2021 Tesla Model S

The 2021 model year is the mid-life refresh of the Model S. InsideEVs (opens in a new tab) reports Tesla's own summary: a new powertrain with battery modules, packs and drive units shared with the Model 3 and Model Y, an entirely new interior, exterior updates, and new top-of-the-line Plaid versions that replace the old Performance models. Vehiclesuggest (opens in a new tab) says the updated powertrain lets the Plaid reach a maximum 1,060 horsepower.

EV Specifications (opens in a new tab) adds the engineering detail: the same 18650 cells as before but a redesigned battery pack with new coolant channels, the heat pump introduced on the Model 3 and Model Y, and carbon-sleeved rotors with torque vectoring on the Plaid and Plaid+ trims. Most of the visible change is inside, with Autopilot Review (opens in a new tab) noting that most of the refresh focused on the interior and that the exterior changes are subtle.

NHTSA lists 24 recall campaigns that cover the 2021 Model S, many of them shared with other Tesla models and fixed by over-the-air software update. The ones that need a shop visit include 21V868000, where the driver's air bag cushion may tear during deployment (Tesla replaces the air bag), 21V00B000, where the front trunk latch may be misaligned so the secondary hood latch does not engage, and 22V104000, where the side curtain air bag inflators may have been assembled incorrectly. Others are software: 21V846000 fixes false forward-collision warnings, 22V045000 a seat-belt chime that may not sound, and 22V050000 a heat-pump valve that could trap refrigerant.

Owners have filed 178 complaints with NHTSA on this model year. By component, forward collision avoidance leads with 47, followed by unknown or other with 45, steering with 29, electrical system with 25, and service brakes and suspension with 16 each. ProblemsByVin (opens in a new tab) scores the year 2.8 out of 10 on reliability from that complaint data, below the segment average, and reports one fatality report and two crash-related complaints on the steering. Treat that score as a screening number built from complaint counts rather than a measured failure rate, and have any used car's steering, brakes and open recalls checked.

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) lists a Fair Purchase Price near $35,210 for a used 2021 Long Range Plus sedan, with the Performance and Plaid versions higher. KBB owner reviews say a gently used one can be had for less than half the price of a new one and call it the fastest, safest car on the road with room for four or five adults, and also note the drawbacks: limited range on longer trips, a spartan interior and a high price. Prices move with mileage, battery health and whether the car has been through the recalls above.

EPA rates the 2021 Model S at 96 to 120 MPGe with 334 to 405 miles of range and an annual fuel cost of $650 to $800. The 2021 Porsche Taycan rates 70 to 79 MPGe with 199 to 227 miles, at $900 to $1,100 a year, so the Tesla goes nearly twice as far on a charge. The 2022 Lucid Air is the only one that beats it, at 111 to 131 MPGe and 451 to 520 miles. On EPA figures the Model S goes roughly 1.7 to 1.8 times as far as the Taycan on a charge, and only the Lucid Air, a 2022 model, goes farther.