2013 Tesla Model S problems and complaints
Owners have filed 459 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Tesla Model S. The most-reported areas: Electrical System (195), Unknown Or Other (122), Suspension (91).
Key takeaways
- 459 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 | 27% |
| Suspension | 91 | 20% |
| Power Train | 35 | 8% |
| Steering | 29 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 25 | 5% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 24 | 5% |
| Engine | 21 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 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%.
| 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.
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...
Air Bags,seat Belts,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-06-15
This issue appears to be related to a known MCU failure affecting early Tesla Model S vehicles. The touchscreen exhibits screen melting/discoloration and eventually goes blank or becomes inoperative. When this occurs, critical functions including occupant detection indicators, seatbelt warnings, and windshield defrost ...
Air Bags,seat Belts,unknown Or Other - filed 2026-06-15
This issue appears to be related to a known MCU failure affecting early Tesla Model S vehicles. The touchscreen exhibits screen melting/discoloration and eventually goes blank or becomes inoperative. When this occurs, critical functions including occupant detection indicators, seatbelt warnings, and windshield defrost ...
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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.