Skip to main content

Used 2023 Tesla Model S Consumer Reviews

3.1 out of 5 stars
38 reviews

See Edmunds pricing data

Has Your Car's Value Changed?

Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.

Price history graph example
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 Model S, so we've included reviews for other years of the Model S since its last redesign.

Trending topics in reviews

Pros
Cons
4 out of 5 stars

Service needs help

j Chana, 10/25/2021
2021 Tesla Model S Plaid 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
31 of 34 people found this review helpful

The car itself is amazing….BUT there are ALOTTT OF little things that need work. The way Tesla delivers 145k cars/suvs is very very poor at best. Service is worse in all auto industry, my plaid broke down on me 3rd day…yes 3rd day. Took them 3 days to get it towed due to my location, and I didn’t have a car for 2 weeks. Broke down for the 2nd time and when I was talking with the service rep he stated that they have been having problems with the new plaid models! If you have only One car (Tesla) I would recommend buying another random backup car or suv because you will 100 percent need it.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
1 out of 5 stars
Value
3 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse

1 out of 5 stars

Great design horrible build

Adam in Colorado, 12/04/2021
updated 01/09/2023
2021 Tesla Model S Long Range 4dr Sedan AWD w/Prod. End 11/21 (electric DD)
58 of 65 people found this review helpful

The design of this car is amazing. Auto pilot is great on the highway though it requires that you jiggle the steering wheel (yoke) to know you are there which is kind of annoying as my hand is on the wheel just not torquing it enough. The build quality however is miserable. Panel gaps are all over the place, they actually have a tool to know if things are bad enough to fix so they rehung my door but left the rest all a little crooked, unacceptable for the price. This of course leads to a loud whistling sound at higher speeds. They heard the sound when I took the service personnel for a drive but decided they can't find the cause so it isn't a problem. Service is so bad I told my father to cancel his order. Update: whistling was a missing roof seal, finally found it after 3-4 visits, has to replace roof twice but now roof rattles and squeaks and they just gave up on fixing it and said it isn't a warranty issue of a brand new car. Also had 2 parking sensors fail. 14 service visits and out of service 5 weeks in the first 3 months of ownership. Update: I was very excited when I finally got mine. Honestly the technology is quite impressive. The build quality, however, was so abysmal and the service even worse. When it was delivered it had a whistling sound at speed. For a while they refused to test it and fix it as they say that is above the speed limit where they are though not where I commute. Eventually they did find the problem and it was because the glass roof was installed incorrectly. They replaced that and the windshield but introduced a horrible rattling. After having it for a month they returned it to me still rattling and said that isn't covered by warranty. So my $100,000 luxury car rattles as I drive to work. As a side issue, the range isn't nearly what they say it is, more like 300 miles on a long range with 19-in wheels. That is however still enough for me. It does use about 10% of the battery with sentry mode turned on while parked at work. I am one of the idiots who did pay for full self-drive. The only value I get out of that currently is that it will change lanes for me on the highway. It is like very good cruise control but nothing like what was promised. Overall, some of the best engineering but worst build quality I have ever seen.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
1 out of 5 stars
Value
2 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse
2023 Tesla Model S for sale near you
3 of 76 listings
See all 76 listings

5 out of 5 stars

Chicago Model S Longrange

Vince D, 07/06/2023
2022 Tesla Model S 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful

I purchased this Model S in August 2022. The Model S is white with cream interior looks very nice. The white which is free has sparkles in paint and looks great. The cream interior looks so good and the vegan leather feels and looks good and clean easily. The 19" standard tires run well and with the plastic covers off the rims look very good I get many complements. I added caps and a center cap to clean up the mags. The Model S is so fast I but I prefer the vehicle on standard which a bit slower but still fast and I set the drive to comfort for a nice smooth ride vs the sport ride. The electronics takes a bit of time to get comfortable with but eventually I'm fine with making custom changes to fit my driving needs. The yoke steering takes a while to get comfortable with and some won't like that. I'm good with it as I like the look and the handling is acceptable to me. Making turns can be an issue if you buy you might be better off with the round standard wheel. I like the navigation and voice system and the sound system all work well. I also think the a/c settings for the air direction works very well although there should be the ability to shutdown passenger air if desired. All the controls on the yoke are fine except the horn needs some improvement, way to small an area. I like the idea of all the controls on the yoke and no stalks or other buttons except for what you can do on the screen electronically. The space in this model S is tremendous, the trunk lower level is deep and stores huge amounts of stuff the trunk itself is large and if you drop the 2 back seats it's incredible what you fit in the back area. The fronk is nice but I don't use it much but it's there. This model S long-range is so fast and the regenerative breaks work well and once you get into them you can drive very long distances and never use the break pad. The technolgy in the Model S takes some time to get comfortable with but if you're a techy you will love it and if not you won't. The battery is close to capacity ratings as long as you're not in cold weather (freezing), speeds above 70, and stop and go traffic. Cold weather really drops the range by 10-20%. If you run heaters, heated seats and drive hard the model S battery is easily down 20% in range. This is not Tesla but EV's. But the model S does get up to 405 miles and that range is accurate before driving experience delivers actual. I've charged on Tesla charging at super high speeds and it is very fast charging maybe 1/2 hour to 200 + miles. They need to continue to work on build quality mine had 2 small issues and I've not had the model S back to Tesla but that one time for the fixes. Tesla maintenance did a great job I have no issue with their technical people and they were very friendly and helpful. I like the look I like the drive, I like the technology and I like the saving fuel costs as well as the environment. Great EV and vehicle the latest pricing seems more in line should be below $90,000.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse

3 out of 5 stars

Great car, terrible service and buggy software

Venky, 06/07/2021
2021 Tesla Model S Long Range 4dr Sedan AWD w/Prod. End 11/21 (electric DD)
65 of 78 people found this review helpful

I bought a Tesla Model S long range in December 2020 to replace an old but trusty Lexus. I can say with confidence that this is the best car I have ever driven. It accelerates faster than a Porsche, handles curves better than a BMW, rides smoother than a Lexus. Of course, the benefits of an all-electric car that can be charged at home are well known by now. However, once the thrill of driving wore off and the reality of owning a car that cost nearly $90k set in, the defects started to appear. Firstly, it lacks storage space. The cup holders are too close to each other, and placed very inconveniently, so my elbows often knock against my water bottle. The doors lack any storage space, so all my stuff is packed into a small compartment in the middle. The user interface of the massive screen is not well designed, especially for someone that needs reading glasses. The icons are all monochrome, often used buttons are at the bottom of the screen, and the scroll buttons on the steering column are not intuitive. The autopilot feature is truly in beta - even though they charge $10k for it. It works well on highways but is not ready for city driving at all. The biggest problem is their service. I have a problem with the car but it has taken over 3 weeks to get an appointment with their service center. It is impossible to get anyone on the phone to even find out if my car is safe to drive. When I reached out to them to get an earlier appointment, I got a curt one line reply that they are fully booked. Makes me wonder why an electric car has so many service needs - lends credence to the complaints about build quality. Any other premium car maker that charges $90 k would not treat their customers like this. Clearly, Tesla has a long way to go to become a customer centric company.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
3 out of 5 stars
Value
2 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse

5 out of 5 stars

But, the panel gaps!

Mike Ronesia , 05/06/2023
updated 11/08/2024
2023 Tesla Model S Plaid 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
14 of 16 people found this review helpful

This car is amazing on every level that maters to me. Does it have panel gaps? Yes. Do I care? No. It’s not like the fenders are falling off. You have to closely look at one side and then go compare it to the other. Who does that with a daily driver? Not me. I recommend test driving one if you’re interested. If you have the ability to charge at home, Tesla’s are a lifestyle changer that you don’t look back from. We can drive 300 miles in our Plaid S for under $7. That’s not a Prius, it’s a large comfortable car that will spank anything that pulls up next to it at any speed. It’s beyond ludicrous. Something to keep in mind with these reviews. I didn’t need to prove I own one, and could be making stuff up. So the same holds true for any of these reviews and the whole review score. With most brands this wouldn’t matter, but Tesla seems to draw a lot of hate from people that have no actual experience with Tesla. I’ve never met an unhappy owner, though I’m sure they’re are some out there.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse
1 out of 5 stars

Electrical piece of JUNK!!

Rene Rodriguez, 09/16/2022
2021 Tesla Model S Long Range 4dr Sedan AWD w/Prod. End 11/21 (electric DD)
26 of 32 people found this review helpful

I bought a 2021 Tesla Model S for almost $120,000... that's right, at least you expect some respect from such a "respected" company.. WORSTT WORRSSSTTT customer service I have had in my life!!! It has been even a year and the yoke wheel is peeling off, plastic parts are broken and doors getting jammed. Worst thing is they do not provide a customer telephone number because they know they will get bombed with poor reviews!! That's why everything is though the app.... Tesla basically do not care about their customers because they know most of the customers are not satisfied with the cheap interior material they fabricate!! Hey guys, it is a $120,000 which not a lot of people can afford tgT nowadays.. They just while their...... with your concerns, trust me... I should have never left Mercedes for this piece of junk, but that is how life is, you learn from your mistakes.....

Report Abuse
3 out of 5 stars

Getting Less Cool each generation

Last time I buy Tesla, 08/04/2022
2022 Tesla Model S 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
14 of 17 people found this review helpful

After 3 Teslas, a P-85 to P-85-D to P100-D; the quality of the vehicle has degraded. I would not buy a 4th Tesla S Performance/Plaid vehicle. Not worth the risk for a highly priced vehicle. And the service staff are unable to fix anything that is a quality of drive function. They claim they cannot fix the auto high beam lights because it's never dark when they are open despite video of what the freaking problem is--it does not work! Nor can they hear the irritating wind noise now prevalent on the P-100 front windows. Far more ambient noise than the first two I bought. "Oh, that's just normal" WTF for $150k if better be silent. Nor can they do "paid for work" that they did on the first 2 P-Model S I bought. Early adopter (within 1st 15,000 Model S sold). DONE!

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
3 out of 5 stars
Value
2 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse
2 out of 5 stars

Think twice when buying used Tesla

Carlos, 03/29/2022
2021 Tesla Model S Long Range 4dr Sedan AWD w/Prod. End 11/21 (electric DD)
10 of 12 people found this review helpful

I bought my 2013 Model S from its 2nd owner at 98k miles after lots of research reaffirming that maintenance cost was low and reliability was high. I actually loved my car, drove smoothly and quietly, but then I didn’t even reached 120k miles on it when the high voltage battery completely died on me. I parked one day at work with 80% charge and got out from work to find the battery completely drained to the point of not even starting or being able to put into neutral to push it to a charging stall. I left the car plugged in using 3 extension cords for the entire weekend (still at my job’s parking lot) and it didn’t take any charge at all and never turned back on again. I towed it to the nearest Tesla service center and after over a week they told me the battery had completely died and it needed full replacement to the tune of $23k (the car’s average value in the best condition possible and long range trim is ~$26k). I asked about warranty coverage and they told me I was out (over 100k miles and just at the 8 year mark). I asked hypothetically if I had the money for the repair what their warranty would be and they said 50k miles on the battery only. The message is: DON’T BUY USED TESLAS but if you do make sure you’re still within the warranty period. GET RID OF THE CAR BEFORE THE FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRES, after that all bets are off, it may very well become a bottomless money pit. DON’T EVER BUY A TESLA WITH NEW BATTERY thinking that it’s like buying a new car - it isn’t, you’re only covered for 50k miles on a fresh battery - completely wasteful and senseless. It’s a great, fun, and classy car while the warranty lasts (service is great and at no cost for warranty covered items, no questions asked). But once out of warranty you’re all on your own. They wouldn’t even buy it back from me for parts - terrible customer service (when things went south) that leaves much to be desired from such reputable brand.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
1 out of 5 stars
Value
1 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse
1 out of 5 stars

Worst car manufacturer ever!

Troy Stortz, 01/27/2022
2021 Tesla Model S 4dr Sedan AWD (electric DD)
21 of 28 people found this review helpful

Our Model S has needed service once a month for as many months as we’ve owned it. Would be more often but it takes forever to get it in for service. Tesla is fooling the world! Amazing how many you see on the road. Garbage car that looks good. You couldn’t pay me to ride in self driving mode!

Report Abuse
4 out of 5 stars

truth on the refresh model S long range 2021

michael Yeandle, 09/03/2021
2021 Tesla Model S Long Range 4dr Sedan AWD w/Prod. End 11/21 (electric DD)
18 of 24 people found this review helpful

I got the Model s REFRESHED Long range jun 29 th 2021 it looking insane and the car looks really sharp. Pros 1. looks great 2. handles amazing 3. smooth smooth ride like skating on glass 4. Technology is crazy awesome 5. acceleration is stupid fast even on the refresh Long Range 6. screen in back kids watch reflex or other streaming platforms 7. center console I perfect and super well designed im 5'6" 8. back seats ton of room have put some 6'3" in the back and person fit great 9. screen is huge well designed of apps and maps. 10. much more luxurious than previous model s, old model S is Childs play on the interior compared to the refresh. 11. feels like the car is gliding at 140mph don't recommend driving like that at all 12. maps learns time of day and what your typical route like work in the morning and when you start it up after work it like guess to help you with navigation home. 13. the A/C ducts are seamless 14. cooled seats in TEXAS are amazing 15. the touch screen super responsive 16. seats way nicer than the old model s and way way better than model 3 seats. 17. cock pit of the car is super quit it does have noise cancelling speakers built in the driver and front passenger seats. not currently activated it will be coming in a Tesla update one day (car is still super super quit) 18. seats super comfortable CONS 1. says it gets 375 mph for full charge because I have the upgraded rims from Tesla truth is the car gets 330-345 miles per so kinda of a lie ( charges 0-75% super fast but goes super slow after 75% charged so last 25% is the time killer 2. the car takes longer to charge at super charger than they kind make it out unless you got to a 250kwh super charge than its stupid stupid fast. 3. paint behind back wheels got dinged up from rocks and stuff at only 1500 miles, I live in the city and drive highway and city streets not a gravel road or anything of that nature. 4. summons with full self driving kind of a gimmick not that great. (kinda scary a 90K+ driving it self bad stuff could happen. 5. full self driving not auto pilot only really works on highways city streets nope. still super helpful totally not worth the 10k I spend for It 6. auto guess direction is kinda okay not the best kind of a gimmick 7. surprising no side mirror car alert when getting over, shows on the screen but could be better 8. A/C has to be at like speed 6 to really cool off car fast in hot weather. 9. charging usb-c port and power mat charge iPhone slow 10. so streaming music from iPhone to car great but when the song changes the highlighted song doesn't go down so you can see what song is next it like doesn't move with the songs as they have been listened to. 11. sound system is stellar 12. steering wheel buttons are hard to push and I have small hands . pretty much awesome car great value and I would have bought this car again after owning It

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
Report Abuse
Items per page:
10