Tesla Model Y Complaints (2023)

1,194 consumer complaints on file.

#11774551October 29, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Drove approximately 19 miles to my destination. Approximately 15 miles were highway. When I got there I was making a u-turn to park and my steering wheel got stiff and the car could barely move making a loud crunching sound. I got out of the car and looked under and what seems to be the link that connects the steering to my left wheel was hanging off the car. Later I found the two bolts that held it together on the ground. Made me think of the 15 miles I just traveled to get there. We were lucky!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11774296October 28, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION
I was backing out of a parking spot and as I shifted to driving forward I heard a loud bang from the front driver's side wheel well. I got out to see what had happened, expecting a flat tire, but nothing visually appeared wrong. So I got back into the vehicle and started to drive away again, I could drive straight or turn left, but if I tried to turn right it made loud grinding noises. I slowly drove around the parking but quickly determined the vehicle was unsafe and undriveable at that point. Additionally, I found a large bolt on the ground near where I had driven the vehicle. I no longer have the bolt, because the service center kept it. I arranged to have the vehicle towed to a local Tesla Service Center where they discovered "the front left lower lateral link bolt was missing and the remaining bolt was loose". After having the vehicle repaired, I discovered that this exact issue has been documented and resulted in NHTSA Recall Campaign 22V895000 / Tesla Bulletin SB-22-31-002 (improperly torqued lateral link fasteners). I requested a refund for the towing and repair cost, but was told that there are no active recalls on my VIN. I believe the scope of the active recall is too limited and clearly the issue exists beyond the currently recalled vehicles and should be expanded.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11774018October 27, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the Full Self-Driving software was downloaded and caused the computer to become inoperable. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V002000 (Back Over Prevention, Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. Additionally, the contact associated the failure with SB-25-00-001. The dealer was contacted. The contact requested a complete diagnostic log from the dealer. However, the dealer had not provided the full log or accompanying pictures due to proprietary terms and conditions. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773781October 26, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I recall Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) being engaged throughout the trip. While negotiating the curved highway interchange, I experienced an unexpected, sharp steering movement toward the concrete roadway barrier that I did not intend. The vehicle collided with the barrier, multiple airbags deployed, and the vehicle sustained extensive damage, including apparent steering/suspension damage. The vehicle was rendered undrivable. I obtained the dashcam footage and Tesla's vehicle data export. The available records show self-driving features marked "Available" and "Unavailable" in the seconds preceding collision detection, with cruise control recorded as "Standby." A lane-departure/take-control warning was also recorded shortly before impact. These records raise questions about whether FSD unexpectedly disengaged, whether automated steering contributed to the vehicle's movement, and whether adequate warning was provided.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773531October 25, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION
Noticed a clunking noise from the front of car. Put in a service request via the Tesla app. It said it was fin to drive and made an appointment for 2 weeks later. 1 week later, there was a very loud noise and settling of the car. 2 bolts were on the ground and the left front wheel lost steering control. The bolts secure the lower control arm. This would have been catastrophic if it had occurred while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773222October 23, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I am reporting a serious safety-related malfunction involving my 2023 Tesla Model Y, which has approximately 55,000 miles. The incident involved multiple vehicle systems, including the front drive motor, propulsion system, traction control, stability control, steering assistance, and braking-related functions. Prior to the incident, I noticed a water-sloshing sound coming from underneath the vehicle, possibly near the rocker panels, following heavy rainfall. After driving for approximately five minutes and parking, I received multiple warning messages indicating that traction control, stability control, and automatic emergency braking were unavailable. Approximately two hours later, I returned to the vehicle, and the warnings had temporarily disappeared. However, about halfway through my next drive, multiple warnings suddenly reappeared, and the vehicle’s driving and braking behavior changed significantly. The regenerative braking stopped functioning, causing the vehicle to continue rolling when I released the accelerator instead of slowing down as expected. When I applied the brake pedal, I experienced unusual vibrations, increased braking effort, and abnormal noises during braking. This was extremely concerning because it affected my ability to slow down and stop the vehicle normally, creating a potential risk of a collision. I documented the following warning messages with photographs: * DI_a138: Front motor disabled * DI_a223: Traction control disabled * DI_a222: Stability control disabled * GTW_w074: Steering assist reduced * DIR_a062: Propulsive power reduced * APP_w009: Automatic Emergency Braking unavailable Due to the seriousness of these malfunctions, the vehicle was towed to an authorized Tesla Service Center for inspection. But the issue was not resolved as they were not able to reproduce the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772974October 22, 2026
SUSPENSION
While driving normally, the vehicle experienced a sudden mechanical failure without any prior warning or dashboard alerts. We heard a loud clunking noise followed immediately by a very loud "pop" or banging sound. Upon pulling over safely, we discovered that two large bolts had completely detached and fallen out from the front suspension assembly. Furthermore, structural components underneath the vehicle were visibly fractured, cracked, and hanging down. The vehicle was completely disabled and unsafe to operate, requiring and immediate flatbed tow directly to the Tesla Service Center. This failure matches the precise parameters of the active National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation, Preliminary Evaluation PE26006, opened on July 29, 2026, regarding front lower lateral link detachments and fractures in 2021-2023 Model Y vehicles. Current Vehicle Status: The vehicle is currently at the Tesla Service Center awaiting fully diagnosis and structural repair assessment. Photos of the detached bolts and the cracked hanging structural components have been fully preserved as physical evidence.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773102October 22, 2026
SUSPENSION, STEERING
A large bolt completely detached from the drivers side suspension. The vehicle made scraping noises when turning. Tesla confirmed lateral link bolt and brushing damage. The vehicle required towing. There has been no previous suspension or steering work.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772430October 20, 2026
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that upon pulling out of the driveway, there was an abnormal screeching sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that extra effort was need to steer the vehicle to the left. After turning the steering wheel to the right, the vehicle dipped several inches. Upon exiting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the front upper control arm was hanging down due to a loosened bolt. Due to the failure, the vehicle towed to a Tesla Service Center. Upon speaking to a technician at the Service Center, the contact was informed that the dealer had never heard of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered and associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: PE26006 (Suspension). The vehicle remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771994October 19, 2026
SUSPENSION
While driving at low speed entering a parking lot, I heard a sudden loud noise and two structural bolts (grade 10.9 flange bolts) fell from the front of the vehicle. I brought the car to a stop inside the lot and had it towed. Tesla Service Fremont diagnosed that a front lower lateral link fastener had 'backed out,' which damaged the front subframe and the left front halfshaft. Tesla replaced the front subframe assembly, left front halfshaft, front lower lateral links, front lower compliance links, and front aero shield at no charge under Goodwill. There was no warning before the failure. A detached front lateral link fastener at highway speed can cause sudden loss of steering control. Tesla has issued multiple prior recalls for front suspension fasteners backing out or being under-torqued (2020, 2021, 2022, and September 2026), but none covers this vehicle, a November 2023 Fremont build.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772276October 19, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving on the highway, both rear door windows (driver’s side and passenger’s side) suddenly shattered while fully closed. I reviewed the vehicle’s camera footage and could not identify any impact or object striking the glass. The shattered glass scattered throughout the vehicle and into the occupants’ hair and clothing, creating a safety hazard while driving at highway speed. The glass also caused too many scratches to the rear doors and rear side panels of the vehicle, requiring paint repairs. I am reporting this incident as a potential vehicle safety defect and requesting that NHTSA document and review it to determine whether similar incidents have occurred in other Tesla Model Y vehicles (especially 2023)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771973October 18, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After purchase, the vehicle’s camera system behaved intermittently and unreliably. Camera views would malfunction or fail to display properly on the vehicle screen. This affects visibility while reversing and parking and may affect camera-based driver-assistance features. I am concerned because the vehicle was later identified by Tesla as salvage, and I do not know whether prior damage or repairs contributed to the camera/electrical malfunction. No crash, fire, injury, or fatality occurred. Audi Lafayette currently has the vehicle and is transporting it to a Tesla Service Center in New Orleans for a safety inspection. The vehicle is therefore available for inspection through Audi Lafayette and Tesla. Video evidence of the intermittent camera malfunction is available upon request but could not be uploaded with this submission.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771589October 16, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and struck an occupied parked vehicle ahead. Upon shifting into Reverse (R), the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to strike the front bumper of a parked and unoccupied USPS truck, which then struck a parked, unoccupied vehicle. The contact engaged the electric parking brake to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the forward collision avoidance system failed to engage to prevent the collisions. The front driver's side air bag failed to deploy as expected. The vehicle sustained rear-end damage. The vehicle was towed to an auto collision center, where a superficial diagnostic inspection was performed, and the contact was informed that no failure was found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a Tesla Service center and to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 30,616.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771521October 15, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On October 7, 2026 at about 5:01 PM, on I-75 near Acworth, Georgia, in clear daylight, my 2023 Tesla Model Y was operating with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged at about 76 mph. The vehicle moved from a general traffic lane into an express lane that was closed, and continued toward physical barricades and an impact attenuator at the end of the closed lane. At least three advance signs indicated the express lanes were closed, including an overhead gantry reading EXPRESS LANES CLOSED directly ahead, and the word EXPRESS was painted on the pavement under the vehicle. The vehicle did not slow, issued no warning or takeover request, and made no evasive maneuver. I avoided the barricades with a reflexive steering input. At that moment there was a concrete divider on my left, a tractor-trailer in the lane to my right, and, as I learned only from the footage afterwards, a vehicle following in the lane I moved into. There was no collision and no injury. Tesla's own vehicle data export confirms the sequence. The Self-Driving state was ACTIVE_FSD continuously from 3:53 PM until 5:01:09 PM, when it changed to UNAVAILABLE in the middle of a rising steering torque (0.42 to 0.92 Nm, peaking at 2.01 Nm). That is consistent with a driver override, not a handover request. No automatic emergency braking event, forward collision warning or takeover alert is recorded in the surrounding two minutes. Speed was 76 mph before the intervention and 63 mph six seconds later, with no brake event. I have preserved all six dashcam cameras for the six minutes around the event, the vehicle data export, and a recording of the in-car dashcam viewer showing "70 MPH, Self-Driving" shortly before the event. The vehicle received a software update on October 11, so I cannot confirm the FSD version active on October 7. Tesla's support interface cited FSD v14.3.11 and software 2026.33.5. When I reported this through the Tesla app, it directed me to submit a bug report and report to NHTSA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771140October 14, 2026
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On 09/24/2026 at approximately 4:41 PM, my 2023 Tesla Model Y drifted toward the center divider. When I attempted to steer right, away from the divider, the steering felt locked and unresponsive, and the vehicle struck the divider at approximately 24 mph. Airbags did not deploy; no injuries. Vehicle data obtained from Tesla shows: cruise control was engaged approximately 7 seconds before impact and disengaged approximately 2 seconds before impact; about 1.5 seconds before my rightward steering correction, the steering wheel swung hard left (~24°) without driver input; I then applied rightward steering effort and the wheel turned right (up to ~91°) while I was braking; the vehicle displayed "Take control immediately — vehicle departing lane" at the moment of the event; after impact it reported "Automatic Emergency Braking is unavailable" and "Autopilot cameras unavailable." Damage was repaired at a cost of $11,467.75. I am reporting this because the steering behavior — the unexplained leftward swing and the unresponsive steering when I attempted to steer away — suggests a possible defect in the steering or lane-keeping system that could affect other vehicles.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770929October 13, 2026
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On October 13, 2026, at approximately 1:30 PM, my 2023 Tesla Model Y was operating with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) engaged on I-595 in Davie, Florida. While approaching a closed Express Lane entrance, the vehicle steered toward the end of a swing gate barrier marked "DO NOT ENTER" and collided with it. The impact damaged the lower left portion of the windshield. No injuries were reported. The incident was captured by the vehicle's dashcam. Florida Highway Patrol attended the scene, reviewed the footage, and documented the collision. The vehicle's steering behavior while FSD was engaged raises concerns about its ability to recognize and safely respond to closed lane entrances and physical road barriers. The incident has been reported to Tesla, with a request to preserve relevant vehicle data and investigate the FSD behavior. No technical findings have been provided yet.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770385October 11, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
i was driving Tesla in full self driving and when it parked halfway in the garage and as soon as tried to take control It dashed into my garage inner walls and went through it within a fraction of a second. It was out of control.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770337October 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Subject: Urgent Safety Defect: Post-Disengagement Touchscreen Prompt Causes Acute Driver Distraction Feature Involved: Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Post-Takeover Feedback Modal Safety Concern: When a driver manually disengages FSD (Supervised), it is almost always because the vehicle entered a complex, unexpected, or hazardous scenario that demanded immediate human intervention. At the exact second the driver assumes physical control of the vehicle—when 100% of driver visual attention and cognitive bandwidth must be on the roadway—the center display flashes a persistent multi-choice survey requesting feedback on why the disengagement occurred. The Hazard: Visual Diversion During Critical Moments: Presenting bright, interactive UI cards requiring glance time and manual touch interaction immediately after a takeover directly contradicts basic human-factors engineering and crash avoidance principles. Cognitive Overload: Instead of stabilizing the vehicle in manual control, the driver's attention is competed for by an on-screen prompt asking for data categorization. UI Contradiction: While the cabin camera actively penalizes drivers for split-second glances away from the road, the vehicle OS simultaneously prompts the driver to look at and touch the center screen during the most dangerous phase of a driving sequence. Requested Remediation: Provide a toggle under Controls > Autopilot to disable post-disengagement prompts entirely (e.g., "Prompt for Takeover Feedback: OFF"), or suppress all on-screen interactive surveys until the vehicle is placed in Park. Driver telemetry collection should never compromise active collision avoidance. --- This issues happens whenever disengaging fsd. Its not a one time thing. They have updated the software in my car multiple times but haven't fixed this. My location doesn't matter, speed doesn't matter. They added it in an update after more that two years of using the car and I cannot get rid of it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770372October 10, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) on El Camino Real in San Bruno, California, my Model Y approached the vehicle ahead dangerously closely before abruptly braking to a stop. I did not initiate the braking. It appeared to be automatic emergency braking, but the system responsible has not been confirmed by Tesla. No collision occurred. I was not pressing the accelerator. However, the approximately two-minute video shows an accelerator indicator active for a prolonged period, including during slowing, stopping and lane changes. I am concerned that the indicated accelerator input did not match my actual input. I cannot determine whether this was a display, pedal-sensing or FSD/software issue. I reported this to Tesla Service Burlingame and attached the video to my service request. Tesla initially recommended restarting the touchscreen and subsequently issued a $325 general diagnostic estimate. Tesla stated it would not inspect the vehicle without approval of that estimate. I have not authorized paid diagnostics, and the safety concern remains unresolved. I requested preservation of vehicle logs and technical escalation. Please investigate the near-collision, the braking intervention and the apparent accelerator-input discrepancy. The incident occurred at about 9 a.m.; speed was approximately 20-30 mph. I tentatively recall FSD version 14.3.xx, but cannot confirm it. The exact vehicle software version, incident mileage, warning information and source interface of the accelerator indicator are unknown. I have not completed an on-site Tesla inspection. The video, Tesla correspondence and diagnostic estimate are available upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11770373October 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This is my 13th complaint regarding this car. When I drive out of internet connection, the car switches to "navigating offline" and is pretty inaccurate, even if the destination showed while I had connectivity. Tesla makes you pay for "premium connectivity" to get apps that you may already have a subscription or phone access to. I do not have premium connectivity and was under the assumption that I would not be stranded if I drove out of internet range. But it has happened to me before, especially in the mountains. Since the car has to be towed if it gets a flat, and TESLA "always" knows where my car is, I consider it a safety concern (especially as a single woman) to be out of contact. I drove to Big Bend National Park on 9.27.26 and returned on 10.4.26 and had several instances of "navigating offline"
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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