Selling a junk Tesla Model S
Any Model S sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Tesla Model S
NHTSA has 5,061 owner complaints on file for the Tesla Model S, model years 2012 to 2022, the 90th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are electrical system (986, 19%), other (831, 16%), suspension (724, 14%). 645 complaints involved a crash, 94 a fire, and 443 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 47,000 miles. The 2015 model year has the most complaints (1,058). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is electrical system, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car that doesn't run: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Tesla Model S by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 89 | Electrical system | 4 | 1 | 8 | 65,000 |
| 2013 | 678 | Electrical system | 61 | 27 | 11 | 75,677 |
| 2014 | 546 | Electrical system | 76 | 12 | 9 | 59,750 |
| 2015 | 1,058 | Electrical system | 114 | 16 | 9 | 52,000 |
| 2016 | 1,032 | Suspension | 160 | 23 | 10 | 30,000 |
| 2017 | 684 | Driver assistance | 96 | 4 | 9 | 28,575 |
| 2018 | 289 | Driver assistance | 65 | 9 | 11 | 16,000 |
| 2019 | 73 | Driver assistance | 10 | 0 | 10 | 9,000 |
| 2020 | 123 | Driver assistance | 25 | 0 | 11 | 4,000 |
| 2021 | 284 | Driver assistance | 30 | 2 | 24 | — |
| 2022 | 205 | Driver assistance | 4 | 0 | 20 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Tesla Model S recalls
NHTSA lists 36 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (8), electrical system (7), driver assistance (6). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2021 model year, driver assistance (campaign 26V283000, May 2026): Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017, 2021-2023 Model 3, 2020-2023 Model Y, 2021-2023 Model S, and Model X vehicles operating software version 2026.8.6. The rearview camera image may be delayed when the vehicle …
- 2021 model year, air bags (campaign 25V172000, Mar 2025): Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Model S and 2021-2025 Model X vehicles. An air bag with the incorrect horn pad may have been installed, preventing the horn from sounding.
- 2021 model year, air bags (campaign 24V967000, Dec 2024): Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Model S and Model X vehicles. The driver's air bag could tear during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Sa…
- 2021 model year, latches and locks (campaign 24V554000, Jul 2024): Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles. The hood latch assembly may fail to detect an unlatched hood condition after the hood has been opened.
- 2012 model year, seat belts (campaign 24V376000, May 2024): 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 …
What a Tesla Model S is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk Model S on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car that doesn't run 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Tesla models
- Tesla Model 3 6,384
- Tesla Model X 2,080
Questions people ask
- What is a junk Tesla Model S worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Model S gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Tesla Model S that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Tesla Model S?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Tesla Model S numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.