2012 Tesla Model S Equipment Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 5%of 61 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 40,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the equipment of the 2012 Tesla Model S, 5% of the 61 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 40,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The vehicle's main display, which shows the backup camera, freezes/locks when turning on the vehicle. The error message on the drivers display is that the large display is unresponsive . Then, when restarting the display's operating system (by holding the two buttons down on the car's steering wheel), the system reboots and the display goes permanently blank until the vehicle is parked, the vehicle powers off. When starting the vehicle for a second time, the same issue occurs. So I no longer have a backup camera. …”
NHTSA complaint #11330877, filed 2020-06, 47,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10253658Mar 26, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 10252957Feb 13, 2024Owner's Manual.
- 10252949Feb 7, 2024Owner's Manual
- 10251057Jan 28, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 10251047Jan 18, 2024Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 10250487Dec 15, 2023Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 10250481Dec 1, 2023Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 10247840Nov 22, 2023Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 10247396Oct 24, 2023Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
- 10247391Oct 15, 2023Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a…
Equipment: other model years
Other parts of the 2012 Tesla Model S
37 complaintsOther or unknown
12 complaintsSuspension
9 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaintsExterior lighting
5 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
5 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
2 complaintsFuel system
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsEngine
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2012 Tesla Model S
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology