Tesla Model Y Complaints

4,325 consumer complaints on file.

#11719082February 19, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
On January 9th my wife got into an accident in our 2022 Tesla Model Y vehicle. She reported that as she was backing out of a prking spot in a strip mall, the vrhicle suddenly accelerated backward involuntarely which resulted in colliding with a vehicle which was approaching from the rear side. My wife reported the speed was so violent that she felt dizziness. When she took the car bto the Tesla shop for repair by the insurance, the Tesla repair people discounted her reporting and did not do any follow-up to investigate the issue. Note the onboard camera recorded the swift movement of the vehicle and I will try to upload it. We have read that such problem was looked into by the NTHSA in the past and that it is being revisited again. Note that that Tesla has determined the vehicle as being totalled and has kept it at their shop. Please let us know your thoughts on this matter so if this is a serious problem that it can be addressed so it won't happen to others. My wif was lucky she didn't get hurt and also she didn''t heart others. Please note I am currently traveling out of the country and will be be back in the US on March 12, 2026. You can contact me via my email or I will be available for phone conversation on the indicated date. Also please note I could not upload the recording of the on board camera because of the format incompatibility. THe phone number included is my wife's and please feel free to contact her.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718949February 18, 2026
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On January 28, 2026, the vehicle (a Tesla Model Y) was operating with the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system actively engaged in normal highway traffic conditions. Without any prior warning messages, chimes, or system alerts, the FSD system abruptly disengaged approximately 1 second before the vehicle steered into a concrete road divider. Component failed: The Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and underlying perception/control systems failed to maintain the lane and abruptly handed over control with insufficient time to react. The vehicle and its data are available for inspection. Safety risk: The sudden, sub-second disengagement provided the driver with zero time to react, take manual control, or perform an evasive maneuver. This system failure directly resulted in a high-speed collision with a road divider, causing significant vehicle damage and physical injuries to the driver that required medical treatment. Inspection/Confirmation: The vehicle is currently subject to an open insurance claim and has been evaluated for repair. Warnings: There were no warning lamps, messages, or requests for the driver to take over prior to the immediate 1-second window before the crash. Evidence: I have downloaded and preserved the complete Event Data Record (EDR) and the multi-angle dashcam video files. The EDR data mathematically documents the sub-second disengagement, and the video files confirm normal traffic flow with no external hazards forcing the collision. I can provide the EDR PDF and video files to NHTSA investigators immediately upon request.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11718882February 18, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Tesla decided to remove the safety unlock illuminated button from its front trunk (frunk) sometime in mid 2025. This can be a safety issue which was present in earlier models and against the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 401, mandating an interior release mechanism for enclosed trunks to prevent entrapment. I contacted Tesla and they told me that my vehicle was made after Tesla decided to remove this safety feature.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718843February 18, 2026
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
The car suddenly reduced lane assistance and steering assistance functionality. After calling Tesla they said it is not a software issue. I checked the service mode and it indicated a malfunction in the steering assist motor, which apparently costs $3500 to replace. Online, I have found many complaints about this problem that are not resolved by software updates. In addition, there was a large number used steering assist motors for sale online which indicates a more wide spread problem. This is not normal for cars to have this failure prematurely and is a serious safety hazard. I read online that some had their steering EPAS get locked while driving on the highway and nearly destroyed their Teslas
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718825February 18, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I was driving with the car in Autopilot in the center lane of the highway. I could see a white vehicle move close on my right, and I confirmed that it had crossed over into my lane with both its front and back left wheels on my Tesla screen with a quick glance. I then tried to maneuver to the left lane (which my screen showed was clear) but the steering wheel had significant tension. All of a sudden, I heard the chime signaling that Autopilot disengaged, the car jerked hard, and my car was headed toward the median. I swerved quickly to the right and hydroplaned. As I straightened out, my vehicle hit a vehicle in the right hand lane. The strong tension followed by jerk and quick release of tension prevented me from having full control of my vehicle. I believe that if Autopilot had not been engaged, I could have safely moved into the left lane with control. The police arrived but I was very shaken up and simply said I swerved to avoid a car in my lane but in retrospect wish that I had gone into detail. I’d also like to note that I have a clean driving record, was not in a hurry, did not have loud music on, had both hands on the wheel at 10 and 2 o’clock, and was focused on the road.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718717February 18, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH:EMERGENCY MECHANICAL RELEASE
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the model year was advertised with a front trunk emergency release and interior lighting. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle, the contact became aware that the vehicle was not designed with the front trunk emergency release or interior lighting, which the contact considered a safety issue and a violation of FMVSS No. 401. The Tesla Service Center was contacted and confirmed that the model year and other vehicles were no longer designed with the missing parts. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 570.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718535February 17, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH into a parking spot, the contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop. The vehicle drove over a parking bump, struck a bench, and the automatic emergency braking system engaged, preventing the vehicle from hitting the wall. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that she had back pains, but was unsure whether they were related to the failure. There was no medical attention received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who test-drove the vehicle. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not equipped with a manual parking brake; however, the brakes were functioning normally according to the computer, and to wait for corporate's report before taking the vehicle to a collision center for front-end repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened an investigation. The contact was informed that the vehicle was safe to drive. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11718301February 16, 2026
STEERING
front subframe and both front lateral links came loose due to welded nut not present
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718296February 16, 2026
SUSPENSION
Vehicle experienced front suspension lateral link failure. The links separated from the sub-frame due to improperly secured fasteners. This is the exact defect described in existing recall SB-21-31-003 / NHTSA Campaign 21V835000. The existing recall states 'front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen, allowing the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame.' This vehicle has this identical manufacturing defect but was not included in the recall database. Tesla Service confirmed the links 'fell out' and separated from the sub-frame at approximately 65,000 miles. Technician notes indicate a 'speed mismatch between wheel and motor' caused by the link separation - this is the symptom of the underlying fastener defect. The failure resulted in loss of steering control and made the vehicle undriveable (VOR - Vehicle Off Road). This is a safety-critical manufacturing defect affecting front suspension, creating crash risk due to sudden loss of vehicle stability and control. Owner is being charged for repair of a known manufacturing defect that should have been covered under the existing recall. This suggests the recall scope was too narrow and did not capture all affected vehicles with this defect. Request investigation into whether recall should be expanded to include additional affected vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718163February 15, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The vehicle has a phantom breaking problem. It does that 3 times daily on the same route in the same place. This is a big safety flag. It has the same problem on the Autopilot & normal cruise control.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718141February 15, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On December 30th, 2025, my wife experienced a serious and unexpected safety event while using Autosteer in one of our Tesla Model Y cars (we own two of them). The version of the vehicle software in use was v12 (2025.26.8) and the Full Self Driving (Supervised) Software was v12.6.4. The vehicle came to a complete stop at a red traffic light on northbound San Gabriel Blvd in Pasadena at the intersection that controls entry to the I-210 West. After waiting for approximately 55 seconds, Autosteer initiated forward movement into the intersection while the traffic light was still red. The vehicle’s movement was not caused by driver input. My wife’s feet were away from the pedals at the time. There was no visible lead vehicle movement or other obvious external trigger. Fortunately, my wife was attentive and immediately disengaged Autosteer, brought the vehicle to a stop, and carefully reversed back into a safe position. Moments later, multiple fast-moving vehicles crossed the intersection in front of her path. Had she not intervened promptly, there was a realistic risk of a serious side-impact collision. This serious incident was reported to Tesla on 12/30/2025 including a video of the incident. In my correspondence, I requested that all relevant vehicle telemetry, Autosteer/FSD logs, and any uploaded video associated with this time and location be preserved and reviewed. As of today (7 weeks later) they have not followed up with me. The 18-second video was recorded by an independently installed Viofo dashcam, which clearly shows: . the vehicle stopped at a red light, . the light remaining red, . and the vehicle beginning to move forward unexpectedly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718136February 15, 2026
SUSPENSION
The upper control arm bolt came loose on its own.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718061February 15, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION
like many have mentioned, the control arm bolt came off or broke. [XXX] / [XXX] / [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718057February 15, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is no frunk emergency release button in this version of Juniper Model Y
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717825February 13, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Rear-end collision. My Tesla impacted the rear of another vehicle at approximately 15–18 mph. No forward collision warning observed. Owner-provided data shows AEB status as SNA. Impact is such that the car is totaled.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717781February 13, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
HV failure failed on 2/12/26 @ 62k miles. Multiple errors (BMS_d265 Replacebatterypack, BMS_a079_Max_charge_limit_exceeded, and BMS_a029_dSOC_limiting. Frequent errors while driving, especially during acceleration on highway which were confusing/distracting. The errors seem to indicate danger with the vehicle and to not charge the vehicle/limit the charge to prevent further damage to the vehicle/surroundings. Took into service center on 2/13/26. Confirmed need a replacement HV Pack.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717701February 12, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
At approximately 5:50 PM on Feb 12, 2026, a collision occurred while the vehicle was under the control of "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)." While parked in a commercial lot, I engaged FSD to initiate a route home. A stationary semi-truck was positioned behind my vehicle. Upon engagement, the FSD system failed to detect the presence of the stationary truck. The vehicle initiated a rearward/lateral maneuver at a speed of 1 mph, directly striking the corner of the semi-truck. Safety Failure Details: The collision resulted in significant damage to the right rear quarter panel and associated sensors of my Tesla Model Y. Dashcam footage and system telemetry confirm that FSD was active (Supervised mode) during the entire duration of the maneuver. The system's occupancy network and vision suite failed to identify a large, stationary object within its immediate path of travel at a crawl speed. Request for Investigation: I am reporting a critical failure of the FSD software’s object detection and path planning capabilities. The system commanded a movement into a clear obstruction without issuing any takeover alerts or applying emergency braking, despite the low speed and high visibility of the obstacle.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717602February 12, 2026
SUSPENSION
Front driver side lower control arm bolts came off without external forces. Both bolts fell off with no damage to the threads. Tesla service stated that upon inspection of their technician it is determined that the front left lower link bolt was either not properly seated or missing which caused a defective front lower link bushing. (I included a screenshot of their finding). The damage was caused by this defective part leading to the car not being unsafe and inoperable due to no steering and no drive as well as wheel literally coming off the car while in motion. Luckily I was simply backing into my driveway when this failure happened narrowly avoiding a potential life threatening accident. I have researched that this was a known issue for my exact make and model just months before my car was purchased in march 2022. I have attached the document "Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V-835. Unfortunately, Tesla refuses to admit the defect when it was time to pay for the repairs despite clearly admitting it on their initial inspection, leaving me with the repair bill.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717572February 12, 2026
SUSPENSION
Front driver side lower control arm bolts came off without external forces. Both bolts fell off with no damage to the threads. Tesla service stated that they were possible not seated or missing per their inspection. Further er damage was caused by this defective part leading to the car not being operable due to no steering and no drive as well as wheel literally coming off the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717446February 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle Information 2025 Tesla Model Y Approx. 30,000 miles Purchased new ~11 months ago Incident Description While driving at highway speed, the front trunk (frunk/hood) of my 2025 Tesla Model Y unexpectedly opened. The hood immediately flew upward, flipped backward over the windshield, and shattered the windshield. The frunk had not been opened in approximately two weeks prior to the incident. The vehicle had not undergone recent service or repair involving the hood or latch assembly. There were no prior warnings or alerts indicating that the frunk was unlatched or not latched properly before driving. The hood appeared fully closed prior to the trip. However, after the incident once we pulled over, a bolt was completely out of place, as shown in my video. Even if the primary latch was faulty, the secondary latch / catch should have prevented the hood from opening all the way and slamming the windshield. This failure to notify improper latching created an immediate and total obstruction of forward visibility at highway speed and posed a serious crash risk. The vehicle has approximately 30,000 miles and is less than one year old. Given Tesla’s prior recall related to hood latch detection issues, I am concerned that either: •The latch system failed mechanically, and/or •The vehicle failed to properly detect and warn of an unlatched hood. This is a significant safety event and could result in serious injury or death if it occurs in traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Tesla Model Y