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1 critical safety recall on file — the kind NHTSA opens when crashes, fires, or injuries are documented. 59 owner complaints alongside. Read those first.
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
The heater and defroster stopped working in this cold weather as we were driving home with my sons. They were freezing and cold. I was not able to see clearly rather very foggy windshield due to non-working cabin heater and defroster. This issue had happened to many many Tesla…
This complaint may refer to the reference number provided below: NHTSA action number: dp19005 - investigation subject: battery management software updates to whom it might concern, back to may 2019, Tesla pushed a software update, firmware number 2019.16.2, to my car via…
You are investigating Tesla front suspension failures. You should also investigate Tesla rear suspension failures. Here is just one recent example.https://www.iaai.com/vehicledetails/38453571?rownumber=39 the suspension link has snapped like a pretzel causing the suspension…
I appears that Tesla had capped my battery. I have lost significant range for no reason and they have no explanation.
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. RQ24009 on NHTSA →
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. DP23002 on NHTSA →
NHTSA has an open defect investigation covering this vehicle — the step that can precede a recall, not a finding of fault. EA21002 on NHTSA →
How NHTSA investigations work, and what's open now →
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 59 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 Tesla Model S is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2012 Tesla Model S is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.4/10 — around the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is electrical, with 34 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 90,887 miles. Average repair cost runs about $850 at an independent shop.
The suspension is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $900 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 38,750 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 59 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $900, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.