Tesla Model Y Complaints

4,325 consumer complaints on file.

#11755625August 8, 2026
SUSPENSION
I am reporting a serious safety issue involving severe, difficult-to-detect inner-edge tire wear on my Tesla that resulted in a tire failure on Highway 101. The tire failed while I was driving on the highway, creating a dangerous situation and significant traffic disruption. After the failure, I discovered severe wear concentrated on the INSIDE edge of the tire. The concerning part is that the normally visible tread appeared serviceable. An owner can therefore believe the tire is safe while the difficult-to-see inner portion may be dangerously worn. I am concerned that Tesla’s suspension/alignment geometry, including camber/toe settings, vehicle weight, or related components may contribute to excessive inner-edge tire wear. NHTSA should investigate whether this is occurring on other Tesla vehicles and whether owners are being adequately warned to inspect the entire tire, particularly the hidden inner shoulder. I also experienced a very concerning mileage discrepancy. My vehicle showed approximately 36,000 miles before traveling to Tesla for service. During the trip to the dealership, the mileage associated with my vehicle appeared to increase to approximately 56,000 miles. Tesla subsequently referenced the higher mileage in connection with service/maintenance coverage. I request that NHTSA investigate whether Tesla vehicles have a pattern of excessive hidden inner-tire wear capable of causing sudden tire failures; whether suspension, alignment, camber, toe, vehicle weight, or related components contribute to this condition; whether Tesla has received similar complaints; and whether owners are adequately warned about this difficult-to-see wear. I also request review of the approximately 20,000-mile mileage discrepancy and whether the mileage Tesla relied upon accurately represented my vehicle’s actual accumulated mileage. I have video evidence and can provide photographs, Tesla service records, mileage information, and other documentation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755613August 8, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
The Autopilot/FSD computer (driver-assistance ECU) on my 2021 Model Y (HW3) began failing intermittently on August 2, 2026, days after installing a software update -FSD v14 "Lite" branch. The component is in the vehicle and available for inspection. While driving at highway speed in high ambient temperatures (112–125°F), the system repeatedly disengaged with "Cruise control unavailable" (alert DI_a175) and "System error — take over immediately" warnings, and later alert APP_w46u on FSD engagement. Failures included: FSD and Autosteer aborting within seconds of engagement or disappearing from the menu entirely; complete loss of driving visualizations (no lane lines or vehicle overlays); rear camera blacking out; loss of speed-limit recognition and automatic turn-signal cancel. Both FSD and Autosteer Beta failed identically, indicating the fault is in the shared Autopilot computer/camera pipeline, not one feature. Because the same camera/compute stack supports automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, and blind-spot warning, the status of those safety systems during the failures is UNKNOWN — I had to complete long desert highway stretches fully manually, with repeated unrequested hand-backs of control creating a sudden-takeover risk. The fault is thermal-load related and intermittent: it recurred at high ambient temperatures, sometimes recovered after a rest or power-off reset, but on August 4 one full power-off reset at 88°F ambient failed to restore the system (it later self-recovered), suggesting progressive hardware degradation rather than ambient heat alone. Not yet reproduced by a service center: a Tesla service appointment is scheduled for August 13, 2026, and a service request with fault codes was filed in-app while the faults were active so remote diagnostics could capture them. No inspection yet by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. Public owner reports describe similar Autopilot-computer thermal failures on HW3 vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755611August 8, 2026
SUSPENSION
Yesterday, my Tesla Model Y 2022 suffered a catastrophic failure. The front lower forward control arm completely detached from the subframe due to a missing/fallen-out factory bolt. For the past couple weeks leading upto last night's incident, I've been hearing a "small thump/thud" sound whenever i accelerate the vehicle. I reported this issue to Tesla and arranged a service appointment for coming Wed Aug 12 2026 but unfortunately the catastrophic failure occured last night 5 days before the scheduled service appointment.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755589August 8, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The FSD failed when it back into garage; the back of passenger side of the car hit the wall of garage. There is no warning before. Beacuse the distance for parking into the garage is small, there is no time to take over the FSD to avoid it happen. It happen around 23:35 on August 07, 2026. We reported as a safety incident to Tesla an hour ago. We updated the the software on August 02, 2026. The car had been succesful back into the garage more than ten times before.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755578August 7, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Separately, the system could not hold a consistent speed on open highway with no vehicle ahead. It would surge from a set 70 mph to roughly 72-73 mph and then drop back, repeatedly, producing a pulsing acceleration and deceleration. The system also hesitated frequently and issued repeated audible alerts without an identifiable hazard present. I previously filed a complaint regarding phantom braking on this same vehicle (ODI number 11450326, filed February 4, 2022), which described nearly identical behavior triggered by trucks on the same Georgia-to-New Jersey route. That complaint concerned FSD/Autopilot software from 2022. The behavior described here occurs on Tesla’s current v14 Lite software released to Hardware 3 vehicles in July 2026. The defect has persisted across more than four years and multiple software generations. Unexpected hard braking at highway speed with no hazard present creates a rear-end collision risk to my vehicle and to following traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755576August 7, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle has complete Full Self-Driving (Supervised) capabilities. Vehicle was reverse parking on its own but the right side crashed into a wall. Vehicle did not stop reverse upon collision. Driver took over immediately to avoid further crash fatality.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755538August 7, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION
During normal driving on roadway the vehicle pulled to the left and driver was not able to steer right to avoid travelling into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle from opposing traffic. The vehicle gave no notice prior and was not in automatic mode.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
2
#11755534August 7, 2026
STEERING
Car making excessive noise, service department refuses to address at Tesla even though various cases of the same issue are easily available online. Issue is with half shaft lubrication being dried but Tesla is trying to charge and claiming that the part hasn’t failed. But to me a part failing due to lack of lubrication can lead to hazard road conditions. I don’t want to put my kids safety in harm but Tesla tells me that no lubrication will not result in part failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755463August 7, 2026
STEERING
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormal sound while turning the steering wheel to the left or the right. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the lower and upper control arms were failing. The contact was informed that the lower and upper control arms needed to be replaced. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that a service appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755436August 7, 2026
SUSPENSION
Front suspension makes creaking noises for a few months now. The car only makes noises when steering wheel is turned while reversing and sometimes when turning. Took the car to Tesla and they told me since the sound is not that loud and not really reproducible, then to bring it back when it gets worse. My car only has 34k miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755397August 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I reporting a potential safety-related defect involving my 2023 Tesla Model Y Performance. Since shortly after purchasing the vehicle in April 2026, it has repeatedly been unable to successfully install Tesla software updates. The updates download, but the installation repeatedly fails. I have attempted installation multiple times under appropriate conditions, including adequate battery charge, stable Wi-Fi, vehicle reboot, removal of USB devices, and installation directly from the vehicle touchscreen. The failures continue. Tesla evaluated the vehicle and documented the failed software installation. Tesla also identified a possible issue involving the HW3 car computer and prepared an estimate of approximately $3,000 that included replacement of the vehicle computer, diagnostic work, and labor. I am concerned because Tesla vehicles rely extensively on their onboard computers and software for vehicle operation, safety systems, driver-assistance functions, security updates, bug fixes, and manufacturer-issued corrections. Because this vehicle cannot successfully install software updates, I am concerned it may be unable to receive safety-related corrections or updates that other vehicles are receiving. This is not simply an infotainment issue. The failure appears to involve the vehicle computer itself and has continued despite repeated troubleshooting and Tesla service involvement. I believe NHTSA should evaluate whether defective HW3 computers or related electronic systems can cause repeated update-installation failures and potentially prevent affected Tesla vehicles from receiving safety-related software updates or recall remedies.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755387August 7, 2026
STEERING, AIR BAGS
I was driving the car inside the parking garage of the UCLA Medical Plaza in Westwood at around 3:10pm on XXX, looking for an appropriate parking spot. When entering the second basement floor and turning the steering wheel right, to follow the road, the steering wheel was unresponsive and the car felt as if in neutral gear. As the car was on a downward slope, it went straight into the car parked in front. It happened so fast, but it seemed as if the brakes were ineffective. The air bags on the sides were deployed. On the front, the airbag in the steering wheel came out but did not inflate. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755383August 7, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car locked itself with the phone key and the key card sitting in the car. My baby was trapped in the back seat. Eventually, I was able to get a hold of my husband and he was able to unlock the car from the app. I was talking to 911 when he saw my messages and unlocked the car. I think poor cell reception may have been the cause.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755367August 6, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While using FSD feature continuously for more than 45 minutes without stopping the system locks on to the previous road speed limit and freezes and the car ignores any new different speed limits and runs into FULLY ROUGE MODE...and almost ran into a pedestrian without slowing down. Example - if road speed limit is 45 mph and car driving between 45-50 mph and when the road speed limit drops to 35 or 25 mph car continues to run at 45-50 mph. ex2: if car running at 35 mph and later enters highway the car continues at 35 mph on highway where speed is 65 mph and likely to cause accident. The tesla does not have any forum or email support or phone support to address this issue and says it will reset if i stop on highway and wait for 15 mins to reset and then start again. This occurs every time if you drive continuously without stopping ( turning off car) for 45 min or more
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755281August 6, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On the highway, a vehicle in the lane next to me on the right moved towards the white dividing line, but never actually crossed into my lane. My Tesla was operating on Full Self-Driving (Supervised). The system miscalculated the front vehicle's trajectory and severely overreacted to it approaching the line. Without driver input, the FSD system initiated sudden, heavy braking and violently swerved to the left, crossing the lane line. Because the Tesla swerved suddenly into the left lane, the driver already occupying that lane was unable to avoid a collision, striking the left rear corner of my vehicle. I have video recordings from my Tesla that provides objective proof that the vehicle in front did not sideswipe or cut off my car, but rather that an abrupt vehicle automation failure forced my car out of its lane, I had no chance to react quick enough to avoid the accident. It also provides context as to why the driver behind me could not avoid the impact. I have preserved the video files and am ready to submit them to you immediately. Best regards [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755238August 6, 2026
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
While operating my 2022 tesla model y, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic hardware failure of the onboard vehicle control computer. This total computer failure resulted in an immediate, sudden loss of electronic power steering assist while the vehicle was in motion. The steering wheel became incredibly stiff and heavy, creating a severe and hazarders driving situation. the vehicle was towed to a tesla service center, where technicians confirmed the onboard computer hardware requires a complete replacement. A vital computer failing prematurely on a 2022 vehicle presents an extreme safety risk of crash or injury due to sudden loss of vehicle control.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755186August 6, 2026
SUSPENSION
Noises started coming from suspension and I had an independent shop verify the issue. The lower control arm had separated from bushing and rubbing against subframe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755078August 5, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving a 2026 Tesla Model Y Premium on [XXX] at approximately [XXX] PM on [XXX] using Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised mode, the vehicle was traveling in the center lane (lane 2 of 3) when it ran over a large whole tire (commercial truck-sized) that was positioned in the center of the lane. The FSD system failed to detect or avoid the tire prior to impact. This incident demonstrates a critical safety limitation: Tesla FSD cannot detect large road obstacles such as a whole commercial truck tire positioned in the center of a highway lane at night. The FSD system showed no warning, took no evasive action, and did not alert the driver prior to the impact. Prior to the incident, there were no warning lamps, error messages, or any abnormal symptoms. All systems were functioning normally. Following the collision, a "Coolant Low - Schedule Service / Climate and driving performance may be limited" warning appeared immediately on the display screen. Upon inspection, all coolant had leaked out completely. Damaged components include: underbody, front bumper lower section, and cooling pump. The cooling pump damage is particularly concerning as it prevents proper battery temperature regulation, creating a significant risk of battery overheating and potential fire. The vehicle is currently at a Tesla-approved collision center. Inspection is still in progress. The vehicle has been reviewed by Tesla Service Center technicians and insurance representatives. Safety concern: Tesla FSD failed to detect and avoid a large, visible whole truck tire in the center of the highway lane at night, resulting in significant underbody damage, complete coolant loss, and cooling pump failure — posing serious battery fire risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755028August 5, 2026
AIR BAGS
Description of Safety Incident:The front passenger safety restraint system failed, displaying the warning alert: "Seats - Front passenger safety restraint system fault / Service is required." This alert disables or suppresses the front passenger airbag and seatbelt restraint system, creating a direct safety hazard for front-seat occupants.Service History & Recurring Defect:On February 26, 2025 (at 50,596 miles), Tesla Service Center diagnosed an open circuit in the front passenger seat harness/back frame. Under Service Bulletin / SRS Warranty, Tesla replaced the front seat back, seat harness assembly (PN: 1489060-03-G), occupancy sensor (PN: 1099592-00-F), and SBR sensor clip (PN: 1130363-00-B). On August 1, 2026 (at 63,583 miles)—less than 13,000 miles after the initial replacement—the exact same safety restraint system fault recurred.Safety Concern:The front passenger seat harness and Occupant Classification System (OCS) appear to suffer from design strain, pinching, or premature wiring degradation during normal seat movement. Because this defect disables critical safety restraint components and recurs shortly after replacement, I am submitting this report to request a federal safety review and investigation regarding Tesla Model Y front passenger seat wiring harness integrity.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755007August 5, 2026
SUSPENSION
The control arms are defective on this vehicle for the second time. I began hearing a clunking sound when I would turned the vehicle in July 2026. When the sound got louder and sharp left turns felt less controlled, I took the vehicle to a local independent tire repair shop immediately. They told me the left control arm was cracking badly, so I made an appointment with Tesla. Tesla is currently replacing my control arms for the second time. They also found additional suspension issues with the sway bar links. Previously, I experienced total control arm failure in November 2024 when the vehicle had less than 14,000 miles and was less than a year old. This resulted in the car being towed to the Tesla service center for complete control arm replacement. This jeopardized the safety of both myself and other drivers as I had no control of the vehicle’s steering. In July 2026, when I started to hear the same sounds indicating control arm failure, I brought the vehicle into a repair facility immediately to get it diagnosed to prevent such a dangerous incident from happening to me again. This is a serious defect in the 2023 Model Y, and upon research I discovered there are numerous control arm complaints, making this vehicle defect a hazard to potentially millions of drivers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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