AI Damage2021 Tesla Model S: common problems
Owners of the 2021 Tesla Model S filed 179 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and steering. The maker issued 91 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 179
- involving a crash
- 13
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 91
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 27% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 16% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 9% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 7 Wheels 6% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 5% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 48 complaints (27% of all), 9 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Steering: 29 complaints (16% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Electrical system: 25 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 22.
- Suspension: 16 complaints (9% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Service brakes: 16 complaints (9% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 179 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 48 | 9 | 1 |
| Steering | 29 | 2 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 25 | 1 | 22 |
| Suspension | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| Service brakes | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| Wheels | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Lane departure | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Tires | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 1 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Automatic braking did not engage, collision warning system failed to sound alert. Air bags deployed however seat belt completely spooled out causing the driver to strike the windshield and break the glass by contact with the top of the head. The vehicle was a total loss and the dealer never inspected the car.
The contact stated while driving approximately 100 MPH, as he took his foot off of the accelerator, with the vehicle brake control set to "aggressive slowdown," as the vehicle slowed the contact looked into the rearview mirror and observed white smoke issuing from the rear of the vehicle.
Have experienced 20+ erroneous forward collision errors with automatic breaking or lane assist corrections for obstacles such as hills, mailboxes, trees, absolutely nothing at all, etc.
The contact stated he noticed no warning lights illuminated nor warning chimes sounded advising of a vehicle ahead. The contact said both air bags deployed. The vehicle had crashed and damaged the entire front end which crumpled to the front tires. The police were on the scene and filed a report.
Brakes are not strong enough to brake tires loose or cause anti lock. My Chevrolet Colorado out stops my Tesla. Hit an animal that my truck would not have. Helpless feeling.
It is still unknown, but I believe the brakes failed. My wife was driving and making a left turn into a residential neighborhood when she applied the brake and it didn't respond, even when pushing the pedal to the floor. All that resulted was a clicking noise.
Tesla Sudden Acceleration Accident: I ordered a Tesla Model S on June 21, 2021 and received a Tesla Model S on November 10, 2021. On Monday, February 7th, 2022, at approximately 5pm EST, my Tesla Model S failed to stop in a parking lot. I was pulling into a parking lot at Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte, Florida.
The affected wheel is the front passenger-side wheel. I discovered a crack/hairline fracture on one of the rim spokes of the wheel. The wheel is a 22-inch Forgiato EV001 (EV-001) forged wheel.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 369 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Model S has 16 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 179, above average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- On some Model S and Model X vehicles, the compression gap of the HVAC drain funnel seal is wider than…
On some Model S and Model X vehicles, the compression gap of the HVAC drain funnel seal is wider than intended, which may cause water ingress. Inspect the sponge area of the HVAC drain funnel for water ingress. If…
- On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the HV battery umbrella valves, over time, may become damaged due…
On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the HV battery umbrella valves, over time, may become damaged due to road debris. Replace all 5 umbrella valves with updated parts. This new revision, R1, updates the affected…
- On certain Model S and Model X vehicles built between approximately January 2021 and September 22, 2022,…
On certain Model S and Model X vehicles built between approximately January 2021 and September 22, 2022, the High Voltage (HV) battery ports’ plungers intended for internal water leak egress (also known as flood ports)…
- Messaging sent directly to customers who have queued with Tesla Service to perform Service Bulletin…
Messaging sent directly to customers who have queued with Tesla Service to perform Service Bulletin SB-25-16-002 "Replace Flood Port Plungers". The customer is informed that their vehicle is in queue to receive parts…
- Proactive messaging sent directly to customers affected by Service Bulletin SB-25-16-002 "Replace Flood…
Proactive messaging sent directly to customers affected by Service Bulletin SB-25-16-002 "Replace Flood Port Plungers". The customer is informed that their vehicle is impacted by Service Bulletin SB-25-16-002, the…
- On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the HV battery umbrella valves, over time, may become damaged due…
- Certain Model S and Model X vehicles were equipped with driver airbags that do not meet internal quality…
- On certain Model S, Model X and Model Y vehicles, the interior camera requires replacement to mitigate…
On certain Model S, Model X and Model Y vehicles, the interior camera requires replacement to mitigate reduced driver attentiveness detection performance in low-light conditions.
- Some Model S and Model X vehicles with 1st Generation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas…
Some Model S and Model X vehicles with 1st Generation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennas might suffer from lower-than-expected navigation signal strength under certain circumstances.
- Some Model S and Model X vehicles with revision D interior cameras might suffer from lower-than-expected…
Some Model S and Model X vehicles with revision D interior cameras might suffer from lower-than-expected navigation signal strength under certain circumstances.
- On certain Model S and Model X vehicles built before November 1, 2021, the vehicle may lack Bluetooth…
On certain Model S and Model X vehicles built before November 1, 2021, the vehicle may lack Bluetooth headphone hardware support for the rear touchscreen audio.
- Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies
Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on…
NHTSA lists 91 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Tesla Model S?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, steering, electrical system. Total complaints: 179. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (10%), brakes on its own (phantom braking) (7%), infotainment or screen glitches (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2021 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA lists 91 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2021 Tesla Model S from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2021 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.