2012 Tesla Model s problems
The Tesla Model S is a battery electric executive car with a liftback body style built by Tesla, Inc. since 2012. The Model S features a battery-powered dual-motor, all-wheel drive layout, although earlier versions featured a rear-motor and rear-wheel drive layout.
Development of the Model S began prior to 2007, under the codename "WhiteStar". The Model S was officially announced on June 30, 2008, and a prototype vehicle was unveiled in March 2009. The Model S debuted on June 22, 2012. A revised, dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version, known as the 60D, debuted on October 9, 2014. The 60D was followed by the 70D, which made dual-motor and all-wheel drive the standard, followed by the 85D, P85D, and P90D. Along with these updates, Tesla offered the Autopilot driving assistance system. The first major design refresh came in April 2016 when the Model S was updated with a new front hood design. In October of the same year, hardware became standard that supports Tesla's Full Self Driving (FSD) capability. As part of the update, integrated standard cameras around the car were added. In February 2017 the Tesla Model S P100D debuted, which included a revised motor and was the first electric vehicle to have an EPA estimated range exceeding 300 miles (483 km). The second major design refresh, codenamed "Palladium", was introduced in June 2021, offering a new "Plaid" performance model, along with a revised interior, powertrain, and suspension.
The Model S became the first electric car to top the monthly new-car-sales ranking in any country, leading twice in Norway, in September and December 2013 and in Denmark in December 2015. Sales passed 250,000 units in September 2018. The Model S was the top-selling plug-in electric car worldwide in 2015 and 2016, although it was later surpassed by the Model 3. Upon its release, the Model S received positive reviews, with praise for its acceleration and range, although initial models received criticism for their high cost and braking issues.
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Common 2012 Tesla Model s problems
Based on the complaints from owners of the Tesla Model S 2012, here are some common problems associated with this car:
- Passenger Front Airbag Inflator: Certain 2013 models were recalled because of a risk of the front passenger airbag exploding during deployment. The repair includes replacing the defective airbag module assembly with an improved replacement .
- Instrument Cluster Malfunction: In some 2012 to 2014 models, the instrument cluster may malfunction due to a circuit board issue. Replacing the defective instrument cluster with a new one resolves this problem .
- Corroded Bolts on Electric Motor: Models from 2012 to 2016 were recalled due to corroded bolts fastening the electric motor to the steering rack. This issue can lead to the motor detaching from the steering gear, requiring the replacement of all five bolts and applying wax sealant to prevent corrosion .
- Refrigerant Pressure Sensor: Certain 2020 and 2021 models may experience issues with the refrigerant pressure sensors, affecting the heater and air conditioning system. Replacing the faulty sensors resolves this issue .
- U-Joint Rust in Steering Ice Shaft: In regions with snowy climates, the u-joint in the lower section of the steering ice shaft can rust, causing difficulty in turning the steering wheel. Installing a new lower steering ice shaft solves this problem .
- Rear Drive Unit Noises: Some 2013 and 2014 models may produce clunking and humming noises from the rear drive unit. This is typically due to inadequate grease, necessitating the replacement of the faulty rear drive unit .
- Parking Brake Caliper Gear Breakage: Certain 2016 models have a risk of a gear inside the parking brake calipers breaking, leading to parking brake failure. The repair involves replacing both parking brake calipers with new ones .
- Rear Lower Control Arms: In some 2013 and 2014 models, the rear lower control arms are prone to cracking, causing suspension noises and alignment issues. Replacing these control arms with new improved versions resolves the problem .
- CB Boots Wear and Tear: Over time, the CB boots can tear, allowing dirt to enter and damage the CB joint. Regular inspection and maintenance are recommended to prevent this issue .
How long does a 2012 Tesla Model S last?
Electric cars are different from other vehicles because they don't have traditional items like a motor. However, they still undergo wear and tear. According to history-computer.com, a typical Tesla Model S will survive 300,000-500,000 miles.
How much is maintenance on a 2012 Tesla Model S?
$600 a year or 12,500 miles
Although Tesla is keen to point out that the 2012 Model S is a low-maintenance vehicle, it sets a 12,500-mile, or 1-year service schedule, whichever is soonest.
Is Tesla S model reliable?
We expect the 2024 Model S will be less reliable than the average new car.
What are the disadvantages of Tesla Model S?
Cons: Charging your car at home results in an electricity bill that is not as cheap as I had anticipated. The registration costs are over $1,000, significantly higher compared to the $200 registration fee for my previous car. The car insurance costs considerably more as well.
2012 Tesla Model s car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Tesla Model s problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Electrical system problems
- Unknown or other problems
- Suspension problems
- Exterior lighting problems
- Visibility/wiper problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 2012 Tesla Model s vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
Latest 25 complaints 2012 Tesla Model s
The NHTSA has received 59 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2012 Tesla Model s. Below are the 25 most recent complaints reported for 2012 Tesla Model s vehicles.
2023-03-17
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-02-11
- VIN: 5YJSA1CP1CF
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Motor is starting to make sounds and according to teslamotorsclub.com the motor will fail eventually. Many have to had to have the motor switched out multiple times. It is quite evident that there was a design flaw which Tesla corrected in later years.
2023-03-07
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-01-19
- VIN: 5YJSA1CN7CF
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: The drive unit has water damage from normal driving. The car never went through deep water or was flooded, but the tech at the service center is saying the units are sealed but still can get water in them and corrode. How can a vital sealed part of the vehicle be damaged by normal driving and claim water damage? The car operated just fine the day before. Please advise.
2022-11-29
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-11-29
- VIN: 5YJSA1DN0CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER
- Summary: I tried to start the car and got the “Center Display unavailable” message. Reset the computer doesn’t help. I have to wait for more than 5 minutes for the system to be on.
2022-10-08
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-09-12
- VIN: 5YJSA1DP5CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: I charge my Model S on a 30 amp circuit with the car location amperage set to 20 amps to avoid overheating the circuit. Around Sept 12 while plugged in to the 30 amp, the car pulled in 50 amps off the line causing a melting of the wires and a near fire based on the damages later found. The car is supposed to send charging error alerts or problems via the Tesla app. Instead it continued to try to pull power out of the burnt line for 11 days all the while further depleting the battery. I discovered my car a 0% battery range with a dead 12 volt as well just as it had depleted and discovered the burnt up wires. I charged the 12 volt and got the car to take a charge. The 20 amp charge setting upon starting the car had changed itself to 50 amps. I lowered the setting and began charging the car. I was then able to move my car to a faster 50 amp circuit because the 120 v 10 amp circuit was going to take 3-4 days to charge the car or longer. I plugged the car into the 50 amp circuit set at 40 amps and let the car charge. An update was then pushed to the car. After the update completed. I got a charging error message via the app. I went to the screen and checked my charger. My Gen 2 wall charger indicated an overvoltage error and my car screen showed it tried to pull 80 amps off my 50 amp circuit. I lowered the amps back down and reset my wall charger. It appears after updates or at random, the car is changing the charge amps and sometimes exceeding the amperage the outlets and wires can provide. If the in house breaker or circuit in the wall charger doesn't trip, the car will pull in more amps than the circuit can handle and may cause a fire. This is a dangerous potential problem that I luckily narrowly avoided. I contacted Tesla about this issue. The car is set for evaluation at my expense since it is out of warranty. I have burnt wires, almost lost my high voltage battery to zero'ing its charge, and could have lost my shop or life.
2022-06-12
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-03-08
- VIN: 5YJSA1CP0CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
- Summary: Both the 12 volt system and High voltage battery system or a component communicating between the two failed. I received a warning message that my vehicle may not restart and within 30 seconds it completely shutdown while driving in the middle of the road. The vehicle was essentially dead weight at this point. None of its features worked, the ability to unlock it, the ability to use electronic doors and windows functions could not be performed. it could not even be jumped to start the computer enabling it to be towed or put in neutral to even remove the vehicle from the roadway. The manufacturer has confirmed an inner fault within the High Voltage battery pack. I have since purchased and replaced this entire battery pack as it was said to be unserviceable.
2021-12-16
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-11-18
- VIN: 5yjsa1cn8cf
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: I appears that Tesla had capped my battery. I have lost significant range for no reason and they have no explanation.
2021-12-03
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-12-01
- VIN: 5YJSA1DPXCF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER
- Summary: The vehicle was not experiencing display or review view camera display issues but was out of caution serviced nuder Manufacturer Recall Number SB2121001 (NHTSA Recall Number 21V035) for no charge. The vehicle is not under warranty. There was no charge for the initial "repair". When the vehicle was returned, the rear view camera did not function (black screen and/or serious flicker when video was partially displayed). Also bubbles were introduced into the front display panel. On questioning the repair, I was strongly encouraged by technician and then by manager to get an updated "infotainment with an upgraded MCU" (which is unclear but perhaps a superset of the VCM and display components that are under recall), for a cost of $2000 and $500 for it to include FM radio (that I already have and always worked fine). The manager offered a deal for $1000 + $500 to include FM radio. An appointment was set up and the estimate for approval was $1500 for "infotainment upgrade" and $500 for "Radio upgrade", and $120 taxes for a total of $2120.00 I will cancel the upgrade and inquire again if the recall work is able to return the vehicle in working order without it needing a $2000 upgrade to resolve an issue related to loss of viability and backup camera (cited under the recall) and to charge me $500 for an FM radio I already have that works fine.
2021-11-21
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-11-19
- VIN: 5YJSA1CN3CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: MCU failure after 12 months replacement that I paid for at time of replacement. Service center cannot schedule a service for 2 weeks.
2021-10-06
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-10-05
- VIN: 5YJSA1DPXCF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: As the car drains the battery pretty quickly, I have turned on energy saving mode. In this mode the car enters a deeper sleep, consuming less power. Sometimes in this mode when starting the vehicle, the turn signals will not work (this appears to happen when the car sits for a while and the miles left on the battery is under 120 or so). After a quick stop (2 minutes out of the car), the turn signals will start working, and the driver display will show the blinking turn signal when they work, but it will not display when they do not work. Another issue is that after entering the car and "turning it on", by pressing the break, sometimes the driver display (which shows speed and current drive mode, PRND indicator) will be blank, not showing any information, despite the ability to operate the car, etc.
2021-09-23
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY,BACK OVER PREVENTION PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-09-22
- VIN: 5yjsa1cp0cf
- Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY,BACK OVER PREVENTION
- Summary: The contact owns a 2012 Tesla Model S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting). The contact stated that the center display screen failed to operate as needed. The dealer had been notified about the recall; however, the contact was informed that he did not qualify for the recall despite having received a letter for the recall. The manufacturer had not been notified of the issue. The contact stated that recently the center display screen started to operate as needed. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
2021-09-23
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-08-18
- VIN: 5YJSA1CP7CF
- Components: POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES
- Summary: The contact owns a 2012 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle independently shifted to neutral. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure recurred daily while driving whenever he depressed the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
2021-09-08
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2019-02-21
- VIN: 5yjsa1dn0cf
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER
- Summary: This is related to NHTSA recall 21V-035. Tesla replaced the 8Gb memory card with a 64Gb memory card (so I'm told) but the main car display screen still does not function most of the time. This results in; -unavailability of the rearview camera display -defrost/defog control settings unavailable for purposes of ensuring visibility -and exterior turn signal lighting may increase the risk of a crash I've had this to Tesla twice now but it has not been fixed.
2021-09-01
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-08-21
- VIN: 5yjsa1dn7cf
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: The contact owns a 2012 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding noise without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a service center where they replaced the drive unit under warranty. Recently, the contact had taken the vehicle to a service center for the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V035000 (Back Over Prevention, Visibility, Exterior Lighting). The day after the recall repair was performed, several unknown warning lights appeared on the EMMC while driving at various speeds. One of the messages that appeared on the EMMC was for the "loss of power voltage to the system, take the vehicle to a nearest service center". Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed back to the service center where he was informed that his drive unit needed to be replaced again. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 110,380.
2021-07-23
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-07-22
- VIN: 5YJSA1DP6CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: I recently had my Tesla Model S serviced due to the touchscreen going blank (losing functionality of defrosting, temperature, sunroof, and a list of other issues). Driving with a fogged up window is dangerous. Thank you to the NHTSA for forcing Tesla to replace it free of charge. Unfortunately, it appears that Tesla is not replacing it with a new unit. Instead it is a refurbished unit. Just days after servicing I got in the car to drive and the following error comes up on the touchscreen: "Center display memory storage device is degraded. Without repair, center display may enter limited functionality mode and only display rear view camera. When in limited functionality mode, it may be required to press brake for 30 seconds or press key fob unlock to authorize drive. Please use the Tesla Mobile App to schedule service." I find this quite troublesome and felt it worthy to apprise the NHTSA that Tesla is clearly not abiding by its requests.
2021-06-28
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-09-01
- VIN: 5YJSA1CN9CF
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: The contact owns a 2012 Tesla Model S. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal humming sound detected coming from the drive unit. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed that the drive unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
2021-05-24
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-08-28
- VIN: 5yjsa1cp3cf
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: Tesla has rejected my claim for repayment for the emmc repair that I paid for that was performed by their Toledo, OH Service Center prior to the recall. I've tried contacting them as outlined in their recall correspondence but haven't received an explanation as to why I don't qualify. The repair was performed on 8/28/2020 on repair order#3000s0001353764.
2021-05-18
UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2018-12-06
- VIN: 5YJSA1CN9CF
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: In December 2018 our 2012 Tesla Model S experienced a failure that was later identified as part of a recall. Tesla Service replaced the MCU at our expense - a bill that ran to more than $2400. When the recall was announced it was claimed that owners would be reimbursed for expenses related to the recall, but we have been unable to get Tesla to acknowledge the claim. Their automated site claims we have no covered repairs, and all attempts to contact Tesla support are rebuffed with form letters directing us to the same automated service.
2021-05-17
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-05-17
- VIN: 5YJSA1DP5CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
- Summary: eMMU seem to have caused "Console display not available error"
2021-04-18
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-04-12
- VIN: 5YJSA1DP8CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY OVER THE HILL THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ON ME AND IT WAS 43% ON THE BATTERY AND IT KEEPS SHOWING THE YELLOW ON THE DASH SAYING THAT BATTERY IS OVERHEATING
2021-04-14
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-03-09
- VIN: 5YJSA1DN0CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Summary: I REACHED OUT TO TESLA ABOUT THE EMMC RECALL. I BOOKED AN APPOINTMENT, PROVIDED PHOTOS OF VARIOUS BLACKOUT, SCREEN FREEZING AND LOSS OF CONNECTIVITY ISSUES. TESLA INSTRUCTED ME TO UPDATE THE FIRMWARE (WHICH I DID) AND CANCELLED MY APPOINTMENT AND TOLD ME I DID NOT TO BRING IN THE CAR. THEY ALSO SAID THEY WOULD CONTACT ME IF MY EMMC NEEDED REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER, I CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND LEFT A MESSAGE IN THE TESLA AND DID NOT GET A RESPONSE.
2021-02-24
BACK OVER PREVENTION,EQUIPMENT PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2018-06-11
- VIN: 5YJSA1DP8CF
- Components: BACK OVER PREVENTION,EQUIPMENT
- Summary: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A STICKY SUBSTANCE COMING OUT OF THE CENTER DISPLAY WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON OR OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER TESLA (135 US-22, SPRINGFIELD, NJ 07081, (973)921-0925) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE CENTER DISPLAY TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V035000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, VISIBILITY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING) HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,000.
2021-02-22
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-11-23
- VIN: 5YJSA1DN0CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE
- Summary: ON NOVEMBER 23RD 2020 I TOOK MY MODEL S ([XXX]) TO TESLA SERVICE CENTER LANCASTER, PA FOR THE TESLA WARRANTY ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED ON NOVEMBER 9TH AND RELATED TO MALFUNCTIONING TOUCHSCREEN DUE TO A MALFUNCTIONING EMMC. THIS IS THE RESULT OF THE SERVICE VISIT; 1) TESLA LANCASTER, PA SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME MY VEHICLE IS NOT IN THE WARRANTY PARAMETERS (THE TESLA WARRANTY ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM STATED 8YEARS/100K MILES. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 100K MILES AND INITIAL DELIVERY WAS NOVEMBER 24TH 2012 - SO TESLA LANCASTER, PA WAS WRONG ABOUT THIS AS SERVICE DATE WAS NOVEMBER 23RD, 2020) 2) TESLA LANCASTER, PA SERVICE CENTER STATED "THE VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH THE EMMC" (A 2012 MODEL S HAS TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF MEMORY DEVICE IN IT - I WOULD EXPECT IT TO BE AN EMMC OF SOME SORT. THE NOVEMBER "WARRANTY ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM" STATED NO-COST REPAIRS FOR MALFUNCTIONING EMMC BUT LANCASTER, PA SERVICE CENTER DID NOT REPAIR MY CAR.) SO IN SHORT WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR NOVEMBER WARRANTY ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM RELATED TO SCREEN GOING BLANK INTERMITTENTLY TESLA WOULD NOT FIX IT. MY SCREEN IS STILL BLANK INTERMITTENTLY BECAUSE TESLA WOULD NOT REPAIR IT AND NOW WITH THE FEBRUARY 2021 NHTSA RECALL 21V035 RELEASED I WOULD LIKE THIS SCREEN ISSUE FIXED PROPERLY AND PERMANENTLY. REGARDLESS OF WHAT EMMC OR MEMORY DEVICE IS IN THE CAR THE NHTSA SAFETY CONCERNS STILL APPLY (UNAVAILABILITY OF THE REARVIEW CAMERA DISPLAY, DEFROST/DEFOG CONTROL SETTINGS FOR PURPOSES OF ENSURING VISIBILITY, AND EXTERIOR TURN SIGNAL LIGHTING MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH). I AM REQUESTING THE MCU BE REPLACED WITH MCU V2 FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE TESLA STATED MY 2012 MODEL S DOES NOT HAVE THE 8GB EMMC AND BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF THE MCU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
2021-02-09
EQUIPMENT PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-10-20
- VIN: 5YJSA1DN1CF
- Components: EQUIPMENT
- Summary: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TESLA MODEL S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER TESLA SERVICE CENTER (11163 SANTA MONICA BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90025, (310) 473-8337) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE MEDIA CONTROL UNIT AND MOTHERBOARD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V035000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY, BACK OVER PREVENTION) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE TO AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.*DT*JB
2021-01-22
UNKNOWN OR OTHER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-01-20
- VIN: 5YJSA1CP1CF
- Components: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Summary: THERE IS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE TESLA INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM FAILING SO I HAD MINE UPGRADED. NOW THE REAR CAMERA IS NEARLY USELESS. IT IS SO DARK IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE CONTACTED TESLA AND THEY ARE AWARE AND HAVE NO PLANS TO FIX.
2020-12-31
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-12-28
- VIN: 5YJSA1CN8CF
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER
- Summary: THE HEATER AND DEFROSTER STOPPED WORKING IN THIS COLD WEATHER AS WE WERE DRIVING HOME WITH MY SONS. THEY WERE FREEZING AND COLD. I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE CLEARLY RATHER VERY FOGGY WINDSHIELD DUE TO NON-WORKING CABIN HEATER AND DEFROSTER. THIS ISSUE HAD HAPPENED TO MANY MANY TESLA OWNERS, INFACT MODEL S LIKE MINE AND EVEN THE BRAND NEW TESLA MODEL 3 AND MODEL Y WITH JUST LESS THAN 10O MILES. THIS CLEARLY IS A HUGE NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF TESLA NOT WANTING TO FIX THE ISSUE. HOWEVER, NOW RIGHT AFTER GETTING THE CONTROL TOUCH SCREEN ISSUE ADDRESSED, THE SAME DAY TESLA TOLD ME THE CAR IS READY AND THAT I CAN PICK IT UP. THIS WAS VERY NEGLIGENT ON TESLA AUGORAHILLS SERVICE CENTER PART. THE HEATER WAS NOT WORKING ONCE I STARTED DRIVING THE CAR BACK HOME. TESLA SHOULD HAVE UNDER SAFETY PROTOCOL FIXED THE VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY TOOL SUCH AS THE CLIMATE CONTROL AND NEVER SHOULD HAVE RELEASED THE CAR TO ME TO DRIVE LAST NIGHT 12/28/2020. ONCE I PICKED UP THE CAR AND DRIVING BACK HOME WITH MY SONS WE WERE VERY COLD, TO NOTICE THE HEATER IS NOT WORKING/OPERABLE. THIS BECAME MORE CHALLENGING ONCE THE VISIBILITY WAS HINDERED WITH FOGGING EFFECT AND THE SAME NIGHT IT WAS RAINING HERE IN AUGORAHILLS AREA CA AND IN SANTA CLARITA AREA CA. IN MANY CASES WHERE THE FOLKS ONLINE HAVE DISCOVERED THE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE HEATER CORE ITSELF WHICH IS CALLED THE PTC IS NOT PROPERLY SEALED WHICH ALLOWS IN MOISTURE AND SHORTS CIRCUITS THE DC-DC CONTROL JUNCTION BOX WHICH HOLDS 3 - FUSES. ONE FUSE FOR A/C , ANOTHER FUSE FOR HEATER, THIRD FUSE FOR BATTERY HEATER. PLEASE PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE. TESLA TELLS ME THE FUSES BLOW IN THE DC-DC CONVERTER CAUSING THIS. THEY ARE AWARE.
2012 Tesla Model s recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 8 recalls for different components of the 2012 Tesla Model s.
2024-05-28
- Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.
- Components: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES
- Summary: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Consequence: A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
2024-01-30
- Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
- Summary: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- Consequence: Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy: Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
2023-12-12
- Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:AUTONOMOUS/SELF DRIVING:SOFTWARE
- Summary: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
- Consequence: In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
2021-01-29
- Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.
- Components: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
- Summary: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Tesla Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles with a center display equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. When the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the eMMC controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center display functions.
- Consequence: The eMMC controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy: Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners, and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-21-001.
2018-03-29
- Manufacturer: Tesla, Inc.
- Components: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
- Summary: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with Bosch steering racks. The aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and fracture causing a reduction or complete loss of power steering assist.
- Consequence: Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts and add a corrosion-preventative sealer, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-18-32-002.
2017-04-19
- Manufacturer: Tesla Motors, Inc.
- Components: PARKING BRAKE
- Summary: 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.
- Consequence: If the gear breaks during parking brake release, the vehicle will not be able to be moved. If the gear breaks during parking brake application, the parking brake may not adequately hold the vehicle, potentially resulting in the vehicle rolling, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-17-33-002.
2017-01-10
- Manufacturer: Tesla Motors, Inc.
- Components: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
- Summary: Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2012 Model S vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
- Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2017. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
2015-11-23
- Manufacturer: Tesla Motors, Inc.
- Components: SEAT BELTS:FRONT
- Summary: Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Model S vehicles manufactured May 31, 2012, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with driver or front passenger seat belts that may be improperly connected to the outboard lap pretensioner.
- Consequence: If the seat belt is not correctly attached to the pretensioner, it may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will inspect the driver and front passenger seat belts, correcting their connection, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-15-20-002.
Positive 2012 Tesla Model s car reviews
Additional sources
More sources of information about 2012 Tesla Model s problems:
If I were to buy a ten-year-old Tesla Model S, would I be jumping into ...
https://www.quora.com/If-I-were-to-buy-a-ten-year-old-Tesla-Model-S-would-I-be-jumping-into-a-cesspool-of-problems-Would-it-be-in-need-of-a-new-battery-shortly-in-the-future
Jul 8, 2023 ... It depends on the current condition of the car. The older Model S has well known battery issues, and Tesla knew about them while they were ...
Reliability of older Model S? | Tesla Motors Club
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/reliability-of-older-model-s.224590/
Mar 30, 2021 ... Active Member · 1) older 2012 model s are pretty hard to self service. 12V/cabin filter replacement is much hard than it should be are some ...
What are some common Tesla Model S problems and how much do ...
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-common-Tesla-Model-S-problems-and-how-much-do-they-cost-to-fix
May 22, 2023 ... The main issue with Teslas and all EVs (Electric Vehicles) is that the range can change noticeably with conditions. This can cause you to need ...
Here Are The Tesla Model S Years To Avoid - CoPilot
https://www.copilotsearch.com/posts/tesla-model-s-years-to-avoid/
Jun 28, 2023 ... While this model year didn't face any major recalls, it did have several complaints with suspension failure around 50,000 miles, battery failure ...
What kind of issues are you having on an older Tesla Model S and ...
https://www.quora.com/What-kind-of-issues-are-you-having-on-an-older-Tesla-Model-S-and-do-you-recommend-buying-a-used-one-with-over-90-000-miles
Aug 10, 2020 ... My 2014 Model S P85 has almost 94000 miles. The only repair I have had since the warranty ended was a 12V battery.
Other years of Tesla Model s
Are you having problems with your 2012 Tesla Model s?
Gillian Bergstrom 2024-03-23
There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to Tesla cars, but don't worry! It's not like driving a gas-powered vehicle. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to fully appreciate this non-polluting, highly responsive, and beautiful car. Make sure to read the manual for all the tips and tricks!