features in vehicle has been disabled to include forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and many other safety features of the vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2018 Tesla Model S?
Owners named Automatic braking / collision warning most often — 39 of 168 reports (23%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2018 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA lists 11 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Rear camera / backup safety, Automatic braking / collision warning, Steering, 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 2018 Tesla Model S?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Ask whether the warning lights stay off and whether related recalls were done. 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.