2018 Tesla Model S Vehicle Speed Control Problems
NHTSA component category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · data through 07/14/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How vehicle speed control ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 168 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2018 Tesla Model S overview page.
What owners report
“While driving out 2018 Model S, it will brake hard while in adaptive cruise control of full self-driving mode for no reason. This happens frequently…”NHTSA complaint 11497885 — filed 12/17/2022
“Vehicle will routinely reboot while driving. During this time the turn signals, speed information and other vehicle information is not available while driving.”NHTSA complaint 11458167 — filed 03/24/2022
“This incident happened some time ago but I read recently about complaints related to "phantom braking" which I also experienced. I was driving on the…”NHTSA complaint 11450584 — filed 02/05/2022
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Vehicle Speed Control complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2018 Tesla Model S have vehicle speed control problems?
Vehicle Speed Control is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 2018 Tesla Model S: 27 of 168 complaints on file (16.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2018 Tesla Model S have in total?
168 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 36 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, 21 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's vehicle speed control category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.
