Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Tesla Model S owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while he, his wife, and his son were in the vehicle he had begun veering right pulling into the driveway, at approximately 5 MPH, he had begun slightly releasing the brakes when the vehicle suddenly accelerated at accelerated high speeds. The contact immediately depressed the brake pedal however the vehicle speed continued to accelerate. As a response, the contact attempted to maneuver the vehicle to avoid crashing into the garage. The contact crashed into a nearby tree, jumped the curb, and became airborne crashing into the side of the home. The driver's side of the vehicle crashed into the side of the home where the laundry room was located ricocheting hitting the kitchen and bedroom windows and eventually coming to a stop. …
The contact owns a 2015 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently swerved in and out of the lane and accelerated unintendedly for approximately 8 to 10 seconds and then performed as designed. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that no failure was detected and informed that a report would be filed. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
The Model S, which was bought in 2015, had a sudden acceleration while I was trying to park near the entrance gate of the parking lot. The accident happened on May 25, 2023. Fortunately, nobody got hurt and the car was totaled. I feel strongly that this should be investigated, as this can be a very serious public safety issue. It was inspected by the insurance company. There were no warning messages prior to the failure.
My instrument cluster is delaminating in my tesla model S. When I took it to the service center for the recall service the service center stated that the main screen was also delaminating. Service tech told me that the instrument cluster (and main screen) would eventually fail because of the delamination. I have had the car for less than 8 years. both the instrument cluster and the center screen have a lot to do with safe operation of the vehicle so I believe they should be replaced for free under recall or at least have a much cheaper upgrade option. It is extremely rare for any car to have a common problem of the intstument cluster delaminating and this should be a recall since it is an ongoing, common issue. This is a problem Telsa knows about and hasn't done anything to remedy for a reasonable price. …
My vehicle was having issues during 2020 with the eMMC recall. I took the vehicle to the dealership to be repaired and paid for the repair out of pocket. After this repair took place, the NHTSA forced Tesla to do a recall for the part that failed. I subsequently was reached out by Tesla who denied a refund for the repair that I paid out of pocket and did not and has not (3 months of following-up with the company) explained the denial nor offered repayment as directed by the NHTSA. Unfortunately, I am not the only individual who has had this same experience. Many individuals online have ran into the same unfortunate circumstances. See instances linked below. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/emmc-recall-reimbursement.222189/
Instrument cluster not powering on or crashes/glitches while operating the vehicle. This makes the vehicle unsafe to drive while auto pilot is engaged because the auto pilot system stops operating which could lead to a serious accident. The vehicle speedometer and all other instrument cluster warning systems are unavailable because the screen is off/not working. Tesla has performed a remote diagnostic and claims no issues are identified. They then proceed to upsell me the new infotainment system that will rectify this problem for $3,000 dollars.
When driving with autopilot engaged, the vehicle sometimes gives alerts even when there is no vehicle or obstacle in its path. Immediately once the driver takes control, the autopilot does not disengage but continue as usual. The autopilot suddenly brakes or slows down even when there is no obstacle on a freeway.
On two or three occasions now my Model S will slow down for no apparent reason while autopilot is engaged. It's happened at speeds between 35 - 45 mph and highway speeds. Problem seems to have started after OTA updates. Car never had this problem before prior to the most recent OTA updates.
As I parked my car in my garage on 1/19/2019, I had placed the car in park and was preparing to exit the vehicle when it suddenly accelerated and hit the front of my garage wall. The car was in park and not moving. I had my hand on the door handle to exit. I immediately slammed the breaks but the car seemed to keep going into my wall and then it jolted and stopped. It was like it had a mind of its own. There was no alert or anything. It just suddenly accelerated while in park. As you can imagine this is a very scary occurrence and I am not going to drive this vehicle until it is rendered safe. I'm very concerned with what could happen if this occurred in a parking lot or area with people. I contacted Tesla immediately following the incident to file a report and share my concern. They told me they would pull logs and be in touch. I also called my insurance company. …
I was parking in my usual parking spot in a parking lot at my office at approximately 8:15 a.m. As I approached my parking spot, I slowed my car by pressing on the brake and made a 90 degree turn into my parking spot. The vehicle was slowing moving forward and was less than 10 feet from where I intended to stop the vehicle when the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own and crashed into the concrete wall that was at the base of my parking spot, causing the car's airbags to deploy. I did not have my foot on the accelerator pedal at the time the vehicle accelerated into the wall. I informed Tesla of the incident and they told me that the vehicle had experienced 100% acceleration immediately prior to the collision with the wall.)
NHTSA investigations
Sudden Unintended Acceleration
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP20-001 on the basis that intermittent high electrical current demands on the vehicles' 12VDC systems may have caused some or all of the incidents examined by ODI in DP20-001. The petitioner bases this information on a review of open-source research and the DP20-001 denial.
Acceleration complaints in other Model S years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2015 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2015 Tesla Model S, 6% of the model year's 668 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2015 Tesla Model S acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2015 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 2015 Tesla Model S acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 26,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 16 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.