2016 Tesla Model S Problems

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that approximately six days after purchasing the vehicle, while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle drove over a bump in the road, and a grinding sound was heard coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that after driving over a bump in the road, the vehicle felt different while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who reportedly observed significant corrosion and rust affecting the suspension system and advised the contact that all suspension components needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic advised the contact not to drive the vehicle due to safety concerns and indicated there might be structural damage to the vehicle. The contact stated that after the suggestion, the contact continued operating the vehicle. The following day, the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased, and the contact was advised that the failure was associated with worn brake pads. The dealer replaced the brake pads. The contact believed that additional repairs may have been performed but was not advised of any other work completed. The vehicle had not been modified and had not been inspected by Tesla. The contact believed that the vehicle may have an inaccurate odometer reading; however, no evidence was available to support the concern. The contact remained concerned that the corrosion and possible structural damage might exist within the suspension system even though the brake pad was replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

Driver side rear control arm broke in half propagating along what appears to be a weld seam line for this hollow aluminum suspension part. It is incredible that a critical safety component holding a 5,000 pound curb weight vehicle was allowed on the car. The potential situation of a complete lower control arm break while driving at highway speeds is beyond imagining. Not only would such a situation endanger occupants but all other vehicles in the vicinity. This vehicle has never been in an automobile accident. It has 120,000 miles. It has never been used off road or for commercial usage. My wife and I are the original owners and only drivers.

On 6/11/26, around 2:10 pm, when i was slowly pulling over to park on a road side, the car suddenly rushed forward unexpectedly. It was so powerful, at the time I could only hear the panic reactions from the two passengers and sense the imminent collision with the parked bmw in the front of several car length away. Right before the collision i steered the wheel to the right to avoid the bmw and my car came to violent halt less than a foot next to the bmw. I came out of my car to check the tire position before backing out to park a bit behind. This was on a country road, a Thursday afternoon with not much traffic. There was no distraction. If not were the enough spacing i would have no doubt crashed into the bmw in the front. When the dust settled, I did a "power off" reset to the model S and drove the rest of the day normally without any incidents. I went to Tesla service center near where i live the next morning, 6/12/26, to report it. They asked the precise time the incident occurred. But did not inspect the car. I was told an inner inquiry will be opened and it would take at least a few days. They said i could continue to drive the car normally which i have not because of not knowing what had caused it. I went to the service center today 6/29/26 after more than two weeks of no feedback. I was very disappointed in the answers given. The guy said basically based on the design of the car the incident could not have been caused by the car ,without providing any info as to what had been found from the promised inquiry. There was no written report on this. The person offered to check the brakes but also said he did not think its necessary. Just to made me feel better he said. At last, he provided the tesla web site to request "private data" during time window of the incident. I told him i will seek help from NHTSA now that tesla is not. I was told by AI, tesla has collected data on every car they sold to the details that can reveal how the paddles were pressed.

"What happened?

On 6/11/26, around 2:10 pm, when i was slowly pulling over to park on a road side, the car suddenly rushed forward unexpectedly. It was so powerful, at the time I could only hear the panic reactions from the two passengers and sense the imminent collision with the parked bmw in the front of several car length away. Right before the collision i steered the wheel to the right to avoid the bmw and my car came to violent halt less than a foot next to the bmw. I came out of my car to check the tire position before backing out to park a bit behind. This was on a country road, a Thursday afternoon with not much traffic. There was no distraction. If not were the enough spacing i would have no doubt crashed into the bmw in the front. When the dust settled, I did a "power off" reset to the model S and drove the rest of the day normally without any incidents. I went to Tesla service center near where i live the next morning, 6/12/26, to report it. They asked the precise time the incident occurred. But did not inspect the car. I was told an inner inquiry will be opened and it would take at least a few days. They said i could continue to drive the car normally which i have not because of not knowing what had caused it. I went to the service center today 6/29/26 after more than two weeks of no feedback. I was very disappointed in the answers given. The guy said basically based on the design of the car the incident could not have been caused by the car ,without providing any info as to what had been found from the promised inquiry. There was no written report on this. The person offered to check the brakes but also said he did not think its necessary. Just to made me feel better he said. At last, he provided the tesla web site to request "private data" during time window of the incident. I told him i will seek help from NHTSA now that tesla is not. I was told by AI, tesla has collected data on every car they sold to the details that can reveal how the paddles were pressed.

"What happened?

While driving my vehicle straight approaching an intersection, I lost complete steering capability and feedback from the steering wheel. The lower intermediate shaft on the steering column complete separated from the splines on the rack and pinion. If I wasn't already preparing to stop at the stop sign this could have happened while driving on a curve in the road or at high speeds on a highway. The car was taken to a Tesla service center for repair (towed at my expense). I was told by the service representative that this is issue was not a safety issue nor product fault of Tesla's and the repair would need to be out of pocket ($8,500). There were no indicator lights nor warnings of a steering problem prior to the incident. Tesla has a known safety service bulletin for this model which states the u-joint on the intermediate shaft may become corroded and seize due to exposure to wintery conditions forcing binding in the steering wheel, and this issue is not considered a safety risk. It does not state the shaft may come off while driving the car.

While driving my vehicle straight approaching an intersection, I lost complete steering capability and feedback from the steering wheel. The lower intermediate shaft on the steering column complete separated from the splines on the rack and pinion. If I wasn't already preparing to stop at the stop sign this could have happened while driving on a curve in the road or at high speeds on a highway. The car was taken to a Tesla service center for repair (towed at my expense). I was told by the service representative that this is issue was not a safety issue nor product fault of Tesla's and the repair would need to be out of pocket ($8,500). There were no indicator lights nor warnings of a steering problem prior to the incident. Tesla has a known safety service bulletin for this model which states the u-joint on the intermediate shaft may become corroded and seize due to exposure to wintery conditions forcing binding in the steering wheel, and this issue is not considered a safety risk. It does not state the shaft may come off while driving the car.

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the brake and the vehicle kept rolling forward. The contact opened the door for the vehicle to come to a stop. On another occasion, the contact stated that the ADAS feature engaged and while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle failed to recognize stop signs, traffic lights, or pedestrians. The contact stated that the function was a paid feature; however, the system failed to operate as designed. On another occasion, the contact stated that the steering will shift to one side while driving at various speeds, and the vehicle became difficult to steer. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was made aware, and the contact had a pending appointment scheduled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

My car slams on the brakes consistently at green lights when FSD is activated. This is version 12.5.4.2 of FSD. Tesla is not responding to my inquiries.

Daytime running lights de soldered themselves from the headlight assembly, Tesla suggested a $4600.00 replacement of headlights at customer cost, no warranty.

Tesla designed a combined 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 apparently has a tendency to overheat and fail prematurely. For example, the replacement cost for a portion of the daytime running light (on one side) is over $1,000. This is apparently a known weak point and should be addressed.

My 2016 Tesla Model S (45,500 miles) is experiencing a complete failure of the Media Control Unit (MCU1), resulting in a total loss of the rearview camera display and defrost/defogging controls. This is a critical safety hazard. The unit was previously replaced by Tesla in 2021 under NHTSA Recall 21V-035. However, this replacement part has failed again after only a few years of low-mileage use. Tesla Service is refusing to provide a free repair or a goodwill discount for an MCU2 upgrade, claiming the 'recall repair' only had a 1-year warranty. It is unacceptable that a safety-critical component replaced under a federal recall fails twice in 45,000 miles. Tesla has failed to provide a permanent fix for the eMMC defect identified by NHTSA. By refusing to restore the camera functionality without charging full price, Tesla is knowingly allowing a safety defect to persist. I request an investigation into these premature failures of recall-replaced components

When vehicle is placed in park the wipers engage continuously on the intermittent setting. This occurs every time the car is put in park regardless of the weather. These uncontrolled wipes on a dry windshield are causing damage to my windshield and the wipers.

The retracting door handle on my Tesla Model S failed, creating a dangerous situation where I could not enter the vehicle when needed. This defect poses a serious safety risk because if this failure occurred during a medical emergency, a crash, or a fire, neither I nor first responders would be able to access the vehicle quickly. In real‑world scenarios — such as needing to reach a child in the back seat, assisting an injured passenger, or evacuating the vehicle in traffic — a non‑functional door handle can cause delays that lead to injury. The failure also increases risk in cold‑weather regions, where being locked out of the vehicle can expose occupants to freezing temperatures. This is not a cosmetic issue; it is a critical safety hazard.

1.) Passenger Side Door is a potential hazard. Door latch and door mechanism does not open from the outside. 2.) Lane keep assist on Autopilot veers off to the right when it is first engaged and does not want to stay centered until it's been on for awhile.

I own a 2016 Model S P100D equipped with the Large Drive Unit (LDU). The component that fails is the rotor coolant seal in the rear drive unit motor. Coolant leaks internally into the motor and inverter, causing bearing wear, corrosion, isolation faults, and eventual complete drive unit failure. The affected drive units are still installed and available for inspection upon request. This defect puts my safety and the safety of others at risk because it can cause sudden loss of propulsion (especially at highway speeds), power reduction, or total drivetrain shutdown, potentially leading to a crash. Coolant in high-voltage areas also raises electrical fault/fire risks. The problem is widely reproduced and confirmed: Tesla service centers are familiar with it and replace failed units with updated “-U” revisions that include a coolant bypass. Independent EV shops confirm the exact root cause (rotor seal failure) via encoder inspections showing coolant intrusion and through disassembly. This is a documented pattern failure in all 2012–2020 LDU vehicles. No police or insurance inspections have occurred yet, as no crash or total failure has happened. Tesla is aware of the recurring issue through service records on similar vehicles. Early symptoms before full failure typically include rear motor whining/grinding (especially under load), reduced power warnings, “Rear Drive Unit Fault” messages, and visible coolant on the speed sensor. These can appear gradually. My vehicles have not yet experienced total failure, but the defect is known to be inevitable. I am proactively monitoring encoder sensors. Because this is a systemic design defect affecting thousands of vehicles with clear safety implications, I request NHTSA open an investigation and require Tesla to issue a recall for free repairs/replacements on all affected 2012–2020 LDU vehicles.

I own three 2016 Tesla vehicles with the same known safety defect: two Model S P100D and one Model X P100D, all equipped with the Large Drive Unit (LDU). The component that fails is the rotor coolant seal in the rear drive unit motor. Coolant leaks internally into the motor and inverter, causing bearing wear, corrosion, isolation faults, and eventual complete drive unit failure. The affected drive units are still installed and available for inspection upon request. This defect puts my safety and the safety of others at risk because it can cause sudden loss of propulsion (especially at highway speeds), power reduction, or total drivetrain shutdown, potentially leading to a crash. Coolant in high-voltage areas also raises electrical fault/FIRE risks. The problem is widely reproduced and confirmed: Tesla service centers are familiar with it and replace failed units with updated “-U” revisions that include a coolant bypass. Independent EV shops confirm the exact root cause (rotor seal failure) via encoder inspections showing coolant intrusion and through disassembly. This is a documented pattern failure in all 2012–2020 LDU vehicles. No police or insurance inspections have occurred yet, as no crash or total failure has happened. Tesla is aware of the recurring issue through service records on similar vehicles. Early symptoms before full failure typically include rear motor whining/grinding (especially under load), reduced power warnings, “Rear Drive Unit Fault” messages, and visible coolant on the speed sensor. These can appear gradually. My vehicles have not yet experienced total failure, but the defect is known to be inevitable. I am proactively monitoring encoder sensors. Because this is a systemic design defect affecting thousands of vehicles with clear safety implications, I request NHTSA open an investigation and require Tesla to issue a recall for free repairs/replacements on all affected 2012–2020 LDU vehicles.

On 6/11/26, around 2:10 pm, when i was slowly pulling over to park on a road side, the car suddenly rushed forward unexpectedly. It was so powerful, at the time I could only hear the panic reactions from the two passengers and sense the imminent collision with the parked bmw in the front of several car length away. Right before the collision i steered the wheel to the right to avoid the bmw and my car came to violent halt less than a foot next to the bmw. I came out of my car to check the tire position before backing out to park a bit behind. This was on a country road, a Thursday afternoon with not much traffic. There was no distraction. If not were the enough spacing i would have no doubt crashed into the bmw in the front. When the dust settled, I did a "power off" reset to the model S and drove the rest of the day normally without any incidents. I went to Tesla service center near where i live the next morning, 6/12/26, to report it. They asked the precise time the incident occurred. But did not inspect the car. I was told an inner inquiry will be opened and it would take at least a few days. They said i could continue to drive the car normally which i have not because of not knowing what had caused it. I went to the service center today 6/29/26 after more than two weeks of no feedback. I was very disappointed in the answers given. The guy said basically based on the design of the car the incident could not have been caused by the car ,without providing any info as to what had been found from the promised inquiry. There was no written report on this. The person offered to check the brakes but also said he did not think its necessary. Just to made me feel better he said. At last, he provided the tesla web site to request "private data" during time window of the incident. I told him i will seek help from NHTSA now that tesla is not. I was told by AI, tesla has collected data on every car they sold to the details that can reveal how the paddles were pressed.

While driving in traffic, the vehicle displayed warnings stating “Unable to drive — Pull over safely.” The vehicle progressively lost power and became unable to propel itself, requiring me to stop in traffic. Additional warnings indicated reduced acceleration and performance. The vehicle remained powered (screens and electronics active) but could no longer drive. Tesla later diagnosed a high-voltage battery failure and provided an estimate for full battery replacement. The sudden loss of propulsion in traffic created a safety hazard because the vehicle could not accelerate or continue moving with traffic.

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.

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.

I was driving about 20mph, my airbag deployed for no reason. No recalls, no warnings, nothing. I had my [XXX] daughter in the car and it was all filled with white smoke. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

-Airbag warning light on -Horn not working -Steering wheel scroll buttons not working -Clicking noise when turning wheel This failure occurred during normal driving. Airbags will not deploy and horn is inoperable, creating a safety risk myself and my family. I have never been into any accidents and have only driven normal. These safety systems should not fail. This is a manufacturing issue.

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the hood inadvertently opened and blocked the windshield. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road while the windshield was blocked. The hood was securely closed after several attempts. Upon inspection, the contact became aware that the hood was bent, and the hood arms were bent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,700.

The Trunk/Hatchback failed to open. When I attempted to use the EMERGENCY release ( which you would expect to work in a real emergency) IT DID NOT WORK!! The truck would not open. How can you have an emergency release cord that does not work?!! And they are now charging to repair this!

While driving on the freeway in the fast lane at 75 MPH I80W, the car began a loud humming sound that came from the rear. My passenger and I noted that it was significant sound that we took a video to record the sound. I was the driver and I noticed that the sound increased as I accelerated. Then without any warning the car began to decelerate and no longer accelerated. The car slowed considerably to 35 MPH and it became a major safety issue because I had to cross all lanes of traffic at this slow speed. It was only after the car had completely shut down that the warning messages began to display. I reached the side of the road and we waited for the tow truck driver for about an hour. Subsequently, the car was towed to a Tesla dealer near my home. I was informed that the drive unit needed to be replaced with an explanation of internal failure, costing over $7000. However, the root cause of the internal failure was never explained or investigated even at my request stating that they do not take apart the drive unit. This incident occurred after driving 7hrs of heavy rainfall for 2 days. A quick google search of "2016 Tesla model S drive unit failure" reveals plenty of Tesla owners that had similar issues.

On April 9th, 2022, the vehicle in traffic went from the drive gear to the park. vehicles were coming behind me at 55mph and I could not maneuver to safety. It took up to 4mins before I got moving. The incident occurred again on April 25th, while my kids and I were on the way to basketball practice. Finally, I got an appointment with Tesla service, and after two weeks of troubleshooting I was informed that the issue is an anomaly.

PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE

WHEN VEHICLE IS STATIONARY, FRONT PASSENGER USES A SEAT-BELT TO FASTEN. AFTER IT LATCHES ON AND PASSENGER LEANS FORWARD, IT LOCKS AND THE PASSANGER IS NO LONGER ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD NO BACKWARD. THE CAR IS STILL STATIONARY AND NOT TURNED ON. PASSENGER CAN NO LONGER MOVE. ON A DRIVER SIDE IT HAPPENS ONLY WHEN CAR IS MOVING AND THE BRAKES ARE PRESSED; IT LOCKS THE DRIVER BUT ALWAYS RELEASES IT. ANY CAR THAT WE OWN OR DRIVEN DOES EXACTLY THAT. THAT ISSUE WAS BROUGHT UP EVERY VISIT TO REPAIR SHOP AND EVERY TIME IT WAS NOT FIXED. WE WERE EDUCATED ON HOW TO BUCKLE THE SEAT-BELT. FROM INVOICE: CONCERN: SEATS - CUSTOMER STATES: SEAT BELT CONTINUES TO LOCKED. CAN BE REPRODUCED. CUSTOMER DEMONSTRATED CONCERN TO TECHNICIAN. FOUND SEAT BELT LOCKING AS DESIGNED WHEN PULLED ALL THE WAY OUT. NO REPAIRS NECESSARY OR ATTEMPTED. CORRECTION: GENERAL DIAGNOSIS - NO TROUBLE FOUND