VehicleVerdict

2013 Tesla Model S visibility & wipers problems

The 2013 Tesla Model S has 22 visibility & wipers complaints filed with NHTSA — 3% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

22

Visibility & Wipers complaints

3%

Share of year

0

Crash-involved

1

Related recalls

Visibility & Wipers complaints by year

Model S visibility & wipers complaints by model year38 complaints2012: 6 complaints2013: 22 complaints2014: 18 complaints2015: 38 complaints2016: 38 complaints2017: 24 complaints2018: 4 complaints2019: 3 complaints2021: 4 complaints2022: 6 complaints2023: 6 complaints2024: 2 complaints2025: 1 complaints
Model S visibility & wipers complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

21V035000Visibility & WipersJanuary 29, 2021 · 134,951 units

Defect

Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Tesla Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles with a center display equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. When the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the eMMC controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center display functions.

Consequence

The eMMC controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners, and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-21-001.

Common questions

How many visibility & wipers complaints does the 2013 Tesla Model S have?

NHTSA has 22 complaints about the 2013 Tesla Model S visibility & wipers — 3% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2013 Tesla Model S visibility & wipers?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the visibility & wipers: 21V035000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.