Showing the 2017 Model S (75 kW-hr battery pack) RWD: as EPA lists it. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
About every 2017 Model S
The 2017 Tesla Model S has 428 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, most often for the electrical system with 114. It gets 95 to 104 MPGe combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $4,390 to $4,800 at U.S. average prices, based on 15,000 miles per year. A total of 9 recall campaigns may apply, covering seat belts, electrical system, steering, and others.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
98 MPGecombined; city 97, highway 100; the (75 kW-hr battery pack) RWD
Five years of fuel
$4,670U.S. average; Ohio $4,970 at local prices; the (75 kW-hr battery pack) RWD; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA electricity prices for Jul 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2017 Model S, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 428 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Model S. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
114
6
1
3
Suspension
107
14
0
5
Unknown or other
96
9
1
2
Forward collision avoidance
67
8
0
0
Steering
47
3
0
2
Vehicle speed control
35
16
0
11
Exterior lighting
28
0
0
0
Service brakes
25
8
0
3
Lane departure
24
3
0
0
Back over prevention
20
2
0
0
Visibility/wiper
15
0
0
0
Structure
14
6
0
5
11 more parts
Wheels
13
2
0
0
Power train
10
4
0
2
Visibility
10
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
8
2
2
1
Air bags
5
4
0
4
Equipment
5
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
5
0
0
0
Engine
4
2
0
3
Seats
2
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
1
0
0
Parking brake
1
1
0
1
What the columns count
Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2017 Model S over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Seat belts: front
NHTSA campaign 24V376000 · reported May 28, 2024 · 125,233 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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 2012-2024 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."
Risk: A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
NHTSA campaign 24V051000 · reported Jan 30, 2024 · 2,193,869 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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 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."
Risk: 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V838000 · reported Dec 12, 2023 · 2,031,220 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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.
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.
Risk: 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V085000 · reported Feb 15, 2023 · 362,758 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution. In addition, the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits.
Risk: FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 22V818000 · reported Nov 1, 2022 · 40,168 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update to recalibrate the EPAS system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 31, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-014.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles. The electronic power assist steering (EPAS) system may experience a loss of power steering assist when driving on rough roads or after hitting a pothole.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 22V037000 · reported Jan 27, 2022 · 53,822 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Risk: Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 21V00B000 · reported Dec 21, 2021 · 130,441 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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.
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."
Risk: 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V846000 · reported Oct 29, 2021 · 11,728 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.
Risk: Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Back over prevention: software; Exterior lighting: turn signal; Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system
NHTSA campaign 21V035000 · reported Jan 29, 2021 · 134,951 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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.
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.
Risk: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 92 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 Model S, the latest on Jun 3, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: unknown or other (39), equipment (26), electrical system (10), equipment adaptive/mobility (9), seats (7).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Engineering analysis EA26002 FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: large cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Model S - 100D All-Wheel Drive
193 (front) 193 (rear) (100 kW-hr battery pack)
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 335 miles of range
101 / 102 / 102 MPGe
Model S - 60D All-Wheel Drive
193 (front) 193 (rear) (60 kW-hr battery pack)
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 218 miles of range
101 / 107 / 104 MPGe
Model S - 75D All-Wheel Drive
193 (front) 193 (rear) (75 kW-hr battery pack)
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 259 miles of range
102 / 105 / 103 MPGe
Model S - 90D All-Wheel Drive
193 (front) 193 (rear) (90 kW-hr battery pack)
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 294 miles of range
102 / 107 / 104 MPGe
Model S - P100D All-Wheel Drive
193 (front) 375 (rear) (100 kW-hr battery pack)
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 315 miles of range
92 / 105 / 98 MPGe
Model S - P90D All-Wheel Drive
193 (front) 375 (rear) (90 kW-hr battery pack)
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 270 miles of range
92 / 100 / 95 MPGe
Model S (60 kW-hr battery pack) Rear-Wheel Drive
285 kW AC Induction (60 kW-hr battery pack)
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 210 miles of range
98 / 101 / 99 MPGe
Model S (75 kW-hr battery pack) Rear-Wheel Drive
285 kW AC Induction (75 kW-hr battery pack)
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 249 miles of range
97 / 100 / 98 MPGe
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data