Tesla Model Y Complaints

3,785 consumer complaints on file.

#11536460August 4, 2023
STEERING
This was a brand new vehicle delivered in March 2023. Soon after delivery, we noticed difficulty with the steering - more resistance than expected and a feeling that the wheel was turning through notches as you turned the wheel. Please note, we have owned other Teslas and are familiar with the normal steering effort required and software adjustments available. The problem continued to get worse, until one day in May while out, my wife got into the vehicle to drive and the screen displayed an error "Steering Assist Reduced" and the steering wheel would not turn at all, regardless of effort. She reset the vehicle a few times and got out, then re-entered and after a few minutes the problem went away on its own. She drove it home immediately, and then we had it towed to a service center. The service center determined that the vehicle had a steering rack failure and replaced the steering rack. We asked a service manager for compensation for the issues and Tesla then decided to purchase back the vehicle at the full purchase price.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536423August 4, 2023
STEERING
As I was exiting my parking space I notice the steering wheel was stiff as I tried to navigate a left turn. I could not pull the wheel for a successful turn and to not block traffic I reverse slowly back into the parking spot. I rebooted the vehicle and was successful with no issues. Sent a message to Tesla service regarding incident. Mechanic says to have it towed the next time it happens again. Today for the second time (5 days later) as I try to leave for work the same problem appears. This time a reboot to the vehicle did not solve the issue. Rebooted 2 times and steering wheel was still frozen. Called for roadside assistance. Prior to this, there were warning signs that stated power steering reduced and lane departure off. With those warning signals I have a tesla service appointment scheduled.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536419August 4, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car is Tesla Model Y -2023. Purchased on 11/2022. Not even 1 year the car battery range went down not as Tesla announced. With Model, Y Performance range of 303 miles for 100%. But my car after updating the new Sft on July/2023 a battery range max charge of only 285 miles for 100%. Please have a solution to fine Tesla company by fraud and lying to consumers badly. I cant contact Customer Service. The person who works in customer service never tells a customer their name or introduces themselves. Tesla live chat agent when Heard I mentioned complaining about the battery Range try to run away and gave me to call the the customer service. But I can't reach out to service team.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536168August 2, 2023
STEERING
I received delivery of my new 2023 Model Y at the end of June. About 2 weeks ago, I was driving with my child in the car and at a left turn light. When the light turned green, I attempted to turn and the steering wheel almost completely stopped working. It felt like it was totally locked and with all my force, I was able to turn the car about 10% to avoid running into oncoming traffic. There was an alert for steering assist reduced. However, this was basically a locked steering wheel. The vehicle was towed to the nearest Tesla service center and per their notes, they replaced the steering rack and after test driving, they found an HVIL alert. Per their following notes, vehicle kept HVIL faulting and they had to pull logs and check signals and found that OSC kit was needed at VCFront. Installed OCS kit and alert stopped popping up. When I picked up the vehicle, I emphasized my great concern and how scary the incident was. They told me that if the issue continues, it's a hardware issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536150August 2, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Speed control set to 65MPH car suddenly stops , with nothing in front of it. I needed to step on accelerator to have car move forward. This has happened many times. Safety, I have notified Tesla, They have not corrected problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536146August 2, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 74 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking and decelerated to 20 MPH before returning to normal operation. The contact stated that the failure recurred three times. The contact stated that moments later with the cruise control still activated, the vehicle seemed to enter self-driving mode independently, briefly taking control of the steering wheel. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked erratically as if attempting to avoid a crash however, there was no other vehicles or objects nearby. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 14,600.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536136August 2, 2023
SEATS, AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS
Front passenger safety restraint system fault intermittently appears and disappears. Might be defect of manufacture of harness squezed. Lots of users are complaining about said and manufacture wants $500 to repair what seems to be a recall. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/front-passenger-safety-restraint-system-fault.161485/page-5#post-7714894
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536112August 2, 2023
POWER TRAIN, STEERING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?: I got delivery of my new Model Y and odometer was reading 3 miles, i took the delivery and drove 10 miles and it stuck the steering wheel , "rear motor got disabled alert" and vehicle went to slow speed on freeway all of sudden, i had truck behind me it would ended up very bad for me and family, i had to immediately put emergency signal and stop on road side, i tried to call tesla road safety helpline and they were totally busy and did not receive call. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? ; this car "rear motor disabled " twice in middle of freeway , Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?: Yes they confirmed but unable to give me more details . Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? : No they kept it secret with less info. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?: No warnings, just stopped over in middle of freeway . so scary specially to new car. I would like NHTSA to inspect all new model Y car which have problems reported please check online and see the percentage of people received this kind of risky issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536101August 2, 2023
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Summary: Loss of power steering/inability to steer the vehicle occurred twice (7/16/23 & 7/29/23). Issue appears consistent with Investigation PE 23-014. Other functionality was also lost on each occurrence. Details: 7/16/23 - Driver entered the car and immediately received several alerts including Steering assist reduced, stability controlled disabled, traction control disabled, Lane departure avoidance features unavailable, and Vehicle hold disabled. Steering wheel could not be turned and regenerative braking was not functioning. A video of the issue was created and is available upon request as it could not be loaded in its current format. Tesla was contacted on 7/17/23. They stated that a firmware update failed on the evening of 7/15/23. The vehicle was towed to service center and firmware was updated. the invoice from the service center as also attached. 7/29/23 - Driver entered the car and immediately received several alerts including Steering assist reduced and Lane departure avoidance features unavailable. The steering wheel could not be turned, but only with extreme force. There was no firmware update at this time. I was able to drive the car 3 miles to my home at very slow speeds. 2 videos of the issue were created and are available upon request as they could not be loaded in their current format. Tesla was contacted on 7/30/23. The vehicle was towed to service center where they determined that the steering rack needs to be replaced. The vehicle remains at the service center for repair. Background: Car was just received on 6/30/2023. I have had other issues as well. Upon receipt, the electronic seat mechanism was not working and my cameras do not appear to be measuring distances properly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536099August 2, 2023
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Dear Tesla Customer Support, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my extreme concern and disappointment regarding a serious malfunction I experienced with my Tesla vehicle, Model Y, on 08/01/2023. The incident has left me deeply troubled and has raised significant questions about the safety and reliability of your vehicles. On the aforementioned date, while I was driving my Model Y, I noticed an unusual burning smell coming from the vehicle. Shortly after, the cruise control system began to malfunction erratically, leading to a loss of control over the vehicle's speed. In a matter of seconds, the display and all lights on the dashboard went dark, leaving me unable to monitor crucial information such as speed, battery level, and vehicle warnings. Worse yet, the electronic power steering suddenly failed, causing an immediate stiffening of the steering wheel and making it incredibly difficult to control the vehicle. As a result, my car veered into a curb, causing damage to the wheels and suspension and fire. I cannot stress enough how distressing this situation was. Not only did it put my safety and the safety of others at risk, but it also raises questions about the reliability and effectiveness of the various systems within the vehicle. I have always trusted Tesla's commitment to innovation and cutting-edge technology, but this incident has shattered my confidence in the vehicle's reliability. I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to investigate this malfunction thoroughly and provide a comprehensive explanation for what transpired. I request a detailed analysis of the root cause of the issue and assurance that appropriate measures will be taken to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. I have been a loyal Tesla customer for 2 years and until this incident, I have been delighted with the exceptional performance and features of your vehicles. However, this incident has left me deeply concerned, and I sincerely hope
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536082August 2, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
While driving about 75 mph on an expressway using autopilot or just cruise control, the car decelerated to about 40mph within a few seconds. Thankfully there were no other cars behind me. They likely would have crashed into me if so. I believe Tesla calls this problem “phantom braking.” There were no other cars or objects in front of me when this happened. This happened all within 2-3 hours on a road trip in sunny and dry weather on a pristine road. The first time was on “auto pilot.” After that scary experience, I only used cruse control and it happen twice more on the same trip. Again, weather was clear, it was during daylight and there were no other cars or obstacles in front of me when the “phantom breaking” occurred. Tesla said to hit the car icon on the car’s control screen if it happens again. Frankly, I feel it is unsafe to use autopilot or cruise control to do so to try and duplicate the experience to report it for Tesla.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536063August 2, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In a church parking lot ( while I was about 30ft away from my car with the phone key in my hand) somebody was able to drive my car away ( she has a same color Tesla Y as me).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536046August 2, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On 8/1/2023, driving between Mojave, California and Inyokern, California on highway 14, a newly paved and striped highway being followed by a Mercedes Van, I was doing 70 in a 65 zone. No traffic in front of us. No road signs. No turn outs. No side roads. No bridges, overpasses or underpasses when suddenly the car braked from 70mph to 48mph before I pressed down on the accellerator to keep the Mercedes from hitting us. the front end of the Mercedes dipped as he hit the brakes hard and he honked his horn which is what I would have done under similar circumstances. In the next half hour we experienced the phantom braking phenomenon five more times before my wife found complaints about "phantom braking", a phenomenon we'd never heard of or had been warned about. We turned off the Automatic Emergency Braking and experienced no more events until after stopping in Lone Pine for charging. When we reentered the highway we experienced one more event before turning off the Automatic Emergency Braking system, once again. Hours before we'd been in Southern California driving on Highways 5, 101 and 405 cruising along at 70 with traffic close in front and behind us. If the phantom braking had occured there, we might not be here today. Calling the Tesla dealership in Reno the salesman was non-plussed about our experience and informed us we should be ready to hit the accellerator at all times. This is not an acceptable response to what could easily have been a major accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536021August 2, 2023
STEERING, VISIBILITY/WIPER
Steering got locked and stiffened in middle of the road in traffic.had to call 911 to help me to move my car.this was scary as it could have lead to crash or accident.some time front wiper is automatically wiping in dry summer days which is sometimes blocks the view while driving. Had to switch off the auto mode for wiper.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536004August 2, 2023
STEERING
Steering is locking up while driving. This happened 5 times in the past three weeks. Vehicle is scheduled for service.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11536001August 2, 2023
STEERING
On July 19th around 6:45pm, I was driving on the left most lane of I-95S in VA towards NC near Exit 41 at 70mph. The care suddenly steered hard left towards the median. I tried to steer it back but the steering wheel was locked and would not let me steer back. The brakes would also not work and the car drove into the guardrail and spun180 degree and hit the guardrail again and spun180 and did that one more time and stopped facing the oncoming traffic. The impact tore the entire front left-wheel assembly off my Tesla, sending it more than 250 yards forward. Damaging the left side of the car front to back but the airbags did not deploy neither did the seatbelts locked. Fortunately, the entire cabin was intact and I walked away without any external injuries.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11535974August 2, 2023
STEERING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
All of a sudden, steering wheel control was lost. Steering wheel was so hard to rotate that it was even difficult to park the car. Also, I was getting lots of pop up messages from tesla vehicle operating system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11535963August 2, 2023
STEERING
Loss of power steering making vehicle very hard to steer. The day before power steering was lost, steering became step like - not turning smoothly but in incremental steps. The problem was confirmed by Tesla service and repair has been performed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11535961August 2, 2023
STEERING
After a software update I lost all power steering and could not drive the car. It had to be towed and the power steering motor replaced
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11535941August 1, 2023
STEERING
Unable to steer. Received the power steering error mentioned in reports, I don’t remember the error code. Happened in my driveway, so no issues with respect to time or place. Rebooted the car and the error went away, but still scheduled service due to error code. It resulted in bringing the car to a service center where the steering rack was replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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