Tesla Model Y Complaints

3,785 consumer complaints on file.

#11711074January 15, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Tesla Supervised Self Driving (FSSD) update 14 removed the ability for the vehicle operator to set speed targets. Additionally, their system is unable to accurately determine speed limits for many roadways. The discrepancy between FSSDs perceived speed limit and actual speed limit can be as much at +/- 25mph. The discrepancy can occur suddenly and at any time during a drive, even on stretches of road with a consistent speed limit. This results in moments of dangerous acceleration and/or deceleration that is not requested by the vehicle operator or can be reasonably anticipated. This causes erratic driving behavior to both the Tesla and to other motorist in the vicinity. Erratic, unpredictable driving is a major cause of traffic accidents that can lead to serious damage, injury, or death. Prior versions allowed the operator to set a speed target, similar to standard cruise control, that the vehicle attempted to maintain and would not exceed. FSSD v14 does not allow the vehicle operator to have any control over the speed of the vehicle to any degree that meaningfully contributes towards safe, legal driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710796January 13, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
the lane departure warning and lane assistance features generate numerous warning that are false. the false alarms are shocking and distracting creating alarm fatigue. alarm fatigue is dangerous. The lane assistance feature is much too aggressive. Tesla does not allow for these features to default to off. They are mandated for every start up and have to manually turned off every drive. Tesla told me, "they are working as intended." Other car makers allow you the choice of on or off. I have to go through multiple steps every single time i drive the car to remove the alarm fatigue and false steering interventions. Both are hazardous. I actually get an alarm that says "take the wheel" while my hands are on the wheel. I get numerous fantom alarms. please make Tesla release a SW update that allows people to choose their own driving defaults. thanks
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710695January 13, 2026
SUSPENSION
Mechanics found that the front passenger side control arm is missing and completely disconnected. Video evidence from inspection is available. How was this found and safety risk- Car lost steering control The component was inspected by my mechanic. No vehicle indicator / warnings.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710691January 13, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE
The contact's dad owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated the owner opened the liftgate, attempting to unload the vehicle after a trip, when the liftgate inadvertently fell on the head near the left ear area, fracturing his skull on the left side, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the asphalt. As a result, the contacts dads brain bled within both fractures. The contact's dad was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was the only occupant of the vehicle at the time of the failure. The vehicle was inspected by Tesla, and advised that a power lift strut replacement part was needed; however, the contact wanted NHTSA to inspect the original part before the replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was not filed. The vehicle remained at his dad's residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there was a faulty power lift strut and that the taigate had 1 powered strut, causing the liftgate to close inadvertently. The approximate failure mileage was 17,273.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
1
#11710553January 12, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Make/Model: Tesla Year: 2023 Component / System: Autopark system (vehicle’s automated parking feature) Description of Failure/Malfunction: While reversing under Autopark control, the vehicle collided with a parked vehicle whose door was open. No driver input was provided, and the system gave no warnings prior to the collision. The incident appears to result from a failure or limitation of the Autopark system, not driver error. Safety Risk: The vehicle moved autonomously without any driver input, creating a risk of injury to pedestrians or damage to nearby vehicles. Had someone been standing near the open door, they could have been struck. Reproduction/Confirmation: The malfunction has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by Tesla, a dealer, or an independent service center. Inspections Conducted: No inspection has yet been performed by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others. Photographs of the incident have been documented and attached. Warning Lamps/Messages/Symptoms: No warning lamps, alerts, or system messages were displayed prior to the incident. The system gave no indication of a failure during the parking maneuver. Incident Details: Date/Time: Saturday [XXX] Location: [XXX] Weather Conditions: Light drizzle Attachments / Evidence: Photographs of both vehicles involved Incident report Request for preservation of vehicle telemetry and Autopark logs Additional Notes/Requests: I request that all relevant vehicle data be preserved in their original form to allow a full investigation. The incident occurred solely under system control without driver input, and I assert that responsibility lies with the system malfunction. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710550January 12, 2026
STEERING, WHEELS, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On [XXX], while operating my 2024 Tesla Model Y in Full Self-Driving (Supervised) mode, the vehicle experienced an Uncommanded Steering Input leading to a collision. The vehicle was traveling at a very low speed of approximately 5 mph in a clear, simple environment. Despite this walking pace, the FSD software failed to identify a visible concrete curb and initiated a sudden, sharp turn directly into the obstacle without any prior warning or driver input. The fact that the system executed such a violent and erroneous maneuver at 5 mph indicates a fundamental failure in the Neural Network's object detection and path planning logic. If this logic failure had occurred at higher speeds or near pedestrians, the results could have been catastrophic. The local Tesla Service Center (Watertown, MA) refused to conduct a physical inspection or a log review of the steering torque. They issued a Repair Estimate of $1,217.26 while claiming 'no hardware fault codes' were present, thus ignoring the documented software malfunction. As a leaseholder of this vehicle with only 15,489 miles, I am reporting this as a significant safety defect that the manufacturer refuses to investigate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710416January 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I parked my Tesla vehicle in a friend’s driveway. When I returned and opened the driver’s door, I entered the vehicle and attempted to put it into Drive. At that point, the vehicle display went completely blank and the vehicle became inoperable. I then attempted to open the door from inside the vehicle, but the door would not open and I was unable to exit the car. I was effectively locked inside the vehicle. I contacted Tesla customer support and remained on the call for approximately 1.5 hours before receiving assistance. Tesla customer support confirmed that the issue was caused by failure of the 12-volt battery. At the time of the incident, the outside temperature was below 0 degrees centigrade. The incident occurred in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There was no prior warning or notification from the vehicle or the Tesla mobile app indicating that the 12-volt battery was at risk of failure. The failure resulted in loss of vehicle function and inability to exit the vehicle, creating a serious safety concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710203January 11, 2026
SEAT BELTS
I swerved in the road in the back passenger seat seatbelt came unbuckled with a car seat in the car in the car seat came out
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710118January 10, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
UNKNOWN
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710114January 10, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The interior of the front trunk (Frunk) does not have an emergency release button or the hardware to support it. In the event that a child or person is inside the front trunk with the hood closed, that person cannot escape the enclosed area without having an outside person finding a key or tool to open the front trunk. Also, there is no light in the front trunk so it is completely dark when closed. This feature (emergency release button) previously came standard in this make and model prior to October 2025.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710071January 10, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
In 9/2025 I noticed that the vehicle software was defaulting to a speed limit of 55 mph. I noticed that when in any form of autopilot and FSD it would accelerate to that speed. This happens in any situation before the car encounters a sign or an area that it's internal map corrects it, which is not common outside of major routes in Idaho. This includes paved marked roads, graded roads, single track dirt roads, my driveway and garage. Sometimes the car controls it's speed consistent with conditions, sometimes not. It can happen unexpectedly, and that's the issue. Where I have learned this is a problem, I of course turn off the AP or FSD and drive myself, however, if I am in driver assist mode and things are going well and the speed limit in the vehicle changes suddenly to the default 55 mph, it can take a moment for me to react. In October 2025 I reported this to my Tesla Service center as well as Tesla's over the air and on line email reporting options (from which I got no response). The service center entered a ticket directly with Tesla, and told me that that Tesla was aware. The explanation that came back was that it was due to a mapping update for the internal map of the car. They said it was the result of Google Maps setting the default speed limit in Idaho, which is where I live, to 55 and that this was due to a September 2025 update. They said it might be corrected with the next update, which has not occurred at this point (January 2026). This speeding behavior can happen suddenly and unexpectedly and seemingly randomly, and has the potential to injure pedestrians, the driver, and property, not to mention that it is also exceeding by far the legal speed limit. Drivers from other areas that may not be aware of the issue are likely to be caught unaware. There is absolutely no reason for the default speed to be 55, ever. It's unsafe, and unnecessary. It is rare to see a speed limit of 55 at all in Idaho. Most of the roads are above or below that speed limit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710067January 10, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, VISIBILITY/WIPER
While using cruise control at highway speed, the car suddenly slams on the breaks causing major panic. Oversteering onto incoming traffic and cars following are affected slamming on their breaks to avoid contact. Have contacted Tesla Service Center multiple times addressing the problem (Phantom breaking problem). What they keep on telling me is that there is no fix to the problem at this time. The cruise control intermittently turns off and on by itself with no warning or obstruction. No lamps warning or messages prior to failure. My Tesla 2022 Model Y (Performance) has been inspected at the Tesla Service Center many times, but to no avail problem still exists.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710015January 9, 2026
SEATS
Tesla driver seat folding down and moving forward automatically, especially when the driver is seated: It keeps happening when I enter the car. It might be triggered by my pressing the brake before i decide to start driving, or even while I am simply parked for a while, without giving any instructions to the seat. My searches online point to the easy entry setting.This dangerous behaviour is not part of a correct definition of easy entry. Why are sensors and stupid programming now allowed to override the safety of the driver? There is no such thing as "correctly detecting the driver or not" dangerous stupidities with older and even more mechanical driver seats, and with older versions of motorised driver seats in other cars. The seat was not empty and the seated driver gave no movement and no folding instructions to the tesla car driver seat.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709917January 9, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to report a serious safety incident involving my Tesla Model Y (2026) licence plate : [XXX] that occurred on [XXX], at approximately [XXX]. While attempting to slowly park in a parking lot located at [XXX], East [XXX] and forcefully accelerated forward. I was performing a low-speed parking maneuver and did not intentionally press the accelerator. The vehicle suddenly moved forward with very strong power and high speed, making it extremely difficult to control the steering wheel. If there had not been bushes directly in front of the vehicle, the car would have continued accelerating forward and could have caused a serious accident involving property damage or personal injury. This was a very dangerous and alarming situation. Despite my attempts to stop and control the vehicle, it continued to move forward rapidly. As a result of this unexpected behavior, the vehicle struck bushes within the parking lot. The vehicle’s response was sudden, abnormal, and completely inconsistent with a normal parking situation. This incident raises serious safety concerns regarding the vehicle’s behavior during low-speed parking and a possible malfunction of the automatic or driver-assistance systems. I am submitting this report for official documentation, investigation, and appropriate follow-up. Please let me know if additional information, vehicle data, or a formal inspection is required. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] XXX [XXX] n [XXX] [XXX] E FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 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
#11709822January 9, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
I noticed the windshield washer nozzle on the passenger side isn't either working or not there. I reached out to Tesla, and also stopped by a Local Dealership and they told me that it would cost me out of pocket, since it's out of warranty. Secondly, the left side driver repeater camera has a Glare when turned at night time only. which is quite dangerous due to very less visibility due to the Glare of the Turn signal light that causes the repeater camera to function properly. this is a on going known problem. I have reached out to Tesla for this matter. and I was advised that it would not be covered since it's not under warranty. This issue should be a recall that Tesla should fix. this isn't an issue caused by normal wear and tear it's a manufacturer defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709799January 8, 2026
SUSPENSION
The front suspension lower 'lateral link' bolts that go into the subframe side of the lateral link fell out. One completely fell out of and was only held loosely in place by the undercarriage plastic. The other bolt (there are two holding the lateral link into the subframe) had backed out about two revolutions. This resulted in a very loud banging noise and the us having to stop the vehicle to inspect. We had to slowly drive the car back to a safe area to diagnose and temporarily rebolt this prior to getting Tesla to inspect. I have photo and video documentation that I can provide showing the incident and how I had to repair this to make the car safe to drive again. There were no warning lamps or messages on the vehicle, just a very loud banding we heard when starting from a stop and or turning the vehicle. Prior to this we heard a faint thump that we could not diagnose. Fortunately the second bolt did not come out and we did not have a catastrophic failure while driving the vehicle. Bolts were not properly torqued and do not appear to have any sort of paint pen marking to document the torqued location.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709680January 8, 2026
SUSPENSION
I am reporting a catastrophic suspension failure on my 2023 Tesla Model Y that matches the description of Recall 22V-895 (Manufacturer No. SB-22-31-002), despite my vehicle being excluded from the official recall population. On [XXX], the front driver-side lateral link separated from the subframe while driving. Tesla Service /confirmed the separation in their repair notes, stating the cause was a "separation in the lateral link and subframe" which resulted in damage to the wheel and halfshaft. Recall 22V-895 was limited to only 26 vehicles due to a "manual torque validation" error on November 2, 2022. My vehicle's failure suggests that this manufacturing defect is not limited to the identified 26 units. I am urging the NHTSA to investigate whether the scope of Recall 22V-895 was insufficient and if a larger population of 2023 Model Y vehicles is at risk of sudden suspension collapse. This is a major safety concern. Luckily I was not on a highway and was driving around 35mph when the bolt fell off. Tesla is not responding to me with the details. They just fixed the issue under warranty and are saying, we do not know what caused the issue. Please investigate. 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
#11709654January 8, 2026
SUSPENSION
The lateral lower front right suspension link and its securing bolts failed, causing the control arm to drop and the vehicle to become uncontrollable. (The bolts actually fell out on the ground) This was the second repair involving the same suspension area, with prior work performed on March 27, 2025. The replaced components should be available for inspection upon request. The failure caused the vehicle to become uncontrollable while backing into a parking spot. Had this occurred at road speed, it could have resulted in a complete loss of control, posing a risk to the driver, passengers, pedestrians, and surrounding traffic. Tesla service confirmed the failure during the January 5, 2026 repair and replaced the affected suspension components under Invoice #[XXX]. Tesla service technicians inspected the vehicle during both repair visits (March 27, 2025 and January 5, 2026). There is no record of inspection by police or insurance representatives. No warning lamps, messages, or prior symptoms were present. The failure occurred suddenly while backing into a parking spot with no advance indication. 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
#11709521January 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STRUCTURE:BODY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Tesla removed the lighted emergency frunk (front trunk) release button and its wiring from this vehicle and other similar newer builds. The elimination of this key safety feature is a clear violation of the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS 401 for Interior Trunk Release; requiring all new passenger cars with trunk compartments (rear and front) to have a way for someone trapped inside to escape. There is currently no method to open a latched front trunk cover from inside this new vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709512January 7, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Incident Description (in my own words): We were driving southbound on [XXX] from New Hampshire back to Boston in our Tesla Model Y. Traffic became increasingly congested and slowed to a crawl. My wife was driving, and I was in the front passenger seat working on my laptop. As traffic built up, my wife became momentarily distracted and did not apply the brakes in time. I noticed, in my peripheral vision, the vehicle ahead of us—a truck—suddenly filling the windshield. At that point, I heard the forward collision warning alert, but it activated extremely late, essentially at the moment of impact. The vehicle did not automatically brake or stop, despite the low speed, close proximity, and clear visibility of the truck ahead. We collided with the truck in front of us. Damage was minimal (license plate damage and a small dimple on the front of the vehicle), but the safety concern is significant. Both of our Teslas are configured with forward collision warning set to “Early.” Under normal circumstances, this alert triggers frequently, sometimes conservatively. In this incident, however, the warning activated far later than expected, and there was no automatic braking intervention prior to impact. The front camera appeared clean and unobstructed. I am filing this complaint because this behavior undermines my confidence in the vehicle’s collision avoidance and automatic emergency braking systems. I am also filing a similar complaint for our Tesla Model 3. I am now anxious about whether the software will perform as expected in situations where driver attention lapses briefly—precisely the scenario these safety systems are designed to mitigate. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue, as the system did not behave in a manner consistent with its intended safety function. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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