Wheel Problems of Tesla Model S - part 1

2024 Tesla Model S. Repeated rear tire and rear wheel failures with abnormal wear and possible rear alignment or suspension-related defect. Tesla service history shows repeated rear tire replacements beginning at about 5,165 miles, a later four-wheel alignment, a right rear tire replacement for uneven tire wear under the basic vehicle warranty at about 21,594 miles, a documented bent left rear wheel at about 27,047 miles, a left rear wheel replacement due to crack after a low-pressure/pull over safely alert at about 30,489 miles, and then a right rear tire blowout at about 38,358 miles. In the same March 12, 2026 service record, Tesla also noted inner sidewall damage on the opposite rear tire. Concern is an unresolved recurring rear tire, wheel, alignment, or suspension defect creating blowout risk and unsafe operation. Tesla has replaced tires and wheels but has not identified or corrected the root cause.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Complaint category: tires / suspension summary of issue: I am reporting a recurring and deceptive safety defect involving extreme inner-edge tire wear on my Tesla Model S. On three separate occasions, my rear tires have worn down to the metal structural cords exclusively on the innermost shoulder, while the remaining 90% of the tread appeared in excellent, near-new condition. Safety hazard: this defect creates a high risk of catastrophic blowout at highway speeds. Because the wear is hidden on the far interior edge of the tire, it is invisible to the driver during standard daily visual inspections. The vehicle’s non-adjustable rear suspension geometry (aggressive negative camber) places extreme stress on the inner shoulder, causing it to fail structurally while the rest of the tire looks safe. Tesla’s response: Tesla service has been unable to provide a permanent remedy, stating the vehicle is "within spec," despite the recurring nature of the failure. I am filing this to urge the NHTSA to investigate whether this suspension geometry constitutes a design defect that requires a mandatory recall or corrective hardware.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Two of the rims cracked, right rear and left front, both on the interior edge.

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model S 🔎.

I experienced excessive rear tire wear on both rear tires inner side the tire ended up blowing out on the rear passenger tire.

See all problems of the 2025 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Since purchase, I have experienced nine tire-related failures, including four separate blowouts at highway speed, leaving the vehicle disabled on major roads multiple times. The most recent occurred on [insert date], when the car suffered another blowout and is now disabled at my residence. This pattern of failure has occurred despite tire replacements and service visits by Tesla. The issue began on the day of delivery, when a tire failed within 70 miles, and service staff admitted the car had not been safety inspected prior to delivery. Tesla has replaced nearly all tires, reimbursed a third-party shop once, and confirmed on a recorded call that the level of tire failure is abnormal. Still, no root cause has been identified. The failures have occurred under normal driving conditions and pose a serious safety hazard to me, my family (including children), and others on the road. My family now refuses to ride in the car. This issue is ongoing, unresolved, and I believe there is a systemic defect involving the vehicle’s suspension, alignment, or structural components that is contributing to abnormal tire wear and catastrophic blowouts. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this vehicle and Tesla’s cpo inspection process, and that appropriate safety action be taken before someone is seriously injured or killed.

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 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.

See all problems of the 2016 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Premature tire wear. Inside edges of rear tires wore out in 10k miles.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model S 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model S 🔎.

In December of 2023, my right rear axle broke when I accidently hit a curb. The car was repaired at the Tesla collision center. On last Tuesday, November 12, 2024, I heard a noise while braking. I continued to drive, but next time I needed to use brakes, I had a sensation that the brakes were failing, and I wouldn't be able to stop. The brakes eventually engaged, and I was able to stop the vehicle. I went on an expressway and drove as slowly as possible, maintaining a long distance from the vehicles in front of me and using regenerative braking as much as possible, being aware of a possibility of brakes failure. I got home safely on that day, however, the next day, when I was backing out of the garage, I heard a screeching noise. When I inspected the vehicle, I discovered that the left rear wheel was misaligned, looking exactly like the right rear wheel after the right rear axle broke. Although this defect hasn't been inspected by a technician yet, I am virtually certain that it's the same problem that I had before, now occurring on the opposite side. This means that I was likely driving with a broken axle, which could've resulted in a serious accident. As I mentioned, this is the second instance of the same defect affecting my vehicle, which, in my opinion, is indicative of a serious manufacturing defect that needs to be addressed. The vehicle hasn't been repaired yet and is available for inspection. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure.

Driving on freeway when the rear tire tread peeled off the inside tire tread wheel/blow out almost causing an accident. The vehicle pulled hard while driving and almost lost control. The problem has been inspected and confirmed by the Tesla dealer. The tire warning did alert after the tire blew out. This is a very frequently reported incident with the Model S plaid. A defect in the factory camber causing the blowout. Extensive wear is seen on the very inside wall of the tire. You couldn’t see or measure the tire wear from the outside of the vehicle. This is a scary and dangerous problem that needs to be fixed. I bought this vehicle brand new from Tesla factory and the vehicle had less than 13,000 miles. The alignment was also measured when getting repaired and had bad results.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model S 🔎.

While driving, my back wheel fell off. I had the car in for suspension work twice in q4 2023, and then on March 7, 2024 my back wheel fell off. When speaking with Tesla, they said that this sometimes happens and they have seen this issue before. The also told me that they think it only happens at low speeds, but I have found articles where people were on the highway and their wheel fell off. China has made Tesla do a recall for suspension and wheel issues, why haven't we? I now have had my vehicles suspension worked on at least 4 times, this is dangerous and scary.

See all problems of the 2014 Tesla Model S 🔎.

When I was driving in the parking lot and turned to park at a parking spot I heard a sound from the passenger side front wheel. After I heard the sound the wheel felt stuck and was not moving freely. There were two other passengers in the car along with the driver. This is the second time that this happened. It happened first on oct 2021 when the car's mileage was 51k and the second time when the mileage was 77k. The Model S was purchased in 2016. Tesla service center fixed it the first time and the repair listed the following 1>fore link assembly lh(1041570-00-b) 2>washer nordlock(1033093-00-a) 3>nut hf m14x1. 50 znni nl insert(1004358-00-c) Tesla charged me $495 for it. The second time this happened the damage was a lot more extensive and Tesla recommended I take the car to a Tesla-approved body shop. I took the car to brooks automotive in fremont and they charged me $10,000 for the repairs. My insurance refused to pay for the damages after I filed a claim with the insurance. Tesla refused to pay for it claiming it was not a manufacturing defect and the car was not under warranty. This car is driven by me and my wife and neither of us are rash drivers. We did not hit any debris on the road or remember an incident that could have led to this happening not once but twice. The car has been driven normally and used for normal family activities on public paved roads.

The vehicle is over reporting it's speed by 5% this is a large discrepancy which effects safety by causing people drivers around you to change lanes because you are traveling under the speed limit. Tesla is unable to calibrate the speedometers are the service center. They have documented the failure. It also adds miles to the odometer prematurely. This problem started after Tesla upgraded the car with a track package which is a $24,000 upgrade.

Tire separation on the inside rear tires. I purchased my car new and had continued slight loss of air pressure at 12,000 miles. I inspected the rear tires and found one of the tires and begun to split open (at the seam where tread adheres to the tire), the other tire once sprayed with soap water had tiny pin hole leaks all the way around the same seam. I had tires replaced and filed a tire warranty claim. The original tires were michelin pilot sport 4s and the tires I replaced them with were the same. Now at 30,343 miles the same problem occurred, both tires show separation around the inside seam with the tread still remaining. If left uncorrected/addressed the tires would eventually blow out driving.

Both of my rear tires have the inner tread (closest to the center line of the vehicle) separating from the sidewall. Tesla blames the issue on michelin because the alignment is within specification, and michelin blames Tesla claiming that the problem is the rear alignment. Every single Tesla Model S plaid owner I know that has the factory 21” wheel option is having this issue somewhere between 6,000 miles and 16,000 miles (estimated). My vehicle has 12,151 miles on it now, and I first noticed the issue at approximately 11,100 miles. The vehicle is close to being unsafe to drive due to potentially catastrophic issues associated with one or both tires failing at speed. There is absolutely no indication of impending failure, and because it is the inside edge of the tires which are separating, and there is plenty of tread left on the tire, owners are unlikely to notice the issue, especially since the tires are failing well before anyone would expect a tire to fail. Thanks for your consideration. Dr. Joe west.

Have just learned (on routine check) that front/rear tire configuration has been backwards since delivery from the factory; 24 mo, 24k miles. Factory specified front rear 255/45r19 285/40r19 note reversal actual upon delivery front rear 285/40r19 255/45r19 only service has been 1 left/right switch at 19k with no front/back, per tire service recommendation; not detected then. And there’s no chance it was reversed after delivery. I'm wondering effect on tread life, safety, drive-ability. Tech said this error would vastly affect performance, "haven't you noticed car 'driving really funny'?" notified Tesla; no response yet. In photos, note door decal, fender placement will show front/rear.

The oem 21 inch wheel cracked which resulted in a flattening tire.

The 2021 and beyond Tesla Model S comes installed with camber arms that cause the wheel to be tilted in and thus wears the tire on the inside to the point of wearing out within 6 months. This is a flaw in the building and pertains to all the Model S's 2021 and greater. This is a safety issue and is not addressed by Tesla. I think Tesla should be forced to provide a recall for this.

I purchased my new 2023 Tesla Model S in 02/2023 (delivered in fife, wa). The vehicle has staggered wheel sets - rear wheels/tires wider than the front.    after being hit by a vehicle in 07/2023, the two back wheels were damaged. I took the vehicle to exotic collision center in bellevue, wa, a Tesla-approved body-shop. While replacing the wheels in 09/2023, the body-shop found that the front wheels were installed in the rear, and vice versa. As a result, the tires didn’t fit properly which internally damaged the two wheels where wider tires were fit on narrower wheels, and all four tires. This was unrelated to the accident, hence not covered by insurance.   I reached out to Tesla in 10/2023, with photos from the body-shop, and contact info of their technician. However, Tesla had denied accountability and demanded I pay in full for replacement tires/wheels. The two reasons they provided are - 1) I should have heard a noise, and brought back the vehicle to them immediately, instead of waiting for a body shop to find it, and 2) I couldn’t provide evidence that I didn’t change the wheels out myself.   to me, neither reasoning makes sense. For #1, Tesla couldn’t show me what kind of noise I should have expected. Also, my vehicle is the proof that there would not be noticeable noise from the issue in every case. On #2, it is a case of proving a negative, which does not seem logical in this case.   I know this to be an issue at the time I took delivery, given nothing else was done to the wheel-tire assembly until the body-shop tried to replace them in September. Also, this seems to be a safety issue.   the body-shop recommended we do not drive as-is, and I had to pay $2718. 00 at a local les schwab tire store (on 10/23/2023) to purchase a set of tires and wheels so that I can drive the vehicle safely.   I strongly believe this should be Tesla’s accountability to resolve. Along with sharing this safety issue with you, I urge your help to resolve the matter.

I had driven to a shopping center for buy a new backpack for my daughter who was starting school. After shopping, as I reversed my car, I felt as if I had gone over a bump. I came out to see if there was a bump or something else in the parking lot but found nothing that my car could have gone over. I got back in the car and started my drive and immediately, started hearing loud and griding noises. The noise would get worse as I would turn the steering wheel and the car would also seem as it is going over bumps. I immediately came out and look around and found nothing; I then looked at the wheel well and the surrounding area and didn't detect anything out of ordinary. I was able to drive the car home (roughly 1. 5 miles) at speed no faster than 3-5 miles/hour without continuous loud and griding noise. I contacted Tesla who gave me an appointment for a week later. Inspection found fore-link broken. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? left fore-link connected to the front suspension of the car. Part is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the breakage of the part made the wheel get disconnected from the suspension. Had I been driving on a highway or other roadways at higher speed, my car would have certainly gotten out of control and endangered my life and the lives of others. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? this is a known issue that has been reported by many Tesla Model S owners. There is also a recall in china for the similar parts. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? yes, it was inspected by Tesla service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? there were no warnings or other symptoms prior to the failure of the fore-link.

See all problems of the 2015 Tesla Model S 🔎.

The car does not come with a spare. I got a flat tire and Tesla will not provide a spare or a tow for free, they charge a fee for both. This has created a safety issue that can be life threatening due to their lack of a spare tire and not towing the car.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model S 🔎.

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.

On both rear tires on the inner part of the tire the tread on michelin 295 30zr21 is literally coming apart on both tires. Both at rear , no pot holes have been hit. Rims are immaculate. Car was purchased brand new and only has 9800 miles. Almost like the tires are a used retreaded tires on a truck and the tread is literally detaching from the sidewalls. Luckily issue occurred while driving 25mph. Couldn’t imaging what would happen if driving fast. Tesla does not cover michelens issue but felt this needs to be reported. Someone will die if they blew out at higher speads. Will have bill from Tesla when tires are replaced.

My car has 10k miles and rear wheels started to layer off. This is the same issue as many other reporting on the web. I tired to reach out to Tesla but they deny any responsibilities. Something needs to be done ASAP before people will get hurt. I am lucky that I noticed this issue.

This is the second time that a wheel becomes "lopsided" and no longer perpendicular to the axle. On 4/13/22 I was driving to work and suddenly I heard noises coming from the back wheel and I felt the car dragging. I found that the passenger rear tire was lopsided and almost falling out of the car. Then this year on 2/4/23 as I was going to work I found the driver rear tire also lopsided. Both times I had to pay for towing and $4000+ get the tire back on securely mounted to the axle. Both times the rear upper control arms - forward and rearward - need to be replaced. Last time we took it to a local repair shop, this time we took it to Tesla. This time, the following parts also needed to be replaced: rear upper link suspension assembly halfshaft - rear drive unit - lh suspension - rear upper - lh toe link assembly - rear - lh integral link - rear - lh drop link - sway bar - rear - lh spring and damper assembly - rear - lh this is a unsafe car to drive - I understand that it's a low car and there are pot holes on nyc streets. But this car is still unreliable if it happens within 12 months that I cannot get to where I need to go because the car is undrivable.

On December 26, 2022 I was driving my Tesla s 2017. Full self driving was engaged. I have a video of the car footage showing the incident in full detail. The car took a left onto a 2 lane road and then without warning ran off the road hitting the curb and a metal drain. The force was so great that I suffered a contusion to my right knee from hitting the under side of the dash.

See all problems of the 2017 Tesla Model S 🔎.

Rear tires have alarming wear on the inside, where the inside sidewall meets the tread. This is identical to the other complaints that are logged on NHTSA about michelin pilot sport 4s rear tires on Tesla Model S plaid cars. Tires are: michelin pilot sport 4s 295/30 zr21 102y xl bsw. Specifically, the right rear tires loses pressure and needs to be reinflated. The left rear tire, according to inspection, actually looked worse, but is not yet losing pressure. This is impossible to see or know about without removing the tire or putting the car on a lift, since it is on the is inside sidewall/tread of the rear tire. There is high danger of a blowout because of some type of defect (camber/suspension or tire) which cannot be seen by the consumer. I would have never known about this if the tire technician had not alerted me, and probably would have had a high-speed blowout.

Tesla vehicles suffer excessive “toe-in” wear on all tires. Tesla claims it is a function of the vehicle being heavy and that it is “normal” tires have to be replaced every 12-24 months as a result of the inner portion showing cord, wire, and losing air. The tread on the rest of the tires appears to have 1/8 to 1/4 inch of usable tread however all tires have to be replace as a result of the toe in. Vehicle was repeatedly aligned by Tesla but that did not alleviate the issue. Presents a real danger as the portion of the tire dangerously worn down is on the most inner side of the tire. Not easily visible.

The car was left parked for 12h in a parking lot were I work. Whilst driving there and upon exiting the car, nothing out of the ordinary was observed. Getting back in the vehicule, the car seemed ok. Upon backing up the car, a loud sound plus weird wheel camber on the rear driver's side wheel were observed. Upon verification, it looks like a tie rod broke. Given the condition (no excessive load on the car, car parked, not significant impact that we are aware of, the sudden break), it tends to point to a fatigue fracture.

Factory oem tire separated on the driver side rear. This could have ended badly had I not noticed the difference in handling of the vehicle. It appears the rear camber of the vehicle causes strain on the inner side of the tire and there is zero calibration that can be made to help fix this. Tesla told me it’s a michelin issue and michelin says it’s a Tesla suspension issue.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, he heard an abnormally loud sound come from the driver’s side wheel. The contact pulled over and inspected the wheel but did not see an issue. The contact stated that he continued driving and while driving approximately 35 mph, the driver’s side wheel detached and went into the wheel well. The vehicle then began to steer slowly to the left independently and the contact was able to get the vehicle into a parking lot. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to his place of employment. The local Tesla dealer was contacted however, the cause of the failure not yet determined. The dealer informed the contact that the driver’s side control arm needed to be replaced but the part was not available. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that the failure was not related to the control arm, but that the wheel well and the front fascia lower valence needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,466.

The inner edge of rear tires wear out very quickly leading to loss air pressure. Many other owner of Tesla 2021+ on 21 inch wheels and michelin stock tires have exact same issue. Very dangerous if the tire bursts on highway, can lead to serious accidents.

2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 prior 2022 I shared with Tesla several times about my tires constant notification on the dashboard for low air. Tires were constantly being checked due to the dashboard display. I was told by Tesla it was covered, but no repair was done. When Tesla mobile or service only air was placed into the tires. Then I was told by Tesla mobile & calling 1800 when service, then when recall was performed it should fix the problem. Vehicle was not driven often due to black screen and tire issues/dashboard display. 2022 emmc is finally replaced but now the warning on the dashboard reads 'tire pressure monitoring system fault. Pressure sensor fault 'may' clear next drive. This is negligent for Tesla to say it may clear next drive (see pic). Tesla service had the vehicle in shop several times and refused to repair/correct this safety issue. I have complained and Tesla has blocked me from messaging Tesla. What if there is a blow out, low pressure, faulty system and an accident occurs causing hurt, harm, or death?.

See all problems of the 2013 Tesla Model S 🔎.

I had a tire that kept loosing pressure so I took it in to see way. With only a little over 12,000 miles have I have a tire that is splitting between the tread and side wall. Its one the inside of the back drivers side tire.

The tpms system has failed and has been a known issue with telsa since 2014. The system will not reset and telsa has said it has to be upgraded for 1000. The warning light comes on randomly and goes away after the car drives for a while or gets parked.