Vehicle Data Hub

2013 Tesla Model S steering problems

29 complaints about steering have been filed for the 2013 Tesla Model S, which is 4% of all its NHTSA complaints.

At a glance

Complaints
29 4% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage
76,000 miles 18 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires
2 and 1
Injuries and deaths
1 and 1

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When steering problems show up

Steering complaints by mileage, 2013 Tesla Model S Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 76,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 5 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 3 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 0 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 2 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 3 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 3 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 2 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 0 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 0 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 76,000 miles
Based on 18 complaints that include mileage. 44% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles5
20k to 40k miles3
40k to 60k miles0
60k to 80k miles2
80k to 100k miles3
100k to 120k miles3
120k to 140k miles2
140k to 160k miles0
160k to 180k miles0
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Of the 18 steering complaints that report mileage, the median is about 76,000 miles, and 44% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury, 1 death.

What owners wrote

This is the car which swerved over a cliff and killed the driver. [link removed] [link removed] I have attached photographs that show not only that the steering knuckle has snapped but the tread is worn off the tire. This can only have happened while the car was driving on the road. This was almost certainly the cause of the crash. This same effect of snapped suspension with worn tire can be seen in many other tesla crashes..

Reported at 5,000 miles, December 2014 CrashDeath

Here is a report of a tesla crash at an intersection. [link removed] the report blames the other driver and credits the tesla with saving the owner from injury. The claim that the hyundai hit the tesla and then rebounded and hit the tesla once more is quite unusual. The photographs are high resolution and if they are blown up and examined close up you can seethe that tip of the steering knuckle is broken off (close up photograph of the actual part -which was purchased by a rebuilder- here: [link removed] I think…

Reported at 5,000 miles, August 2013 CrashInjury

Other problems reported for the 2013 Tesla Model S

Steering problems in other years

Steering problems across all Tesla models