2018 Tesla Model S Electrical Problems

Our doors completely locked inside our garage. We could not get in the car at all, even after a technician came to replace the low voltage battery. Only after replacing the low voltage battery was someone able to get into the car. However, that low voltage battery did not fix the core issue the car was having. It was a current leak in the high voltage jumper harness. This issue required us to get a very expensive tow of our car out of our garage (required dollys & a winch), and then a very expensive diagnosis & repair by Tesla. These doors should have a way to open if the car's battery or other electrical system malfunctions.

NHTSA ID

11687668

Incident

Mar 20, 2025

On [XXX], I was driving my recently purchased 2018 Tesla Model S (VIN: [XXX], mileage approx. [30,536]). The vehicle was purchased directly through Tesla’s app in late August 2025 and delivered to me the same day of the incident. Approximately 4.5 hours after delivery, while driving with my son, white smoke began to come out of the cabin air vents. Within minutes, the smoke turned black and rapidly filled the interior of the car. I immediately pulled over and evacuated the vehicle with my son. Shortly after, the car caught fire and was completely destroyed. No modifications had been made to the vehicle, and it was sold to me as inspected and certified by Tesla. The sudden appearance of smoke from the vents and rapid escalation to a full vehicle fire posed a severe danger to me, my child, and others on the road. I am reporting this to NHTSA to document the incident and to request that the agency investigate whether Tesla Model S vehicles have underlying defects that may cause dangerous cabin fires shortly after use. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11686035

Incident

Sep 5, 2025

This is very comment of tesla not responding to customer about the power reduced in the car is safe concerns is lot of people with the same problem and tesla want Pay for all the repairs of the car even with my car still Warranty

NHTSA ID

11670670

Incident

Jun 29, 2025

The Instrument Cluster Freezes and has to be reset. When it freezes you have not knowledge of speed you are going. After bringing it into Tesla Service I was told that is a known defect. The only way to fix is to replace Infotainment system at a cost of $2,100. Infotainment system currently works fine. The rep informed me that the system does not have enough memory to run the computer correctly after all the updates that Tesla Makes you install.

NHTSA ID

11656112

Incident

Feb 15, 2025

The cable harness (slip ring) connecting the steering wheel controls including the vehicle horn, steering wheel buttons, scroll wheels, and potentially the airbag (according to the service technician) failed on this vehicle in January 2025. The vehicle was inspected by Tesla’s mobile service and they acknowledged that the cable harness had indeed failed. It is available for inspection. We have been forced to drive this car without a functioning horn and airbag. There were no warning signs or messages on the vehicle computer.

NHTSA ID

11644246

Incident

Jan 14, 2025

•I’m not sure what component was responsble for either the braking issue or the fire. It is available for inspection. •When driving the brake pedal had a frightening delay that almost caused 2 accidents and unfortunately my car was charging on the 24th of October which could have something to do with arching that led to my garage catching fire rendering the car unable to move or turn on after the incident. I’ve insisted Tesla insurance to look into possible causes because the Fire dept. mandated the a LADWP (power company) to install new transformers to our power supply a couple of days after the fire, which they did. Tesla insurance seems uninterested in finding the cause and wants to compensate me for the vehicle but I believe it’s in their best interest to find a cause and document it. The car had no issues prior, in fact the service center sent a mobile tech to replace the 12volt battery on the car not even 10 months ago. After the fire the car died and has a bunch of codes that make it inoperable. • Service center rejected looking at it because of the risk. They said since it was possible salvage they could not look at it which is understandable but they worked on it before in decem •Insurance has been unwilling to look at any of this they just want pictures of the car to settle the issue. In my opinion they are ignoring a bigger problem. Tesla is my insurer. •The car had no issues prior to the fire and none during the near misses were the brake delayed.

NHTSA ID

11632733

Incident

Oct 24, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH the message, "Acceleration and Top Speed Reduced," suddenly displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had not noticed any changes in the functionality of the vehicle and continued driving. After parking the vehicle for a while, the contact attempted to drive the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact attempted to reverse, and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the message, "Power Reduced -Vehicle System Shutting Down” and "Air Suspension Adjustment Unavailable - Functionality May Be Available on the Next Drive" were displayed on the instrument panel. The contact restarted the vehicle however the failure persisted. The message, "Unable to Drive - Oil Tank Supply Low, " was then displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while on hold with Tesla Roadside Assistance, the following message were displayed, "Electrical System Power Reduced - Vehicle may shut down Unexpectedly”. The vehicle was towed by Roadside Assistance to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,460.

NHTSA ID

11592373

Incident

Jan 4, 2024

Mileage

54,460 mi

I took my car to the dealership to have the MCU1 recall performed because my behind the steering wheel monitor and center touch screen monitor kept turning off and reseting while driving. When this happened I would lose the ability to see my speed or view my back up camera. The recall was performed and the problem was not fixed. The screen does not turn off as often, but it still regularly happens. I contacted Tesla to let them know the problem remains and they want me to pay $1750 to UPGRADE to the newer MCU2.

NHTSA ID

11588242

Incident

May 11, 2024

I was driving on the [XXX] to for a work meeting on Monday [XXX], 2024, at about [XXX] (central). My 2018 Tesla Model S shut down while driving on the freeway. The power steering went off and so did the hazard lights. I pulled over to the shoulder. Unfortunately, the shoulder is not too wide on [XXX]. I was driving at 70 mph or so when this happened. The only warning that popped on the Tesla Screen was “Vehicle Shutting Down Pull Over Safely”. The battery still had about 175 miles left to empty. So, this was an unusually unsafe incident that could have been life threatening. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11584857

Incident

Apr 22, 2024

Power Reduced Error. Tesla do not even know how to fix this issue and it seems to be apparent in many of their cars. Please see here: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/“power-reduced”-warning-and-turtle-icon.229299/page-2

NHTSA ID

11527066

Incident

Jun 10, 2023

Second door handle has failed and no longer unlatches door from outside, therefore dangerous to be unable to reach the back seats

NHTSA ID

11511456

Incident

Mar 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that he noticed that the display screen was distorted and that the adhesive around the display touchscreen was leaking. The contact stated that the adhesive also leaked onto the console. Additionally, the contact stated that due to the toxicity of the adhesive, he started to get headaches. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the display was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed to contact the Service Center, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA ID

11509985

Incident

Mar 2, 2023

Mileage

93,000 mi

I was pulling into my driveway and beginning to pull into the garage. Immediately after straightening the car out to fit the space in the garage, the car immediately launched itself, accelerating extremely quick with no chance to brake or brace for impact. The car and the house suffered damage and I’m currently awaiting MRI results for possible injuries. It was an evident malfunction in the car’s system.

NHTSA ID

11502292

Incident

Jan 6, 2023

Component that failed is daylight running lights and is available for inspection. Daylight running lights are important to be seen easier by other vehicles and pedestrians, since they don’t work my vehicles is more difficult to be seen during the day. Confirmed by service center. Unknown if inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others, most likely not. No warning lights, no messages, no symptoms, first appeared approximately sept 2022

NHTSA ID

11499558

Incident

Sep 1, 2022

MCU2 Failure. Dashboard and Screen no longer works Turn signals and headlights do not work There are no seatbelt warning Can no longer see battery levels / range (via app or inside car) Can no longer see car's location (via app) The car will drive, brake lights and windows work THAT'S IT. Car it totally unsafe to drive otherwise. Tesla is charging $1965.75 plus taxes which equals $2083.70 Parts $1800 Remove and Replaces $165.75

NHTSA ID

11492143

Incident

Nov 1, 2022

The contact had rented a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while his wife was making a U-turn at a low rate of speed, the vehicle accelerated with her foot on the brake pedal and crashed into a tree. The contact stated that his wife heard two warning beeps prior to the failure which the contact stated it signaled that the autopilot had independently engaged. The air bags did not deploy during the accident. The contact's wife did not suffer any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The rental company had yet to receive a diagnosis as to the cause of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ID

11489941

Incident

Oct 2, 2022

Mileage

44,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the Self-Driving feature activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

NHTSA ID

11467292

Incident

Jun 3, 2022

Mileage

36,000 mi

Vehicle will routinely reboot while driving. During this time the turn signals, speed information and other vehicle information is not available while driving.

NHTSA ID

11458167

Incident

Mar 13, 2022

Three of four (3/4) of door handles failed simultaneously. Doors failed to open resulting in inoperable doors. Driver’s door suffered random catastrophic failure, resulting in door abruptly opening while in motion. Brought to Tesla service center and notified that parts are on back order. With no other solution. Primary safety concern is door will randomly open again during operation. Service center could not offer alternate solution to securing or operating doors. Only solution until parts are received is to access doors from inside the vehicle through the one single operable door. This is a potential entrapment and major safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11444766

Incident

Dec 15, 2021

On Sunday, October 10th. I arrived at a friends home in Charleston S.C. with about 35 Miles left on the Odometer. In the AM I awoke to find only 5 miles left. As I knew that I was 21 miles away from a Tesla Supercharger I called for a tow truck, and paid $265 to get taken to the charge site. I hooked up and the car began to charge. When I was close to capacity I disconnected - and the charge dropped to zero. I called Tesla. They sent a tow truck and took me to Savannah Ga. Tesla (80 miles south....no charge). 7 weeks later - on Dec 1st...I got my Tesla back from Savannah Ga. Tesla. Immediately I got a warning "Power reduced - service required". I called and arranged for service (set up for Dec 14...two weeks away). This morning I got a similar message; 'Coolant for battery low - Service required" (see image, below)

NHTSA ID

11442573

Incident

Dec 1, 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the instrument cluster and home screen was intermittently inoperable. The contact called a service center on several occasions and was informed that the failure was linked to a software update and a full onboard computer folder. Despite the repair, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ID

11421115

Incident

Mar 1, 2019

Mileage

20,000 mi

TOUCH SCREEN GOES DISABLING ALL VISUAL COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING AIR CONDITIONING, REAR CAMERA, GPS. OCCURS WHILE DRIVING, AND WHILE PARKED (SEVERAL TIMES ON START UP). HAVE NOTIFIED TESLA SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD NOT TO SCHEDULE REPLACEMENT AS THEY ARE SHORT ON PARTS.

NHTSA ID

11416509

Incident

Jan 15, 2021

Mileage

60,000 mi

MY SEPTEMBER 2018 BUILD TESLA MODEL S EXPERIENCES THE SAME SCREEN FAILURES (BOTH THE DASH + MEDIA CONTROL UNIT) AS THE RECALLED VERSIONS, BUT MINE FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE RECALL PERIOD. THE LATEST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A DESOLATE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 85 MPH. I LOSE MY SPEEDOMETER AS WELL AS FEATURES SUCH GPS WHICH OCCURRED ONCE IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA.

NHTSA ID

11399238

Incident

Feb 20, 2020

Mileage

14,000 mi

THE MAIN CONSOLE CENTER SCREEN IN MY WOULD STOP RESPONDING AND WILL BASICALLY FREEZE UP. THE INDICATOR CLICKER SOUND WOULD STOP WORKING. THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM WOULD REMAIN STUCK. THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULD STOP WORKING. ALL THESE ARE HAPPENING WHILE THE DRIVING. I HAVE TO REBOOT THE SCREEN BY HOLDING THE 2 SCROLL BUTTONS DOWN AND THEN THE SCREEN WOULD GO DARK FOR 10 MIN BEFORE IT STARTS WORKING. I HAVE BOUGHT THIS TO SERVICE FEW TIMES AND THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING SAYING EVERYTHING IS JUST FINE.

NHTSA ID

11389517

Incident

Jan 16, 2021

Mileage

36,000 mi

THE VEHICLE DOWNLOADED TESLA UPDATE ON 12/27/20202. THE FIRMWARE VERSION IS 2020.48.26. AFTER THE UPDATE WAS INSTALLED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL HAD VERY SMALL ILLEGIBLE FONT. FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT INDICATOR LETTERS (P, D, R) WERE TOO SMALL TO READ WHICH IS CRITICAL. MPH, AND PERCENTAGE OF POWER REMAINING WERE ALSO NEAR ILLEGIBLE AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

11385287

Incident

Dec 27, 2020

Mileage

20,394 mi