The 2014 Model S is an early production Tesla with groundbreaking tech but first-generation teething issues. Drive unit failures and door handle problems dominated early years, though many were addressed under warranty or recalls.
Drive Unit (Motor/Transaxle) Failure
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Whining, clicking, or grinding noise during acceleration, Drivetrain error messages on screen, Clunking when shifting from Park to Drive, Loss of power or reduced performance mode
Fix: Complete drive unit replacement required — Tesla extended warranty to 8yr/unlimited miles for this issue on early units. Involves removing rear subframe, disconnecting halfshafts, coolant lines, and high-voltage cables. 6-8 hours labor if you have the specialized lift and HV safety training. Most indie shops send to Tesla or specialized EV shops.
Estimated cost: $5,000-9,000
Door Handle Mechanism Failure
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: Handles won't present when approaching car, Handle sticks out but won't retract, Frozen in cold weather, Grinding noise from door when presenting
Fix: Auto-presenting handle assemblies have micro-switches and motors that fail. Door panel removal and handle assembly replacement — 1.5-2 hours per door. Parts are available aftermarket now. Early recall covered some units, but many fall outside coverage by now.
Estimated cost: $400-700
12V Battery Failure
Common · high severity
Symptoms: Car won't wake up or unlock, Touchscreen won't power on, Frunk won't open electrically, Random electrical gremlins, warning messages
Fix: The small 12V battery (located in front trunk) powers all accessories and computers — when it dies, the car is bricked even with a full traction battery. Replacement is straightforward — 0.5 hours. Battery needs registering with vehicle. Original batteries often fail at 3-5 years regardless of mileage.
Estimated cost: $200-350
MCU (Media Control Unit) Touchscreen Failure
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Yellow border around screen, Touchscreen unresponsive or laggy, Frequent reboots, Backup camera not displaying, Screen goes completely black
Fix: The Tegra 3-based MCU1 has eMMC flash memory that wears out. Tesla offers MCU2 upgrade ($1,500 through Tesla), or you can do eMMC chip replacement (specialized board-level repair). Dashboard removal required — 3-4 hours labor. Many owners opt for MCU2 upgrade for functionality boost.
Estimated cost: $1,500-2,500
Suspension Upper Control Arm Bushings
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-110,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking over bumps, Wandering steering feel, Uneven tire wear, Alignment won't hold
Fix: Upper control arm ball joints and bushings wear — the car is heavy (4,600+ lbs). Requires alignment after replacement. 2-3 hours per side. Air suspension models have additional complexity. OEM Tesla parts or aftermarket available.
Estimated cost: $800-1,400
High Voltage Battery Coolant Leak
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Sweet smell (glycol-based coolant), Powertrain warning, reduced performance, Coolant level low message, Visible green fluid under vehicle
Fix: Battery pack has coolant lines and fittings that can develop leaks. Pack removal required for full diagnosis and repair — 8-12 hours labor. Sometimes just a fitting, sometimes requires battery module work. High-voltage safety protocols mandatory. Not a DIY job.
Estimated cost: $2,000-6,000
Front Hood Latch Failure
Rare · medium severity
Symptoms: Hood pops open while driving, Hood won't latch securely, Latch warning on screen
Fix: NHTSA recall campaign addressed this — secondary latch mechanism issue. If not done, get it serviced immediately. 1 hour labor. Parts covered under recall if VIN is included.
Estimated cost: $0-300
Owner tips
Replace the 12V battery proactively at 4-5 years to avoid being stranded
Drive unit fluid should be changed every 50k miles despite Tesla saying lifetime fill
Tire rotation every 6-8k miles is critical due to weight and instant torque
Check for open recalls especially door handles and hood latch
Budget for MCU1 upgrade or repair around 100k miles
Cold weather can accelerate door handle and charge port issues
Buy one if the drive unit has already been replaced under warranty and you have an independent shop familiar with Teslas — otherwise, budget $3k-5k for deferred maintenance surprises.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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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.
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.
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.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH · 21V00B000
2021-12-21
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2014-2021 Model S vehicles. The front trunk latch assembly may be misaligned, preventing the secondary hood latch from engaging. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 113, "Hood Latch System."
Consequence: If the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could open unexpectedly, obstructing the driver's view and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Tesla Service will inspect and reposition the latch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 18, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-11-003.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE · 21V035000
2021-01-29 · EA20003
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.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 19V002000
2019-01-07 · EA15001
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2014-2016 Model S vehicles 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 passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the passenger frontal air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began May 29, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-19-20-001.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM · 18V204000
2018-03-29
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.
PARKING BRAKE · 17V260000
2017-04-19
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.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT · 15V780000
2015-11-23
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.
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