YearToAvoid

2016 Tesla Model S Visibility & Wipers Problems

NHTSA lists 39 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2016 Tesla Model S, 6% of all complaints for the year, with a median failure mileage of 41,400 miles. No related recall exists for this issue.

Visibility & Wipers complaints
39
6% of 646
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
41,400 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical visibility and wiper symptoms owners report

  • Intermittent windshield wipers stop responding, sometimes recurring after being toggled from auto to on and back.
  • Headlights turn off unexpectedly while driving in the dark, in some cases caught on dashcam or phone video.
  • Front windshield shows a ghosting effect at night, doubling the image of LED headlights, taillights, and traffic signals.
  • Main touchscreen freezes while driving, disabling defrost, turn signals, and door locks along with other controls.

When 2016 Tesla Model S visibility and wiper complaints were filed

First complaint Jun 16, 2017, latest Aug 28, 2026.

2016 Tesla Model S visibility & wipers complaints: complaints filed per month6Jun 2017Jul 2020Dec 2020Apr 2021Jul 2021Nov 2021Feb 2022Feb 2024
39 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jun 2017 to Aug 2026; peak Jul 2020 (6).

Visibility & Wipers recalls for the 2016 Tesla Model S

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Visibility & Wipers complaints by Model S model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20126 (10%)
  2. 201322 (5%)
  3. 201417 (5%)
  4. 201538 (6%)
  5. 201639 (6%)
  6. 201724 (6%)
  7. 20184 (2%)
  8. 20193 (7%)
  9. 20200 (0%)
  10. 20213 (2%)
  11. 20226 (4%)
  12. 20236 (5%)
  13. 20242 (5%)
  14. 20251 (17%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are visibility and wiper problems on the 2016 Tesla Model S?
NHTSA lists 39 complaints in this area for the 2016 Model S, which is 6% of the 646 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2016 Tesla Model S wipers or visibility issues?
No. NHTSA shows no related recalls tied to this complaint area for the 2016 Model S.
At what mileage do these visibility and wiper problems usually show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this issue is 41,400 miles.
What kind of visibility problems do 2016 Model S owners report?
Owners describe intermittent wiper failure, headlights turning off while driving, windshield ghosting around LED lights, and touchscreen freezes that disable defrost and lighting controls.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.