"How reliable is the 2018 Tesla Model S?"

"Based on 282 NHTSA complaints, the 2018 Tesla Model S has a median complaint mileage of 14000 miles. The most common issue is UNKNOWN OR OTHER."

"What are common problems with the 2018 Tesla Model S?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2018 Tesla Model S is UNKNOWN OR OTHER, accounting for a significant portion of the 282 total complaints filed."

2018 Tesla Model S: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 282 complaints

282

Total Complaints

14,000mi

Median Mileage

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

7,255 25th Percentile

14,000 Median Mileage

20,135 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BRAKES

SUSPENSION

STEERING

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

STRUCTURE:BODY

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL S. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, IT INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION TEN DAYS LATER FOR A STERNAL FRACTURE. THE TESLA BUENA PARK DEALER (6692 A..."

"THERE HAS BEEN SO MANY MALFUNCTIONS, DEATHS AND FIRES CAUSED BY TESLA'S AUTO PILOT FEATURE. SO MANY GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS ARE GOING ON, AND THE RESULT OF SOME INVESTIGATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED SOUNDS ALARMING. TESLA'S AUTO PILOT FEATURE IS UNDER INTENSE GOVERNMENT SCRUTINY. TODAY, ELON A..."

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL S. WHILE APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, THE SPEED INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE DROVE THROUGH THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND CRASHED INTO A VEHICLE THAT WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE FRONT DRIVER'S AIR BAG AND KNEE ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28