2020 Tesla Model S

80 complaints on file, page 1 of 4.

1. Filed May 11, 2026Failure Dec 1, 2025Daytona Beach, FLElectrical system, Seat belts, Suspension

   The vehicle has been taken to Tesla multiple times due to ongoing controllability and safety concerns. The Autopilot system will occasionally brake unexpectedly at green lights or when another vehicle is passing on the right side. The vehicle has also experienced repeated drivetrain issues, including the half shafts failing at least four times within a short period. During acceleration, the vehicle can be difficult to control at times, and the wheels exhibit noticeable vibration. Despite replacing two full sets of tires within two years and completing multiple balancing and service attempts, the issue has not been resolved. These ongoing problems have contributed to premature tire wear and reduced stability, particularly in wet or rainy driving conditions. The vehicle has been serviced by Tesla at least 10 times, and each visit has resulted in replacement of half shafts or other drivetrain components. At one point, Tesla indicated that the drive module was “off center,” though no clear explanation was provided. These issues have been present since the vehicle was purchased in May 2024. In several instances, the vehicle was returned after service without the problem being resolved, requiring additional return visits. More recently, Tesla has suggested the issue may be related to tires and wheels. However, this contradicts earlier assurances that those components were not the root cause. All tires and two wheels have already been replaced, yet the same issues continue to occur. Months go by without any resolution and then when the tires go bad again, they tried to sell me on that when that never resolved the issue. They tried to force me to buy new tires and wheels for $8000 claiming that to be the issue. The main has fell twice in the last year and was replaced with a battery that was not of light kind. When the battery failed at a Tesla supercharger, the door would not open momentarily. I will estimate the date of the last service. Cannot open due to open ticket

   NHTSA complaint 11736972
2. Filed Dec 4, 2025Failure Dec 4, 2025Frankfort, KYBody

   The rear doors have emergency release cables in case the power is cut during a collision. These cables are hidden, not glowing, and have a small square pull on the end that is difficult to find and pull. I had great difficulty in testing the function to ensure the emergency cable pulls worked. They need to have a glowing T-handle on the end to facilitate location and movement, and the emergency cable location should be marked and visible in the car, just like the emergency hood and truck release are.

   NHTSA complaint 11703010
3. Filed Nov 29, 2025Failure Nov 9, 2025Santa Cruz, CAElectrical system, Unknown or other

   Rear emergency release cable does not open the trunk. The latch mechanism failed with a trunk full of groceries, I pushed down the rear setts to access the trunk compartment and crawled back and popped open the emergency release cable and it did not function. I have a service for the car scheduled for Dec 2nd to repair/replace the latch mechanism.

   NHTSA complaint 11702039
4. Filed Nov 1, 2025Failure Aug 13, 2021Lake Charles, LAWheels

   Wheels: From the original purchase of the vehicle, I had a small air leak from the right rear tire. I addressed this with Tesla and they said nothing was wrong. I lived with it adding pressure from time to time. When it was time to replace the tires because the originals were only good for 20,000 miles at most. Upon replacing the tires, it was discovered that the right rear rim was cracked which explained why it was leaking all this time. Not long after the tire replacement, I experienced another leak on the right front. I brought it back in to check for a leak in the tire and again discovered it was cracked also, but had 2 cracks in this one 😡. I discussed this with the tire shop and he stated he sees this very often with the Model S. He seems to believe the car is too heavy for the particular turbine wheels selected for the car. These wheels are a factory purchase upgrade. I called Tesla to address my concerns for feedback. They denied ever hearing of this issue as common. I did the research and lo and behold this defect is very common and people are very unhappy regarding this issue and the fact Tesla is blatantly being dishonest about it. For the foundation and a major component that binds a vehicle to the road should be taken seriously. In my opinion, a vehicle that has the potential for the wheels to crack and maybe just come apart is critical. And that depends on the actual speed of travel. This could be very bad.

   NHTSA complaint 11696968
5. Filed Sep 23, 2025Failure Sep 18, 2025Louisville, KYWarnings, Warning, Unknown or otherCrash

   On 09/18 , I was using the Smart Summon feature of my Tesla Model S in the parking lot of Costco, Greenwood (Indianapolis, IN). The intent was to have the vehicle autonomously navigate from its parked spot toward my location, as designed and advertised by Tesla. During the Summon operation: 1.The vehicle failed to correctly detect and avoid a fixed obstacle (the cart return stand where shopping carts are housed). 2.Instead of stopping or rerouting safely, the car collided with the structure, causing visible damage to the front of the vehicle. 3.While there was no damage to public property or injury to people, the incident demonstrated a serious safety risk, since pedestrians or nearby vehicles could have been struck had they been present. 4.The Smart Summon system did not provide sufficient warning or correction during this event, despite being marketed as capable of safely maneuvering in such environments. This failure shows that the Smart Summon feature did not perform as intended and behaved in an unsafe manner in a real-world public parking environment.

   NHTSA complaint 11689122
6. Filed Sep 16, 2025Failure Jun 3, 2025Evansville, INLatch

   The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver’s side door failed to open from the inside as intended. The vehicle was restarted, but the failure persisted. The contact rolled down the driver’s side window and attempted to unlock the door from the outside; however, the failure persisted. The contact was trapped inside the vehicle. The contact climbed over to the passenger’s seat and exited the passenger’s side door without issue. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the door handle had an electrical issue, and an undisclosed part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

   NHTSA complaint 11687625
7. Filed Apr 2, 2025Failure Jun 22, 202232,807 milesChattaroy, WAPower train

   The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started to vibrate in the shutter shaft unit. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with front CV axle failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. On a separate occasion, the vehicle started to shudder, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was repaired for the most recent failure however, the contact stated the vehicle had been repaired three times, for the CV axle failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,807.

   NHTSA complaint 11652390
8. Filed Feb 10, 2025Failure Feb 10, 2025Fort Myers, FLWarnings, Unknown or otherCrash

   Vehicle was tested for concern about self driving after test drive with tech told ok 3 days later Summoned car and immediately turned into adjacent vehicle all captured on video in 1-2 seconds. No issues with summons for over 4 years $2200 damage to adjacent vehicle but Tesla no damage left front wheel caused damage on start.

   NHTSA complaint 11641683
9. Filed Jan 30, 2025Failure Jan 24, 202575,000 milesBrookfield, WILatch

   The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 35 MPH, the front hood latch unexpectedly opened, causing the hood to rise up. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact immediately stopped and parked on the side of the road, and the contact closed the trunk and continued driving. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

   NHTSA complaint 11639728
10. Filed Jan 16, 2025Failure Jan 10, 2025Lafayette, LAWheels

    I have only about 40,000 miles on the car. But I've had to change the tires twice because the tires wear out quickly, lose air, or go flat. With my second set of tires, I am now told that the tires are so worn that I may need another set of tires. I was told by the last tire shop that the car is too heavy for the tires and that it needs some type of special tires. None of this was disclosed when I purchased the vehicle. I've noticed on the Internet that many people complain of this same problem. I also had the tire pressure stem go out on one of the tires and had to get Tesla to send a replacement, for which I was charged.

    NHTSA complaint 11636364
11. Filed Dec 20, 2024Failure Sep 27, 2024Cupertino, CAAdaptive cruise control, Warnings, Assist

    Since the installation of software version 2024.27.25, which includes FSD version 12.5.4, on Sept 26, 2024, any driving which occurs on FSD results in emergency braking events for Green Lights, unprotected/unsignaled crosswalks without pedestrians present, Parallel Parked Cars not encroaching on the lane of travel, vehicles traveling the same direction and similar speed (+/- 5mph), not encroaching on my lane. These frequently reoccurring events were not remedied by any of the subsequent updates received: v2024.32.10 (FSD v12.5.4.1) on Oct 8, 2024 v2024.33.5 (FSD v12.5.4.2) on Nov 2, 2024 2024.44.25.2 (FSD v12.5.4.2) on Dec 10, 2024 While not all events occurred with surrounding traffic, those that did posed a hazard to not just occupants of my vehicle, but those in and around other vehicles, including pedestrians. Most other drivers do not expect and are unprepared for a vehicle to apply panic-level emergency braking and come to full stop at green lights, before unprotected crosswalks with no pedestrians present, or along well-traveled streets without significant errant other drivers. No warning lights, chimes, or other indications ever appeared on any of the displays or instrument clusters within the vehicle during any of the events. The FSD traffic display did not indicate or highlight any features of the surrounding area that were causing it to slow or stop. The problem has been regularly experienced by many other drivers, as evidenced by the large number of similar reports across the various Tesla driver communities online. I and my vehicle are available for inspection and I'm additionally willing to take an inspector on a ride-along to demonstrate the issue.

    NHTSA complaint 11631709
12. Filed Oct 7, 2024Failure Oct 7, 2024Frankfort, KYAdaptive cruise control, Vehicle speed control

    In all assisted driving modes except Full Self Driving (FSD), the car properly displays the speed Limit it has determined either by Map data or visual confirmation. In FSD, apparently only on pre-2021+ Model S cars, the determined speed limit is not displayed. In my town we have a US60 route. The car sees these signs and determines the speed limit is 60, even though it is only 35. The driver notices a rapid acceleration and may observe the set FSD speed has changed to 60. There is no Speed Limit displayed in this mode. Very dangerous to go this fast on a 35 MPH road. When not using FSD, the car does show this error in the speed limit as being 60, even though the car determined speed limit itself is in error.

    NHTSA complaint 11618590
13. Filed Jun 13, 2024Failure Jun 12, 2024Henderson, NVUnknown or otherCrash

    While attempting to park car ,the car accelerated on it own despite me hitting the brakes causing the car to hit a wall.

    NHTSA complaint 11594303
14. Filed May 13, 2024Failure May 10, 2024Austin, TXSuspension

    After getting new tires installed at Walmart I heard a loud knocking noise when turning the steering wheel. The Walmart tech thought that it was because the tires were too big/wide. Tesla said they probably forgot to put the car in Jack Mode and the air suspension fully deflated. Once the sir suspension return to normal the knocking noise is still there, although not as loud and not as frequent. Both the Walmart technician and Tesla technician confirmed the noise. Tesla said my front fore and aft links (aka Control Arms) are worn and in need of replacement. I read that this is a common issue and that Tesla has done a lot of repairs both in and out of warranty (Some goodwill repairs). [XXX] technician talks as if the parts are wear items. I asked why they don't have them in the service manual and I wasn't given a good answer. The technician said that the bushings and ball bearings are wear items and that the fore and aft links get replaced along with them. I was given an estimate of $2,330.69 for the repair. Attached is the invoice. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

    NHTSA complaint 11588549
15. Filed Mar 13, 2024Failure Jun 1, 2020100 milesKelseyville, CAForward collision avoidance, Lane departure

    The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds between 40-50 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking, causing the vehicle to abruptly stop in the middle of the road. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions at the same road location. Also, the contact indicated that the vehicle had erroneously attempted to switch lanes and at one time attempted to switch lanes into oncoming traffic. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100.

    NHTSA complaint 11577081
16. Filed Jan 23, 2024Failure Dec 31, 202329,996 milesElkridge, MDSteeringCrash1 injured

    The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle lost stability and started to slide sideways and left the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle left the roadway, slid down a ditch on the passenger side, and crashed into a telephone pole on the passenger side front door. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated, also she said that the road conditions were dry pavement. The contact stated that the police were on the scene and filed a report. The contact stated she was transported to a shock trauma unit by ambulance. The contact stated that she had broken her pelvis and had to have surgery to reconstruct the right side of the pelvis and replace the right hip joint. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,996.

    NHTSA complaint 11567180
17. Filed Jan 16, 2024Failure May 23, 2023Mulberry, FLSuspension, Wheels

    I am writing to emphasize and provide details regarding the critical safety issue affecting both Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X. My personal experience highlights the severity of this problem which included a tire blow out at highway speeds on a tire that had only approx 10k miles on it. This specific wear pattern is a direct result of improper camber alignment, an issue that Tesla has continuously refused to rectify. This problem is not isolated to my vehicle alone. Many Tesla Model X and Model S owners have reported similar experiences, indicating a widespread and systemic issue. The accelerated inner wall tire wear poses significant safety risks, as it can lead to unexpected and dangerous tire failures on the road, which is exactly what happened to me. Despite the clear evidence and numerous complaints from Tesla owners, Tesla has consistently declined to address this issue adequately. It appears that the company’s reluctance is rooted in the fact that proper repair or recall to fix the camber alignment is too costly. However, this cost-cutting measure is putting drivers and passengers at risk. Given the severe outcomes that this design flaw causes, I urge immediate investigation into this. It is essential to investigate these recurring problems with both the Tesla Model X and Model S models. The safety of Tesla drivers, passengers, and the general public is at stake, and a thorough investigation could compel Tesla to take the necessary corrective actions.

    NHTSA complaint 11565681
18. Filed Jan 13, 2024Failure Jan 3, 2024Mesa, AZAdaptive cruise control

    Setting: Adaptive cruise control, 70 MPH, no nearby traffic, no nearby bridges or overpasses, no visible obstructions, straight highway, daytime, clear skies. Incidents (multiple): Unexpected, inexplicable braking. During one of the incidents, there was a splotch of some sort on the road (perhaps spilled paint). During all other incidents, there was nothing obvious which could explain a misperceived need to brake.

    NHTSA complaint 11565360
19. Filed Nov 28, 2023Failure Nov 24, 2023Birmingham, ALSteering

    Front linkages and half shafts have failed for the second time on the vehicle. They were replaced in Feb of 2022 and now (Nov. 2023) need the replacement again after normal driving conditions. Tesla service center adviser (Briarcliff Road in Atlanta) admitted that these parts fail frequently at this rate and need multiple replacements. If the parts fail, steering would be lost, potentially leading to loss of control of the vehicle. Tesla has published a service bulletin on the issue but charges a very high rate for the service. One service adviser claimed that the VIN of the vehicle does not meet the service bulletin [XXX] , though the service bulletin clearly states that all cars produced between 2014-2020 meet the criteria. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

    NHTSA complaint 11557149
20. Filed Oct 30, 2023Failure Oct 21, 2023Copperas Cove, TXBody

    Passenger side door open on it on while vehicle is on and driven. With faulty door control modules.

    NHTSA complaint 11552763