2015 Tesla Model S — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $16,000–$26,000. There are 3 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.
Kestrel Take
A $90,000 car for $20,000 with out-of-warranty repair costs that still assume the original price. Drive units, the MCU memory chip, and the air suspension all have documented failure patterns. A great car and a genuine financial risk in equal measure.
What we checked
Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-11
NHTSA holds 3,230 owner complaints for the 2015 Tesla Model S, and no recall campaigns.
A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 40% of them are about one thing — electrics and electronics. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.
Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.
Known Issues for the 2015 Tesla Model S
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.
The media control unit's flash memory wears out from constant logging, killing the center screen — which controls climate, charging settings, and the backup camera. Tesla offered an MCU2 upgrade path after NHTSA involvement.
Repair cost (estimate): $1,500-$2,800 for the MCU2 upgrade
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (1,280).
Early Model S drive units developed a milling noise and were replaced frequently under warranty. Out of warranty, a remanufactured unit is a serious expense.
Repair cost (estimate): $3,000-$7,000
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Air struts leak and the compressor fails. Tesla parts pricing applies and third-party options are limited.
Repair cost (estimate): $2,000-$5,000
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the suspension (735).
Packs typically retain 85-90% at this age, but a failed pack out of warranty is the largest single repair in this guide. Check the rated range at 100% against the original figure.
Repair cost (estimate): $12,000-$20,000
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (1,280).
The retracting door handles fail, and with a dead MCU many functions are simply unavailable.
Repair cost (estimate): $500-$1,200 per handle
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Center screen with a yellow border, lag, or blank periods — eMMC failing
- ✗Rated range at 100% charge well below 240 miles
- ✗Any drive unit noise — a hum or whine that tracks speed
- ✗Salvage or rebuilt title — Tesla can disable Supercharging on these
Good Signs
- ✓MCU2 upgrade already performed
- ✓Drive unit replaced under warranty with paperwork
- ✓Rated range still near original
- ✓Coil spring suspension rather than air
Found a specific Tesla Model S?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2015 Tesla Model S in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.
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Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.
Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
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