carpeep

Tesla Model S, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

9,996 Tesla Model S cars are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 79.8% of initial MOT tests, 7.5 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Model S? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Tesla Model S at the MOT

79.8% of 10,836 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Model S 199th of 575 models. Tesla Model S cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 82.9% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 72.7%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Tesla Model S79.8%
  • All Tesla modelsThe Model S is 4.1 pts behind83.9%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Tesla Model S tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years1,647 tests82.9%
  • 6 to 10 years8,982 tests79.4%
  • 11 years and over205 tests72.7%

Where Model S cars fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Tesla Model S tests in 2025.

  • Tyres35.2%
  • Suspension23.5%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment10.6%
  • Brakes10.2%
  • Visibility8.6%

The items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (11.3%), condition has ply or cords exposed (10%) and ball joint excessively worn (8.3%).

The MOT page lists every common Model S MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Tesla Model S MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Model S's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Tyres

    Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.35.2% of Model S failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.23.5% of Model S failure items

  3. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.10.6% of Model S failure items

Tesla Model S cars in the UK

9,996 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 3rd most of any Tesla. The number licensed has grown 379% since the end of 2015, although it peaked at 10,349 at the end of 2021.

Change since 2015
+379%from 2,086 licensed
Typical year of first use
2017half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2017 or earlier
First registered in 2025
10against 2,640 in 2017
Declared off the road
3773.6% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Tesla Model S cars since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014697
End of 20152,086
End of 20164,453
End of 20176,971
End of 20188,660
End of 20199,534
End of 202010,266
End of 202110,349
End of 202210,225
End of 202310,272
End of 202410,226
End of 202510,090
End of June 20269,996

How old they are

Licensed Tesla Model S cars by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year
Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20241929
20236884
2022020
20211226
2020835907
20191,1461,233
20181,7011,888
20172,3392,640
20162,1502,455
20151,1941,470
2014562

1,194 Model S cars first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 81% of the 1,470 first registered that year.

Tesla Model S recalls

8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Tesla Model S. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Model S is affected.

  1. Mar 2025 R/2025/075

    Update Vehicle Firmware To Restore Post-Crash eCall Functionality

    Model S cars built Oct 2022 to Apr 2024 · 124 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the eCall audio system will not operate in compliance with Regulations when the front passenger seat is occupied. As a result communications between the occupants of the vehicle and an eCall public safety answer point are unavailable post-crash.
    Remedy
    Install modified software via an Over the Air (OTA) wireless update.

  2. Feb 2022 R/2022/009

    Misalignment of the hood latch may prevent latching of the secondary latch

    Model S cars built Sep 2014 to Dec 2020 · 8,351 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Inspect the secondary hood latch on affected vehicles. If the hood is not properly retained by the secondary latch the latch mechanism will be reassembled and repositioned to assure proper alignment.

  3. Feb 2021 R/2021/031

    When the eMMC reaches accumulated lifetime wear the customer may experience a blank centre display

    Model S cars built May 2012 to Mar 2018 · 9,475 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Ensure current software is installed and upgrade the VCM daughterboard to a 64GB Micron eMMC.

  4. Jan 2019 R/2019/006

    The propellant in the front passenger airbag inflator may degrade over time

    Model S cars built Mar 2014 to Dec 2016 · 4,973 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The front passenger airbag inflator could rupture in the event the airbag is deployed.
    Remedy
    Replace the front passenger air bag on affected vehicles.

  5. Mar 2018 R/2018/093

    Loss of power steering assistance

    Model S cars built May 2012 to Apr 2016 · 3,243 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Potential failure of steering gear motor bolts when exposed to long term high corrosive environment. This can lead to loss of power assistance to the steering which would result in additional effort from the driver to steer the vehicle.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the aluminium bolts with stainless steel bolts. Where necessary the steering rack will be replaced.

  6. Jan 2018 R/2018/057

    Passenger airbag may not deploy as intended

    Model S cars built Jan 2013 to Dec 2013 · 3 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The propellant in the front passenger airbag inflator might degrade over time which could cause the inflator body torture in the event the airbag is deployed. This could cause injury to occupants.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles replace the passenger airbag.

  7. Apr 2017 R/2017/182

    Parking brake may not release correctly

    Model S cars built Feb 2016 to Jul 2016 · 1,466 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    An improperly manufactured internal caliper gear may fail. This may cause the EPB not to release and in some circumstances not to apply. An EPB warning light and message should appear.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles replace the brake caliper.

  8. Nov 2015 R/2015/233

    Seatbelt may not perform correctly

    Model S cars built Feb 2014 to Nov 2015 · 2,518 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The driver and/or front passenger seatbelt could be improperly connected to the outboard lap pretensioner. The connection is secured by means of a bolt that fastens the steel anchor plate on the end of the seat belt to a steel anchor plate on the end of the pretensioner cable. If a collision occurs and the aforementioned condition exists there is an elevated risk of additional injury to the occupant of the seat.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected for inspection of the seatbelt connection to the pretensioner and the anchor plates. If the condition is evident the seatbelt/s will be reassembled to ensure proper connection.
How to check a specific Model S for recalls

Other Tesla models

The most-tested Tesla models in 2025, against the Model S's 79.8% MOT pass rate.

All 4 Tesla models

Tesla Model S FAQs

How many Tesla Model S cars are there in the UK?

9,996 Tesla Model S cars were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 377 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Tesla Model S reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 79.8% first-time pass rate for the Tesla Model S across 10,836 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Tesla Model S had any recalls?

8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Tesla Model S. The most recent was published in March 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Tesla Model S?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Tesla Model S's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a Model S?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Tesla history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Tesla VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded). Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.