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).
April 21, 2023 me and my daughter was driving from Jacksonville Beach to Fernandina Beach around 6pm. Exiting from 295 to i95, I removed my autopilot to reduce speed, I was very focus driving, not on my cellphone and even sleepy. Then I saw the car in front of me suddenly stopped, i know i have enough distance and confidently press the break hard enough to make it stop. But the tesla, while started beeping loud as it sensored the sudden stop of the car , seems to just slowed down and not stopping even with the full hard press of the break, the Tesla just keep on moving slow until it just hit the car and we just heard a loud bang from the airbags that blew up, gas fumes all over inside the car, shocked with what happened, I immediately opened the car door due to the gas fumes. It was traumatizing. …
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 approximately 45 MPH, and approaching a red traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the braking system became inoperable. The vehicle eventually regained braking functionality. During the failure, the regenerative braking and stability control warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
My 2015 Tesla Model S was driving with autopilot on 3-17-2023 at 5:45 pm PST near the intersection of Lafayette St and Memorex Dr. in San Jose California when I noticed it panicked and slammed on the brakes while traffic was flowing at about 40 mph. The day was clear no rain, fog, or obstructions. There was a Jeep approaching faster from my rear left in the next lane but it wasn't in front of me. No other cars were in front of me either. There was traffic directly behind me and the car suddenly braked nearly causing an accident from the rear. The car showed an icon of a person in red (An indication of what it was braking for). However, there was no person in the area. I immediately hit the acceleration pedal to avoid the accident from the rear and to keep the car moving. The car never showed a "person" indicator before in the 4 years I have owned it. …
Brake and accelerator pedals are configured such that both are easily pressed together. Other unintended acceleration or loss of brakes complaints here may be the same issue. I was cornering and needed to slow. Pressing the brake pedal did not slow the vehicle. An error that both pedals are pressed was seen in the first occurrence. This time I only heard the chime. I couldn't look to see the message. No crash, just a scary incident.
Wheel speed sensor kept getting disconnected. When it does, systems like ABS, traction control, and other anti-collisions systems are disabled immediately. This resulted in lost of vehicle control on wet pavement. The service center replaced the sensor twice but the problem continues to pop up randomly. They won't look at the issue unless I pay for troubleshooting at $150/hr with no limit of how long or if they will find something.
Parking brake on my TESLA MODEL S will not release. My understanding is that this is from a defective parking brake caliper that was under a recall by TESLA. However, TESLA refuses to acknowledge or repair this issue which is a huge safety problem especially if the parking brake does not engage / release when on an uneven surface. Also, from looking at forums and speaking to other owners, this appears to be a very common issue.
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.
I drove the car into a parking space at the school (desert christian elementary) in tucson arizona on sept 16th about 11:05 am, when the car accelerated on its own (unintended acceleration) and crashed into 2 parked vehicles and airbags deployed and I sustained a fracture of my right arm requiring surgery. Also my car (the Tesla Model s) was damaged and the two other parked cars.
Related recalls
Parking brake
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016 Model S and Model X vehicles. The electric parking brake calipers have an internal gear that may be improperly manufactured, possibly resulting in the gear fracturing during parking brake application or release.
Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will replace both the left and right electric parking brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2018.
Brake complaints in other Model S years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2015 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the brakes of the 2015 Tesla Model S, 3% of the model year's 668 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2015 Tesla Model S brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-260 (parking brake, Apr 19, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Tesla Model S brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 42% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries to brakes 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.