Tesla Model S common problems & fixes (2014–2016, 2016–2021 facelift)

Written by the C4R team from DVSA data and owner reports. Fact-checked 2026-10-13.

30-second verdict

A used Tesla Model S gives huge range, space and pace for the money, but check the battery, drive unit, touchscreen and door handles before you buy. Long-distance drivers who can charge at home will get the most from one. UK right-hand-drive cars were sold from June 2014 to 2021; the refreshed car offered here from 2023 came in left-hand drive only. Early cars carry the most risk: touchscreen memory wear (recall R/2021/031), drive-unit noise and battery wear, and the original eight-year battery cover has run out on cars first registered before about October 2018. Brake judder and suspension wear affect all ages. The safest pick is a 2016-on facelift 75D, the version Autocar picks as the best all-rounder, with every recall closed and a Tesla battery health check.

Generations at a glance

A few early cars have the rare seven-seat option with two rear-facing child seats in the boot. Air suspension was optional on many versions and standard on others, such as the P100D, so check which the car in front of you has. Badges and options vary, so confirm the exact version from the paperwork and the car's own software screen.

Known issues

1. Touchscreen going blank or failing (MCU1 cars)

Label: Confirmed recall R/2021/031

• What you notice: a centre screen that is slow, freezes or goes blank, or yellow banding creeping in from the screen edges. Almost every function runs through this screen, so a failure is more than a nuisance.
• Which cars: DVSA lists Model S built 31/05/2012–03/03/2018, which covers every pre-facelift car and facelift cars until the MCU2 computer arrived in 2018. Separately, cars built before June 2015 have a 3G-only modem unless it has been upgraded.
• Why: the original media control unit relies on an eMMC memory chip that wears with use. DVSA says that once it reaches the end of its wear life the centre screen can go blank. Yellow edges are a sign that the adhesive holding the screen is failing.
• Fix: the recall remedy is the latest software plus an upgraded 64GB eMMC daughterboard, done free by Tesla. Tesla also offers an LTE modem upgrade for 3G-only cars; its UK support page (posted November 2021) listed it at £143 plus applicable taxes, including fitting. A paid upgrade to the newer MCU2 computer exists, and Autocar rates it a worthwhile investment.
• DIY difficulty: 5/5.
• Check when buying: let the screen boot from cold, then use navigation, media, climate, camera and settings for several minutes. Look for yellow edges. Make sure "LTE" appears next to the signal icon, which Tesla says means the car is unaffected by 3G switch-off, and get written proof that R/2021/031 has been done.
• Evidence: the DVSA recall record describes the eMMC wear and remedy; Tesla UK's 3G network retirement page sets out the June 2015 modem cut-off and LTE upgrade; Autocar's buying guide covers the 2018 MCU2 change and the yellow-banding sign; What Car?'s reliability survey owners report frozen or unresponsive screens; Parkers warns that touchscreen electronics can be costly to repair.

2. High-voltage battery wear and coolant leaks

Label: Inspection point

• What you notice: less range at a full charge than you would expect for the version, slow Supercharging, a battery or cooling warning, or scrapes and dents on the battery casing under the car.
• Which cars: all, but Autocar singles out pre-2016 cars for battery degradation and failure. On some 85 kWh cars, Tesla software released in 2019 cut range and slowed Supercharging; Electrek reports that a later update restored range for most owners but not charging speed, and Norwegian courts ruled against Tesla over it in 2021.
• Why: capacity falls with age and use, and the RAC warns that leaving the battery at zero charge for a long time can mean a replacement pack. The battery is liquid-cooled; What Car? owners reported leaking battery cooling pumps, and Autocar says a cooling warning can mean low coolant or a failed pump, both serious.
• Fix: diagnosis by Tesla or a specialist with high-voltage training. Tesla's manual says battery coolant should only be checked by Tesla or a professional workshop, and damage from opening the coolant reservoir is not covered by warranty. Pack repair or replacement is specialist work, so get a written quote.
• DIY difficulty: 5/5.
• Check when buying: ask for a battery health check at Tesla before you commit, as Autocar recommends. Compare the full-charge range with what other owners of that version report, ask how the car was charged and stored, and inspect the battery underside on a ramp for impact damage. Autocar says cars of this era came with an eight-year, unlimited-mileage battery warranty, and Fortune reported in 2015 that Tesla had stretched drive unit cover to eight years, so on a car first registered before about October 2018 that cover has ended. Tesla says some warranty details can be seen in the Tesla app.
• Evidence: Autocar's nearly new buying guide; What Car?'s reliability page; RAC Drive's Model S review; Electrek's reports of May and December 2021 on the 85 kWh software update; Fortune's 2015 report on drive unit warranty; Tesla's UK warranty page and Model S owner's manual.

3. Drive unit noise or failure on early cars

Label: Reported by owners and independent specialists

• What you notice: a droning, crunching or other unusual noise from under the car that changes with speed or load, a clunk when you switch between accelerating and lifting off, or vibration under hard acceleration.
• Which cars: mainly early cars. Fortune reported in 2015 that a redesigned drive unit went into production in late 2014 and that Tesla had been fitting it in place of older units. Autocar says vibration under hard acceleration can point to failed front driveshafts, which only dual-motor (D) cars have.
• Why: Autocar reports that some early drive units suffered from poor bearing lubrication.
• Fix: diagnosis by Tesla or an independent EV specialist, followed by repair or replacement of the drive unit or driveshafts. Keep any paperwork that shows earlier drive unit work.
• DIY difficulty: 5/5.
• Check when buying: with the radio off, drive at low speed and gently accelerate and lift off several times, then accelerate hard on a clear straight road. Ask for invoices for any drive unit work.
• Evidence: Autocar's buying guide; What Car? owners report electric motors that needed replacing; Parkers notes one or two motor failures over the car's life; Fortune's 2015 report on the redesigned drive unit; the Tesla Motors Club owners' drive unit replacement thread, where owners describe crunching and droning noises and clunks that led to replacement units.

4. Retracting door handles that will not present

Label: Reported by owners and independent specialists

• What you notice: a handle that stays flush when you approach with the key, or a door that will not open with its handle.
• Which cars: all 2014–2021 cars, with older cars mentioned most often.
• Why: each handle is a powered mechanism that extends as you approach. Owners and reviewers name these bespoke parts among the Model S's problem areas.
• Fix: repair or replace the handle mechanism. Diagnose the fault first rather than swapping parts.
• DIY difficulty: 3/5.
• Check when buying: test all four handles several times from locked, then open each door from inside. Published MOT analyses include doors that will not open with their control as a failure item.
• Evidence: What Car? owners report handles that fail to pop out; Parkers lists door handles among problem areas on older cars; DrivingElectric says the powered handles sometimes fail to deploy; Autocar tells buyers to check they work; MOT analyses by MOT Data list door-opening failures.

5. Brake disc corrosion, judder and parking brake

Label: Reported by owners and independent specialists

• What you notice: judder through the pedal when braking, rusty or ridged discs, or a parking brake warning or brake that will not release.
• Which cars: all. DVSA recall R/2017/182 covers parking-brake calipers on Model S built 22/02/2016–10/07/2016.
• Why: regenerative braking does most of the slowing, so the friction brakes are used lightly and the discs can corrode or build up deposits; Tesla's manual suggests pressing the brake pedal often to dry the pads and discs. Under the recall, a badly made gear inside the caliper can fail so the electric parking brake may not release, or in some cases may not apply.
• Fix: Tesla's maintenance schedule asks for the calipers to be cleaned and lubricated every year or 12,500 miles where roads are salted in winter. Corroded discs and pads need replacing. The recall remedy is a new caliper.
• DIY difficulty: 3/5 for discs and pads; recall work is a Tesla job.
• Check when buying: make several firm stops from speed, look at the discs through the wheels, and ask whether the annual caliper service has been done.
• Evidence: Auto Express warns of disc corrosion and judder, and DrivingElectric of judder from worn discs; What Car? owners report warped discs; Autocar says judder is common; Tesla's Model S owner's manual sets the caliper interval; DVSA recall record R/2017/182.

6. Suspension knocks, alignment and fast tyre wear

Label: Inspection point

• What you notice: knocks over bumps, a car that pulls or will not hold a straight line, wear on the inner edges of the tyres, a suspension warning, or a car that does not sit level.
• Which cars: all, especially high-mileage cars.
• Why: the weight and instant torque load the tyres, joints and bushes hard. What Car? owners reported suspension faults and persistent wheel alignment problems, and Auto Express, citing Tesla, put the first set of replacement tyres at 15,000–20,000 miles.
• Fix: replace worn joints, bushes or leaking dampers first, then set four-wheel alignment. Air suspension faults need proper diagnosis before parts are replaced.
• DIY difficulty: 3/5 for diagnosis; air suspension repairs 4/5.
• Check when buying: read the MOT history for suspension and tyre advisories, check every tyre across its full width, and on air-suspension cars try every ride height and look for leaking dampers.
• Evidence: What Car?'s reliability survey; Autocar's buying guide; Auto Express's used review; MOT analyses by Motorwise and MOT Data.

7. Heater, wipers, lights and water leaks

Label: Reported by owners and independent specialists

• What you notice: a heater or demister that does not work, wipers that stop, exterior lights that fail or fill with condensation, a damp boot, a leaking panoramic roof or a misted reversing camera.
• Which cars: all 2014–2021 cars, with older cars more prone.
• Why: Auto Express says electrical faults are the most common Model S problems, and Parkers lists the climate control system among problem areas. What Car? owners reported dead wipers and faulty exterior lights.
• Fix: diagnose each fault properly, replace failed parts and reseal leaks.
• DIY difficulty: 2/5 for basic checks; 4/5 for diagnosis.
• Check when buying: run the heater hot and cold and demist the windscreen, use the wipers on every speed, check every lamp for function and water inside, lift the boot floor, and look at the roof lining.
• Evidence: Auto Express, DrivingElectric and Parkers on electrical and climate faults; What Car? reliability survey; Autocar's checks for heater failure, condensation, roof and boot leaks.

8. Power-steering motor bolts corroding

Label: Confirmed recall R/2018/093

• What you notice: steering that becomes heavier than normal, with a warning message on the dashboard.
• Which cars: Model S built 31/05/2012–09/04/2016.
• Why: the DVSA record says the aluminium bolts holding the steering gear motor can fail after long exposure to a highly corrosive environment, leaving the driver without power assistance.
• Fix: the recall fits stainless steel bolts and replaces the steering rack where needed. Autocar adds that heavy steering or poor self-centring can also come from a universal joint that needs lubricating.
• DIY difficulty: 5/5.
• Check when buying: get proof the recall is complete, then turn from lock to lock and make sure the wheel self-centres cleanly.
• Evidence: DVSA recall record R/2018/093; What Car?'s explanation of the symptom; Autocar's buying guide.

9. Airbag, seat belt and front boot latch recalls

Label: Confirmed recalls R/2019/006, R/2015/233 and R/2022/009

• What you notice: usually nothing until it matters. The front boot lid may not be held properly by its secondary latch.
• Which cars: passenger airbag, built 06/03/2014–07/12/2016; front seat belt pretensioner connection, built 01/02/2014–19/11/2015; front boot secondary latch, built 16/09/2014–23/12/2020.
• Why: the passenger airbag inflator propellant can degrade and the inflator may rupture when deployed; a seat belt may not be properly bolted to its lap pretensioner; and a misaligned latch can stop the secondary catch engaging.
• Fix: a new passenger airbag; inspection and reassembly of the seat belt connection; inspection and repositioning of the latch.
• DIY difficulty: 5/5.
• Check when buying: check the car on GOV.UK and ask Tesla to confirm every campaign is closed against the VIN. Open and shut the front boot and tailgate a few times.
• Evidence: DVSA recall records; What Car? owners also mention misaligned front boot and tailgate latches.

Recalls (DVSA data)

These are the Model S records in the DVSA recalls CSV (C4R's copy, checked against DVSA's download on 2026-10-13), summarised in our own words. Launch dates and build windows are copied from the file. R/2025/075, R/2021/031 and R/2017/182 also appear under Model X with different build windows; only the Model S rows are shown. No duplicate rows or reversed dates were found for the Model S. Not every car built in a window is affected, so check the exact car by registration and VIN.

Run the GOV.UK vehicle recall check and ask Tesla to confirm completed and outstanding campaigns against the VIN. Many newer Tesla fixes arrive over the air, so make sure the car's software is up to date.

MOT watch-points

No C4R model-level MOT statistics were computed for this guide, so no pass rates or percentages are given here. Published analyses of DVSA MOT data for the Model S, and the faults above, point to these checks:

• Tyres: tread depth, cuts and other damage are the leading failure items for this heavy, powerful car.
• Suspension and steering: worn pins, bushes, joints and steering ball joints.
• Lights and visibility: headlamp aim, exterior lamps, wiper blades and washers.
• Doors: a door that will not open with its control is a failure item, so test every handle.
• Brakes: worn pads, corroded discs and parking-brake operation.

A Model S needs its first MOT at three years old. These are condition checks, not a prediction that a particular car will fail. Read the individual car's record on the GOV.UK MOT history service and look for repeat advisories.

Buying one? Our checklist

1. Run the registration through the GOV.UK recall checker, then ask Tesla to confirm every campaign, especially R/2021/031, R/2019/006, R/2018/093 and R/2022/009, is closed against the VIN.
2. Book a battery health check at Tesla, ask how the car was charged and stored, and compare its full-charge range with other cars of the same version.
3. Ask the seller to show the warranty details in their Tesla app; on cars first registered before about October 2018 the original eight-year battery cover has ended.
4. Start the car from cold and use the touchscreen for several minutes; look for yellow edges, freezes and an LTE signal icon.
5. On the drive, listen for droning, crunching or clunking from the drive unit, feel for vibration under hard acceleration, and check the steering self-centres.
6. Test all four door handles, the front boot latch and the tailgate repeatedly.
7. Make firm stops to feel for judder, inspect the discs, and ask whether the calipers have had their annual clean and lubrication.
8. Check every tyre across its full width, try each ride height on air-suspension cars, and read the MOT history for suspension advisories.
9. Put the car on a ramp to look for impact damage on the battery casing and leaking dampers. Autocar advises avoiding a car with a towbar fitted, because Tesla did not offer or recommend one.
10. Plan the paperwork: you claim the car in the Tesla app with your ID and V5C, and Supercharging credits, upgrades and subscriptions may not transfer. On cars built before May 2019, ask whether the CCS charging retrofit has been done.

Running costs

• Vehicle tax (GOV.UK rates checked 14 October 2026): zero-emission cars first registered before 1 April 2017 fall in band A at £20 a year. Cars registered from 1 April 2017 pay the standard rate of £200 a year. The expensive car supplement does not apply to zero-emission cars registered before 1 April 2025, so it does not affect the right-hand-drive cars sold new from 2014 to 2021.
• Insurance: Parkers puts the Model S in group 50, the top of the 1–50 scale, while DrivingElectric quotes group 40, so get quotes for the exact version before you buy.
• Range: What Car? quotes official figures from 208 miles for the 60 to 393 miles for the 100D on the older test, and 375 miles for the later Long Range. Expect less in real driving; Autocar says a 75D covers more than 200 miles.
• Maintenance: Tesla's schedule for these cars includes a brake fluid check every four years, a cabin filter every two years, the HEPA filter every three years, tyre rotation every 6,250 miles and the annual caliper service in salted-road areas.
• Charging: cars built before May 2019 need a hardware retrofit plus an adapter to use CCS rapid chargers, including V3 Superchargers, which electrive reported in 2020 have only CCS cables. What Car? says some cars from before 15 January 2017 have free Supercharging. Tesla warns that credits, upgrades and subscriptions may not carry over to a new owner, so ask to see exactly what the car's Tesla account shows before you buy.

Sources & further reading

Official data and checks

• data.gov.uk: DVSA Vehicle Safety Branch recalls database
• GOV.UK: check if a vehicle has been recalled
• GOV.UK: check the MOT history of a vehicle
• GOV.UK: getting an MOT
• GOV.UK: vehicle tax rates for cars registered on or after 1 April 2017
• GOV.UK: vehicle tax rates for cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017

Manufacturer information

• Tesla UK: 3G cellular network retirement
• Tesla UK: vehicle warranty
• Tesla: Model S owner's manual (2012–2020), maintenance service intervals
• Tesla UK: how to add or remove vehicles in the Tesla app

Reviews, reliability and reported faults

• What Car?: used Tesla Model S 2014–2021 review
• What Car?: used Tesla Model S 2014–2021 reliability and common problems
• Autocar: nearly new buying guide, Tesla Model S
• Auto Express: used Tesla Model S review
• DrivingElectric: used Tesla Model S buying guide
• Parkers: Tesla Model S running costs and reliability
• Parkers: Tesla Model S saloon (2014 on) specifications
• RAC Drive: Tesla Model S review
• Fortune: Tesla, Consumer Reports and drive unit reliability (2015)
• Tesla Motors Club: owners' drive unit replacement thread
• Electrek: Norwegian court rules on 85 kWh charging limits (May 2021)
• Electrek: retrial over 85 kWh charging limits (December 2021)

Charging and UK availability

• Electrek: CCS adapter and retrofits for Model S and X (2019)
• electrive: Tesla cuts European CCS retrofit price (2020)
• Electrek: right-hand-drive Model S and Model X ended (2023)
• Auto Express: new Model S and Model X go left-hand drive only
• Electrifying.com: new Model S and X arrive in UK, left-hand drive only
• Wikipedia: Tesla Model S

MOT data analyses

• Motorwise: Tesla Model S MOT reliability by registration year
• MOT Data: Tesla Model S MOT analysis

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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