Research · complaint index
Tesla Model S years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 12 model years of the Tesla Model S by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 8 | — | 0 | 1 | Too new to judge |
| 2025 | 6 | 3 | 0.1 | 2 | 0 | Fewest complaints |
| 2024 | 38 | 13 | 0.4 | 6 | 2 | Fewest complaints |
| 2023 | 115 | 29 | 1.0 | 13 | 8 | Typical |
| 2022 | 141 | 28 | 1.0 | 20 | 3 | Typical |
| 2018 | 128 | 14 | 0.5 | 11 | 29 | Typical |
| 2017 | 379 | 38 | 1.3 | 9 | 46 | Typical |
| 2016 | 604 | 55 | 1.9 | 0 | 89 | Typical |
| 2015 | 646 | 54 | 1.9 | 9 | 69 | Typical |
| 2014 | 367 | 28 | 1.0 | 9 | 52 | Typical |
| 2013 | 461 | 33 | 1.2 | 11 | 41 | Typical |
| 2012 | 59 | 4 | 0.1 | 8 | 4 | Fewest complaints |
- 20268 complaints · 0 recallsToo new to judge
- 20256 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
- 202438 complaints · 6 recallsFewest complaints
- 2023115 complaints · 13 recallsTypical
- 2022141 complaints · 20 recallsTypical
- 2018128 complaints · 11 recallsTypical
- 2017379 complaints · 9 recallsTypical
- 2016604 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
- 2015646 complaints · 9 recallsTypical
- 2014367 complaints · 9 recallsTypical
- 2013461 complaints · 11 recallsTypical
- 201259 complaints · 8 recallsFewest complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 10, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2025, 2012, 2024.
About this comparison
What Tesla Model S years have the most complaints?
No Tesla Model S model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 12 model years compared. The highest was 2016.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.