Tesla Model Y Complaints (2021)

1,061 consumer complaints on file.

#11522980May 20, 2023
STEERING
The right tie rod suddenly disconnected when I turned the steering wheel. The tie rod did not look damaged. The car lost all steering control. Fortunately I was in my driveway when it occurred. The car has 24,000 miles and has never been in an accident. The car was towed to Tesla for repairs on 5/19/23
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522843May 19, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Over the past 2 weeks there have been multiple (5+ times in one day) instances of phantom breaking both using adaptive cruise control and autopilot. This often happens when approaching a bridge but also in areas where bridges are not present. Sometimes the sun may be towards the front of the car, sometimes not. Luckily no collisions, but the sudden breaking is a safety hazard and prevents the use of the car’s advanced features that are meant to reduce driver fatigue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11522153May 15, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Phantom Braking while driving interstate 15 on May 8, 2023 at 11:15 AM. No other cars were within a half mile in front or behind. Car went from 70mph with hard braking until I took control to regain speed. Had there been other vehicles behind me, it could have resulted in a rear end collision. Reported to Tesla today, May 15th, but told there is no fix. I have not used the Autopilot feature much at all, since most driving is short city trips. I do not intend to use this feature for safety concerns.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521917May 14, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I own a 2021 Tesla Model Y. I took possession of it on August 7, 2021, in Santa Barbara, Ca. Ever since, I have had thousands of instances of automatic emergency braking (phantom braking) episodes while using cruise control or autopilot. On January 26, 2022, I had 47 documented episodes, in just two hours. The experiences of severe phantom braking have been terrifying. The car often slams on its brakes for no apparent reason, many times on a four lane highway, or on a freeway with no cars or obstacles. I worry about getting rear-ended, which could end in severe injury or death. It has been in for repair five times, and the technicians are animate that a software update is coming very soon to resolve this problem (they've been promising that since a few weeks after taking possession of the Tesla). I expected the problem to be resolved by now. It hasn't. The AEB continues today. Can you please force Tesla to fix this problem immediately? It is very dangerous. Please provide a response identifying actions you are taking to resolve this very important safety matter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520553May 5, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
For the FSD beta, it does not currently parse and respect road signage such as “No Turn on Red” and “Detour”. This constitutes a material safety risk and also a moving violation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11519602April 29, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I experienced multiple instances of ghost braking while driving at highway speeds, one that resuled in a near collision with the vehicle behind me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11519442April 28, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in Autonomous Self-Driving mode driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to stop as another vehicle was approaching, causing the other vehicle to swerve. The contact stated that the vehicle responded insufficiently after the speed was set to 30 MPH. The contact then stated that a week later she received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V085000 (Steering, Electrical System). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was able to perform an OTA software update; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11519269April 27, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, VISIBILITY/WIPER
There are two concerns-first the phantom breaking using cruise control and the other is poor functionality of using the windshield wipers. I have experienced the phantom braking since shortly after ownership to as recent as 2 weeks ago. This has caused me to no longer use the cruise control. It is very difficult to engaged the windshield wipers. During nighttime driving and sudden heavy rain I could not locate how to turn the wipers on so I used the voice command button to do so. Thus had verying results it may not work at all, maybtake obe swipe or make continue to have wipers work until returning home. Thank you for your time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11519253April 27, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield wipers are difficult to engage. Doing so while driving requires me to take my eyes off the road
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11519037April 26, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Last weekend, during a 600-mile road trip, I experienced at least 20 instances of phantom braking when using the traffic-aware cruise control. A rapid deceleration of the car for no apparent reason is dangerous and needs to be fixed. I have complained to Tesla on a couple of occasions and there now seems to be more instances of the braking issue occurring since my last highway trip.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11519013April 26, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I was driving down the highway. The weather was clear. Sunny. The road was dry. Middle of the afternoon. I was using the Adaptive Cruise Control. I was driving the speed limit, 70 MPH after driving for a couple of hours, the car had about three different times when it felt like the brake was tapped, the car slowed a bit and then regained speed. I stopped at my destination for about 4 hours and then returned home. Same roads conditions, sunny, dry road, etc. Same road, 70 MPH, the car suddenly hit the brakes HARD. Slammed might be too strong of a word because it's not like the car left skid marks on the road, but the brakes hit very, very hard. The car slowed to 25 or 30 MPH. Fortunately there were no cars behind me or me and my wife could had been killed right then.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11518510April 23, 2023
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car started to malfunction its ability for regenerative braking (regen.) upon release of the accelerator. The car felt as if the regen feature was slipping - so instead of a constant brake and deceleration, the car could be felt moving forward as if accelerating. Then while driving on freeway at 65-70 mph, car lost its ability to brake when I pressed on the brake twice, instead of slowing it felt as if the car just continued at its current speed. Then the car cut its power and flashed an alert "Power Reduced - exiting and re-entering vehicle may restore operation" it then flashed an alert "PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY - Unable to drive". According to Tesla, they said it was the "LH body harness. Found that the harness was not creating an efficient connection" but they never directly addressed why it felt as if the car was accelerating when I pressed on the brake. Safety was critically comprised for myself and others who I could have hit in a vehicle collision since the brakes did not respond accordingly and felt as if it accelerated or continue to maintain its speed. The problem was confirmed by Tesla but they only addressed the car going into what they refer to as "limp mode". Car was inspected by Tesla and diagnosed the problem to a faulty/bad body harness that caused an improper signal. No warning lights or messages prior to the failure. Symptoms started the morning of the incident with the noted regen not fully engaged/working correctly. I did not have any feature setting which would have caused or replicated the lack of regen. I can provide the dealer invoice if needed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11518413April 22, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Phantom braking of Tesla: While using the AutoPilot feature to assist driving, on April 13, 2023 between 10 am and Noon while traveling on US Highway 2 on a clear sunny day on a 4 lane highway with excellent visibility and no traffic, the Tesla suddenly and unexpectedly slammed on the brakes for no apparent reason. I placed a service request to Tesla the next day and the texting Tesla service tech said he need a timestamp within 5 minutes of the incident. Because I could not define the time within 5 minutes of when it happened, there was no further information available. We finished the texting episode by cancelling the service appointment and I will not use the AutoPilot feature on the Tesla until Tesla says it is safe. I feel the phantom braking issue, if traffic had been present, could have caused a chain reaction collision by other cars trying to avoid the rapidly braking Tesla.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11517764April 18, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
On the evening of April 18, 2023, I was driving on the southbound 101 in Northern California using autopilot, and despite the surrounding area being clear of other vehicles, pedestrians or debris, without warning, the autopilot system forced the vehicle to suddenly and harshly brake. It was completely unwarranted and unexpected and really gave me and my passenger a scare, and this ain’t the first time it occurred. We purchased our vehicle in November 2022 and in December we were using autopilot on the 405 south in Los Angeles, traffic was moving at a steady 70MPH when the vehicle abruptly braked, thinking it was a one-off we didn’t report it but after reviewing several complaints of similar issues by other Tesla owners, this is a real problem. I saved the event on my Tesla dashcam.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516914April 13, 2023
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that on various occasions, while driving at various speeds and making turns, a squeaking noise was heard in the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the braking system needed to be adjusted. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the squeaking was also heard while exiting or entering the vehicle or if pressure was added to the hood. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front lower lateral link assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V835000 (Suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 47,500.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516785April 12, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The plugs and door latches on both rear doors have repeatedly failed, endangering the safety of my family and other occupants of the vehicle. I am concerned about the safety of drivers and passengers and believe that this issue requires your immediate attention. The plugs and door latches on both rear doors of my Tesla Model Y have failed repeatedly. The failure of the door latches and plugs has repeatedly endangered the safety of the occupants, particularly children who may be unable to exit the car in an emergency situation. The door trim falls out of place, locking the occupants in the back of the car. This problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealer, as evidenced by my car's multiple visits to the service center for the same issue. Attached are the documents, they are all for the same issue - though tesla classified them inconsistently. The vehicle has been inspected by the service center, but the problem has persisted despite their attempts to fix it. There were no warning indicators prior to the failure, making the problem even more dangerous as it can occur without the driver's knowledge. I am deeply concerned about this safety issue, particularly given that the 2021 Tesla Model Y is a popular vehicle that is widely used by consumers across the United States. It is vital that action is taken to address this issue and ensure that all affected vehicles are recalled and repaired. I strongly urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue and require a recall of all affected vehicles. The safety of drivers and passengers must be the top priority in the design and manufacture of all vehicles, and it is clear that the Tesla Model Y's rear door latches and plugs are failing to meet necessary standards of safety.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516254April 10, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Severe phantom braking incident - 12:18 CST, March 12th 2023, followed by less severe braking problem at 1:16, 1:23, 2:18 on the same day and road. No forward traffic, no hazards, just bright sun. The car with a less experienced driver applied hard braking nearly causing a rear end collision with a truck approaching from the the back. The truck moved into the shoulder and passed to avoid hitting the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516203April 9, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, STEERING
FATAL TESLA BRAKE FAILURES. The brake of Tesla suddenly failed while I was driving, it has happened multiple times even after the service center claimed the issue was fixed. When the issue happened, the brake was not effective and made huge noise while I pressed it. Meanwhile the steering got pretty heavy, other components failed(front motor disabled, traction control disabled and stability control disabled) at the same time as well. Tesla Service Center has tried to fix this issue once, but the issue happened again after ONLY ONE WEEK since they fixed it. Luckily I was driving slowly on a local road both times, but it was apparently fatal if driving on a highway. I've uploaded the error message on Tesla screen and repair invoice as attachments.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516170April 9, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Vehicles continues to make random unwanted and dangerous sudden braking at highways speeds while the cruise control is engaged.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11516027April 7, 2023
SUSPENSION
Suspension has a defect from factory that prevents proper alignment. Per alignment shop the car cannot be aligned to factory specifications. Premature tire wear is potential safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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