2018 TESLA MODEL S Electrical System 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.

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)

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

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.

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.

•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.

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.

Mileage: 54,460

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.

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)

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

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

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at a complete stop, he activated the Auto Park feature to park the vehicle. The vehicle unexpectedly rolled forward and crashed into another vehicle next to his front passenger's side. The contact stated that it was a minor collision and that no police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle away from the scene. The vehicle was taken to a body shop, where it was diagnosed that an unknown part near the passenger's side front wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the Auto Park feature was activated; however, the Auto Park inadvertently disengaged, causing the vehicle to roll. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

Mileage: 10,000

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

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

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.

Mileage: 44,000

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.

Mileage: 36,000

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

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.

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)

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.

Mileage: 20,000

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.

Mileage: 60,000

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.

Mileage: 14,000

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.

Mileage: 36,000

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.

Mileage: 20,394

THIS RELATES TO A TESLA WARRANTY ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM NOTICE ISSUED NOVEMBER 09, 2020. THERE IS A MALFUNCTIONING OF A MEMORY CHIP (EMBEDDED MULTIMEDIACARD WHICH CAUSES THE SCREEN TO FREEZE OR BLACKOUT OR GET FUZZY AND DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO MAKE OR SAVE CHANGES TO THE VEHICLE CONTROL TOUCH SCREEN. MY CAR WAS RESET TO FACULTY DEFAULT ON NOVEMBER 23, 2020, WITHOUT CHANGING THE CHIP, AND THE NEXT DAY IT FAILED AGAIN. I HAVE SCHEDULED A SERVICE VISIT FOR DECEMBER 02 2020 WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THE FAULTY CHIP WILL BE REPLACED. PREVIOUSLY MY SCREEN HAD A YELLOW BORDER THAT APPEARED FROM NOWHERE AND THE TESLA SERVICE TEAM USED SOME SORT OF UV LIGHT TO REMEDY THE SITUATION IN JUNE OF 2020. AT THAT TIME THEY TOLD ME IF THE YELLOW BORDER REAPPEARS THEN THE SCREEN WILL NEED TO BE CHANGED. AT THE JUNE 2020 SERVICE VISIT THEY APPARENTLY ALSO REPLACED, AT NO CHARGE, A COMPUTER COMPONENT. THE SCREEN FAILURE I AM REPORTING TODAY BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER THE JUNE 2020 COMPONENTS WERE CHANGED, APPROXIMATELY FIRST NOTICED AUGUST 1, 2020. MY ONGOING CONCERN IS THAT THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE FULLY VETTED AND REPAIRED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD AS THESE COMPONENTS ARE QUITE EXPENSIVE. TESLA OWES ITS CUSTOMERS A DEFINITE FIX OF THE SCREEN AND THE ONBOARD COMPUTER PROBLEMS, AND AN ASSURANCE THAT THE CLOCK WILL RESTART ON ANY REPAIRS MADE UNDER WARRANTY (WHAT I AM PROPOSING IS THAT TESLA DOES A GOOD FAITH EXTENSION OF CERTAIN OF THE VEHICLE'S COMPONENTS SO THAT CUSTOMERS ARE COVERED FOR PROBLEMS NOT RELATED TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR FOR A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME). THANK YOU.

Mileage: 12,500

I DROPPED MY PERSONAL TESLA AT TESLA SERVICE TO GET AN MCU/CENTER SCREEN FAILURE REPAIRED. AS I LEFT THE LOT, THE SCREEN IN THE LOANER CAR REBOOTED ITSELF. APPARENTLY THAT IS THE PRECURSOR TO FAILURE. IT FEELS WEIRD KNOWING THIS CAR IS PROBABLY ABOUT TO FAIL THE WAY MINE DID.

Mileage: 20,270

THE TOUCH SCREEN HAS BECOME COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE/WENT DARK. I FIRST DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, INFREQUENTLY USED. THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR THE LAST 4 WEEKS, ALSO RENDERING THE MOBILE APP UNRESPONSIVE/UNABLE TO CONNECT TO MY CAR. AS A RESULT, THE AC HAS BEEN STUCK ON, RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY FOR A MONTH SINCE THIS ISSUE STARTED. MY TESLA SERVICE APPT. HAS BEEN DELAYED TWICE DUE TO REPLACEMENT PARTS UNAVAILABLE. THIS NEW ARTICLE SEEMS TO DESCRIBE THE SAME PROBLEM MY CAR (AND OTHERS WITH THE SAME MODEL) IS/ARE EXPERIENCING: HTTPS://APPLE.NEWS/A3RF2D8AGQO6J-CETTN354G. *TR

Mileage: 17,500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VERY SLOW SPEED AND PARKING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND CRASH INTO A TRANSFORMER. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER TESLA OF HONOLULU (1450 ALA MOANA BLVD, HONOLULU HI) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE SAME FAILURE HAD OCCURRED WHILE PARKING CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASH INTO A CONCRETE WALL. DURING THE CRASH THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A CHEST INJURY DUE TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYING WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT. NO POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE INSTRUMENT DISPLAY PAD HAD SUDDENLY BLACKED OUT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND THE DOORS HAD FAILED TO OPEN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,410. OWNER IS EXTREMELY SCARED TO DRIVE AGAIN. CAR IS SITTING IN THE GARAGE. WORRIED ABOUT ANYONE DRIVING THE CAR MAY GET INTO A FATAL ACCIDENT.*DT*JB

Mileage: 7,410

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STILL SEATED IN THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION, THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE PARKED IN FRONT. THE VEHICLE THEN INDEPENDENTLY REVERSED AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP AFTER THE CONTACT RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL. BOTH THE PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR BODY DAMAGE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,700.

Mileage: 7,700

TWICE RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, THE CAR COMPUTER STARTED FAILING. LIGHTS WENT OUT, TURN SIGNALS DIDN'T WORK, EVENTUALLY THE WHOLE SCREEN AND DASHBOARD THAT LET YOU DRIVE TURNED BLANK. I HAD TO FIND A WAY TO QUICKLY PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESET THE CAR BY PRESSING AND HOLDING THE TWO BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION.

Mileage: 12,000

ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING. ONE TIME, THE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN AT A STOP SIGN NEARBY MY OFFICE; THE SECOND TIME, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR CONTINUED TO RUN BUT ALL OF THE OTHER ELECTRONS: SPEEDOMETER, TURN SIGNALS, RADIO STOPPED WORKING. WHEN I PULLED OVER, THE ENTIRE CAR SHUT DOWN. BOTH INSTANCES REQUIRED A "HARD STOP" TO RE-START THE CAR. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN WHEN THE SOFTWARE HAS NOT BEEN RECENTLY UPDATED. HOWEVER, YOU NEED WI-FI TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE AND IT IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE WHERE I RESIDE AND PARK MY CAR. I CONSIDER THIS SITUATION EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN THAT THE CAR CAN SPONTANEOUSLY SHUT DOWN WHILE IN USE. I AM TAKING THE CAR INTO THE DEALER TODAY-PROBABLY SO THEY CAN UPGRADE THE SOFTWARE ON SITE. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT ADDRESS FUTURE POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH THE CAR. I DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO ROUTINELY TAKE THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR UPGRADES. FURTHER, THERE IS NO MESSAGE FROM TESLA WHEN THE UPGRADES ARE AVAILABLE. PLEASE HELP. I REALLY HAVE NO DESIRE TO DIE WHEN THE CAR STOPS WORKING WHILE DRIVING IT!

Mileage: 6,800

CAR WAS STOPPED PRIOR TO ENTERING CAR GARAGE. CAR SUDDENLY REVERSED THEN SPED UP AUTONOMOUSLY AND CRASHED INTO THE HOME. SUSPECT CAR ELECTRONICS COMPROMISED AND ENDANGERED DRIVER. REQUESTING INVESTIGATION IF CAR DEFECT VS USER ERROR. THANK YOU !

Mileage: 20

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL S. WHILE APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, THE SPEED INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE DROVE THROUGH THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND CRASHED INTO A VEHICLE THAT WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE FRONT DRIVER'S AIR BAG AND KNEE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS HAD NOT DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SHOULDER AND BACK INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A COLLISION REPAIR FACILITY. THE DEALER (SAN DIEGO MIRAMAR TESLA, 9250 TRADE PL, SAN DIEGO, CA 92121, (858) 271-5100) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE CRASH AND THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR FEEDBACK FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE WAITING TO RETRIEVE THE INFORMATION FROM THE ELECTRONIC DATA RECORDER TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49. *BF*JB

Mileage: 49