NHTSA Safety Recalls
2013 Tesla Model S Recalls
The 2013 Tesla Model S has 11 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on May 28, 2024.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2013 Tesla Model S. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 11
- Owner complaints
- 461
- Crashes reported
- 41
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
19 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2013 Tesla Model S, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
11 recalls on the 2013 Tesla Model S
Seat belts: front: warning light/devices
- Campaign
- 24V376000
- Reported
- May 28, 2024
- Vehicles affected
- up to 125,233
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 208, occupant crash protection
- Same campaign
- also 2012, 2014, 2021 Model S, 2 other models
Forward collision avoidance: warnings: external/pedestrian alert
- Campaign
- 24V153000
- Reported
- February 27, 2024
- Vehicles affected
- up to 6,557
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 141, minimum sound for hybrid and electric vehicles
- Same campaign
- also 2021 Model S, 2 other models
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- Campaign
- 24V051000
- Reported
- January 30, 2024
- Vehicles affected
- up to 2,193,869
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 105, hydraulic and electric brakes
- Same campaign
- also 2012, 2014, 2021 Model S, 3 other models
Electrical system: adas: autonomous/self driving: software
- Campaign
- 23V838000
- Reported
- December 12, 2023
- Vehicles affected
- up to 2,031,220
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2012, 2014, 2021 Model S, 2 other models
Back over prevention: software
- Campaign
- 21V035000
- Reported
- January 29, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 134,951
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2012, 2014 Model S
Steering: electric power assist system
- Campaign
- 18V204000
- Reported
- March 29, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 70,421
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2012, 2014 Model S
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 18V031000
- Reported
- January 9, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 17,846
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- only the 2013 Tesla Model S
Parking brake
- Campaign
- 17V260000
- Reported
- April 19, 2017
- Vehicles affected
- up to 31,709
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2012, 2014 Model S
Seat belts: front
- Campaign
- 15V780000
- Reported
- November 23, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 59,415
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2012, 2014 Model S
Equipment: electrical
- Campaign
- 14V006000
- Reported
- January 13, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 21,081
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire and injury
- Same campaign
- only the 2013 Tesla Model S
Seats
- Campaign
- 13V249000
- Reported
- June 14, 2013
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,228
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- only the 2013 Tesla Model S
2013 Tesla Model S complaints by year
NHTSA has received 461 owner complaints about the 2013 Tesla Model S, the newest on October 18, 2026. Of these, 41 describe a crash (9%) and 19 a fire; owners reported 24 injuries and 5 deaths.
In complaints about the 2013 Tesla Model S, the component group named most often is the electrical system (42%), followed by the suspension (20%) and the power train (8%).
2 of the 2013 Tesla Model S's 11 recalls also concern the electrical system.
Where 2013 Tesla Model S owners gave the mileage (291 complaints), the median was 70,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Electrical System195
- Unknown Or Other122
- Suspension92
- Power Train35
- Steering29
- Vehicle Speed Control25
Complaints received, by year
| 2013 | 12 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 16 | |
| 2015 | 7 | |
| 2016 | 33 | |
| 2017 | 32 | |
| 2018 | 16 | |
| 2019 | 31 | |
| 2020 | 158 | |
| 2021 | 56 | |
| 2022 | 48 | |
| 2023 | 23 | |
| 2024 | 7 | |
| 2025 | 11 | |
| 2026 | 11 |
Complaints about the 2013 Tesla Model S peaked in 2020, when NHTSA received 158. 15% arrived between 2012 and 2016, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2013 vehicles, the 2013 Tesla Model S drew 0.7× the complaints of the median Tesla Model S year in the same window: 8th highest of the 10 ranked years.
That makes 2013 one of the three best-measured Tesla Model S years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★★
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 5/5
The 461 complaints about the 2013 Tesla Model S are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Tesla Model S by model year
Newest record on this page: October 18, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted