Front upper control arm clunk
usually 50,000–120,000 km · Wear part
Signs: Clunk over bumps
Fix: Replace control arms
€300–700
Common faults, service intervals and costs
Tesla Model S
2012–now
1
engines covered
5
known faults
10,775
roadworthiness tests in the statistics
8
official recalls
Enter your VIN and mileage and get a plan built for your exact engine and gearbox.
The Tesla Model S has been built since 2012.
For this generation we cover 1 engines and 5 known faults, each with the mileage range where it usually appears.
The most expensive known risk is Heat pump / coolant valve (2020–2021): it usually appears at 40,000–120,000 km and costs €300–1,200 to fix.
In UK roadworthiness tests in 2024, at 50–100 thousand km this model most often failed on: tyres and wheels (9.9 %), lights, wipers and visibility (5.8 %), suspension (1.5 %). It fails more often than an average car of the same age and mileage on: tyres and wheels. It fails less often than average on: brakes, suspension, body and corrosion.
Engines
| Engine | Fuel | Timing drive | Oil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric drive unit | Electric | None (EV) | — |
Faults by engine
Electric drive unit
Low-voltage battery
usually 120,000–240,000 km · Wear part
Signs: 'Replace 12V battery' alert
Fix: Replace LV battery
€100–300
Brake calipers seizing (low use)
usually 80,000–150,000 km · Wear part
Signs: Uneven pad wear; regen means brakes rarely used
Fix: Service calipers yearly
€100–400
Heat pump / coolant valve (2020–2021)
usually 40,000–120,000 km · Medium risk
Signs: Cabin heat loss in cold weather
Fix: Replace valve assembly
€300–1,200
HV battery capacity loss
usually 150,000–300,000 km · Wear part
Signs: Range ~10–15% below new
Fix: Normal ageing; covered 8 yr / 160,000+ km
free / recall
Scheduled service
Intervals and typical prices for the Electric drive unit engine. Other engines differ in oil, timing drive and some filters; the app gives the exact plan.
| Item | Interval | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre rotationWheels | every 10,000 km | €20–45 |
| Cabin (pollen) filterClimate | every 15,000 km or every 12 months | €15–40 |
| Brake fluidBrakes | every 24 months | €50–95 |
| A/C service (regas + desiccant)Climate | every 24 months | €70–150 |
| Drive unit oil checkTransmission | every 150,000 km | €0–120 |
| Brake pads (regen-assisted)Brakes | usually at 80,000–160,000 km | €60–150 |
| Tyres (set of 4, EV-rated)Wheels | usually at 30,000–50,000 km | €450–900 |
| Wiper bladesBody | checked at service | €20–50 |
| 12V batteryElectrical | checked at service | €100–220 |
Roadworthiness tests by mileage
Share of tests in the United Kingdom (DVSA MOT, 2024) that this model failed because of each system. Bold red means more often and green less often than an average car of the same age and mileage. Sample: 10,775 tests.
| thousand km | 0–50 | 50–100 | 100–150 | 150–200 | 200–250 | 250+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 0.2 % | 1.1 % | 2.5 % | 3.2 % | 5.5 % | 5.8 % |
| Suspension | 0.3 % | 1.5 % | 2.9 % | 7.0 % | 8.2 % | 9.8 % |
| Steering | 0.2 % | 0.3 % | 0.9 % | 2.7 % | 2.7 % | 2.7 % |
| Tyres and wheels | 9.7 % | 9.9 % | 11.0 % | 12.4 % | 13.0 % | 12.3 % |
| Lights, wipers and visibility | 5.3 % | 5.8 % | 6.2 % | 5.4 % | 6.3 % | 7.4 % |
| Body and corrosion | 0.8 % | 0.5 % | 1.1 % | 1.6 % | 2.9 % | 1.3 % |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % | 0.0 % |
Owner complaints in the US
Which systems owners reported to the US agency NHTSA and at what mileage. Complaints are not confirmed faults and some relate to recalls. Sample: 1,901 complaints.
Official recalls
Recalls the manufacturer published in the United Kingdom for this model (8). The same recalls usually apply across Europe. Ask an authorised dealer to check by VIN whether your car is affected and whether the work has been done.
- Seats Update Vehicle Firmware To Restore Post-Crash eCall Functionality07/03/2025 · R/2025/075
- Doors / locks / lids Misalignment of the hood latch may prevent latching of the secondary latch18/02/2022 · R/2022/009
- Visibility When the emmc reaches accumulated lifetime wear the customer may experience a blank centre display01/02/2021 · R/2021/031
- Airbag The propellant in the front passenger airbag inflator may degrade over time11/01/2019 · R/2019/006
- Steering Loss of power steering assistance30/03/2018 · R/2018/093
- Airbag Passenger airbag may not deploy as intended31/01/2018 · R/2018/057
- Brakes / ABS / ESP Parking brake may not release correctly19/04/2017 · R/2017/182
- Seat belt Seatbelt may not perform correctly20/11/2015 · R/2015/233
Sources and notes
Faults, intervals and prices are indicative and collected from public sources and owner experience; always rely on the service book and a qualified workshop. Test statistics: DVSA – Anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0. Owner complaints: NHTSA ODI (public domain). Recalls: DVSA Vehicle Safety Branch Recalls Database, OGL v3.0. Brand and model names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to describe the vehicles.
Updated 07/10/2026