On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the HV battery umbrella valves, over time, may become damaged due to road debris. Replace all 5 umbrella valves with updated parts. This new revision, R1, updates the affected Countries/Regions.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2021 Tesla Model S electrical problems
moderate 20 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $850 · see electrical across all vehicles →
Complaints
20
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$850
1crash
What stands out
No new NHTSA electrical complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 4 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering electrical on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
On certain Model S and Model X vehicles built between approximately January 2021 and September 22, 2022, the High Voltage (HV) battery ports’ plungers intended for internal water leak egress (also known as flood ports) can be replaced with plungers that are more robust against external ingress due to submersion during flooding or other similar high-severity abuse instances. Replace all 5 flood port plungers with updated parts. This new revision, R2, updates the affected Countries/Regions.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the HV battery umbrella valves, over time, may become damaged due to road debris.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗On certain Model S and Model X vehicles built between approximately January 2021 and September 22, 2022, the High Voltage (HV) battery ports’ plungers intended for internal water leak egress (also known as flood ports) can be replaced with plungers that are more robust against external ingress due to submersion during flooding or other similar high-severity abuse instances.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗On certain Model S, Model X and Model Y vehicles, the interior camera requires replacement to mitigate reduced driver attentiveness detection performance in low-light conditions.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners describe 13 distinct electrical and control system failures across 20 complaints. The most critical are complete vehicle shutdowns with no warning while driving—including one incident during highway merging that created dangerous traffic conditions. A separate battery management failure cuts all electrical power, eliminating hazard lights and brake lights while stranded on the road, leaving the vehicle unable to warn other drivers.
Instrument cluster and touchscreen blackout together for 5–40 seconds at random, erasing speed readout, hazard visualization, and safety warnings. Owners report Tesla acknowledges these are known issues with no fix timeline. An Autopilot malfunction caused sudden unintended acceleration into stopped traffic.
Controls on the steering yoke are problematic: horn and hazard button use unreliable capacitive touch buttons in non-standard locations, requiring multiple attempts to activate—dangerous in emergencies. Turn signal control fails intermittently, and one owner reports blinkers stopping unexpectedly. The rear parking camera displays a green line artifact that impairs visibility.
Additional failures include: pedestrian alert system inoperative at low speed, cabin climate control completely dead on a brand-new vehicle, a startup chime playing continuously and masking critical safety alerts, and a parked vehicle independently entering Race mode while charging. One vehicle shipped without the advertised tilt motor for the touchscreen. Dealers repeatedly report they cannot reproduce problems or lack fixes; several acknowledge these are fleet-wide known issues under investigation.
Same Tesla Model S electrical reports on nearby years: 2022
Failure modes owners describe
Complete vehicle shutdown while driving
Vehicle stops dead with no warning or very brief warning while operating, sometimes during traffic merges. Emergency restart bar enables restart; no permanent fix identified. Dealers report high-voltage spikes but cannot reproduce issue or provide remedy.
When: Early ownership; one complaint at 45 miles, others not mileage-specific
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of power while driving; No warning before shutdown; Must use emergency restart bar; Happens intermittently; Dangerous when occurs during highway merging
Codes mentioned: High-voltage spikes detected (dealer observation)
Repairs/costs cited: Dealerships unable to reproduce; high-voltage spikes noted but no fix provided. Vehicle deemed drivable despite safety risk.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealerships acknowledge two high-voltage spikes; refer to general manager; no fix available; claim unable to reproduce.
Battery/12V system failure with complete electrical shutdown
Battery management system fails, triggering warning 'pull over to safe location. Battery cannot support all functions' followed by total loss of electrical function including hazard lights, brake lights, and turn signals. Dealers suspect 12V battery failure; firmware issue suspected by engineers. No safety redundancy to power critical safety features from main battery.
When: Early ownership; fully charged battery at failure
Symptoms owners cite: Dashboard warning: 'Battery cannot support all functions'; Complete shutdown within 1 minute of warning; Loss of hazard lights; Loss of all electrical functions; Inability to alert other drivers when stranded
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers suspect 12V battery failure; no physical problem found. Firmware issue suspected; update availability unknown. Vehicle returned unfixed.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealers acknowledge 2021 Model S fleet has similar abrupt shutdowns; California engineers aware; no firmware update timeline provided. Vehicle returned to owner without remediation.
Instrument cluster and touchscreen blackouts while driving
Both instrument cluster and main touchscreen go blank simultaneously for 5-40 seconds during driving, eliminating visibility of speed, road hazards, safety warnings, and lighting controls. Occurs at random intervals regardless of road conditions. No audible turn signal click when screen is dark, suggesting turn signals may also be inoperative. Screens restart without intervention.
When: Early ownership; multiple episodes 1-2 weeks apart; 45 to 24,500 miles at report
Symptoms owners cite: Instrument cluster screen blanks; Touchscreen blanks; No speed display; No hazard visualization; No warning pop-ups visible; Turn signal functionality unclear when dark; Brake light indicators invisible; Lasts 5-40 seconds
Repairs/costs cited: Remote diagnostics show no abnormalities. Tesla service acknowledges problem, states no fix available. Dealers suggest corrupted USB drive may cause problem, but no resolution offered.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Tesla service confirms awareness of issue; no fix available; decline to replace screen/components; no timeline provided.
Unintended Autopilot/Autodrive acceleration
Vehicle engaged in Autopilot suddenly lurched forward and accelerated at high speed into vehicle ahead without driver input during standstill traffic. Suspect software, camera, or front sensor calibration malfunction.
When: Brand new vehicle
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden unintended lurch forward; High-speed acceleration without driver command; Occurred during Autopilot engagement; Occurred in standstill traffic
Repairs/costs cited: Tesla performed 'safety inspection' and claims car is fine. Refused to replicate malfunction.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Tesla delayed providing data logs and engineering analysis over two months. Refused replication testing. Claims vehicle is fine after safety inspection.
Rear parking camera green line artifact
Rear parking safety camera displays persistent green vertical line across image, degrading visibility and making parking and backing operations more difficult. Known issue dating back to at least 2018 on same model per owner forum research. Occurs in motion and stationary, day and night.
When: Brand new car; early ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Green line visible on rear camera display; Occurs in motion and stationary; Occurs in daylight and darkness; Occurs on street and in driveway; Multiple episodes over time; Impairs parking and backup safety
Repairs/costs cited: Multiple service trips; more time in service than in garage. Service states 'known concern under investigation' and unable to fix.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Service acknowledges known concern under investigation; unable to provide remedy. Issue acknowledged as fleet-wide per service documentation.
Pedestrian alert warning system failure
Pedestrian alert warning system failed to activate while driving at low speed (20 MPH or slower) when pedestrian detection was needed.
When: Approximately 6,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Warning system did not activate at low speed; Occurred while driving 20 MPH or slower
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer found no failure on diagnosis despite reported malfunction.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Related to NHTSA Campaign 22V235000 (Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance); vehicle not repaired.
Turn signal control failure on steering yoke
Driver-side indicator (turn signal) on steering yoke becomes inoperative intermittently or completely. Separate from screen-out incidents. Has occurred multiple times.
When: Approximately 24,500 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Driver-side indicator inoperative; Occurs multiple times; Intermittent failure
Repairs/costs cited: Not diagnosed or repaired; no independent or dealer repair attempt.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware but provided no assistance.
Horn control unreliable and difficult to locate
Horn function relocated to small capacitive button in non-intuitive location on steering yoke rather than center of wheel as standard. Button difficult to locate and activate in emergency situations; does not activate reliably within 5 attempts. Owner reports instinct to press center of wheel (where horn typically is) does not work.
When: Ongoing during ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Small button difficult to locate; Unreliable activation requiring multiple attempts; Non-standard location contradicts driver instinct; Poor reliability in cold/warm cabin conditions; Difficulty with clean/dirty or warm/cold fingers
Repairs/costs cited: Capacitive touch button does not reliably activate; rarely works within 5 tries.
Emergency hazard flasher button unreliable
Emergency hazard flashers controlled by capacitive touch button that fails to activate reliably. Does not respond consistently across different cabin temperatures and finger conditions.
When: Ongoing during ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Hazard flasher button does not reliably activate; Inconsistent with cold cabin, warm cabin, clean fingers, dirty fingers; Rarely activates within 5 attempts; Capacitive touch technology unreliable
Repairs/costs cited: Capacitive button design results in unreliable activation.
Blinker control intermittent failure
Turn signal (blinker) control on steering wheel becomes inoperative intermittently, stopping unexpectedly during use. Creates dangerous situation for driver and surrounding traffic unable to anticipate vehicle direction changes.
When: Ongoing during ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Blinkers stop working intermittently; Unpredictable failure timing; Creates danger for driver and surrounding vehicles
Cabin climate control system failure
Heating and cooling system completely fails on brand new vehicle, rendering cabin unbearably hot during day and cold at night. System displays error code indicating service required and heating/cooling unavailable or limited.
When: First day of ownership; 750 miles
Symptoms owners cite: No heating function; No cooling function; Warning: VCFRONT_a447 - Cabin climate control system requires service; Cabin heating/cooling limited or unavailable; Unbearably hot in daytime; Unbearably cold at night
Codes mentioned: VCFRONT_a447 - Cabin climate control system requires service
Repairs/costs cited: System inoperative on first day of ownership at 750 miles.
Continuous startup chime during driving
Startup chime/ding that should play once at ignition plays continuously throughout vehicle operation. Continuous audible alert masks other critical safety system alerts including collision warnings and lane departure warnings, reducing driver awareness of hazards.
When: Ongoing during ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Startup chime plays continuously while driving; Masks other safety system alerts; Prevents hearing of collision warnings; Prevents hearing of lane departure warnings; Distraction to driver
Repairs/costs cited: Video evidence available but not uploadable via complaint system.
Software failure causing unintended Race mode acceleration
Parked vehicle connected to charging port independently entered Race mode, causing instant 0-60 acceleration without operator input. Diagnosed as software failure. After repair, charging function began failing intermittently and completely. Subsequent diagnosis revealed battery corrosion and water intrusion.
When: Approximately 1,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle independently entered Race mode while parked and charging; Instant 0-60 acceleration without input; Charging stopped intermittently after repair attempt; Charging stopped completely; Battery corrosion present; Water intrusion in battery
Codes mentioned: Software failure (initial diagnosis)
Repairs/costs cited: Battery corrosion and water intrusion found; battery replacement required but not completed. Vehicle taken to dealer multiple times without repair completion.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall notification received (unknown recall number) with similar failure description; repair denied due to indication of flood damage. Manufacturer aware; vehicle not repaired.
Touchscreen tilt motor not included/functional
Manufacturer advertised that 17-inch touchscreen would tilt left or right to improve driver visibility and accessibility, but vehicle equipped without tilt motor functionality. Newer model year vehicles received the feature, but older 2021 model was not retrofitted. Impairs screen visibility and touchscreen accessibility.
When: At delivery; not retrofitted after purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Screen does not tilt; Reduced screen visibility from driver position; Reduced touchscreen accessibility; Feature advertised pre-purchase but not included; Newer models received tilt motor
Repairs/costs cited: Service states no retrofit plans for 2021 models; feature works on newer year vehicles.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Service declined to retrofit tilt motors on 2021 Model S vehicles.
Synthesized from 20 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
This was a Autodrive malfunction event on a brand new Tesla Model S. I was in standstill traffic when my car, which had been engaged in Autodrive, lurched forward and suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed into the car in front of us, without any driver prompts. The problem was immediately reported to Tesla who has been delaying in providing the data logs and engineering analysis for over…
On [XXX] at approximately [XXX] I was driving down a small back alley/street in Baltimore when my Tesla Model S Plaid sedan stopped operating. It would not restart, including with the emergency restart bar. Since I was unable to restart it, I left it there while I ran into an appointment. About maybe 20 minutes later it started up like nothing was wrong. I did not receive any warnings on the…
Rear parking safety camera failing with green line, brand new car.happens in motion and stationary, in street and in driveway. Happens multiple times, have caught on video. Long known issue dating back on same model at least to 2018, see https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/green-line-on-screen-when-camera-is-on-at-dark.129223/ for identical issue. Multiple service trips, more time in service…
Had electrical trouble with your 2021 Tesla Model S?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the electrical problem on the 2021 Tesla Model S?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 20 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $850 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the electrical typically fail?
Based on the 20 complaints filed, electrical issues most often appear around 10,500 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $850 for electrical repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to electrical?
No active recalls currently cover electrical issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/Tesla/Model S.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.