Home › Tesla › Model S › 2018
2018 Tesla Model S: problems, recalls and fuel economy
Owners filed 170 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Model S, and forward collision avoidance is the largest group with 50[1][2]. The model year also has 11 recalls, and most of them use over-the-air software updates[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12].
Most reported problems
NHTSA lists 170 owner complaints for this model year[1]. Of these, 36 mention a crash, 3 a fire and 21 injuries, and no deaths are reported[1]. These are unverified owner reports, and one complaint can name several components. Counts are not adjusted for sales.
| Component group | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance[2] | 50 |
| Unknown or other[13] | 36 |
| Electrical system[14] | 35 |
| Speed control[15] | 28 |
| Brakes[16] | 25 |
| Suspension[17] | 20 |
| Steering[18] | 15 |
| Lane departure[19] | 13 |
We read a small sample of complaint texts for four of these groups. It is not a measure of how common anything is.
- Speed control. In the sample we read, owners describe the car lurching forward or backward without warning while parking or moving slowly, then hitting a wall, garage, curb or another car. This group has 16 crashes and 10 injuries among its 28 complaints, with a median mileage at failure of 7,255[15].
- Electrical system. Owners describe the center screen or instrument panel freezing, going dark or rebooting. Some say the speedometer, turn signals or climate control stopped working at the same time[14].
- Brakes. Owners describe the car braking hard with nothing ahead of it, often while cruise control or driver assistance was on[16].
- Forward collision avoidance. Owners describe the car slowing or braking by itself on highways with no obstacle in sight[2].
Recalls
NHTSA shows 11 recalls for this model year[3]. Newest first:
- Seat belt warning (24V376). The seat belt light and chime may not work as intended for an unbelted driver. That raises injury risk in a crash. Tesla says it will release an over-the-air software update[4].
- Pedestrian alert sound (24V153). A factory reset muted the sound that warns pedestrians of an approaching electric car. Tesla released an over-the-air update[5].
- Warning light font (24V051). The Brake, Park and ABS warning lights show in a font that is too small to read easily. Tesla began releasing an over-the-air update[6].
- Autosteer controls (23V838). The controls for Autosteer may not do enough to prevent driver misuse, which raises crash risk. Tesla says it will release an over-the-air update[7].
- Full Self-Driving Beta (23V085). The software may act unsafely at intersections and may not respond well to speed limit changes. Tesla says it will release an over-the-air update[8].
- Power steering assist (22V818). The power steering can lose assist on rough roads or after a pothole, so steering takes more effort. Tesla released an over-the-air recalibration[9].
- Rearview camera delay (22V169). The rear image may not show right away when reversing. Tesla says it will perform an over-the-air update[10].
- Rolling stop (22V037). The Full Self-Driving Beta rolling stop feature may let the car pass an all-way stop without stopping. Tesla says an over-the-air update will disable it[11].
- Hood latch (21V00B). The front trunk latch may be misaligned so the backup latch does not engage[20]. The hood could open unexpectedly and block the driver's view. Tesla Service inspects and repositions the latch as needed[20].
- Emergency braking and warnings (21V846). A communication error may cause false forward-collision warnings or sudden automatic braking. Tesla Service released an over-the-air update[12].
- Center display memory (21V035). The display memory chip can wear out. That can cause loss of the rearview camera display, defrost and defog settings and turn signal lighting. Owners should have firmware 2020.48.48.12 or newer, and Tesla will replace a circuit board with an improved one[21].
For the ones where the fact says Tesla will release an update, check with Tesla whether it has reached a given car.
Fuel economy
This is an electric car, so EPA rates it in MPGe and miles of range. The rating depends on the version:
Size
These dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US cars[26][27].
How 2018 compares with other years
Show the numbers
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 61 | 8 |
| 2013 | 461 | 11 |
| 2014 | 366 | 9 |
| 2015 | 668 | 9 |
| 2016 | 648 | 10 |
| 2017 | 428 | 9 |
| 2018 | 170 | 11 |
| 2019 | 44 | 10 |
| 2020 | 80 | 11 |
| 2021 | 179 | 23 |
| 2022 | 139 | 20 |
| 2023 | 114 | 13 |
| 2024 | 38 | 6 |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 |
| 2026 | 7 | 0 |
The 2018 Model S has 170 complaints and 11 recalls[3]. Complaints are lower than 2013 (461), 2014 (366), 2015 (668), 2016 (648), 2017 (428) and 2021 (179)[3]. They are higher than 2012 (61), 2019 (44), 2020 (80), 2022 (139), 2023 (114), 2024 (38), 2025 (6) and 2026 (7)[3]. Recalls tie with 2013 and 2020 at 11, and are below 2021 (23), 2022 (20) and 2023 (13)[3]. Counts are not adjusted for sales, so compare years of this model only.
Should you buy a used 2018 Model S?
The complaint record is mid-sized for this model, with 170 complaints against up to 668 in other years[1][3]. The reports that stand out describe unintended motion while parking and unexpected braking, so ask how the car behaves in both situations on a test drive[15][16]. Ask for proof that every recall update was applied, and ask whether the display memory repair was done[21]. Check the recalls where Tesla says it will release an update with Tesla by VIN[4][7][8][10][11]. These are owner reports and recall notices only, so a pre-purchase inspection is still wise.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 Tesla Model S?
- Forward collision avoidance has the most complaints at 50, followed by unknown or other at 36 and electrical at 35[2][13][14].
- How many recalls does the 2018 Tesla Model S have?
- NHTSA shows 11 recalls for the 2018 model year[3].
- What is the range of the 2018 Tesla Model S?
- EPA rates range from 249 miles for the 75kWh to 335 miles for the 100D[22][24].
- How does 2018 compare with other Model S years?
- It has 170 complaints, fewer than 2013 through 2017 and 2021, and more than 2012, 2019, 2020 and 2022 through 2026[3].
Facts and sources
- NHTSA has 170 owner complaints on file for the 2018 Tesla Model S (36 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 21 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
- 50 complaints name the forward collision avoidance component group (7 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, median mileage at failure 45,000). NHTSA vehicle records
- Owner complaints and recalls for every Tesla Model S model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
- Recall 24V376, filed May 28, 2024: Seat Belts › Front › Warning Light / Devices. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 24V153, filed February 27, 2024: Forward Collision Avoidance › Warnings › External / Pedestrian Alert. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 24V051, filed January 30, 2024: Electrical System › Instrument Cluster / Panel. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 23V838, filed December 12, 2023: Electrical System › Adas › Driver Monitoring › Software. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 23V085, filed February 15, 2023: Steering › Automated / Adaptive Steering. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 22V818, filed November 1, 2022: Steering › Electric Power Assist System. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 22V169, filed March 18, 2022: Back Over Prevention › Display Function. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 22V037, filed January 27, 2022: Steering › Automated / Adaptive Steering. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 21V846, filed October 29, 2021: Forward Collision Avoidance › Sensing System › Camera. NHTSA recall database
- 36 complaints name the unknown or other component group (6 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 17,500). NHTSA vehicle records
- 35 complaints name the electrical system component group (7 crashes, 2 fires, 3 injuries, median mileage at failure 15,750). NHTSA vehicle records
- 28 complaints name the speed control component group (16 crashes, 1 fires, 10 injuries, median mileage at failure 7,255). NHTSA vehicle records
- 25 complaints name the brakes component group (7 crashes, 1 fires, 6 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
- 20 complaints name the suspension component group (3 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 15,500). NHTSA vehicle records
- 15 complaints name the steering component group (4 crashes, 1 fires, 5 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
- 13 complaints name the lane departure component group (4 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
- Recall 21V00B, filed December 21, 2021: Latches / Locks / Linkages › Hood › Latch. NHTSA recall database
- Recall 21V035, filed January 29, 2021: Visibility › Defroster / Defogger / Hvac System. NHTSA recall database
- EPA rating for Model S 75kWh, electric, Automatic (A1), Electricity: 98 MPGe combined, 249 miles of range. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
- EPA rating for Model S 75D, electric, Automatic (A1), Electricity: 103 MPGe combined, 259 miles of range. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
- EPA rating for Model S 100D, electric, Automatic (A1), Electricity: 102 MPGe combined, 335 miles of range. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
- EPA rating for Model S P100D, electric, Automatic (A1), Electricity: 98 MPGe combined, 315 miles of range. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
- Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MODEL S 4DR SEDAN AWD: length 196 in, width 77 in, height 57 in, wheelbase 117 in, curb weight 4,969 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
- Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, MODEL S 4DR SEDAN RWD: length 196 in, width 77 in, height 57 in, wheelbase 117 in, curb weight 4,656 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov