Tesla Model S 60
Problems & Worst Years

Early Tesla Model S 60 sedans show a two-track problem pattern: electrical systems, especially the Media Control Unit, and suspension components prone to failure. The 2016 model year is the heavier of the two, with 434 total complaints and four safety-rated categories, led by electrical system glitches (102 reports, safety-rated) and MCU failure (93, also safety-rated). Suspension problems aren't far behind — noise and vibration (53 reports), failure described as leading to wheel collapse (49, a phrase worth taking seriously on any used example), and front suspension control arm failure (48, safety-rated) together outnumber the electrical complaints when combined.

The 2017 model year, with 300 total complaints spread across a wider 33 problem categories, shifts slightly toward the touchscreen specifically: freezing or blacking out while driving (21 reports), a related loss of audio and other functions when the screen malfunctions (21), and infotainment failures described as causing a loss of safety features (21) — three closely related complaints that together suggest a recurring MCU or touchscreen fault carried over from 2016, alongside 20 more reports of outright MCU failure. Suspension failure remains present at 36 reports, the single largest complaint that year.

No recall campaigns are listed against either year in this dataset, so these appear to be owner-reported patterns rather than acknowledged manufacturer defects requiring a fix — which makes a hands-on test of the touchscreen and a mechanic's look at the front suspension particularly worthwhile before buying. Given how consistently both the electrical and suspension themes repeat across these two years, a pre-purchase inspection covering both systems, paired with a full service history, is the better guide here than either year's complaint total alone — these numbers reflect what owners chose to report to NHTSA, not a measured failure rate.