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Electronic stability controlPart report

2016 Tesla Model S Electronic stability control Problems

Complaints
11about this part
Share
2%of 649 total for the year
Median mileage
52,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the electronic stability control of the 2016 Tesla Model S, 2% of the 649 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 52,000 miles. 4 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

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.

“Please see the attached report I filed on safer car.gove and the letter I wrote to Tesla. I have not got response to any of those.. .this problem happened after I had successfully turned the car 90 degree to park headon. The car had to be at a very low speed at that time. Then when I as just a couple of feet from the curb, the car accelerated out of control. If you get the report from Tesla, you will find that car could not have accelerated this fast even if I had pressed the accelerator pedal by mistake. Many other drivers have experienced the same problem. …”

NHTSA complaint #11342364, filed 2020-07, 26,000 miles

“As usual, I drove Tesla to work. My parking spot is a head-in parking spot. To park my car I have to make a 90-degree turn, so I pressed the breaks to slow the car. Just as the car completed the 90-degree turn and I was about to stop the car to complete parking, it accelerated out of control. It jumped the curb in the front and hit bushes about 5-6 feet ahead. The car suffered extensive damage that is estimated to cost about $20,000. I also trust that Tesla is committed to making Tesla 100% safe to drive. Therefore, it is in both parties' interest to find what exactly happened. …”

NHTSA complaint #11257753, filed 2019-09, 26,000 miles

“Though I indicated today's date for the event, has happened multiple times (at least 15) since I took delivery of the car in september. I would say on average it occurs approx 1x per week, when many systems fail and I get multiple warnings scrolling across the dash, followed by car needs service. These include ABS needs service , tire pressure system disabled , stability control disabled traction control disabled park assist disabled regenerative braking disabled automatic emergency braking disabled contact Tesla service. In addition the steering is less responsive. …”

NHTSA complaint #10943960, filed 2017-01, 500 miles

“The main computer turns right off a couple times a day. When this happens while driving, most safety features are disabled and the cars electronic stop working. The cpu is known to have issues because a chip inside gets overloaded and does not clear itself properly. A recall should be had to replace this chip that does not remove the cashe properly.”

NHTSA complaint #11341047, filed 2020-07, 84,000 miles

“Failure of vehicle to engage automatic emergency braking or apply adaptive cruise control braking in repsonse to a vehicle abruptly stopping ahead. Vehicle had adaptive cruise engaged at 57 MPH on interstate highway and an acc sensitivity of 2. Vehicle forward collision warning did alert. This failure resulted in a rear-end collision with the car ahead.”

NHTSA complaint #11142878, filed 2018-10, 46,000 miles

Electronic stability control: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
201912%
201832%
201710%
2016112%
2015203%
201451%
201361%

Other parts of the 2016 Tesla Model S

Suspension
211 complaints
Other or unknown
150 complaints
Electrical system
149 complaints
Steering
87 complaints
Vehicle speed control
81 complaints
Brakes
55 complaints
Exterior lighting
49 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
39 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
39 complaints
Body and structure
30 complaints
Back-over prevention (rear camera)
21 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
18 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2016 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