Buyer Research

2023 Tesla Model S — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $42,000–$68,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 13 Tesla Model S years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

NHTSA's index holds no recall campaigns for the 2023 Model S. That is a fact about how many campaigns were filed, not a verdict on the car, and the 113 complaints behind it are loud and specific. Eighteen percent are filed under steering, and almost every one of those is a driver who could not find the horn on the yoke — one of them while backing into a crash. Another fourteen percent are the driver aids: hard braking at highway speed with nothing ahead, and one report of the car accelerating into stopped traffic. Both are things you can put to the test on a drive rather than take on faith. Check which steering wheel this car actually has, run it on a highway with Autopilot engaged, and price the round-wheel retrofit before you agree a number.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 113 owner complaints for the 2023 Tesla Model S, and 13 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. The largest single group is steering at 18%. That is notable without being overwhelming — worth checking, not worth panicking about.

13 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2023 Tesla Model S

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

The horn is a button on the yoke, and drivers report missing it in an emergencyMedium

The word 'horn' dominates this steering cluster. On a yoke-equipped 2023 Model S the horn is a capacitive button on the right spoke, so with the wheel turned past a quarter it is nowhere a lifetime of driving says it should be. One owner reported backing into a crash while hunting for it; another says Tesla quoted them to swap the wheel. Tesla has sold a round-wheel retrofit for these cars — get a current quote from a service centre rather than assuming a figure, and sit in the driver's seat and reach for the horn before you buy.

Repair cost (estimate): $700–$1,500 for a round-wheel retrofit — get a current Tesla quote

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (20).

Hard unrequested braking and odd Autopilot behaviour at highway speedHigh — wallet impact

Fourteen percent of this record is the driver-assist cluster, and the pattern in it is the car deciding to slow when nothing is there — one owner describes near-full braking from 78 mph on an empty interstate, with traffic behind. A separate filing has the car accelerating into the stopped car ahead at a red light instead of regenerating. There is one crash in the cluster. None of this is a part you replace; it is behaviour, so test it: drive a highway mile on Autopilot, drive it again in rain if you can, and decide whether you would trust it at 70.

Repair cost: Not yet priced — a safety matter first, a repair bill second

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the driver-assist and automatic braking systems (16).

A software update can take out the cameras, wipers and driver aids at onceMedium

One owner came out to the car after an update and found every camera dead including the reversing camera, plus no driver aids, no wipers and no navigation. Others in this small cluster report the speedometer over-reading by about five percent with the service centre unable to calibrate it, and a frunk latch that takes two hands and the phone app. The usual fix is the next update or a service visit, but check every camera view and the wiper sweep on the screen while you are standing at the car.

Repair cost (estimate): $0–$300 for a service-centre diagnosis; the fix is usually another update

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (9).

Automatic wipers going still in heavy rainMedium

The visibility filings and one of the steering ones describe the same moment: wipers set to auto stop sweeping in heavy rain and the driver is briefly blind at speed. The Model S reads rain from the forward camera rather than a dedicated sensor, so a dirty, fogged or miscalibrated camera makes it worse. Wet the windshield with a hose before the test drive and watch what auto does, and know you can drive the wipers manually from the screen if the answer is not good.

Repair cost (estimate): $0–$600

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under glass, wipers and mirrors (6).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗A yoke rather than a round wheel — turn the wheel a quarter and reach for the horn
✗Any hard brake application on a clear road with Autopilot engaged
✗A camera view, wiper or driver aid throwing an error after the car's latest update
✗Speedometer reading several mph off a phone GPS at a steady 60
✗Auto wipers slowing or stopping while the windshield is still streaming

Good Signs

✓A round steering wheel fitted from the factory or by Tesla, with the work order to show it
✓Every camera view live and sharp on the service screen, front, rear and both repeaters
✓Autopilot holding a steady set speed through a clear highway mile
✓Tesla service history visible in the owner app with a work order per visit
✓Current software version showing on the Software screen