2013 Tesla Model S problems and complaints
Owners have filed 461 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Tesla Model S. The most-reported areas: Electrical System (195), Unknown Or Other (122), Suspension (92).
Key takeaways
- 461 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 41 involve a crash, 19 a fire, 24 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 195 | 42% |
| Unknown Or Other | 122 | 26% |
| Suspension | 92 | 20% |
| Power Train | 35 | 8% |
| Steering | 29 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 25 | 5% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 24 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 22 | 5% |
| Engine | 21 | 5% |
| Structure | 19 | 4% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 18 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Parts for the 2013 Tesla Model S
GarageDex's verified specs for this car. Each Buy button searches Amazon for that exact part.
- Battery
- Cabin air filter
- Wiper blades
- Headlight bulb
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| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 Tesla Model S 5 HB RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Suspension - filed 2026-10-18
I own a 2013 Tesla Model S. While investigating a knocking noise from the rear of the vehicle, I had a local shop disassemble the affected area and we discovered a crack in the rear subframe near a weld and mounting bracket. The fracture appears clean, with little or no visible corrosion. No previous repairs have been...
Service Brakes - filed 2026-10-02
Mileage: Approximately 177,379 miles Location: California Component: Electric parking brake (EPB) / gear selection Description: My vehicle's electric parking brake intermittently locks the car in place when I come to a stop, such as at a traffic light. This has happened 5 times in the last 4 weeks. When it occurs, t...
Steering,power Train,electrical System - filed 2026-06-24
The vehicle has suffered a catastrophic, intermittent low-voltage network crash caused by a failing Body Control Module (BCM), resulting in multiple dangerous safety-critical failure modes. On a previous occasion, the vehicle woke up with severe network faults and automatically forced itself into Neutral. When the driv...
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More for the 2013 Tesla Model S
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.