Tesla Model S: A Legendary Electric Vehicle with Character

Introduction

About 10 years ago, something began that can no longer be stopped today — electromobility. It was the Tesla Model S that destroyed the stereotype that an electric car is just a device for driving around a charging station. Initially, this car offered an impressive range of up to 425 km, which was revolutionary for its time.

The Tesla Model S is not just an electric car. It's a giant among passenger vehicles: 5 meters long and 2 meters wide. On the road, it occupies an impressive 10 square meters of space. Its spacious interior comfortably accommodates 5 people, and some versions even provide 7 seats thanks to additional child seats integrated into the trunk.

This hatchback vehicle offers enormous cargo space, allowing for the transportation of large items. In addition to the main trunk, single-motor versions of the Tesla Model S can boast the largest front trunk (frunk) among all electric vehicles.

The Model S also stands out with its innovative interior concept. The central element of the dashboard is a huge 17-inch display — the largest among production cars at the time of the model's release. The number of physical buttons is minimized: just an emergency light button and a glove compartment opening button. This approach to the interface led many to call Tesla a "computer on wheels."

However, upon closer acquaintance with the Model S, it became obvious that jokes about electric vehicles are no longer appropriate. This car convincingly proved that an electric vehicle can not only provide sufficient range but also deliver incredible driving emotions. To understand what this is about, let's take a closer look at the dynamic characteristics and features of this revolutionary electric vehicle.

Dynamic Characteristics and Handling

Even the base modification of the Tesla Model S impresses with its dynamic characteristics. The car with a single electric motor on the rear axle develops 380 horsepower. The response to pressing the accelerator pedal is almost instantaneous — like a lightning strike. Due to the absence of delays typical for internal combustion engines, the Tesla literally shoots on straight sections and "bursts" out of turns.

Despite its impressive weight of about 2 tons and dimensions, the Model S demonstrates impressive maneuverability. The car very skillfully enters curves and shows enviable eagerness in handling. To feel the full power of this electric beast, it's enough to experience its acceleration from a standstill: even a nine-year-old specimen with a half-charged battery and two passengers on board accelerates to 100 km/h in just 6.1 seconds.

The Tesla Model S confidently holds the road in corners and doesn't tend to understeer. This is truly sporty handling that you don't expect from a large and heavy car. The secret lies in the low center of gravity due to the traction battery located in the floor of the car, as well as in the carefully tuned suspension.

The combination of outstanding power, lightning-fast response to the accelerator pedal, and good handling creates a unique driving experience that is difficult to find in other cars in this class. That's why the Tesla Model S continues to attract attention and enjoy high demand even in the secondary market. This car has truly changed the perception of what an electric car can be.

Operational Features and Common Problems

Despite all the innovative solutions and progressiveness of the Tesla Model S, this car has a number of features and potential problems that owners may face, especially when purchasing used specimens.

Door Handles

One of the bright "features" of the Tesla Model S is the retractable door handles that elegantly extend when the owner approaches with the key or when touching a certain part of the handle. However, in early versions of the Model S produced before 2015, these handles can become a source of problems.

Over time, the handle extension mechanism may jam or refuse to work altogether. In some cases, the handle extends but doesn't activate the door lock. The problem can be caused by several factors: oxidation of electronic components due to moisture penetration, damage to sensors and limit switches, broken wires, or a broken response lever that drives the handle mechanism.

It's important to remember that pulling hard on the handle in an attempt to open the door can exacerbate the problem and lead to complete failure of the mechanism. If such symptoms occur, it's better to consult specialists for diagnostics and repair.

Electronics and Displays

Tesla Model S manufactured before 2015 may experience sudden instrument panel shutdown. The reason lies in insufficient cooling of the board, which leads to its overheating and even cracking. Starting with 2015 models, this problem was largely resolved by the manufacturer.

The central display on cars produced before 2018 runs on an NVIDIA Tegra chip, which is known for issues with flash memory. This memory is not designed for a large number of information rewrites, which is a standard operation for an automotive multimedia system. As a result, over time, the memory degrades, the system begins to glitch, and ultimately the display may completely shut down.

Today, there are methods to repair this issue, which involves not only replacing the flash memory but also properly saving and rewriting information. Otherwise, the system may not start after repair. Some services offer to read and save information from memory that is still functioning but already problematic to speed up and secure the data transfer process.

Another problem that may occur with the central display of the Tesla Model S is the appearance of yellow strips around the perimeter of the screen when operated in high temperature conditions. This is due to the degradation of the adhesive on the display substrate. This problem is solved with special ultraviolet irradiation.

Interior

Among the minor but annoying problems of the Tesla Model S interior is the wear of the rollers located on the spokes of the steering wheel. Over time, the roller mounts can break, leading to their collapse. In such cases, the rollers need to be replaced.

Body and External Elements

When purchasing a Tesla Model S, especially early model years, it's worth paying attention to the quality of the paint and body gaps. Even on relatively new specimens, there may be uneven gaps and deficiencies in paint quality, including possible dust in the paint coating. Among Tesla owners, there's an opinion that perfectly even gaps and flawless paint in certain areas of the body often indicate repairs have been made.

One of the long-standing problems of the Tesla Model S is moisture penetration into the tail lights due to poor-quality glass adhesion. This problem is present to some degree on most cars produced before 2020. As a non-standard solution, some owners resort to drilling drainage holes in the lower part of the lights to drain condensation. Starting with 2020 model year productions, the moisture problem in the tail lights was largely resolved by the manufacturer.

Suspension and Transmission

The front suspension of the Tesla Model S has a similar design to the 2011 Mercedes suspension, but there are no interchangeable parts between them. The suspension's lifespan is quite high, but like any suspension, it gradually wears out when used on uneven roads.

An interesting feature is the positioning of the camber bolts of the front arms. From the factory, they are installed with the heads facing the battery, making their extraction without removing the battery practically impossible. Therefore, many services, when replacing the bolts, install them in the reverse direction, with the heads facing forward, to facilitate future maintenance.

In early versions of the Tesla Model S, the air suspension was optional, and in later ones, it became standard equipment. The main problem with the air suspension is the gradual loss of pressure in the air struts. The system automatically tries to maintain the specified height by activating the compressor, which can lead to additional energy consumption. A positive aspect is the possibility of restoring the air springs, which significantly reduces repair costs.

On powerful versions of the Model S, especially with aggressive use, such as in drag racing mode, wear and even destruction of the rear differential may occur. The first sign of the problem is a characteristic howling of worn bearings. This symptom cannot be ignored, as with continued use, the differential may completely fail. In particularly severe cases, with very aggressive drivers on the most powerful modifications, the satellite axis may break, which, in turn, can lead to damage to the electric motor housing.

Worn differential bearings can be replaced, but if a crack appears in the electric motor housing, a complete replacement will be required. There have also been cases when the cooling circuit of the rear motor leaked due to a defective seal, leading to coolant entering the motor. In the absence of serious damage to the winding and control boards, the motor can be dried and restored to working condition after such an incident.

In dual-motor Tesla versions that appeared after 2016, there are problems with the tripods of the front axles, which can prematurely wear out and require replacement.

Battery and Electrical System

The traction battery is the heart of any electric vehicle, and the Tesla Model S is no exception. The actual battery capacity can be determined during diagnostics by specialists. As a rule, the capacity loss for Tesla batteries is about 1-2% per year. For example, for the test car, the capacity loss over 10 years of operation was about 12%, which is a normal indicator.

Serious battery problems are rare and in most cases are related to physical damage or flooding. It's worth noting that the Tesla Model S battery has a completely sealed design, which makes it difficult for moisture to enter. Even when the cabin is flooded, the battery typically remains undamaged.

The high-voltage Tesla battery can be fully diagnosed down to each of more than 7,000 individual elements. If necessary, targeted replacement of sagging cells can be performed without changing the entire battery.

In early versions of the Tesla Model S produced before 2015, there were problems with the durability of the power battery contacts. Due to the high currents flowing through these contacts, they could burn out. In such cases, the battery doesn't completely shut down, but the car's electronics limit the maximum power to prevent more serious damage. This problem is most characteristic of early powerful modifications, such as the P85.

Ownership Experience and Technical Maintenance

With regular diagnostics, the Tesla Model S, even after prolonged use, may only reveal minor malfunctions that are typical for any car with such mileage. For example, during the diagnostics of a nine-year-old specimen with a mileage of 135,000 km, minor play was detected in the lower arm of the front wheel on the right side and in the upper ball joint of the front wheel on the left side. These plays were at an initial stage and required scheduled repair but did not pose an immediate danger.

Among Tesla Model S owners, there's a growing trend towards a more responsible approach to maintaining their cars. Many turn to service centers to check the suspension when transferring the car from one owner to another, as well as for regular inspection of elements such as brake pads and air springs.

It's important to note that despite their age and significant mileage, many Tesla Model S cars maintain impressive dynamic characteristics and range. This fact testifies to the good durability of the main components of the electric vehicle, especially with proper maintenance.

Conclusion

The Tesla Model S, even almost a decade after its debut, remains an impressive car that has largely determined the direction of the electric vehicle industry's development. It's a real breakthrough in the automotive world that proved an electric car can be not only environmentally friendly but also dynamic, practical, and prestigious.

Of course, like any car, especially a pioneer in its category, the Model S is not without certain problems. Early specimens may suffer from issues with retractable door handles, electronics, displays, and some mechanical components. However, most of these problems are well-known and have proven solutions. Moreover, Tesla has been constantly making improvements, and many of the initial shortcomings have been eliminated in later versions of the model.

The traction battery, which causes the greatest concern for potential electric vehicle buyers, demonstrates excellent durability, losing on average only 1-2% of capacity per year. This means that even a ten-year-old Tesla Model S retains most of its original range.

The handling and dynamics of the Model S, especially in powerful modifications, continue to impress even compared to modern cars. This is truly a car that changes the perception of what an electric car can be.

Taking into account all of the above, the Tesla Model S remains an attractive option not only for electric vehicle enthusiasts but also for those looking for a unique, technological, and dynamic executive-class car. The growing network of service centers and accumulated repair experience make owning this car increasingly safe and predictable.

This "old lady," as fans affectionately call it, is still alive and capable of much. And most importantly, almost all emerging problems today have proven and effective solutions. The Tesla Model S truly deserves its place in automotive history as one of the first truly successful and mass-produced premium electric vehicles.

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