The center touchscreen is leaking a sticky glue-like substance and has visible bubbles forming inside the screen. This affects visibility and operation of essential vehicle functions like hvac, navigation, and defrost controls. This issue is worsen with heat exposure. The screen also freezes randomly.
2016-2016 · 1 model year
Tesla Model S 85 Problems by year
Owners have filed 604 complaints about the Tesla Model S 85 across 1 model year, and it has 0 recalls. The 2016 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (604). The most reported problem area is the suspension, followed by the electrical system.
- Complaints
- 604
- Recalls
- 0
- Crashes
- 89
- Fires
- 12
- Injuries
- 64
- Deaths
- 8
Model S 85 complaints by model year
Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 604 | 0 | - |
Most common Model S 85 problems
Latest Model S 85 complaints
I was backing out of a parking space and the front driver side fore link broke. Internet search reveals this is a known issue associated with Tesla Model S during the period mine was manufactured (February 2016), caused an investigation & service bulletin from the NHTSA, and a recall in China, hence I wanted to report this occurence.
While the car is parked and locked the rear driver side door opens in its own. The door handle does not present itself and is scheduled for repair. This is new and started happening today. Despite how many times I close it. It opens on it own. The door is locked when this happens. Door sitting still. Plugged in to charge and locked. The door opens on its own. It unlatches, Does not fully open.
My driver's side of the vehicle looks like it's melting. I was informed by the service advisor at Tesla that this is a common issue, and the computer needs to be replaced at my expense.
on 5/20/25, I had my Tesla repaired as I had suspension issues. They repaired my car to rectify my suspension for both my front and rear tires. Then on 6/12/25, I was driving on the highway and going about 70-75 mph when I heard a huge pop. No warning indicators came on and something did not feel right. I figured nothing else came of it. I was about 30 miles away from home and when I got home, my tire was pushed inward. I was concerned on whether this was related to a bad repair since it was so soon to my previous...
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repair and they indicated that they did not touch that area. After they saw my video, they indicated that the lower control arm of my rear tire broke and they indicated that this was just a damaged component. My biggest concern is that if this issue was not related to the repair work done a month ago, this could be bigger issue as I could have been very concerning that this part broke when I was driving at high speeds and I think it's warranted to check on the quality of the component. In my 40 plus years of driving, I have never experienced this happened to me. If you need documentation or video of how the tire and the axle looks, I can forward it to you. The vehicle has only been inspected by the Tesla Dealership service center and as stated earlier, there weren't any warning signs or messages that showed as I specifically was looking for it when I heard the loud pop.
I wanted to bring a situation to your attention, report an incident and understand why model years 2012-2020 Tesla Model Ss have not been recalled for a defective drive unit. This is a known defect - known by Tesla. There have been no recalls for mine - VIN number [[redacted]] . On [[redacted]], my 2016 Tesla Model S suddenly lunged and jerked down to less than 5 mph from about 45 mph in 5-10 seconds as a result of a defective and failed drive unit, here in San Ramon , CA. NO WARNING. We forced the car to lunge...
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and hop over to the median with traffic stopping, building up, honking, braking....truly a miracle no one got hurt. I later saw both front and back wheels turning in OPPOSITE directions, simultaneously, as the tow truck driver was pulling the car on his flat bed. The tow truck driver said he has never seen anything like this! The defective drive unit has been a known issue which they corrected in 2020. A Master Tesla mechanic states that this is not about IF the failure was to take place, but WHEN it was going to take place. Tesla refuses to own up to the problem despite emailing their Head, Tom Zhu. I came across this conversation on Reddit and it appears that a comment made by the Tesla mechanic below is relevant. They could have prevented this by recalling the cars and changing the coolant seal. Here is his quote: "Every single large Tesla Drive unit will fail unless it's a recent revision U replacement (~2022 or newer) or has been retrofitted by a 3rd party. This applies to all RWD Model S made between 2012 and 2020, and all Performance S/X made until 2020. The coolant seal will fail and destroy the motor. This is not an if, but a when. If you have a car with one of these motors, there are a variety of 3rd party shops who can fix this issue forever for a lot less money than a fully dead motor. An attorney on this thread commented on a 2015 Tesla Model S: "This is a known issue with older Model S/X cars, yes. A 2015 is HIGHLY at risk of that. Also, a INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Questions about the Tesla Model S 85
Which Tesla Model S 85 years have the most problems?
By the number of complaints owners filed with NHTSA: 2016 (604). Allowing for how long each has been on the road, the 2016 stands out most. Complaint counts also rise with sales, so compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What are the most common Tesla Model S 85 problems?
Across every model year, owners report problems with the suspension (204), electrical system (137), steering (81) most often.
How many recalls does the Tesla Model S 85 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for any Tesla Model S 85 model year on file.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data