2017 Tesla Model S body problems

Filed Jun 23, 2026 · Body · CA

Trunk latch fails, trunk latch safety mechanism also failed so manual release does not work. This is a safety issue

Filed Aug 4, 2024 · Body · AZ

on 1 occasion the front trunk opened on its own, on 2 occasions the rear trunk opened on its own. The last occasion was on August 3. all these events occurred with in 3 weeks. The car was brought to a service center where the problem was misdiagnosed since the incident on August 3 was after the service call.

Filed Mar 6, 2024 · Body, Brakes · FL · crash

While in autosteer, I pressed on the brakes which normally deactivates the autosteer while coming to a stop. In this particular case the car did not brake upon command and the car maintained acceleration thru a stop light and veered into a median causing a collision with a curb causing structural damage to the frame of the vehicle. I have put in a claim with both my insurance and Tesla and advise that the brakes did not activate in a timely fashion upon disengaging from Autosteer thus causing the collision and was advise by Tesla that I would be responsible to cover the damages when the accident was caused by the vehicle not disengaging. I was only advised after the fact of the recall for the very reason I complained to Tesla in the first place and have been waiting 5 months for a resolution.

Filed Aug 23, 2023 · Body · CA

The driver side door handle does not present itself. It is now stuck and doesn't open. I need to press the door handle a certain way in order to open the door. This is a safety issue because in the case of an accident somebody who is not aware how to open the door maybe confused. This has not been inspected by a dealer. There is no police case or report related to this.

Filed Jun 12, 2023 · Body · TX

Rear bumper assembly separated and blew off into traffic while driving the legal speed limit (85MPH) on Texas Interstate highway. Road conditions were dry and windy. The vehicle had had no known or observable damage prior to this incident and had been maintained and inspected annually by Tesla.

Filed Jan 9, 2023 · Body · CA

Driver side door will not open from the outside of the car. The latch is not releasing inside. However the door can be open from the inside. The handles present themselves but it seems to be an issue with the latch releasing so the door can open. This can lead to a really bad outcome if it was an emergency situation. There has already been one fatality because of this known defect and I don't want to become another statistic. Tesla needs to recall all vehicles that are having this issue and fix it.

Filed Oct 8, 2021 · Body, Locks · WI

I have a 2017 Tesla Model S whose warranty just expired. The Model S is known for door handle defects and my car is no exception. The door handles on the Model S extend and retract and the defective design causes wire failure. This is well documented on the teslamotorsclub.com forums. I paid Tesla to replace the front passenger handle which would present but not open the door when pulled. Since this was an inconvenience and a safety issue I paid to have it replaced even though Tesla should cover the defect repair. I just checked my remaining door handles and they do not extend to open the door when the car is unlocked. The only one that functions is the new one I paid to replace. This means that if I were unconscious in the drivers seat anyone responding to aid me wouldn’t be able to open my door from the outside. In fact unless they started breaking in only one door would work. My chances don’t sound that great! I contacted Tesla with my concerns and they have provided me with a quote for replacement. I think they should cover the repair and recall all Model S to replace known defective handles. My car has version 2.5 of the defective design. The replacement I paid for is the 3.0 design which allegedly finally fixes the defect. I’m a Tesla shareholder and I know it would be expensive but everyone should have working door handles.

Filed Jan 17, 2020 · Body · 18,000 miles · FL · crash

I was attempting to park, the car was traveling at perhaps 2 miles/hour, when the car suddenly accelerated, climbed a burm, hit a tree, and stopped on the other side of the burm in the middle of the street.

Filed Jul 3, 2019 · Acceleration, Body · 9,103 miles · CA · crash · 2 injuries

While attempting to park the car in a parking space the car accelerated on it's own and crashed over a small concrete retaining wall and crashed into another vehicle. My car and the car that was struck were totaled.

Filed Nov 2, 2018 · Body · 18,350 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2017 tesla model s. The contact stated that the glass roof of the vehicle was cracked all the way to the power liftgate. There were no sensors where the glass met the glass roof, which caused a possible hazard for the vehicle occupants. The vehicle was taken to tesla (115 kisco ave, mt kisco, ny 10549, (914) 218-8900) and they stated that they would not cover the repairs. The dealer admitted that there there was a safety hazard regarding the liftgate automatically closing, which could sever a hand or finger. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 18,350.