2014 Tesla Model S: early builds, late builds and what to check

The 2014 Tesla Model S is really two cars. Builds from about mid-September 2014 gained Autopilot hardware 1 and those after March 6, 2014 gained a titanium underbody shield, while the battery choices (60 or 85 kWh, 208 or 265 miles EPA) and the 40 A onboard charger stayed the same all year. If you shop for a 2014 Model S, the build month on the door-pillar sticker is worth more attention than the odometer.

Three build dates that split the 2014 Model S

March 6, 2014. After two 2013 fires caused by road debris piercing the battery, Tesla raised ride height by software and began fitting a three-part shield under the pack: an aluminum bar, a titanium plate and an aluminum extrusion. Earlier cars could have it retrofitted free. NHTSA closed its investigation that same month. On an early-2014 car, ask for the retrofit record or look under the front of the pack on a lift.

August 2014. Drive units were failing often enough that Tesla extended their coverage to match the 8-year battery warranty, retroactively. That helped first owners. For you, it means any 2014 car has probably had at least one drive unit visit, and the extended cover has now run out.

Mid-September 2014. Autopilot hardware 1 went into production, and this is the change that matters most to a buyer today. More on it below.

The dual-motor announcement on October 9, 2014 came at the very end of the model year, and dual-motor deliveries only began in December.

Spotting an Autopilot car, and what HW1 does in 2026

HW1 is a single forward camera at the top of the windshield behind the mirror, a radar unit in the nose, 12 ultrasonic sensors in the bumpers and a Mobileye EyeQ3 processor. A pre-September car has no camera or radar at all. The camera housing behind the mirror is the quickest giveaway from outside the car.

On cars with the hardware, Autopilot features were an option and arrived by software after the sale: Autosteer and automatic lane change reached HW1 cars by over-the-air update in October 2015. Check the Autopilot settings screen during a test drive to see what is enabled. The December 2023 Autosteer recall, 23V838, added driver-engagement checks; a car that has been offline for years may need updating.

Do not expect more than those basics. HW1 is a Mobileye-based system, and Tesla has not offered these cars a move to its later Autopilot computers (HW2, HW2.5 or HW3), so later navigation and self-driving features are off the table. If those matter, start your search at the Tesla Model S 2016, where HW2 arrived in October.

2014 trims and EPA range

The 60 kWh car was rated at 208 miles and the 85 kWh car at 265, with consumption of about 35 and 38 kWh per 100 miles. The single-motor P85 (later P85+) used the 85 kWh pack; coverage from October 2014 quoted 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. EPA also lists a 2014 "Model S AWD (85 kWh)" at 242 miles; which dual-motor build that entry describes is not documented, so treat any "2014 85D" with care and confirm it by VIN.

Recalls, crash rating and owner complaints

NHTSA gave the 2014 rear-drive car 5 stars overall, with 5 stars in frontal, side and rollover tests and a 5.7% rollover risk.

There are 9 recall campaigns. Two are specific to this era and worth singling out. Campaign 19V002 is the Takata passenger airbag inflator, whose propellant degrades over time; on a 12-year-old car that is the first one to confirm. Campaign 21V00B, from December 2021, found the front trunk latch could be misaligned so the secondary latch does not catch, which means the frunk lid could open while driving. Both need a service visit.

• 15V780000November 23, 2015Seat belts, frontService visit
  Front seat belts may not be correctly attached to the outboard lap pretensioner
• 17V260000April 19, 2017Parking brakeService visit
  Electric parking brake caliper internal gear may break, leaving the car immobile or unable to hold position
• 18V204000March 29, 2018Steering, electric power assist systemService visit
  Aluminum bolts holding the power steering assist motor (Bosch rack) can corrode and break, reducing or removing power assist
• 19V002000January 7, 2019Air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator moduleService visit
  Passenger frontal air bag inflator may rupture on deployment due to propellant degradation (Takata)
• 21V035000January 29, 2021Back over prevention, softwareService visit
  MCU1 touchscreen eMMC memory wear can cause loss of rearview camera, defrost/defog controls and exterior turn signal lighting; VCM daughterboard replaced (firmware 2020.48.48.12+ also advised)
• 21V00B000December 21, 2021Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchService visit
  Front trunk (frunk) latch may be misaligned so the secondary latch does not engage; hood could open unexpectedly

Source: NHTSA recalls API. A recall only applies if your VIN is listed.

Owners have filed 365 complaints with NHTSA for this year. Electrical faults lead, followed by suspension, steering, body structure and powertrain, which lines up with the screen, drive unit and steering-bolt issues already covered.

Setting up home charging for a 2014

Every 2014 car has a 40 A onboard charger; some were ordered with a second charger for 80 A. Plug in and read the maximum on the charging screen.

What to install, by situation:

• You have a 240 V dryer-style or 14-50 outlet already. Tesla's current Mobile Connector draws 32 A from a 14-50, which adds roughly 20 to 22 miles per hour. That refills a typical 40-mile day in about two hours. See charging a Tesla without a Wall Connector for other outlet types.
• You are adding a new circuit. A Gen 3 Wall Connector on a 50 A breaker gives a single-charger car its full 40 A (about 25 to 27 miles per hour). Run the circuit at 60 A if you might own a newer Tesla later; the unit's technical specs and our Mobile Connector vs Wall Connector comparison help you decide.
• The car has dual chargers and you want 80 A. That takes a Gen 2 Wall Connector, a 100 A breaker, 3 AWG copper and a disconnect within reach (NEC 625.43 applies above 60 A). Up to about 50 to 54 miles per hour, but it is a big install for a car whose pack holds 208 to 265 miles.

Any new circuit is a job for a licensed electrician with a permit. To see what a full charge costs on your utility rate, our Tesla charging cost guide uses the EIA's 18.31 cents per kWh national average for July 2026.

Quick checks before you buy a 2014

1. Note the build month from the door-pillar label: before March 6 means checking for the shield retrofit, before mid-September means no Autopilot.
2. Ask for recall 21V035 (or the MCU2 upgrade) paperwork. The MCU1 screen runs on an 8 GB memory chip that wears out, and when it goes, the backup camera and defrost controls go with it.
3. Confirm 18V204, 19V002 and 21V00B are closed by running the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup.
4. Check for LTE. A 2014 car was built with a 3G modem, which went dark in 2022; Tesla's LTE retrofit cost $200.
5. Get a battery health report, since the 8-year cover has ended.

For the dual-motor and Ludicrous-era cars that followed, see the 2015 Model S guide, or step back to the 2013 Tesla Model S if a lower price matters more than Autopilot.

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