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2015 Tesla Model S problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2015 Tesla Model S has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 0safety recalls
- 646owner complaints
- 69crash reports
- 11fire reports
- 20%fail the UK MOT
The most complained-about Tesla Model S year on file: 646 complaints, against an average of 185 for the other 14 model years.
Every Tesla Model S model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2015 Tesla Model S?
The components named most often in the 646 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2015 Tesla Model S owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 646 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
- What causes clunking or suspension noise in the 2015 Tesla Model S?66 owners · 10.2%
- Why does the infotainment screen freeze, reboot or go black in my 2015 Tesla Model S?53 owners · 8.2%
- Why does the backup camera not work on my 2015 Tesla Model S?47 owners · 7.3%
- Why do the headlights or taillights fail on my 2015 Tesla Model S?21 owners · 3.3%
Has the 2015 Tesla Model S been recalled?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2015 Tesla Model S as of October 25, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.
Is the 2015 Tesla Model S recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSAMisalignment of the hood latch may prevent latching of the secondary latch
Risk: Misalignment of the hood latch may prevent latching of the secondary latch.
Fix: Inspect the secondary hood latch on affected vehicles. If the hood is not properly retained by the secondary latch the latch mechanism will be reassembled and repositioned to assure proper alignment.
UK DVSAWhen the emmc reaches accumulated lifetime wear the customer may experience a blank centre display
Risk: When the eMMC reaches accumulated lifetime wear the customer may experience a blank centre display.
Fix: Ensure current software is installed and upgrade the VCM daughterboard to a 64GB Micron eMMC.
UK DVSAThe propellant in the front passenger airbag inflator may degrade over time
Risk: The front passenger airbag inflator could rupture in the event the airbag is deployed.
Fix: Replace the front passenger air bag on affected vehicles.
UK DVSALoss of power steering assistance
Risk: Potential failure of steering gear motor bolts when exposed to long term high corrosive environment. This can lead to loss of power assistance to the steering which would result in additional effort from the driver to steer the vehicle.
Fix: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the aluminium bolts with stainless steel bolts. Where necessary the steering rack will be replaced.
UK DVSASeatbelt may not perform correctly
Risk: The driver and/or front passenger seatbelt could be improperly connected to the outboard lap pretensioner. The connection is secured by means of a bolt that fastens the steel anchor plate on the end of the seat belt to a steel anchor plate on the end of the pretensioner cable. If a collision occurs and the aforementioned condition exists there is an elevated risk of additional injury to the occupant of the seat.
Fix: Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected for inspection of the seatbelt connection to the pretensioner and the anchor plates. If the condition is evident the seatbelt/s will be reassembled to ensure proper connection.
EU Safety GateOn some Model S vehicles, the latch assembly of the front hood may be aligned too far rearward.While this alignment does not impact latching of the primary latch with the hood striker, it may prevent latching of the secondary latch. If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood may open without warning and obstruct the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. If the primary latch is inadvertently released, the driver will receive an alert on the user interface.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: 20/01/2022
EU Safety GateDefects in the gas generator of the passenger airbag lead to uncontrolled unfolding when the airbag is triggered.The excessively high internal pressure can damage the airbag casing, metal particles can come loose, causing injuries to the vehicle occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe connection between the safety belt and the safety belt tensioner has not been correctly established.There is a risk that the safety belt will fail to offer sufficient restraint force in the event of an accident.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
How often does the 2015 Tesla Model S fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2015, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2015 Tesla Model S owners report?
12 of the 646 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
A few times the steering control has shut off while I am driving. Steering failure lasts a few seconds and then returns to normal function. The car makes a VERY loud alarm sound when the steering is inoperable. I have not seen any failure messages on the screen or in the Service menu. I took the car to Tesla for service yesterday. They did some sort of remote scan of the fault codes and told me that there is nothing wrong. They told me to continue to drive the car and record when the steering stops working again. This sounds like ridiculously bad advice to me. While the steering control has…
Many air bubbles are appearing towards the bottom of the instrument panel on our 2015 Tesla Model S. This started a couple of weeks ago and the bubbles are increasing in size and number and they are moving upwards. The bubbles don’t presently obscure important driver information such as the transmission mode (drive, park, reverse, neutral), remaining battery range (e.g. 80%), car speed (mph), parking sensor distance, brake light status, car door open, frunk open, tailgate open, time, outdoor temperature, car lights on/off, warning lights, etc. However, the bubbles likely will do so in the…
Large drive unit that has previously been replaced by Tesla failed due to coolant ingress leaking through rotor seal. Known issue per 3rd party technicians.
Steering: While driving today (7/5/2025), all of a sudden and without warning, "driver assist" (power steering) became disabled. Steering wheel immediately became heavy in the sense that it was extremely difficult to turn. Motor: Also, on 02/22/2024, while driving on the freeway at freeway speed, all of a sudden and without warning, the rear LDU (large drive unit) failed and the car became inoperable. At that time, the car had approximately 45k miles on it.
I parked my 2015 Tesla Model S and found the rear door on the passenger side would not open from the outside even though the door handle was extended. This is a safety concern as we could not open the door to remove our pet dog from the car. It would also not be possible to open the door from the outside to remove a child in a car seat next to the door or an elderly or disabled person sitting next to the door who is unable to open the door from the inside. This could be life threatening in the case of a car crash. It is a major safety defect that should be repaired at no cost by Tesla for the…
While driving approximately 45mph on a smooth dry road, the drivers side front lower ball joint broke in half. This caused the wheel to separate from the lower control arm and get lodged between the fender well and the front subframe. This caused the inner tie rod to bend and the cv joint to separate from the inner connection. The rubber brake line was torn in half and undercarriage damage due to it slamming to the pavement. I notified Tesla and scheduled an appointment. This happened on 02/26/2025 at approximately 7am. The vehicle did not drive abnormal or give any warning before the…
The universal joint that connects the steering to the wheels is exposed to the elements and causes the steering to be difficult and/or stop working.
Car isn't cooling while supercharging. Problem originated while at Tesla Collision in Fort Lauderdale. Mike DiPietro, the general mgr stated they don't have a supercharger at Tesla Collision Fort Lauderdale to test it and they're not willing to drive it to the supercharger to test it because it's a service issue. When I dropped the car off it cooled while supercharging and now that it's not cooling while supercharging it presents a fire and safety hazard because it will only cool the moment the car is unplugged from the supercharger and then cools full blast for 45 minutes after the car is…
The component that Tesla has stated is the part that is failing is the MCU (Media Control Unit) which was a recalled part at one point but then Tesla decided to replace only a single part of the MCU which was the eMMC (embedded MultiMedia Card). Luckily the vehicle was not driving when it completely shut down and would not start back up but I was stuck in a restaurants drive-thru for roughly 4 hours till I could get a tow truck to come tow it. The tow truck had to put the car on dollies as the vehicle would not enter tow mode nor would it enter its emergency neutral mode so the vehicle could…
The Model S, which was bought in 2015, had a sudden acceleration while I was trying to park near the entrance gate of the parking lot. The accident happened on May 25, 2023. Fortunately, nobody got hurt and the car was totaled. I feel strongly that this should be investigated, as this can be a very serious public safety issue. It was inspected by the insurance company. There were no warning messages prior to the failure.
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that the center display screen became inoperable. The contact stated that the defroster, exterior lights, back-up camera and radio were inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the center display screen needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The…
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with the autonomous self-driving feature activated, the contact attempted to use the turn signal while changing lanes and almost struck another vehicle. The contact was able to control the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic made the contact aware that the failure was a known issue however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 35,000.
2015 Tesla Model S: questions owners ask
Is the 2015 Tesla Model S reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 646 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Tesla Model S; the most common categories were electrical system (256, 39.6%), suspension (147, 22.8%), steering (51, 7.9%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year. 69 complaints mention a crash, 11 mention a fire, 29 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Tesla Model S?
Across 646 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are electrical system (39.6% of complaints), suspension (22.8% of complaints), steering (7.9% of complaints), exterior lighting (6.8% of complaints), vehicle speed control (6% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2015 Tesla Model S have any recalls?
As of October 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2015 Tesla Model S. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What causes clunking or suspension noise in the 2015 Tesla Model S?
66 of the 646 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2015 Tesla Model S (10.2%) describe suspension clunks, worn parts or air suspension failures. One owner wrote: "While driving approximately 45mph on a smooth dry road, the drivers side front lower ball joint broke in half. This caused the wheel to separate from the lower control arm and get lodged between the fender well and the front subframe." (NHTSA complaint 11645192, February 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does the infotainment screen freeze, reboot or go black in my 2015 Tesla Model S?
53 of the 646 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2015 Tesla Model S (8.2%) describe the infotainment or touch screen freezing, rebooting or going black. One owner wrote: "I had the eMMC replaced under recall in December of 2021. The board failed again in December of 2022 resulting in all controls of the car being inaccessible, the center screen was black." (NHTSA complaint 11508358, February 2023). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does the backup camera not work on my 2015 Tesla Model S?
47 of the 646 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2015 Tesla Model S (7.3%) describe the rearview or backup camera failing or showing a blank screen. One owner wrote: "The main screen stays blank and the backup camera does not work. all controls that were on the main touch screen do not function include safety features such and adaptive cruise control and emergency breaking." (NHTSA complaint 11388333, January 2021). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why do the headlights or taillights fail on my 2015 Tesla Model S?
21 of the 646 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2015 Tesla Model S (3.3%) describe headlights, taillights or brake lights failing or condensation in the lamps. One owner wrote: "Tl* the contact owns a 2015 tesla model s. the contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the master control unit was inoperable. the contact stated that the back over prevention camera display and turn signals were inoperable." (NHTSA complaint 11366796, October 2020). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own Model S
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2015 only; combines NHTSA's entries for MODEL S 60KWH, MODEL S 70D, MODEL S 85D, MODEL S 85KWH and MODEL S P85D.