2016 Tesla Model S Fuel system Problems
- Complaints
- 15about this part
- Share
- 2%of 650 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 5,900miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 15 complaints about the fuel system of the 2016 Tesla Model S, 2% of the 650 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 5,900 miles. 7 of these say a crash was involved and 4 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“On two separate occasions the car accelerated on it's own. On august 5th 2020 it accelerated while it was being parked resulting in damage to the car. On october 30th, 2020 the car accelerated after I removed my foot from the accelerator for approximately 20-30 yards.”
NHTSA complaint #11372844, filed 2020-11, 44,000 miles“I was approaching a stop sign with my foot lifted above both pedals (brake and accelerator) when my car accelerated forward. I had always thought that most of these unintended accelerations were due to a driver hitting the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal so I noted that my foot was not resting or pressing on either pedal. I put it down on the brake pedal and the car stopped, but this should never have happened. I had no cruise control or steering aid activated. I also have 'creep mode' turned off.”
NHTSA complaint #11300542, filed 2020-01, 63,440 miles“While attempting to park my Tesla s75 d in a costco space, the car bolted. It felt like it was in autopilot mode without me engaging it manually. I slammed on the brakes. It hit the rear bumper of the car parked in front. Fortunately, it didn't do any damage to that vehicle but it caused plenty of damage to my front end. I'll need a new bumper and hood. It also deactivated my autopilot and radar which are behind the bumper. I can still drive the car and feel fairly safe as I believe the computer accidentally engaged the autopilot and now the autopilot isn't operational. …”
NHTSA complaint #11054973, filed 2017-12, 5,900 miles“The main control screen has been intermittently inactive or black. Almost everything in the car is controlled by this screen. I have asked them to fix it for over two years on over six occasions with no resolution. The screen now at 64k miles is totally dead and will not restart. It disables the ability to charge the motor drive system battery, the AC heat and defroster system, control of the lights and wipers. According to thousands of web pages this issue is caused by software disabling the main file system memory chip prematurely. …”
NHTSA complaint #11337323, filed 2020-07, 64,000 miles“While in reverse backing up to a charge station in a covered parking lot, the car went into sudden acceleration and failed to stop and collided with the charge station and the wall next to it. None of the warning lights or sounds went off either. Although the car has, on several occasions demonstrated its ability to stop short of colliding with obstacles, it failed to react in this instance. Tesla has ignored our repeated requests for providing an explanation or any evaluation of the logs associated with the car, and has blamed the matter on driver error.”
NHTSA complaint #11118541, filed 2018-08, 25,000 milesFuel system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 2% |
| 2020 | 1 | 1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 2% |
| 2018 | 3 | 2% |
| 2017 | 8 | 2% |
| 2016 | 15 | 2% |
| 2015 | 32 | 5% |
| 2014 | 24 | 7% |
| 2013 | 24 | 5% |
| 2012 | 2 | 3% |
Other parts of the 2016 Tesla Model S
211 complaintsOther or unknown
150 complaintsElectrical system
149 complaintsSteering
87 complaintsVehicle speed control
81 complaintsBrakes
56 complaintsExterior lighting
49 complaintsForward collision avoidance
39 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
39 complaintsBody and structure
30 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
21 complaintsTransmission 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 28, 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