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Common Issues to Inspect

This page covers practical checks for 2012 through 2017 Model S and Model X vehicles: Model S door handles, suspension components, front half shafts on dual-motor cars, and service records. Use the quick scan first, then take the detailed checks with you on the test drive.

Quick scan

Door handlesDo all four present & retract?
SuspensionClunks over bumps? Uneven tire wear?
Front half shaftsShudder under hard acceleration?
Service recordsGet PDFs before account transfer

Door Handles Model S

The Model S uses motorized self-presenting handles that extend as you approach. They're one of the most common failure points on early cars, and which of three generations is fitted largely decides reliability.

Gen 1
~2012–2014

First generation. Ask whether the original handle mechanism has already been repaired or replaced, then test it at the car.

Gen 2
~2015–2016

Improved design, meaningfully more durable than Gen 1. Can still fail, but far less often.

Gen 3
~2017+

Best of the three. Most reliable; failures are uncommon.

On the test drive

  • Test all four handles: they should present smoothly on approach and retract as you walk away.
  • Ask whether any have been replaced, and with which generation.

Suspension Model S & X

NHTSA has logged numerous complaints of control-arm failures on 2012–2017 cars. A ball joint can crack and separate, a genuine safety concern that has drawn multiple service bulletins.

SB-15-31-004Front Lower Control Arm Ball JointsFree play causes clicking/clunking over bumps. Fix: wedge-lock washers.SB-17-31-001Front Suspension Fore LinksCars built Jan–May 2016 may have fore links below strength spec.2019 TSBLower Rear Control ArmsCracking on Model S built Jun 2013–Jan 2014. Both sides replaced.

On the test drive

  • Listen for clunks or knocking over bumps at low speed, and creaking when steering.
  • Check tires for uneven wear: a sign of alignment issues from worn components.
  • With air suspension, cycle all ride heights and listen to the compressor. A failing compressor or leaking air spring is an expensive repair.
  • Ask for records of any suspension work or alignment, and whether the TSBs above were addressed.

Front Half-Shaft Vibration Model S & X

SB-21-39-001

Tesla issued a bulletin for dual-motor Model S and Model X built before approximately May 2019: the front drive-unit half shafts can cause excessive vibration or shudder during hard acceleration, worse at higher ride heights. It's a TSB, not a recall: fixed only on customer complaint, not proactively.

Affected

Relevant to the dual-motor vehicles covered by the linked service bulletin. Confirm the build range for the exact car.

Symptoms

Vibration, shudder, or rattle from the front under hard acceleration; worse at higher ride heights.

The fix

The service bulletin describes updated half-shaft work and related parts based on the vehicle's condition.

On the test drive

  • Do a hard pull from a stop and feel the front for vibration or shudder. Repeat at different ride heights if the car has air suspension.
  • Ask whether the half shafts were replaced under SB-21-39-001; check the service records.
View TSB SB-21-39-001 on NHTSA

Get Service Records before transfer

Once the seller removes the car from their Tesla account, the service history goes with it. Tesla will not share records with the new owner. Capture everything before the car leaves their account.

  1. 1Have the seller open the Tesla app and go to Service History.
  2. 2Export or screenshot ALL service records as PDFs.
  3. 3Send them to you before the car is removed from their account.
  4. 4Review for battery / drive-unit, MCU / eMMC, coolant-delete, suspension, and door-handle work, plus any open recalls.
  • Confirm the car is current on all recalls and recommended campaigns.
  • Pay special attention to high-voltage battery work, MCU/eMMC replacements, and drive-unit service.

If the seller refuses to share records, treat it as a red flag.