general problems of the 2017 Tesla Model S - part 1

The charge port latch failed to release the mobile connector (consistent with TSB sb-18-44-002) I had to call Tesla customer service for manual release instructions, which was very difficult to get through to (unclear through the Tesla app) after manual release, the mobile connector was damaged since it got stuck during a rainstorm. Tesla replaced the entire charging port for ~$1,000 without first testing the mobile connector though a known defect, TSB sb-18-44-002 was never applied to my vehicle and since my vehicle was out of warranty, I was charge for the full replacement of the charging port. I was put at risk because I was stranded with a charging port cable unable to release from my vehicle and unable to drive.

This is a supplemental filing to my prior NHTSA complaint (#11697718) regarding a high-voltage isolation fault and shutdown risk. The vehicle displayed warnings including “vehicle may shut down during driving,” “may not charge,” and repeated bms isolation fault messages. It became inoperable at a public charging station. The manufacturer confirmed isolation faults in the drive unit and the a/c compressor. Their own service notes stated that the vehicle “may shut down during regular driving” and that charging “may not be safe. ” despite this, the vehicle was left at 0% state of charge for an extended period and then charged by the manufacturer. They later stated to a regulator that the vehicle was “trickle charged at 1 amp for 6 hours,” but the vehicle’s range increased by approximately 100 miles, which is not physically possible at that charging current (1 amp at 240v for 6 hours = 1. 44 kwh ? 4–5 miles). This discrepancy suggests the vehicle may have been charged at a higher rate than claimed and without proper cooling, despite the documented a/c failure that is necessary for battery thermal management. Battery condition is unknown because the manufacturer refused to perform or provide a battery health analysis, isolation resistance values, thermal logs, or charging session data. The safety defect could not be verified as repaired. While this safety issue remained unresolved, the manufacturer rejected a Tesla roadside tow arranged under regulator instruction to second service center and instead arranged an unauthorized tow to remove the vehicle from their facility without my consent. The vehicle was taken to a non-manufacturer storage lot while still in an unsafe state. I am concerned about: • high-voltage isolation faults, • shutdown risk during driving, • unsafe charging performed by the manufacturer, • possible battery damage from low soc and charging without a/c cooling, and • mishandling of an active safety defect. The vehicle is available for inspection.

This is an update to NHTSA complaint #xxx with new safety information. My 2017 Tesla Model S (VIN [xxx] ) has a confirmed high-voltage isolation fault. Tesla replaced the rear drive unit under warranty, but Tesla’s own technician notes now state: “there is a risk of isolation alerts reoccurring during regular driving, use of hvac system, or DC charging. ” “vehicle may power off due to isolation faults when the air conditioning is used. ” this is Tesla acknowledging in writing that the vehicle may shut off during normal driving, even after repair. This presents a serious crash risk. The original failure occurred during supercharging, with warnings including: • “electrical system power reduced — vehicle may shut down unexpectedly” • “vehicle may not restart” • “air conditioning reduced — DC charging reduced” Tesla reproduced the isolation fault during diagnosis. Even after replacing the rear drive unit, Tesla documented that the isolation defect still exists and prevents a battery health check or DC fast-charge validation. Tesla has attempted to return the vehicle to me in this unsafe condition, while admitting the defect persists. They also stated they may charge storage fees or tow the vehicle, despite the unresolved safety issue. The defect affects the hv bus and can cause loss of propulsion, shutdown during driving, and charging failure. Tesla has not provided numeric test results (megohm isolation readings, insulation tests, or validation data) proving the vehicle is safe. This is an ongoing, manufacturer-confirmed hv isolation defect that can lead to sudden power loss. I request NHTSA review Tesla’s handling of this issue and link this filing to case #xxx. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While charging at a Tesla supercharger, the vehicle began making extremely loud mechanical noises on October 7, 2025, as if something inside the high-voltage system was about to explode. A warning appeared stating “vehicle may shut down at any time. ” a service request was opened the next day. Tesla scheduled the first available appointment nearly a month later, leaving the vehicle unsafe to drive. Before that appointment date, on October 31, 2025, the vehicle completely shut down at a supercharger and could not be restarted. Tesla roadside assistance was dispatched three times before the car was successfully towed to a Tesla service center. The failure was diagnosed by the service center as a high-voltage isolation fault logged in the battery management system. The problem disables the vehicle suddenly and without warning, posing a serious safety hazard if it occurs while driving. Warning lamps and shutdown messages were present prior to the failure. Tesla service staff stated they could not access diagnostic data until the customer paid for unrelated parts (12-volt battery and a/c compressor). After being challenged, they later retrieved limited battery data proving that the high-voltage system had recorded faults. Tesla has not yet issued a written warranty determination or performed a full battery inspection. The incident demonstrates that a high-voltage battery isolation fault can cause the vehicle to become completely inoperable and may create risk of sudden loss of power while driving or charging. The component (battery pack and related electrical systems) remains in Tesla’s possession and can be inspected upon request.

I have documented examples of 3 total incidents now where a Tesla ota "update" on my vehicle caused a safety issue. Event 1: Nov 27, 2025. Tesla ota update renders my left turn light non-functional for ~24 hours. Resolution per forums only was to not touch the card for 24 hours to allow it to shift into "sleep" mode which would resolve the issue. Instructions were that only a service center could resolve the issue. Event 2: sept 3, 2025. Tesla ota update renders my car unable to charge. The issue is resolved following a ~24 hour "sleep" cycle which allows my car to somehow resume charging. Telsa advised the only resolution was to come in for service and to replace a $3000 part. Event 3: sept 23, 2025. Tesla ota update once again renders my car unable to use it's left turn light. Power cycling the vehicle was able to resolve the issue but once again the instructions was only that service could resolve the issue. Each "update" risks sigificant "safety" related issues and Tesla's only resolution is to pay hundreds of dollars for someone to "troubleshoot" that which shouldn't be a problem.

Tesla originally confirmed issues with the mcu1 system in my vehicle and upgraded it to mcu2. I paid $1,599 for the repair/upgrade. Since then, the center screen has continued shutting off while driving. When this happens, the instrument cluster and controls go dark, I cannot see my speed, use the blinkers to signal, operate the ac/defroster, or access other critical vehicle functions. This has occurred multiple times on highways, including us-22 in new jersey, which created serious danger because I could not monitor speed or signal properly. Although Tesla addressed the mcu1 problem by upgrading me to mcu2, they told me afterward the vehicle was still “safe to drive,” despite the failures continuing. I believe this is unsafe because I lose visibility of all driving information and access to basic controls. Tesla now refuses to repair these ongoing problems. After I raised complaints about the severity of the issue, I was dismissed and mocked for my speech disability during phone calls, and Tesla placed me on a service restriction. As a result, I am unable to obtain further repairs for this safety defect. I am afraid to drive the car. No adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, parking collision warning, or rear cross traffic warning features were involved in this failure.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 23v838000 (electrical system) and 24v051000 (electrical system); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v838000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The contact was informed by the Tesla service center that the infotainment system hardware needed to be replaced for the software update under the recall. VIN tool showed no open recall.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v838000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local service center was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v838000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that he had opened several service tickets with the manufacturer for the recall repair. The manufacturer informed the contact twice that the update for the recall remedy software version 2023. 44. 30 had been performed on the vehicle; however, the contact verified that the current software installed on the vehicle was version 2022. 8. 10. 17. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that they did not have a software version 2023. 44. 30 available for his vehicle at the time. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v838000 (electrical system) however, the recall was not repaired. The contact stated there was several appointments made to repair the vehicle under recall, but the appointments were cancelled. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated an appointment was later granted, however the repair to the fix the recall was not applied, and it was reported as repaired as it no longer showed as an unrepaired recall for the VIN. VIN tool shows no open recall.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v838000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. In addition, the contact stated that the software would reboot while driving. Due to the failure, the defrost system was inoperable while driving in inclement weather. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v051000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at 60 mph in autopilot, and changing lanes, the vehcile jerked violently to the left. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v838000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

While in autosteer, I pressed on the brakes which normally deactivates the autosteer while coming to a stop. In this particular case the car did not brake upon command and the car maintained acceleration thru a stop light and veered into a median causing a collision with a curb causing structural damage to the frame of the vehicle. I have put in a claim with both my insurance and Tesla and advise that the brakes did not activate in a timely fashion upon disengaging from autosteer thus causing the collision and was advise by Tesla that I would be responsible to cover the damages when the accident was caused by the vehicle not disengaging. I was only advised after the fact of the recall for the very reason I complained to Tesla in the first place and have been waiting 5 months for a resolution.

The screen that shows the rear view camera turns on intermittently when engaged. It will often not turn on when shipped to reverse. The sentry system has stopped working as well as the main screen will shut off while driving from time to time, which removes the ability to turn on any heat or air, defroster etc. . . This was a previous recall and I am a new purchaser of the vehicle. I notified Tesla, they stated that they see where it is having issues but it was already recalled and fixed and any new fixes are no longer under the recall.

The back-up camera is not functioning. I get a black screen whenever I put the car in reverse. I can use the mirrors but the visibility behind the car is not very good. This makes it much ch more difficult to back out and avoid other cars and pedestrians. I have tried to reset/restart the various software systems with no improvement. I understand there is a recall for other model 3 and Model S cars, I don’t u sweats d how my VIN is not covered as it has tb exact same issue as reported for the recall.

This is a 2017 Tesla Model S with 31k miles. The vehicle has lost its ability to charge on NY ac current. Only charges with DC from Tesla supercharger. Service told me that I needed a replacement part (kit, service, gen3, charge sys, 48a, 1ph (1462537-02-e). Invoiced amount was $2500. Tesla refused to cover under 8 year battery warranty even though the problem is directly related to charging the battery.

The emergency trunk release does not work when the cinch motor fails on the power tailgate. Part is scheduled to be replaced by Tesla.

Coolant leaking, before Tesla can even look at my car they say I need new valves. Only way they could know this is if there is a faulty part. This should be a recall! believe this is the battery coolant.

Tesla designs a single piece headlight with no serviceable parts. This includes headlights, high beams, and namely daytime running lights. All of these components are on an led strip that overheats and un-solders due to this high heat, which causes premature failure. Some owners have reported as little as 3 months of life before failing. The daytime running lights are essential for safety driving in low light situations. These daytime running lights are seemingly built to fail. The lights dim then eventually no longer work. Tesla's solution is to have the customer purchase a brand new headlight at $1438. 33. My vehicle is 4 years old and has been through. Tesla should either goodwill swap out these headlights for a non-built to fail component, or offer a repair for a quality led strip with proper heat distribution. Without daytime running lights safety is a major concern on foggy, rainy, and low light situations. I have attached an image showing how the failure begins on top then slowly goes all the way down to the side of the headlight which fails later.

Went to back into charger and back up camera still showed photo from where car was parked at home before I started my trip. I noticed a car behind me in mirror but picture showed no cars (and wrong location).

The car had multiple computer issues causing it to break unexpectedly, turn unexpectedly, avoid things that were not there unexpectedly. It was brought into the dealer multiple times, who actually viewed the error, and when they were driving it, they were involved in an auto accident. Even with the warranty, they could never fix it, and it was amazingly dangerous almost killing me several times.

My vehicle driver door handle keeps popping open while parked and while driving. The door handle will either present itself or not when this occurs. Disallowing me keep door shut. Also, door stays shut as times and doesn’t not present itself and makes a mechanical sound. This is a huge safety concern. I was advised since my warranty is up, it’s on me to fix, however, this is a safety defect and I am wanting to escalate ASAP before I have an accident from the door opening.

Four separate issues to report: 1. ) multiple instances of car braking while in self-drive mode. This has included driving at high speeds on highway and having vehicle slam on brakes nearly causing an accident. I took over as I was paying attention on all occasions. 2. ) while is self-drive mode and a lane widens, car veers to “middle” of wide lane. This does not act in a way a normal driver would. 3. ) issues with middle screen stopping or resetting during driving. This was a reported recall issue and I did get the recall taken care of. Issue still persists. Tesla has not been responsive in getting this resolved. 4. ) recent issue with main screen panel behind steering wheel resetting while driving. Vehicle maintained operations, but I could not see speed or change gears while driving. This has happened before. Tesla updated cpu, issues persists.

The scroll wheel on the steering wheel failed which prevents the vehicle display from showing critical information. This scroll wheels are also used to reboot the computer when the system fails so it is a safety concern that needs to be addressed. Many Tesla owners have had a similar failure of the scroll wheels and a disassembly of the component clearly shows a defect in the manufacture of the part in that it has a thin extension that breaks due to normal use and as a result, failure of the scroll wheel is highly probable.

The main screen will go blank, turn off and not reboot up. The rear camera will not turn on, or turn off during backing up. Car will not boot up for several minutes.

Compter screen goes black. I loose all functions . Its the same issue that is noted in the cr recall summary. However, they want to charge me 2000 to fix the firmware problems. Furthermore, the car has an extended warranty that apparently they won't honor.

Nhtsa recall #21v035. My touch screen, fans, blinkers and lights have gone out while driving 4 times in the last month, in motion on city streets and on the highway. Tesla says they do not have parts to fix it. The recall states the fix is to be available starting March. What can be done to force Tesla to actually fix the car?.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the media control unit became inoperable causing several other electrical functions to fail to operate as needed. The contact stated that the failure caused the turn signals to not function as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer Tesla-bellevue (14408 ne 20th st, bellevue, wa 98007) and the mcu module version 1 was replaced with version 2 however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.

I am asking [xxx] a mgr. At centinela Tesla for a refund of the money I spent on an upgrade for the Model S which after being installed began shutting down intermittently. Tesla's system records all shutdowns of the cars screens, so if Tesla does not have records of the cars screens shutting down prior to the upgrade, this would indicate it did begin with the upgrade.   the NHTSA made a recall for an issue with the back up cameras which was when Tesla offered me a 1500. 00 dollar upgrade instead of the free NHTSA recall fix, saying it was better.   a [xxx] at torrance Tesla said he saw 2 shutdowns recorded in the week prior and did not have time to look up beyond that week. . [xxx] gave me a free accessory saying sorry for your problems but this is all I can do.   the receipt for the free accessory states it was given at no charge for the troubles with the screens. Tesla's mechanic explained once the upgrade was completed to make the dash cams functional the system must shutdown & restart to rid it self of data accumulation. The cars screens did not shut down prior to having the upgrade because the dash cams only became active as a result of the upgrade hence creating the data which must be expelled by shutting down.   once this issue becomes evident to the customer Tesla simply tells you we don't have a workaround for this issue and sends you on your way.   befoe agreeing to the upgrade I asked [xxx] a manager at centinela Tesla that preformed the installation if this upgrade would make the on board camera system function as dashcams, which she said yes.   we communicated through text so there is a record of our conversation.   after four months with the issue I sold the car.   [xxx] please make my refund, so I don't need to take this issue to small claims court. [xxx] date is 09-13-2021 thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that on three separate occasion while driving at highway speeds with cruise control engaged, the vehicle would suddenly brake on its own. The contact was uncertain if any warning lights would appear on the instrument panel prior to the failure. The service center nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The contact stated that he was able to document the exact time that the latest failure occurred on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

I had to replace charging system with total expense of 2589. 75. Unfortunately the charging system that is part of battery, is not covered under warranty as long as the battery. My mileage was 56814. All my savings from gas and regular maintenance costs is evaporated. I understand that there are several people had the same issue. The charging system is not lasting as ling as the battery. I find it Tesla's selling point of " potential savings" is misleading. I am not sure if anyone out there made the savings by owning the car as much as it claims. In my opinion Tesla should remove the potential savings cl;aim totally. Its just a unrealistic and misleading claim.

Own Tesla Model S for 4 yrs now and for last 3 months I have started noticing that the mcu (touchscreen) doesn't power up and sometimes I have to wait for 5-10 minutes for car to power on. I have reported 4-5 occurrences of this issue to Tesla already but everytime they pushed back citing it is not mcu related. In fact I reported them that this seems to be part of NHTSA recall issue sent out to Tesla asking to replace mcus for 2017/2018 makes but Tesla has not take any action yet. I reported another occurence of it today again and scheduled an appointment with Tesla service on 11th Feb,21. This could potentially be a safety issue if there is an emergency and my car won't power up. Request NHTSA to intervene and get my mcu issue resolved by liasoning with Tesla team as I have tried my best to push Tesla for a fix but unfortunately couldn't get a resolution yet.

This was issued a full recall by nhsta. The vendor, Tesla indicted only a couple of weeks before a chip replacement was available. To date no repair has been made and the vendor is non responsive. Your help need to effect this recall.