Tesla Model Y Complaints (2023)

1,136 consumer complaints on file.

#11627134November 24, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I have reported this same issue twice before. When on cruise control, the car brakes unexpectedly. My 2nd and most recent report was on [XXX]: "... I had already disabled "Apply Brakes when Regenerative Braking is Limited" under Dynamics on the screen. (see photo) He showed on the screen, under Autopilot, that I could disable Automatic Emergency Braking, which I did. I was concerned that this warning pops up: "The vehicle will not automatically apply the brakes even when a collision is detected" (see photo) but he suggested I try it to see if it would solve the cruise-control braking. I was hopeful, and disabled it, knowing that it might take a while to know if that solved the problem. I drove the 30 miles home on the frontage road instead of the interstate, and when there were no other cars around, I set cruise control at 50 mph, the speed limit. I came to a series of small hills in the road, and was reminded of the first time the automatic braking happened, on a 60 mph road with longer amplitude hills of greater height. Amazingly, it happened again! Pretty significant braking and slowed me to 25. This time I waited it out to see if it would resume the cruise control at 50. It did not. I have since restored the Automatic Emergency Braking as that seems important for a crash situation. I have restored the "Apply Brakes When Regenerative Braking is Limited" since that obviously was not the problem either." I did not use cruise control again until [XXX], when I happened to be returning home from Silver City to Las Cruces and was on the same highway, [XXX], where the problem first occurred. It is a 2-lane road and often there is no traffic, so I felt safe trying cruise control again. I set it at 55, the speed limit, and after only a few miles the car braked again. I do not use cruise control anymore, and was dismayed to find that Tesla is again offering a free trial of autodrive! This is a huge safety issue! 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
#11626953November 22, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Harsh braking while using cruise control. Known as "PHANTOM BRAKING". This is causing extremely dangerous situations. The vehicle slams on the brakes while at high speeds for no apparent reason. Perfect weather and road identification markers. Happens with oncoming vehicles in normal path of travel as well as when there is a break in painted lines on the roadway. This creates a serious potential for an accident injury or death. Happens consistently.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11626734November 21, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I [XXX] was driving at around 50mph with 100% visibility and in few seconds I got in to fog ( see pic shows clear condition ). I took of the accelerator and tesla slow down but not like it normally does auto braking ( hold mode ). The car in front of me that I didn't see was in the dense fog section in full stopped state and I crash into her. With no visibility and driver in front in full stop condition I could not avoid accident. I had no time to react. At the time crash my speed might be around 10/15mph. The point I am trying to make is Tesla Y model which is using Camera based collision prevention didn't delect car in front of me maybe because of fogged camera. Tesla Y didn't warned me for collision to avoid car crash. Tesla Y also blanked out on screen, didn't show me lanes which in normal case does. On the screen usually it show all the car moving around plus the object around the car but it didn't display anything. Tesla Y completely fails in foggy conditions as it uses camera to detect and we crashed with no warning or auto braking. I have recordings from all four cameras recorded and also collision. 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
#11626702November 21, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Tesla Model Y 2023 running on Enhanced AutoPilot (software up to date as of Nov. 19, 2024) on a highway in the rush hour when traffic is moving at the speed of 5 - 30 mph, failed to identify the trailer in the front and sped up. I had to take over control, apply brakes to avoid the rear-ending the trailer in front of me. Tesla was speeding up as if the road was open. In the computer display it does not show any traffic in front of the car. The trailer did not have any reflectors in the backside, but had working tail lights that would light up only when the trailer applied brakes. In the attached picture, blue Tesla is my car. There were no warnings of any kind of malfunctioning in my car. Highway safety can probably improve regulations on making the trailers more visible. Tesla should improve its image recognition software. Not being able to recognize a dark trailer from the dark asphalt road is a dangerous situation for Tesla cars running on AutoPilot.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11626435November 20, 2024
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the rear driver's side seat belt failed to latch as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the seat belt buckle needed to be replaced due to damages caused by sand, dust, and debris. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11626116November 19, 2024
AIR BAGS, SEATS, SEAT BELTS
Received a sign on my car 4 times- front right safety restraint system fault All 4 times I have taken my car to get serviced for them to fix it but still sign returned 4 times total.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624517November 11, 2024
SUSPENSION
I have been advised by Tesla my tires on the Tesla Model Y Performance 2023 vehicle with 23,506 miles are wearing out on the inner half of the tire due to a camber issue. They acknowledge the car’s weight causes the issue which can only be rectified with an adjustable camber. The camber installed on the 2023 Tesla Model Y Performance is not adjustable. They recommended I go to a third party to get an after market adjustable camber installed to avoid the inordinate wear and tear on the inner half of the stock Michelin Tires. They even gave me a name and address for a shop they normally recommend Tesla customers go to in order to get the work done. Tesla admits knowing of the engineering mistake and refuses to replace the camber part or the tires. I asked the service department why this issue was not addressed at the time of sale, they claim they can’t control what the sales people do are refrain from doing. This should be a recall on all Tesla Model Y Performance models. As a consumer I should not have to pay $1,550 to rectify their engineering mistake.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624394November 9, 2024
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Model Y s/w version 12.5.4.1 The model Y can be made to oscillate in the travel lane at highway speeds I think I experienced this at 70-75, it would seem to apply at any capable speed. Proper behavior: 1) driving on the highway in FSD 2) trigger the left or right turn signal to initiate a lane change by automation. What actually occurs: 1) driving on the highway in FSD 2) hold the turn signal in the desired up or down position to initiate a lane change. 3) the Tesla begins to switch lanes, and will continue to further its lane change provided you continue to hold the turn signal (up/down). 4) If you release the turn signal input "early", that is prior to the Tesla determining that the new lane is the current lane, it will immediately begin reverting to the original lane that you attempted to leave. 5) It begins to over correct, requiring maybe 5 damped oscillations. Its very uncomfortable, and exposes a vehicle on the edge of control - the vehicle is not traveling neutrally on its suspension. To be clear, it is damped, but I don't see how it could be described as stable at highway speeds.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624304November 8, 2024
WHEELS, STEERING
The Tire losing with steering shaft . The bolt come off , my vehicle can’t make hard turn make it unsafe to able to drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624259November 8, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the vehicle erroneously turned off and had to be manually restarted. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 8,257.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624061November 7, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Driving Incident with Auto High Beam: I was driving on the freeway early in the morning with the auto high beam feature activated. However, due to heavy fog, I wanted to turn it off. I asked my passenger to help me find the option on the screen. Unfortunately, she clicked the wrong button, which completely turned off all the lights while we were driving. This caused a moment of panic, and I had to slam the brakes, realizing I had veered off the road. Thankfully, there was no one behind us. While it was an oversight on my passenger’s part, I can’t help but wonder: shouldn’t there be a warning or a disabled button while driving, especially in the dark? I’m not sure if this qualifies as a safety issue, but it certainly felt life-threatening at the moment. Had there been another vehicle behind us or if we had hit a divider, the situation could have been much worse. Suggestion for Improvement: To enhance safety, I suggest implementing a feature that disables the off button in light controls while the vehicle is in motion, especially in low-visibility conditions. Additionally, a clear warning message could pop up if a driver attempts to adjust the lighting settings while driving, ensuring that safety remains the top priority.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624027November 7, 2024
STEERING
I noticed a clicking sound when turning my steering wheel at low speeds such as when parking around September 2024. The sound got louder with time. A few months later after getting new tires installed (October 22, 2024)I had very bad vibration at high speeds that was not resolved with multiple tire balances at different tire shops. Requested service with the dealer. My initial first available service appointment was December 20th 2024. I messaged the service center expressing concern that my car was unsafe to drive. They allowed me to bring my car in to drive with a technician and they ended up replacing the front lateral links on November 7, 2024. My car was purchased new in June 2024 and is at 22,000 miles. The parts were replaced under warranty. There were no warning lamps or other symptoms.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623790November 6, 2024
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Tesla Full Self Driving (Supervised) with version 12.5.4.1 Overview: Drove round trip from Las Vegas to San Diego and around San Diego utilizing FSD as much as possible. Much if it works very well, however I believe Tesla is aware of some specific short comings (because they have good engineers and are safety aware). 1) Lane ending merging gets an 'F' from several incidents: 1A) The most dangerous was upon entering the [XXX] from the Tesla Supercharger station at Yerma, Ca - [XXX]. The entrance ramp lane ends, and a pickup with a towed trailer happen to be parallel with my FSD Tesla as the lane ended. The Tesla showed no awareness of the impending collision. I braked hard to avoid the collision. 1B) In San Diego, entering a freeway the Tesla got confused while still in the right hand lane, and ultimately threw a critical error - something like 'autonomous steering system failure, take over immediately' with a red full screen alert. 1C) Merging on a freeway connector overpass with multiple lane consolidation, the Tesla failed to understand available openings and became confused causing left and right oscillations in the steering trajectory (at very low speed). 1D) Frequently is not aware of other vehicles as lanes end, causing unnecessary conflicts with other vehicles, and close calls. Tesla should publish a letter grade for the sub-features of full self driving. NHTSA should publish a standard list of sub-features - for example: A) Lane keeping with traffic flow B) Recognizing stopped traffic at highway speeds (i.e. sudden traffic jams) C) Merging cooperation D) Lane ending scenarios E) Maintaining single lanes (i.e. not darting across multiple lanes to achieve an unrealistic left or right turn). The success in many areas of FSD can lead to a sense of competence in the FSD, and to oversights by a human supervisor about what the likely deficiencies are. How does Tesla, or a human know where the risks are if there are no standards, or measurement INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623569November 5, 2024
SUSPENSION
On the afternoon of November 4th, at approximately 3:40 pm, while driving at around 20 mph after picking up our child from school, we suddenly heard a gurgling sound coming from the front left area of the vehicle. Shortly afterward, additional noises emerged from the direction of the front left wheel. We are sure the car didn't hit or drive across anything before the first sound emerged. Upon making a left turn, we experienced significant difficulty in steering, accompanied by a much louder noise. We immediately pulled over and safely parked in a nearby CVS parking lot. Roadside assistance arrived approximately 50 minutes after our call, and the car was subsequently towed to the Tesla service center. As shown in the attached photos, the front left suspension arm detached, with both screw bolts completely broken and missing. One more important concerns, after the suspension failure happened, NO any alarm triggered. There wasn't any alarm from the screen. We are lucky as it happened at local road, not highway. This failure is definitely a safety issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623566November 5, 2024
STEERING, SUSPENSION
My front right suspension linkage under the vehicle has come loose and drags on the tarmac. The problem is the suspension linkage is held on by what appears to be two bolts. The two bolts have backed out, causing this linkage to fail.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623296November 2, 2024
SEAT BELTS
Rear middle safety belt fails to latch. There is no debris or anything else that would be reasonably considered to make it fail.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623239November 2, 2024
SUSPENSION
Control arm failure and two bolts came unscrewed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11623227November 2, 2024
STEERING, SUSPENSION
Two days ago, as I was turning left into my neighborhood, I suddenly lost control of my car's steering. Just as I started the turn, the steering wheel unexpectedly pulled to the right, causing my car to veer off course and head straight toward the curb. Despite trying to correct it, the steering wouldn't respond, and the car collided with the curb. The impact was substantial, and the vehicle continued dragging along the curb until I was able to bring it to a complete stop. Upon inspection, I found that the passenger-side front wheel had been severely damaged, appearing crushed and warped from the impact. When I looked under the car, I noticed that the control arm was visibly damaged. It seemed bent or possibly broken, which I suspect contributed to my sudden loss of control over the steering. This experience has been unsettling, especially since the control arm is a critical part of the steering and suspension system. Afterward, I started researching similar incidents and found many posts and articles discussing similar cases. It seems that control arm damage or failure is not uncommon, particularly in situations involving rough terrain, curbs, or sudden impacts. Some articles also discuss the importance of regular inspections and the potential risks of worn-out control arms. I came across one particular article that sheds more light on these types of steering and suspension failures. [XXX] [XXX] 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
#11623178November 1, 2024
SUSPENSION
The driver suspension knuckle is cracking, I guess there was a recall for the same issue on models 2021 and 2022 and when I asked Tesla service I was told by them this not a common issue and I can drive on it until they can get the chance to look at it (which will be after month and half!!!) they are claiming the car is safe and from what I ready that if this part get broken the car will fail while driving !!!! I told them I am concerned about my family safety and other cars if something like this happens but they told me I have to wait!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11622243October 28, 2024
SEATS
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the front driver-side seat inadvertently adjusted the seat repeatedly; the contact had to pull over and allow the vehicle temperature to cool down for several minutes for the vehicle returned to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated however the "Restoring Driver Position Settings" warning message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that his daughter was in a booster seat, seated in the rear driver-side seat and was repeatedly hit by the driver-side seat; the impact of the driver-side seat left no bruises however, the contact along with his wife, his daughter, and his son all experienced emotional distress due to the incident. No medical attention was sought. The vehicle was taken back to the place of residence. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,500.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
4
Deaths:
0

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