Tesla Model S Body Problems

Body complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• Body
  142
• Body › Door
  3
• Body › Door › Handle › Exterior
  3
• Body › Hood
  2
• Interior panels › Dashboard
  2
• Frame and members
  1
• Body › Door › Handle › Interior
  1
• Body › Door › Hinge and attachments
  1

Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  2334%
• 25k–50k
  1928%
• 50k–75k
  1015%
• 75k–100k
  913%
• 100k–150k
  57%
• 150k+
  11%

What owners report

My wife was driving the car through a twisty road, and she heard a clunking noise come from the front passenger door, and then the door opened. A warning came up that the emergency door release was pulled and that the door was open. My wife was the only person in the car and could not have pulled the emergency door release on the passenger side door. I took the car to Tesla, and they were able to confirm the error messages, but did not see anything wrong within the door that they felt explained the issue. They did not have an explanation other than suggesting we pulled the emergency handle, which was impossible since no one was sitting in the seat at that time. They also admitted that a recent software bug in Model S and X cars was likely the cause of previous errors about the emergency handle being pulled, since we know not to pull it. …

Frunk latch does not open with the first tap due to misdesigned frunk liner trim piece. The only way to open the frunk is after first tap to simultaneously tapping open and pulling the hood upward. It is only feasible using the phone app as the vehicle comes with key-card. This creates a safety concern due to fire crew would have an issue reaching a first responder loop to disconnect a battery located under the hood in case of an accident. The issue was reproduced to Tesla service team but they claimed that it is yet impossible to repair.

I was driving on the highway utilizing the full self-driving mode. There was traffic and I was behind an 18-wheeler. The 18-wheeler turned into the right lane, but because of the traffic, it couldn't completely clear the lane so the rear was slightly sticking. The Tesla stopped because it couldn't clear the lane while the 18-wheeler was sticking out. I didn't intervene because it had stopped. Then all of a sudden, it surged forward causing the Tesla's right side mirror to be hit by the 18-wheeler's back. The right side mirror's paint job was completely taken off. I didn't have time to intervene because of the sudden surge.

1) Lower drivers knee airbag panel improperly installed. Photos available. 2) This could cause malfunction of the airbag in an accident 3) No response from Tesla service when reported in the Tesla App, and in person. 4) No, but I have photos and the EPC identifies the parts in question. 5) Loose trim panel made the problem apparent, noted at delivery. Noted loose and broken lower dash trim panel under the steering Yoke. Upon investigation, noted the panel was designed to be held in place by 4 circular magnets, two on the panel and two on the lower dash support. However, in this case, a 10mm high strength steel bolt with a torque stripe was inserted into the mating magnet on the lower dash structure. The strength of the magnet was such that the bolt was apparently fully seated. The problem was, where did this bolt belong? …

Front license plate holder is required in California. The bracket that holds the plate on the car is secured to the bumper with adhesive tape only. My bracket became loose, and thankfully we were able to retrieve the plate and bracket upon parking. This would have been an obvious hazard to us and other motorists if it fell off while on the street or highway. Tesla does not have any alternative solutions to fix or repair this issue and advised we purchase an aftermarket bracket. The front bracket on my car must be attached to meet NTSB safety standards.

Drivers door will not latch and car thinks the door is closed/latched. This allows the driver to drive away with the door unlatched. I've had to open and close the door while moving to get it to latch which is obviously unsafe. In attached picture you can see how open the door is but the car gives no indication this is the case. Tesla has confirm the issue and has tried twice to correct the issue but it has not been corrected yet. No warning lights or error messages even with the door obviously open.

The front hood flipped open while driving at about 40 miles an hour without any warning, totally obstructing the vision of the driver who happen to be my wife, causing her to pull over suddenly fortunately no one was hurt during the accident. The front hood, however, has been creased and damaged. This could have caused a very serious accident had she been driving at high speed on the highway. The Tesla seems to lack a double latching hood mechanism found in most other cars which would prevent this from occurring. This needs to be sorted out permanently.

The rear doors have emergency release cables in case the power is cut during a collision. These cables are hidden, not glowing, and have a small square pull on the end that is difficult to find and pull. I had great difficulty in testing the function to ensure the emergency cable pulls worked. They need to have a glowing T-handle on the end to facilitate location and movement, and the emergency cable location should be marked and visible in the car, just like the emergency hood and truck release are.