2014 Tesla Model S Problems, complaints & recalls

Active safety recall (NHTSA Campaign 21V-035 / Tesla TSB SB-21-21-001) for touchscreen and Media Control Unit (MCU) failure remains unperformed due to service refusal and unlawful conditioning at the Tesla Authorized Service Center in [[redacted]]. Following a 6-week delay, an appointment was kept on [redacted]. After holding the vehicle for 4 hours, service staff explicitly conditioned execution of the mandatory safety recall upon authorizing ~$3,000 in unrelated retail repairs. When declined, the Service Manager...

The vehicle's front hood unexpectedly released and struck the windshield while driving at full speed on the interstate. I was able to pull over safely. After stopping, the vehicle displayed a warning indicating that it could not detect whether the front trunk was latched. The resulting collision repairs included replacement of the hood, windshield, hood latch, striker, hood support struts, and related components. We requested that Tesla review this incident as a potential vehicle safety defect and determine...

The main battery failed without warning/notice. it will not charge anymore. the tesla service center in louisville kentucky did not disclose the exact cause for the failure. one day the car displayed a message stating the car is unable to charge, contact service center and never charged again.

Dashboard is leaking glue out the bottom center causing the computer screen and dash control panels to move. I'm not feeling safe driving as I'm not sure if they will drop down or stop functioning at any point. Tesla wants $1500 to fix, and I don't have that money being retired. How can Tesla glue their cars together, and it only last for about 10 yrs?? I feel like this is a safety issue that they should be fixing.

This issue appears to be related to a known MCU failure affecting early Tesla Model S vehicles. The touchscreen exhibits screen melting/discoloration and eventually goes blank or becomes inoperative. When this occurs, critical functions including occupant detection indicators, seatbelt warnings, and windshield defrost controls may become unavailable. The loss of these functions creates potential safety risks involving visibility, occupant protection, and driver awareness while operating the vehicle."

I have been driving my Model S Tesla for 13 years. On 30 April as I was pulling into a parking space at my local grocery store, I applied the brakes to ease into the space and my car surged forward with unintended acceleration. I smashed into the concrete base of a light pole, the airbags deployed and my car ricocheted back about 8 feet. There were no warning messages. I was taken to the emergency room and had whiplash and a burn on my leg from the airbag. No one else was hurt. I know it was the car that...

Motor suddenly failed after a required update while driving, nearly causing a crash with multiple commercial vehicles and pedestrians, leaving brake lights dangerously always on and alarm sounding, killed 12v as well.

**Incident / Defect Description for NHTSA Safety Complaint** **Vehicle Information** - Make: Tesla - Model: Model S - Year: 2014 - VIN: [[redacted]] - Approximate Mileage: 148,129 miles - Date of Discovery / Failure: 04/23/2026 **Description of the Defect** This vehicle is equipped with Tesla's Large Drive Unit (LDU / rear drive unit), which was used in the majority of 2012-early 2020 Model S vehicles (RWD and Performance models). The LDU design routes coolant through the hollow rotor shaft. Over time,...

Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration I am submitting a complaint regarding repeated denial of access to charging infrastructure for my electric vehicle due to fraudulent billing activity within Tesla's Supercharger network. I own a 2014 Tesla Model S located in Alabama. My Tesla account has repeatedly recorded Supercharging sessions in California that were not performed by my vehicle. Tesla customer support representatives have acknowledged that this issue appears to involve VIN cloning or a flaw...

Rear Door handles are inoperable again after repairs made by dealer. The fault is due to design fault with the wiring harness on the door handles. Manufacturer refuses to make repairs under warranty

The rear door handle has failed and now the door pops open when parked.

This is regarding a 2014 Model S fully electric vehicle. Any reference to an 'engine' simply implies the motor. Accelerator pedal became unresponsive and abruptly lost drive power while going ~55mph on the highway. The PRND display on the display panel went red. Car was towed to the service center Immediately after this malfunction, I somehow cruised along towards the shoulder with just with brakes and hazard lights. Total loss of motor power caused vehicle to slow down and vehicles behind me had to slow down...

The contact owned a 2014 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on the highway, the vehicle exited into a tunnel. The contact stated that his hands were on the steering wheel and that the steering wheel did not move; however, the vehicle inadvertently made a sharp left turn, and the passenger-side headlight struck the tunnel wall. The vehicle spun rapidly, and the contact's head snapped to the right. The air bags did not deploy. The contact received medical attention for...

I am the current owner of a 2014 Tesla Model S equipped with MCU1. While driving, including at freeway speeds, the center touchscreen has rebooted unexpectedly, showing only the Tesla logo before recovering. During these reboots, critical vehicle functions are unavailable, including the rearview camera, HVAC/defrost controls, and other essential features. This failure matches the exact safety defect described in NHTSA Recall 21V-035 related to the MCU/eMMC failure. I reported this safety issue to Tesla Service and...

My [[redacted]] mother owns a 2014 Tesla Model S P85+ (VIN: [[redacted]] ) with only 50,367 miles. The vehicle suddenly became completely inoperable without warning. It would not turn on, would not charge, and the charge port would not open. The vehicle had to be towed. Tesla diagnosed failures of the high-voltage battery contactors, the onboard charger assembly, and HV circuit integrity. These are essential high-voltage components that should not fail at such low mileage. When these parts fail, the vehicle loses...

After a high-voltage junction box repair performed by Tesla, the vehicle shut down 15 miles after leaving the service center. Tesla replaced the high-voltage harness at no cost but provided no explanation. After the HV harness replacement, new proximity/sensor alerts began triggering that were not present before their HV work. Multiple reasonable diagnostic procedures were refused, including bench-testing the sensors. Tesla is pressuring me to take possession of the vehicle without providing written confirmation...

The main touchscreen (MCU1) and instrument cluster on my 2014 Tesla Model S frequently freeze, reboot, or go blank while driving. When this happens, I lose access to defrost, turn signals, backup camera, and speed display. I contacted Tesla Service, but they refused to repair or replace the unit under recall EA20-003 or the extended warranty, even though the symptoms match the known eMMC 8GB memory failure. The black screen and frozen instrument cluster create a clear safety risk. Tesla should cover this issue under the recall or provide an equivalent MCU2 replacement if MCU1 parts are unavailable.

Vehicle Information: 2014 Tesla Model S VIN: [[redacted]] Incident Date: [[redacted]] Component Affected: Suspension / Air Suspension / Ride Height Control Problem Description: On [[redacted]], while driving, my 2014 Tesla Model S suddenly raised itself to and/or beyond maximum ride height without any driver input. Immediately afterward, the front driver-side suspension collapsed completely, leaving the vehicle unsafe to operate. This appears to be an uncommanded overinflation event caused by Tesla's...

The contact owns a 2014 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the digital screen intermittently blacked out and several safety features were inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the resort block remained at 90%, and the same EMMC ID that should have been covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Coolant ingress found on second Model S large drive unit in rear. After this leak destroyed my first vehicle, second was checked as a precaution and was found to have coolant leaking into drive unit as well.

the recirculation button takes 3 presses to engage/disengage or 1. sometimes 2. it's supposed to be an "intelligent" design. I'm sure there's software programming that determines when 2 presses are required vs 3 or 1 but to a driver it can be dangerous while focusing on the road. It should just be 1 press engages or disengages recirculation PERIOD just like other vehicles. Also, those buttons should be on the main page of the ipad screen. it shouldn't take opening 2-3 different pages on the screen to get to the...

I was driving my car on the freeway on cruise control, when there was a sudden/automatic violent break of 65 MPH to 0 MPH. There was no car in front of me, and there was nothing above my car (no direction sign, no bridge, no FASTRAK billboard, nothing). This was a "phantom break" and it was violent and sudden. Tesla needs to fix this!

The contact owns a 2014 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V838000 (Electrical System); however, the OTA update had not been received. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the OTA update was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and it was confirmed that the OTA update was available. Later, the case was closed after the manufacturer confirmed the OTA update had been pushed to the vehicle. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

My instrument cluster goes off while driving making it impossible to know my current speed. It also will cut off when i put it in park and the car will not move until it completely reboots. Sometimes it will just freeze and say the car is off and in park while the car is in Drive moving. One time the cluster showed that the car was in reverse but when i hit the accelerator, car moved forward. Cluster is constantly rebooting itself. 2014 Tesla models S 85. I have an attached video where all warning signs are illuminated,no speedometer and shows its in park while im driving

Drivers door handle failed to operate, occupant was locked out of vehicle, safety of operator was compromised as elderly operator has to climb over passenger and center console to enter drivers area. Problem is ongoing as door handle will not operate at all. Vehicle has not been inspected yet. No symptoms, door handle failed and cannot be opened from the outside at all.