Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Tesla Model S owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
After a high-voltage junction box repair performed by Tesla, the vehicle shut down 15 miles after leaving the service center. Tesla replaced the high-voltage harness at no cost but provided no explanation. After the HV harness replacement, new proximity/sensor alerts began triggering that were not present before their HV work. Multiple reasonable diagnostic procedures were refused, including bench-testing the sensors. Tesla is pressuring me to take possession of the vehicle without providing written confirmation that it is safe to operate following the HV system failure and subsequent replacement of HV components. I am concerned the vehicle may have unresolved high-voltage or wiring issues that could pose a safety hazard.
Overnight while plugged in and after the battery showed it was fully charged, the battery suddenly lost charge, and the car sent repeated alerts to immediately pull over and stop driving. A notice on the car showed mileage was reduced and to immediately schedule a service call. After returning home, I downloaded to the car a recent software update that cleared the error. However, after the software upgrade, Tesla messaged that they did removed tests and the high voltage battery must be replaced.
Here is a Tesla in the junkyard: https://www.copart.com/lot/39926687/photos it has been totally destroyed by fire. There was an investigation into Tesla fires back in 2014 and it was claimed that fires were caused by road debris puncturing the battery pack and this problem was solved by fitting a battery shield. Teslas are still catching fire at an alarming rate. I believe that the cause of many of these fires is not that the lithium battery catches fire first but that the ethylene glycol leaks out and catches fire. The attache photograph of a 2013 fire clearly shows the coolant blazing beneath the car. A google image search for "Tesla fire" shows many of these glycol fires. The lithium batteries May well ignite as well but in most cases it seems that the primary cause of fire is the glycol. …
This a complaint about the fatal Tesla crash in fort lauderdale. Even though the ntsb is investigating this crash the inquiry is likely to take more than a year. I am certain that this crash was caused by yet another suspension failure. Http://miami.cbslocal.com/2018/05/10/ntsb-to-investigate-fiery-crash-of-Tesla-in-ft-lauderdale/ crash scene photographs show that the rh back wheel and suspension have fallen off the car. The road is relatively straight at the crash site. There is just a single skid mark where the car suddenly went sideways. There is no indication of the car spinning out of control due to taking a curve too fast. The skid mark shows a very sudden swerve to the wrong side of the road and into the wall. The video shows what appears to be a detached wheel and tire lying in the roadway. …
My Tesla did an uncommanded acceleration, jumped the curb and hit a chick-fil-a restaurant on 9/04/2019: 1) first and most importantly, I am 100% certain that I did not touch the accelerator or in any way cause the uncommanded and unintentional acceleration of the vehicle. I have driven cars and trucks well over a million miles and never once accidentally pressed an accelerator or jumped a curb when parking. 2) I have been driving my Tesla daily for four months and I am very familiar with the vehicle and it's systems and controls. I am also very familiar with the specific parking space where the accident occurred. I have parked there many times in the past, and mostly in the Tesla during the last four months. 3) the details of what took place immediately preceding the accident are as follows: the weather was clear and sunny. …
The car gave a failure message and then lost all power. It shut down completely as I navigated through traffic in neutral onto the shoulder. I called Tesla and was told this is a known software release bug. They said to turn off range mode and the issue will not recur. Meanwhile they are working on a software fix. I believe that this is a life and death issue. It is being reported by many other Model s p85 d owners on the Tesla forum. I believe that Tesla should immediately contact all owners as this issue is extremely dangerous and May cause serious accidents. Please understand this - the error causes the car to shut down while driving and has affected many teslas already. It almost caused an accident in my case and will certainly cause a more serious event if not addressed.
Tesla has limited charging speed after a 2019.16.x software update to almost 3x slower, following reports of fires with cars while just sitting there. The car has additionally began deteriorate quickly as distance available to drive after the 2019.16.x update has gone down as well. This is now known on the internet as "batterygate" and "chargegate". Due to lack of communication from Tesla on this issue and fires surrounding cars with similar batteries, I am not confident the issue has been resolved with just software and the car is completely safe to operate with the battery it was sold with. I am not even sure it is safe to sleep under the same roof as where it is being parked.
Re: NHTSA action number: dp19005 - investigation subject : battery management software updates a software update in May 2019 is when this began, Tesla has capped the max voltage the high voltage battery would charge to, should be 4.2 volts and now its 4.08 volts. Tesla claims this was done "out of an abundance of caution" after several non-crash fires happened to these models. Tesla took action to downgrade horsepower and range along with all other aspects of performance through a total voltage cap after claiming to be releasing a fire-safety update. There has been no official safety update to date. This change happened while the car was parked in my garage and stationary.
Re: NHTSA action number: dp19005 - investigation subject : battery management software updatesstarting with a software update in May 2019, Tesla reduced battery capacity from 73kwh to 62kwh. They claim they did this "out of an abundance of caution" after several non-crash fires happened to these models. Tesla took action to downgrade horsepower and range along with all other aspects of performance through a total voltage cap after claiming to be releasing a fire-safety update, but officially no safety update was released. This change happened while the car was parked in my garage and stationary. There is a fire safety issue here that is not made public by Tesla.
Re: NHTSA action number: dp19005 - investigation subject : battery management software updates the battery range on my vehicle has been capped via a software update by Tesla without my consent. I was not notified that Tesla would cap my battery's maximum charge, which in turn reduced the range and power of my vehicle via an over the air software update. The car was advertised as a 85 kwh battery, but now, with the battery cap, the battery is much less than 85 kwh. If there was a safety issue with the battery, Tesla should have notified me. Also, the battery should be replaced instead of having the safety issue still there and decreasing the performance.
Fuel System complaints in other Model S years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2014 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2014 Tesla Model S, 7% of the model year's 366 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2014 Tesla Model S fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2014 Tesla Model S, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2014 Tesla Model S fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 18% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury and 2 deaths to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.