2020 Tesla Model S Problems

On 09/18 , I was using the Smart Summon feature of my Tesla Model S in the parking lot of Costco, Greenwood (Indianapolis, IN). The intent was to have the vehicle autonomously navigate from its parked spot toward my location, as designed and advertised by Tesla. During the Summon operation: 1.The vehicle failed to correctly detect and avoid a fixed obstacle (the cart return stand where shopping carts are housed). 2.Instead of stopping or rerouting safely, the car collided with the structure, causing visible damage to the front of the vehicle. 3.While there was no damage to public property or injury to people, the incident demonstrated a serious safety risk, since pedestrians or nearby vehicles could have been struck had they been present. 4.The Smart Summon system did not provide sufficient warning or correction during this event, despite being marketed as capable of safely maneuvering in such environments. This failure shows that the Smart Summon feature did not perform as intended and behaved in an unsafe manner in a real-world public parking environment.

Vehicle was tested for concern about self driving after test drive with tech told ok 3 days later Summoned car and immediately turned into adjacent vehicle all captured on video in 1-2 seconds. No issues with summons for over 4 years $2200 damage to adjacent vehicle but Tesla no damage left front wheel caused damage on start.

The vehicle has been taken to Tesla multiple times due to ongoing controllability and safety concerns. The Autopilot system will occasionally brake unexpectedly at green lights or when another vehicle is passing on the right side. The vehicle has also experienced repeated drivetrain issues, including the half shafts failing at least four times within a short period. During acceleration, the vehicle can be difficult to control at times, and the wheels exhibit noticeable vibration. Despite replacing two full sets of tires within two years and completing multiple balancing and service attempts, the issue has not been resolved. These ongoing problems have contributed to premature tire wear and reduced stability, particularly in wet or rainy driving conditions. The vehicle has been serviced by Tesla at least 10 times, and each visit has resulted in replacement of half shafts or other drivetrain components. At one point, Tesla indicated that the drive module was “off center,” though no clear explanation was provided. These issues have been present since the vehicle was purchased in May 2024. In several instances, the vehicle was returned after service without the problem being resolved, requiring additional return visits. More recently, Tesla has suggested the issue may be related to tires and wheels. However, this contradicts earlier assurances that those components were not the root cause. All tires and two wheels have already been replaced, yet the same issues continue to occur. Months go by without any resolution and then when the tires go bad again, they tried to sell me on that when that never resolved the issue. They tried to force me to buy new tires and wheels for $8000 claiming that to be the issue. The main has fell twice in the last year and was replaced with a battery that was not of light kind. When the battery failed at a Tesla supercharger, the door would not open momentarily. I will estimate the date of the last service. Cannot open due to open ticket

After getting new tires installed at Walmart I heard a loud knocking noise when turning the steering wheel. The Walmart tech thought that it was because the tires were too big/wide. Tesla said they probably forgot to put the car in Jack Mode and the air suspension fully deflated. Once the sir suspension return to normal the knocking noise is still there, although not as loud and not as frequent. Both the Walmart technician and Tesla technician confirmed the noise. Tesla said my front fore and aft links (aka Control Arms) are worn and in need of replacement. I read that this is a common issue and that Tesla has done a lot of repairs both in and out of warranty (Some goodwill repairs). [XXX] technician talks as if the parts are wear items. I asked why they don't have them in the service manual and I wasn't given a good answer. The technician said that the bushings and ball bearings are wear items and that the fore and aft links get replaced along with them. I was given an estimate of $2,330.69 for the repair. Attached is the invoice. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the vehicle lost stability and started to slide sideways and left the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle left the roadway, slid down a ditch on the passenger side, and crashed into a telephone pole on the passenger side front door. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated, also she said that the road conditions were dry pavement. The contact stated that the police were on the scene and filed a report. The contact stated she was transported to a shock trauma unit by ambulance. The contact stated that she had broken her pelvis and had to have surgery to reconstruct the right side of the pelvis and replace the right hip joint. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,996.

Front linkages and half shafts have failed for the second time on the vehicle. They were replaced in Feb of 2022 and now (Nov. 2023) need the replacement again after normal driving conditions. Tesla service center adviser (Briarcliff Road in Atlanta) admitted that these parts fail frequently at this rate and need multiple replacements. If the parts fail, steering would be lost, potentially leading to loss of control of the vehicle. Tesla has published a service bulletin on the issue but charges a very high rate for the service. One service adviser claimed that the VIN of the vehicle does not meet the service bulletin [XXX] , though the service bulletin clearly states that all cars produced between 2014-2020 meet the criteria. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The vehicle has been taken to Tesla multiple times due to ongoing controllability and safety concerns. The Autopilot system will occasionally brake unexpectedly at green lights or when another vehicle is passing on the right side. The vehicle has also experienced repeated drivetrain issues, including the half shafts failing at least four times within a short period. During acceleration, the vehicle can be difficult to control at times, and the wheels exhibit noticeable vibration. Despite replacing two full sets of tires within two years and completing multiple balancing and service attempts, the issue has not been resolved. These ongoing problems have contributed to premature tire wear and reduced stability, particularly in wet or rainy driving conditions. The vehicle has been serviced by Tesla at least 10 times, and each visit has resulted in replacement of half shafts or other drivetrain components. At one point, Tesla indicated that the drive module was “off center,” though no clear explanation was provided. These issues have been present since the vehicle was purchased in May 2024. In several instances, the vehicle was returned after service without the problem being resolved, requiring additional return visits. More recently, Tesla has suggested the issue may be related to tires and wheels. However, this contradicts earlier assurances that those components were not the root cause. All tires and two wheels have already been replaced, yet the same issues continue to occur. Months go by without any resolution and then when the tires go bad again, they tried to sell me on that when that never resolved the issue. They tried to force me to buy new tires and wheels for $8000 claiming that to be the issue. The main has fell twice in the last year and was replaced with a battery that was not of light kind. When the battery failed at a Tesla supercharger, the door would not open momentarily. I will estimate the date of the last service. Cannot open due to open ticket

Rear emergency release cable does not open the trunk. The latch mechanism failed with a trunk full of groceries, I pushed down the rear setts to access the trunk compartment and crawled back and popped open the emergency release cable and it did not function. I have a service for the car scheduled for Dec 2nd to repair/replace the latch mechanism.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started to vibrate in the shutter shaft unit. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with front CV axle failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. On a separate occasion, the vehicle started to shudder, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was repaired for the most recent failure however, the contact stated the vehicle had been repaired three times, for the CV axle failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,807.

In June of 2020 I reported a "wobble" noise coming from the front of the vehicle under normal acceleration. I took it to a Tesla repair shop, where the tech confirmed that they were aware of the issue, but Tesla was working on a fix for it and they would contact me when a solution was available. The issue was repaired in Sept of 2021, which happened without me initiating it as I had taken my vehicle in for another maintenance issue and re-reported the noise, and they replaced the "half-shaft"s on the front of the vehicle. Now, about 19 months later, the sound has returned and the repair has failed. I contacted Tesla and they advised that I am now out of warranty and thus will have to bear the entirety of the cost associated with the repair.

From Aug 23 to 28, 2023, we traveled in our 2020 Tesla Model S Long Range Plus vehicle from Santa Fe, NM to San Diego, CA and back, for a total distance of approximate 2100 miles. We drove primarily interstates (I-25, I-10, I-8, I-5) where speed limits ranged from 55 to 75. We experienced numerous instances of what is known to Tesla owners as sudden, severe "phantom braking" [hereinafter PB] while the cruise control was activated (not AutoPilot, nor FSD, just cruise control). In ALL instances, no cars or other objects were visible within 1 mile ahead of our vehicle, and in ALL instances, these "phantom braking" incidents happened on absolutely flat, straight, smooth road surfaces, at all times of day, morning, noon, and night. This car has had PB problems since the day was purchased; in fact on that day, there were at least two sudden PB incidents while I drove home in the new car! At numerous times since, I've reported these problems to Tesla Service---to no avail. The problem is widely known among Tesla owners, and to my knowledge no owner has been able to get Tesla to do anything. On this most recent long-distance trip, our PB incidents happened typically at the posted speed limit of 75mph in all-clear situations---nobody else anywhere remotely nearby. The car would be operating smoothly when all of a sudden the brakes would engage and the vehicle would rapidly decelerate, throwing forward anything not fastened down inside the car. Because of the history of this problem, I NEVER activate cruise control whenever ANY vehicle is near the rear of the car, as I can never tell if my car will "phantom brake" at that moment, causing a possible accident. I consider this problem VERY dangerous. I have owned this car since 2020, and Tesla has refused to do anything to fix it, always coming up with one or other stalling technique or excuse. I consider this an extreme safety flaw of this car and hope NHTSA can help to force Tesla to fix it once and for all.

CAR REPEATEDLY APPLIED THE BRAKES HARD AND SUDDENLY WHILE TRAVELING AT 75MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE IN DRIVER ASSIST MODE AS WELL AS IN CRUISE CONTROL ONLY. IT DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN DRIVING WITHOUT ANY ASSISTED DRIVING MODES ACTIVATED. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES NEAR US NOR ANY OBJECTS IN THE ROAD OR ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CONSTRUED AS A REASON TO EMERGENCY BRAKE

The rear doors have emergency release cables in case the power is cut during a collision. These cables are hidden, not glowing, and have a small square pull on the end that is difficult to find and pull. I had great difficulty in testing the function to ensure the emergency cable pulls worked. They need to have a glowing T-handle on the end to facilitate location and movement, and the emergency cable location should be marked and visible in the car, just like the emergency hood and truck release are.

Passenger side door open on it on while vehicle is on and driven. With faulty door control modules.

Wheels: From the original purchase of the vehicle, I had a small air leak from the right rear tire. I addressed this with Tesla and they said nothing was wrong. I lived with it adding pressure from time to time. When it was time to replace the tires because the originals were only good for 20,000 miles at most. Upon replacing the tires, it was discovered that the right rear rim was cracked which explained why it was leaking all this time. Not long after the tire replacement, I experienced another leak on the right front. I brought it back in to check for a leak in the tire and again discovered it was cracked also, but had 2 cracks in this one 😡. I discussed this with the tire shop and he stated he sees this very often with the Model S. He seems to believe the car is too heavy for the particular turbine wheels selected for the car. These wheels are a factory purchase upgrade. I called Tesla to address my concerns for feedback. They denied ever hearing of this issue as common. I did the research and lo and behold this defect is very common and people are very unhappy regarding this issue and the fact Tesla is blatantly being dishonest about it. For the foundation and a major component that binds a vehicle to the road should be taken seriously. In my opinion, a vehicle that has the potential for the wheels to crack and maybe just come apart is critical. And that depends on the actual speed of travel. This could be very bad.

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.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver’s side door failed to open from the inside as intended. The vehicle was restarted, but the failure persisted. The contact rolled down the driver’s side window and attempted to unlock the door from the outside; however, the failure persisted. The contact was trapped inside the vehicle. The contact climbed over to the passenger’s seat and exited the passenger’s side door without issue. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the door handle had an electrical issue, and an undisclosed part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 35 MPH, the front hood latch unexpectedly opened, causing the hood to rise up. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact immediately stopped and parked on the side of the road, and the contact closed the trunk and continued driving. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

The vehicle has been taken to Tesla multiple times due to ongoing controllability and safety concerns. The Autopilot system will occasionally brake unexpectedly at green lights or when another vehicle is passing on the right side. The vehicle has also experienced repeated drivetrain issues, including the half shafts failing at least four times within a short period. During acceleration, the vehicle can be difficult to control at times, and the wheels exhibit noticeable vibration. Despite replacing two full sets of tires within two years and completing multiple balancing and service attempts, the issue has not been resolved. These ongoing problems have contributed to premature tire wear and reduced stability, particularly in wet or rainy driving conditions. The vehicle has been serviced by Tesla at least 10 times, and each visit has resulted in replacement of half shafts or other drivetrain components. At one point, Tesla indicated that the drive module was “off center,” though no clear explanation was provided. These issues have been present since the vehicle was purchased in May 2024. In several instances, the vehicle was returned after service without the problem being resolved, requiring additional return visits. More recently, Tesla has suggested the issue may be related to tires and wheels. However, this contradicts earlier assurances that those components were not the root cause. All tires and two wheels have already been replaced, yet the same issues continue to occur. Months go by without any resolution and then when the tires go bad again, they tried to sell me on that when that never resolved the issue. They tried to force me to buy new tires and wheels for $8000 claiming that to be the issue. The main has fell twice in the last year and was replaced with a battery that was not of light kind. When the battery failed at a Tesla supercharger, the door would not open momentarily. I will estimate the date of the last service. Cannot open due to open ticket

Component and explanation - The right front passenger seat belt locks the passenger into place as if the seatbelt had been activated in a crash. That is, it no longer moves freely as it is supposed to under normal operation, rather, it locks and clicks to tighten. Passengers remove the seatbelt several times during each trip so that they are not being restrained so aggressively. Safety Risk - Passengers either will not ride in my car or refuse to wear their seatbelt because of the issue. Inspection and reproducing - the issue has been repeatedly inspected by Tesla and they were in ALL instances able to reproduce the issue almost immediately. There are no warnings to notify the passenger that the seatbelt is about to restrain them. Tesla has replaced a part of the seatbelt I believe 5 times although they have been repeatedly told by me that the repair was not in any way resolving the issue. Tesla has now refused any further evaluation or repairs to the seatbelt and though I have asked many times during the applicable period, Tesla has refused to lemon my car and replace it with one that works.

My car (Tesla 2020 Model S) was broadsided ("t-boned") at about 35 to 40 MPH. The other car hit mine in middle, between front and rear doors, passenger side (after it ran a red light on a city street). Five airbags deployed in my Tesla ... two on driver's side (ok), and three on the passenger side. Since there was no one in the car other than the driver, and the car was aware of that (according to indicator light at start of trip), the passenger side bags should **NOT** have deployed. (Deployed, IIRC: front passenger side, front passenger headrest (?), and rear passenger side.) Result: driver lost almost all hearing, instantly. Needlessly. Accident date: June 2, 2022. Report date: Mar 9, 2023. Driver is on hearing aids for life, providing partial hearing (at best).

Stability control disabled, steering assist disabled, airbags disabled, brake system altered for weeks before service request. In addition, steering wheel moved uncontrollably while parked, with car off, and no one in it for over eight hours. Finally, entire system locked after a factory reset. Locking the doors, preventing entry, and showing the transmission in neutral. Tesla’s service model is inhuman, meaning they don’t allow conversation with a human, but instead require scheduling service through their phone app. The app recorded these issues and were attached to the service request. Tesla’s service center claims they resolved the issue by adding wiper fluid and checking the tire pressure. After two weeks, they cannot find anything in the car logs, after previously stating the car logs every aspect of operation.

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ALL SCREENS FROZE AND THE CAR BECAME TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE, THE BRAKES WORKED BUT IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5 MIN THE CAR REBOOTED AND SYSTEMS CAME BACK ON LINE. TESLA SAYS THE USB MIGHT BE CORRUPTED AND CAUSED THE CPU TO HAVE A VERY HIGH USAGE. TESLA ALSO HAS NOT BEEN GOOD ON SERVICE MAKING ME DRIVE TWO HOURS TO GO PICK UP MY CAR. THEY SEEMED TO HAVE LITTLE CARE FOR THE UNSAFE SITUATION AND WERE VERY CAVALIER ABOUT THE ISSUE. I WORRY THAT THIS COULD RESULT IN FATALITIES IF IT HAPPENS AT THE WRONG TIME.

WHY ISN'T THE NHTSA INVESTIGATING AND STOPPING TESLA FROM BETA TESTING THEIR "SELF DRIVING" ABILITY ON CONSUMERS THAT NEVER CONSENTED? IT'S FRIGHTENING THAT THIS ORGANIZATION WOULD ALLOW A TECHNOLOGY TO BE USED THAT HAS KILLED PEDESTRIANS, DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS. PLEASE STOP THIS FEATURE THAT WILL INEVITABLY ONLY KILL MORE PEOPLE.