There are 13 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2014 Tesla Model Sin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
On February 11, 2024, as I was entering my house garage at a very low speed, the car suddenly accelerated and hit the wall of my garage, causing damage to the garage and interior of my house. The car was insured by State Fram. It was towed to a shop for repair at which time the insurance company notified me that the car could not be repaired. The car had been totaled. Over the following several weeks, I repaired the damage to my house and bought another car.
My car has severe phantom breaking due to adaptive cruise control. When I use my Tesla's cruise control on the freeway, on a complete flat straight away that has no vehicle in front of me, no sign/bridge in front of me, and no items/object in front of me, my vehicle while randomly/violently slam on the break violently hurling me and all passengers in my vehicle forward. This is even more dangerous when there are vehicles being me in close proximity who could easily could have rear ended me all those times. I am forced to not use my cruise control due to these dangerous conditions.
We have owned this car for a couple of months. Today, when I pulled into a parking spot at my office, the car accelerated quickly as soon as I made the turn to get into the parking spot. It jumped the curb and I barely missed hitting the office building. My feet were not on the gas pedal, the car did this on its own. None of the sensors went off to warn me of the curb like it normally does too. You can see from the skid marks how hard I had to slam on the brakes. Car damaged on front, assuming the windshield wiper fluid line was also cut with the fluid on the ground. Pictures attached.
2014 TESLA P85. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INTO THE WALL OF THE GARAGE, WHILE HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR WALL AND THE FRONT WALL OF THE GARAGE WERE BADLY DAMAGED. THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *JS
The autopilot will apply the brakes in what is basically a panic stop any time you are decending from a hill and there is an overpass crossing the roadway. It happens to me on a particular stretch of the freeway almost every single time, and has happened multiple times. Each and every time it occurs it is as the vehicle is decending from a rise and there is an overpass ahead. For some reason the vehicle detects the overpass as an obstruction and slams the brakes. This has happened at least half a dozen times. Fortunately there was never a car following me very closely. I make it a point when I use the auto pilot to be ready to take over at a moment's notice whenever there is an overpass ahead. The vehicle did this with the OLD (original MCS) and the NEW one Tesla just installed.
THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON 7/9/20 AROUND 9:15 AM. POLICE REPORT # 20-1291-AC I DROVE MY CAR INTO THE PARKING LOT OF 4519 POST ROAD (FACING POST ROAD) AND TURNED INTO THE DOCTOR'S PARKING SPOT. THE CAR HAD JUST ABOUT STOPPED AND MY FOOT WAS NOT YET OFF THE BRAKE WHEN I SUDDENLY FELT THE CAR ACCELERATING. IT WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE HEDGE IN FRONT (ABOUT 1 FOOT AWAY) THEN WENT SMASHING THROUGH THE OFFICE MARQUEE, OVER THE STONE WALL AND ON TO THE STREET. MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I WAS TRYING FRANTICALLY TO STOP. THE CAR STOPPED. RELIEVED, I THOUGHT I SHOULD QUICKLY GET OUT OF THE CAR. TO MY HORROR, IT STARTED ACCELERATING AGAIN. IN THE NEXT FEW SECONDS, IT FELT AS THOUGH I WAS IN A JAMES BOND MOVIE CAR CHASE. THE NEXT THING I KNEW MY CAR WAS TEARING THROUGH THE WHITE FENCE OF A HOUSE AND THEN I REMEMBER TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. WHICH FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO BY OPENING THE DRIVER-SIDE DOOR. DIDN'T KNOW HIT A TREE INSIDE BREAKING IT INTO TWO. FOUND OUT LATER THE YARD WAS 4-6 FEET BELOW THE STREET. POLICE REPORT IS PENDING AT THIS TIME
FROM A COASTING POSITION IN AN UNDERGROUND GARAGE, I TURNED RIGHT TO ROUND A 90 DEGREE CORNER. AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN MY CAR BEGAN TO SPEED UP RAPIDLY. WHEN I FIRST NOTICED THE ACCELERATION BEGINNING, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, WHICH HAD NO EFFECT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE OVER A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 50 FEET AND COLLIDED HEAD-ON WITH A CONCRETE WALL. FRONT AIRBAGS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DEPLOYED AND MY BODY STRUCK THEM: FACE, CHEST, AND LOWER LEGS. I HAVE INJURIES FROM THE INCIDENT.
IN DECEMBER 2016 THE CAR ACCELERATED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY. TESLA MAINTAINED I PUSHED ON THE EXCELERATOR INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE GOING FROM 2 TO 92 MILES AN HOUR IN JUST A FEW SECONDS. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND ON JANUARY 12,2020 THE CAR ONCE AGAIN SELF ACCELERATED. BOTH TIMES SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND TO MY HOME. I WAS NOT INJURED HOWEVER A PASSENGER WAS IN THE CAR IN 2016 AND MAINTAINED SHE HAD HIP INJURIES AS A RESULT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DID SETTLE WITH HER. BOTH ACCIDENTS WERE NOT THE RESULT OF MY INADVERTENTLY DEPRESSING THE EXCELERATOR. THERE DEFINITELY IS A SUBSTANTIAL DANGER TO THE PUBLIC. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT RAINTREE AUTO BODY IN SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA. I HAVE NOT CALLED TESLA AZ YET AS I DO NOT PARTICULARLY WANT THEM TO GET THE BLACK BOX. I DO HAVE A PHOTO OF THE CAR IMPACTING THE COURTYARD WALL OF MY HOUSE HOWEVER IT IS ON MY IPHONE AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SEND IT TO YOU.
I HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY TIMES THAT I PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE GAS (ACCELERATION PEDAL ON THE TESLA) PEDAL AT THE SAME WHEN I TRY TO USE THE BRAKE. I HAVE OWN 4 DIFFERENT CARS AND I NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT I AM PRESSING THE BRAKE AND THE GAS PEDAL AT THE SAME TIME. SO I PAY A BIT ATTENTION ON HOW THE GAS PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL DESIGN. I NOTICE THE GAS PEDAL IS BIGGER IN SIZE AND THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL IS LESS THAN ALL THE CARS I OWN (TWO LEXUS AND ONE MERCEDES BENS) OR ANOTHER WORD, THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ACCELERATION PEDAL IS TOO CLOSE. ALSO THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMS A BIT HIGHER. ANYWAY, SUCH DESIGN LAYOUT SEEMS TO CAUSE THE DRIVER PRESSING THE BRAKE AND THE GAS PEDAL AT THE SAME TIME AND HINDER THE ACTION TO STOP THE CAR. I EVEN EXPERIENCED THAT THE CAR ACCELERATE FORWARD WHEN I TRY TO BRAKE THE CAR. I SAW THE NEWS TODAY THAT THERE IS A CAR CRASH INVOLVING A TESLA. I HOPE THE ABOVE MAY BE SOMETHING INTERESTING FOR YOU TO LOOK INTO AND SEE IF IT IS RELATED TO WHAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED. ANY QUESTION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM
STOPPED THE CAR ON A VERY QUIET BACK ROAD WITH NO TRAFFIC TO PERFORM SOME LAUNCHES. FIRST I PERFORMED A "LAUNCH MODE" LAUNCH WHERE MAX BATTERY WAS ON AND THEN INITIATED THE SEQUENCE WITH HOLD BRAKE, HOLD ACCELERATOR, RELEASE BRAKE. THIS SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED THE CAR. THEN PERFORMED A REGULAR LAUNCH (WITHOUT "LAUNCH MODE") IN WHICH I STOMP THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL LIKE I'VE DONE NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE. ON THIS OCCASION THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BROKE OFF AND THE CAR CAME TO A QUICK STOP VIA REGENERATIVE BRAKING AS I PULLED OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC ON THIS ROAD; IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY OR ON A BUSY ROAD IT COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS AS I HAD NO REAL WAY TO ACCELERATE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OR AVOID TRAFFIC.
DRIVER PURCHASED A 2014 TESLA MODEL S CAR IN JUNE 2015 FROM THE HANGZHOU CHINA DEALERSHIP. THIS CAR WAS DRIVEN MODERATELY IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS. IN SEPTEMBER 14, 2015, THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN WITHIN A SMALL, ENCLOSED HOUSING COMPOUND. THE CAR WAS GOING VERY SLOW AS THE DRIVER WAS TURNING TO EXIT THE COMPOUND THROUGH A GATED ENTRANCE. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT THE DRIVER'S ASSISTANCE AND DROVE THROUGH THE TRAFFIC GATE BEFORE THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY BREAK AND BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. ELECTRONIC RECORDS ACCESSED ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: THE CAR WAS ORIGINALLY BEING DRIVEN AT 4.7 KM/HR WITH THE ACCELERATION PEDAL DEPRESSED AT 2.8%. WITHIN ONE SECOND, THE ACCELERATION PEDAL WENT FROM BEING DEPRESSED 2.8% TO 84.8% AND THE CAR INCREASED TO 10.75 KM/HR. DURING THE FOLLOWING SECOND, THE CAR'S RECORDS SHOW THE ACCELERATION PEDAL TO CONTINUE TO BE COMPRESSED AT 84% WITH THE SPEED INCREASING TO 18.35 KM/HR, BUT WITH THE BREAK PEDAL ALSO BEING SIMULTANEOUSLY COMPRESSED. IN THE SUBSEQUENT SECOND, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES INITIATED, AND THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP A SECOND LATER. WE REJECT THE DEALERSHIP'S DECISION THAT THIS WAS DRIVER'S ERROR. IN SUCH A NARROW ENVIRONMENT AS THE HOUSING COMPOUND, AND DURING A SLOW AND CONTROLLED TURN, THERE THE DRIVER HAD NO REASON TO PUT SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATION PEDAL AS THE RECORDS SHOW ' WHETHER INTENTIONAL OR UNINTENTIONAL. WE ALSO FEEL THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO PUSH BOTH THE ACCELERATOR AND BREAK PEDAL TO SUCH A DEGREE SIMULTANEOUSLY. THEREFORE, WE BELIEVE THAT THE CAR EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, WHICH WAS NOT OF THE DRIVER'S CAUSING. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SIMILAR REPORTS OF TESLA MODEL S UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CRASHES IN CHINA. WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD WHICH NEEDS TO BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TESLA MODEL S. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, JUMPED THE CURB, AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200.
I PULLED SLOWLY IN TO A PARKING SPOT & MY CAR WAS AT A STOP POSITION JUST READY TO PUSH PARK BUTTON. WITHIN A SPLIT OF A SECOND, MY CAR (TESLA) JUMPED THE CURB AND TRAVELED 5' OF SIDEWALK BREAKING A GLASS WALL & TRAVELING THROUGH A RESTAURANT BREAKING TABLES & CHAIRS WITHIN COUPLE OF SECONDS W/O ME ACCELERATING THE PEDAL. BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED BY ME HALF WAY THROUGH THE RESTAURANT BEFORE THE CAR STOPPED. NO SERIOUS INJURIES TO ANYONE. TESLA WAS NOTIFIED & THIS IS THE LOG FILE DATA WORD BY WORD FROM THEM. ?AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THAT RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO YOUR VEHICLE, YOU INCREASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION FROM 1% TO 50% IN LESS THAN ONE SECOND WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. ONE SECOND LATER, YOU INCREASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO 100% WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. ONE SECOND LATER, YOU CONTINUED DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT 100% WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE PEDAL; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE'S TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED & THEREFORE LIMITED THE VEHICLE'S TORQUE DESPITE THE FACT YOU WERE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT 100% UNTIL YOU DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL IN THE FOLLOWING SECOND.? INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY TESLA. HOW MUCH WAS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED? SPEED OF THE CAR? DISTANCE TRAVEL? HOW DOES THIS PROVE THAT THIS IS NOT SUDDEN ACCELERATION? THE LOG DOES PROVE THAT I WAS AT A STOP. MY CAR WILL BE TOTALED BUT IS STILL SITTING AT STORAGE WITH INSURANCE COMPANY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. MANY ACCIDENTS WITH TESLA HAS OCCURRED, EVEN JUST LIKE MINE IN TO A RESTAURANT( HTTP://INSIDEEVS.COM/TESLA-MODEL-S-CRASHES-THROUGH-RESTAURANT-DRIVER-BLAMES-IT-ON-UNINTENDED-ACCELERATION/) (HTTP://WWW.MOTORAUTHORITY.COM/NEWS/1087171_TESLA-MODEL-S-UNINTENDED-ACCELERATION-COMPLAINT-FILED-WITH-NHTSA.) THEY CAN'T ALL BE DRIVERS FAULT. NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THE BOX IN THE CAR BEFORE FATAL INJURIES OCCUR. PUBLIC SAFETY SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026