2012 Tesla S service and repair manual — a detailed, factory-style reference for maintenance, diagnostics, and repair. Use it to confirm correct procedures, specifications, and system coverage before you start work.
Built for technicians and DIY owners, this manual helps you troubleshoot accurately, follow step-by-step repair procedures, and use wiring diagrams and system sections to diagnose problems faster.
What’s included
- Step-by-step repair procedures and service information
- Specifications and reference data (where provided)
- Electrical coverage with wiring diagrams
- Coverage across key systems: engine, transmission, brakes, steering, suspension, HVAC, and more
Trims covered
- Base Sedan 4-Door
Engines covered
- BATTERY EV (EV/BEV)
Index / Table of contents
- Body
- Brakes
- Chassis Electrical
- Driveline
- Engine Cooling
- Engine Electrical
- Engine Mechanical
- Engine Performance & Emission Controls
- Fuel System
- General Information & Identification
- Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning
- Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Systems
- Steering
- Suspension
- Transmission, Clutch, & Transfer Case
- Wiring Diagrams
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016 Model S and Model X vehicles. The electric parking brake calipers have an internal gear that may be improperly manufactured, possibly resulting in the gear fracturing during parking brake application or release.
If the gear breaks during parking brake release, the vehicle will not be able to be moved. If the gear breaks during parking brake application, the parking brake may not adequately hold the vehicle, potentially resulting in the vehicle rolling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will replace both the left and right electric parking brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2018. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-17-33-002.
Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling all 2012 Model S vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Tesla will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag, free of charge. The recall began September 12, 2017. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Tesla Model S vehicles equipped with Bosch steering racks. The aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and fracture causing a reduction or complete loss of power steering assist.
Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts and add a corrosion-preventative sealer, free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-18-32-002.
Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Model S vehicles manufactured May 31, 2012, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with driver or front passenger seat belts that may be improperly connected to the outboard lap pretensioner.
If the seat belt is not correctly attached to the pretensioner, it may not properly restrain the seat occupant in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will inspect the driver and front passenger seat belts, correcting their connection, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 14, 2015. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-15-20-002.
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.
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.
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.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
On certain Model S and Model X vehicles, the battery powered Pyrotechnic High Voltage (HV) Battery Disconnect will reach the end of its battery lifespan in the near future, which will trigger alerts and may limit the vehicles performance.
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owners manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software vers
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owners manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software vers
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owners manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software vers
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owners manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software vers
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owners manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software vers
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owners manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software vers
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owners manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software vers
Showing the 8 most recent of 73 technical service bulletins on file with NHTSA.
THIS IS THE STOLEN CAR WHICH CRASHED IN HOLLYWOOD. PHOTOGRAPHS AT THE SCENE SHOW 3/4 OF A WHEEL AND THE TIRE LYING ON THE GROUND. HERE IS THE LISTING AT THE SALVAGE AUCTION SITE. HTTP://IMGUR.COM/A/H7ROA THE CRASH SITE IMAGES HOW THE FRONT WHEEL BROKEN LOOSE. THE SALVAGE YARD PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THE OTHER 1/4 OF THE WHEEL STILL BOLTED TO THE BROKEN KINGPIN. THE WHEEL HAS BEEN SLICED IN TWO WHILE STILL ROLLING ON THE ROAD. IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THAT SLICING TO HAVE OCCURRED POST IMPACT. THERE ARE 100,00 OF THESE CARS ON ROADS AROUND THE WORDLD. IF THIS WAS AN AIRCRAFT IT WOULD BE G
CAUSE UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED JUST BEFORE ENTERING INTO A HEAD IN PARKING SPACE WHEN WITH THE BRAKE DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY CAUSING IT TO JUMP THE CURB AND TAKE DOWN A RETAINING WALL. IT CONTINUED THROUGH THE WALL UNTIL IT WAS STOPPED BY A TREE. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. VEHICLE SETTINGS AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT WERE AS FOLLOWS: THERE IS NO AUTOPILOT ON THIS MODEL S AND CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAR WAS SET WITH CREEP MODE OFF. HVAC WAS ON.
HERE IS ANOTHER TESLA IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://M.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILIMAGES.ASPX?IMAGEURL=2&ITEMID=23306666 THE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THAT THE FRONT STEERING KNUCKLE HAS SNAPPED IN HALF AND THE WHEEL IS HANGING SIDEWAYS OUT OF THE WHEEL WELL. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN A CRASH. THE AIR-BAGS HAVE NOT DEPLOYED AND THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE BODYWORK. THESE STEERING KNUCKLES ARE A MADE FROM LOW PRESSURE DIE CAST ALUMINIUM WHICH IS CLEARLY NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THE PURPOSE. THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES WHERE THE KNUCKLE HAS SIMPLY SNAPPED COMPLETELY IN HALF JUST LIKE THIS ONE. PLEASE INVE
I AM FILING THESE COMPLAINTS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. I AM NOT A TESLA OWNER AND I HAVE NO INVESTMENT IN TESLA NOR DO I HOLD ANY SHARES IN THE STOCK-MARKET. THIS CAR IS IN THE WRECKING YARD. THE FRONT SUSPENSION HAS FAILED AND THE WHEEL IS PUSHED BACK AGAINST THE HIGH VOLTAGE CONTROLLER. HTTP://WWW.SALVAGERESELLER.COM/VEHICLES/DETAILS/32315405-2012-TESLA-MODEL-S-CA-SAN-DIEGO THERE IS NO OTHER DAMAGE THAT COULD ACCOUNT FOR THE SUSPENSION FAILURE. THERE WAS A CRASH BACK IN 2013 WHICH WAS BLAMED ON THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR. HTTP://WWW.INAUTONEWS.COM/TESLA-MODEL-S-GETS-CRASHED-DR
Motor is starting to make sounds and according to teslamotorsclub.com the motor will fail eventually. Many have to had to have the motor switched out multiple times. It is quite evident that there was a design flaw which Tesla corrected in later years.
The drive unit has water damage from normal driving. The car never went through deep water or was flooded, but the tech at the service center is saying the units are sealed but still can get water in them and corrode. How can a vital sealed part of the vehicle be damaged by normal driving and claim water damage? The car operated just fine the day before. Please advise.
I tried to start the car and got the “Center Display unavailable” message. Reset the computer doesn’t help. I have to wait for more than 5 minutes for the system to be on.
I charge my Model S on a 30 amp circuit with the car location amperage set to 20 amps to avoid overheating the circuit. Around Sept 12 while plugged in to the 30 amp, the car pulled in 50 amps off the line causing a melting of the wires and a near fire based on the damages later found. The car is supposed to send charging error alerts or problems via the Tesla app. Instead it continued to try to pull power out of the burnt line for 11 days all the while further depleting the battery. I discovered my car a 0% battery range with a dead 12 volt as well just as it had depleted and discovered
Showing the 8 most serious of 59 complaints filed with NHTSA.
