2012 Tesla Model S recalls & complaints

1. Brakes

What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. The electric parking brake calipers have an internal gear that may be improperly manufactured, possibly resulting in the gear fracturing during parking brake application or release.

What could happen: If the gear breaks during parking brake release, the vehicle will not be able to be moved. If the gear breaks during parking brake application, the parking brake may not adequately hold the vehicle, potentially resulting in the vehicle rolling, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will replace both the left and right electric parking brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2018. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-17-33-002.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2012 MODEL S.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Tesla dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 17V260000 (manufacturer code SB-17-33-002).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-798-3752.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

2. Airbags

What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

What could happen: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

The fix: Tesla will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2017. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2012 MODEL S.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Tesla dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 17V023000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-798-3752.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

3. Steering

What's wrong, in plain English: If steering fails you can lose control of the car. Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with Bosch steering racks. The aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and fracture causing a reduction or complete loss of power steering assist.

What could happen: Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts and add a corrosion-preventative sealer, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-18-32-002.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2012 MODEL S.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Tesla dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 18V204000 (manufacturer code SB-18-32-002).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-798-3752.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

4. Seat belts

What's wrong, in plain English: Seat belts may not hold you in a crash. Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Model S vehicles manufactured May 31, 2012, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with driver or front passenger seat belts that may be improperly connected to the outboard lap pretensioner.

What could happen: If the seat belt is not correctly attached to the pretensioner, it may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

The fix: Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will inspect the driver and front passenger seat belts, correcting their connection, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-15-20-002.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2012 MODEL S.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Tesla dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V780000 (manufacturer code SB-15-20-002).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-798-3752.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

5. Backup camera

What's wrong, in plain English: The rear camera may not show an image when reversing. Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Tesla Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles with a center display equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. When the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the eMMC controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center d…

What could happen: The eMMC controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners, and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 202…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2012 MODEL S.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Tesla dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 21V035000 (manufacturer code SB-21-21-001).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-798-3752.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

6. Electrical system — software update

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance…

What could happen: In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.

The fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2012 MODEL S.
2. This recall may be fixed by an over-the-air software update. Check the car's screen or app before booking a dealer visit.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-798-3752.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

7. Electrical system — software update

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

What could happen: Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2012 MODEL S.
2. This recall may be fixed by an over-the-air software update. Check the car's screen or app before booking a dealer visit.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-798-3752.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

8. Seat belts — software update

What's wrong, in plain English: Seat belts may not hold you in a crash. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

What could happen: A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

The fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2012 MODEL S.
2. This recall may be fixed by an over-the-air software update. Check the car's screen or app before booking a dealer visit.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-877-798-3752.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Most complained-about parts: Electrical system (36), Unknown Or Other (11), Suspension (9), Visibility (wipers / glass) (6), Lights (5).

Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.