Tesla Model Y Complaints

4,325 consumer complaints on file.

#11674618July 18, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owned a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while shifting the vehicle into drive (D), the vehicle inadvertently accelerated. The contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle was gaining forward momentum. Additionally, the steering wheel would not turn right or left. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle gained speed and crashed through a chain link fence and drove into an alley. The contact stated that the air bags deployed. The contact stated that the vehicle then crashed into a building wall and finally stopped. The contact stated he had abrasions on both hands from the air bag. The contact stated he was treated by EMT on scene. The fire department and police were also at the scene. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and declared a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11674470July 18, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in the Standard Mode or in Cruise Mode, depressing the brake pedal, there was a delay with the brake lights illuminating. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the taillights were functioning properly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674418July 18, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While attempting to park my Tesla, I accidentally struck another vehicle’s side step with the front passenger side of my car. The other vehicle was not damaged, but my Tesla sustained visible damage. The vehicle’s camera system failed to detect or display the side step, giving the impression that there was sufficient clearance. As a result, I relied on what I believed to be accurate visual guidance from the Tesla camera system. During a follow-up visit to the Tesla Service Center in Gilroy, California, I was told that similar incidents have occurred before. According to the technicians, the camera system has known limitations in detecting low-profile or side-mounted obstacles, such as running boards or side steps. This presents a significant safety concern. Tesla vehicles rely heavily on cameras and sensors for driver awareness, particularly during parking maneuvers. When key blind spots exist in the system—especially in areas the driver may not be able to visually confirm easily—it puts both property and people at risk. Drivers are conditioned to trust the vehicle’s spatial guidance systems, but in this case, that trust may lead to preventable accidents. Given Tesla’s growing market share and the increasing use of its camera-based safety and autonomy features, I believe this issue could affect many other drivers. It may warrant broader review to determine whether a design or software update is necessary to improve detection of low-profile obstacles and better inform drivers in parking scenarios.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673834July 15, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
It is impossible to disable automatic emergency, breaking system permanently. The vehicle brakes strongly and abruptly causing the cars behind to slam on their brakes and potentially cause accidents. Every time I disable it, it comes back on next time we get into the car. There has been several instances where the vehicle hit the brakes really hard, even if there was nothing in front of it.. I was told that this is happening because Tesla does not use sensors but realize on cameras for these features and it can be quite wrong. I don’t know how to drive this car safely because the car makes decisions for me. Since it happens all the time, I’m having to keep my foot on the gas, and when it slams on the brakes, I counter it by pressing the gas pedal. The incident date is just an estimate, but it happens all the time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673710July 15, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
While driving along a few roads using Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) or AutoPilot (AP), the car will suddenly brake for no reason at all. Speeds reduced from 75 to 50 in 2 seconds. Had there been a car close behind me, we may have collided. I am able to reproduce this on several other roads as well. I have not yet reported this to the manufacturer, but a review of internet forums shows this to be a relatively common occurrence among owners. They refer to this as Phantom Braking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673374July 14, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Incident Date: July 12, 2025 Approximate Time: 1:30 PM Vehicle: 2026 Tesla Model Y Location: I‑75 South express lane toward I‑285 East, Marietta, GA Event Summary: While Autopilot was engaged, the vehicle was entering the exit ramp to I‑285 East when it abruptly veered left into the I‑285 West entrance ramp, against traffic, crashing through two “no entry” security gates. I was able to safely bring the vehicle to a stop before entering oncoming traffic. Crash Details: • The vehicle struck two barrier gates. • Impact shattered the windshield, spraying glass across the cabin. • Both my son and I sustained small cuts from glass shards. • Vehicle was rendered undrivable and had to be towed by authorities to a secure facility.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11673191July 13, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On Memorial Day weekend, my car was parked outside, and apparently back passenger window was left open, which caused the backseat area of the car to be soaked in water. We noticed that in the morning, and parked the car inside the garage, and kept the door and windows open so it could dry quickly. However, a few hours later, around 4:30 pm, the car caught fire while parked in the garage. We called 911 right away and quickly using two fire extinguishers, quickly put out the fire. The Frisco Fire Department opened up the investigation, and I believe they concluded the cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit due to water or battery-related issues. The fire incident occurred inside the garage, which could have potentially burned the entire house. However, due to the brave actions of my [XXX] , we put the fire out, but he ended up in the hospital due to severe smoke inhalation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11673133July 13, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving on the freeway in the fast lane using FSD (full self driving). The car attempted to merge into another Tesla in the lane to my right. I immediately took over control and pressed on the brake to prevent a high speed accident. At that speed the car almost totally lost control. My friend and I could easily have died. We both felt the car just tried to kill us.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673112July 13, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I was driving with FSD on [XXX] and had to intervene to take control when a bumper showed up on the road. When FSD was driving in standard mode, it was driving at 72 miles/ hr and was too close to the prior car. When the prior car quickly dodged the bumper my car was already too close to the bumper and needed to make a quick turn. The car almost rolled over. Dashcam video: [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
#11672542July 10, 2025
STEERING
Making a right turn and heard a pop sound. Pulled into a parking lot immediately found the steering arm dropped and shortly after a large bolt fell out. There is supposed to be 2 bolts holding up each side, one bolt was already missing. Event occurred without incident. Normal street driving at a low speed turn.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672510July 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car computer (HW3) in my 2023 Tesla Model Y failed without warning while I was traveling from Maryland to New Jersey. When I attempted to drive the car, the main screen was completely black and unresponsive, meaning I could not see or control any essential functions—no speed display, gear indicator, or system feedback. The vehicle was not drivable. Acceleration was extremely delayed (took more than 10 seconds to start moving from stop) when attempting to move, and the car felt like it could stop at any moment without warning. I had no way to safely monitor or control the vehicle’s basic operation. This created a serious safety risk—not only was I unable to access the gear or speed, but the vehicle was in a condition where it could shut down suddenly at any time due to the computer failure. This left me stranded while away from home and could have resulted in dangerous situations if I had been on the road when it failed. Tesla Service inspected the vehicle and confirmed the issue was an internal fault in the car computer (HW3), diagnosed by their senior technician. They provided a repair estimate of approximately $3,000. No police, insurance, or other third parties have inspected the vehicle. There were no warning messages, alerts, or symptoms before the failure occurred. It happened suddenly and completely at around 59,000 miles—just 9,000 miles past the basic warranty limit. The failed computer is being fixed by Tesla service center in Paramus, NJ location.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672278July 9, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while reversing out of the garage, the message "Camera Temporarily Not Available" was displayed intermittently. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened, and the rearview camera had become inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that a software update notification was displayed; however, upon initiating the update, the center display screen froze in the middle of the update. Additionally, the contact stated that the front and rearview cameras, the navigation system, the cruise control mode, and distant cruise control mode, the blind spot detection system, the self-driving assist system, and other safety systems were inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle appeared stationary on the center display even while driving. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center, where it was diagnosed and determined that the computer system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672036July 8, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Was driving in rain, had windshield wipers on, suddenly windshield wipers stopped working; could not see through windshield because of the rain; almost had collision before being able to move to the side of the road to safety. Cost $255 to have windshield wipers repaired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672082July 8, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Response: All 3 times has been with a faulty inverter 2)How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Response: Safety was a HUGE concern. The Tesla model Y has stalled and completely shut down while driving through traffic and at speed. The complete failure did not allow any coasting to try and get out of harms way. 3) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Response: All 3 times this issue has occurred were all serviced by Tesla directly and has always been a faulty inverter. 4) Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Response: Yes, all 3 times the car failed the car was assessed by Tesla's service station Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? 5) Yes, the first 2 times the warning appeared there was only a matter of seconds before the car completely stopped in the middle of traffic. This last time there was a warning stating the car will not restart if stopped.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672022July 8, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
car has a improperly installed windshield, it got cracked while sitting in a covered parking lot on June24th,2025. the hottest day of season with 100 + degrees temperature,Crack was very small in the middle of windshield size3” x 3” and got bigger waiting for Tesla’s appointment.When i went to Tesla today for replacement of windshield they just gave me the run around and denied to replace under warranty. This is a manufacturing defect as there is nothing else but a crack . Tesla should be fined for big time and ordered to fix it under warranty. There are so many customers who have the same problem.The crack never happened with any outside influence .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671817July 7, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was using the self driving in about 65 miles per hour this was little bit under speed limit in highway in Florida. Suddenly the car started to do zig zags and cycles alone and when I tried to control the car and drive my self the car didn’t respond to me and self driving couldn’t be stopped I couldn’t switch to regular driver this was self driving malfunction and could cause big accident in a highway. The car stopped because it took me out of the road and hit the guardrail.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671580July 7, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that his wife drove to a nearby park and while attempting to leave the park, the vehicle was started, and after his wife put her son and daughter in the vehicle, the vehicle shut off unintendedly and all the doors locked. The doors failed to open with the mobile card or the manual key. The contact stated that the manual card was inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the temperature control was off inside the vehicle and the screen was inoperable. There were no reported injuries. The contact broke the window to enter the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The contact called a tow truck, and the vehicle was jumpstarted. The contact stated that the vehicle operated as designed the following day. The contact stated that an unknown local dealer was contacted. The dealer informed the contact to send the data pool. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact to complete a report form. The failure mileage was approximately 88,070.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671053July 3, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
FSD failed to break when another vehicle was making a right turn. I had to take over is a split second. I have dashcam footage but unable to upload in this form.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670914July 2, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
My 2020 Tesla Model Y Long Range/AWD vehicle has 46,000 miles and can no longer recharge its battery (engine) with an approved charger (L2) due to a commonly failed part inside the battery. This part is called PCS (Power Conversion System). This device attached to the Tesla battery is used to convert power from a charger which is AC (household alternating current) into DC (Direct Current) the battery can understand. This error appeared for the first time on [XXX] at [XXX]. This critical part has failed in thousands of Tesla vehicles, some multiple times easily verified by thousands of customer complaints online. The PCS is NOT a consumable part - such as a tire, wiper blades, brake pads, etc. There is nothing the vehicle Owner can do to prevent the PCS failure. The Cost to repair/replace the PCS part(s) is ~ $3,000 and may fail again after replacement. As required by Tesla, I scheduled a service appointment through their phone app, and received an estimate of ~$280.00 to repair my vehicle on June 26, 2025 at the Irvine, CA Tesla Service Center 2801 Barranca Pkwy. After diagnosis, I was informed the cost to fix/repair the PCS part in my vehicle so that I could charge and drive it, would be ~$3,000. The Manager Ryan Sutherland (949) 404-2989, further stated the repair would not be covered under my Vehicle Tesla Warranty (Tesla battery or drive unit warranty that does not expire until [XXX]). I tried to contact Tesla corporate for assistance at [email protected] and did not receive a response but instead was contacted by service manager Ryan Sutherland via email confirming Tesla's warranty position. Tesla is essentially the only service/repair resource available for these vehicles. This repair is obviously due to a faulty/defective PCS or faulty design by Tesla affecting thousands of vehicles and should covered under my vehicle warranty so that it can be driven. [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
#11670843July 2, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Plugged a charger cord for a Garmin watch into the center console USBC right side port. Overnight the USBC port, while connected to the cord but not to the watch or any other device, overheated and melted. It burned the cords male connection into two pieces and melted plastic into the center console. The male end of the cord is now fused into the USBC port of the car. No messages/alerts on the car. Manufacturer inspected and invoiced $970.00 for parts and labor. From forums online this is not the first instance a similar situation has occurred. Assuming paper or another flammable substance was in the console, it would have caught fire
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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