Tesla Model Y Complaints

3,785 consumer complaints on file.

#11728518April 1, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT:VIDEO (TOUCH)SCREEN/MONITOR/UNIT
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728423April 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2023 Tesla Model Y suddenly became inaccessible via key card and phone key with no prior warning. The tow operator successfully jump-started the vehicle with a 12V jump and it powered on — suggesting a 12V battery failure, not an HV system failure. Tesla diagnosed water ingress in the HV battery pack and HV harness, citing an isolation resistance fault and open flood port. Their conclusion escalated from "water ingress" to "vehicle submerged," with an $11,000 battery replacement recommended and warranty denied. I am disputing this. The vehicle has never been submerged or exposed to flooding. The only physical evidence provided was clean water droplets on a single HV connector — no waterline staining, no sediment, no debris, no pin corrosion. No ingress pathway (seal, gasket, or breach point) was identified. The flood port mechanism was not explained and may activate from pressure changes or seal failure — not exclusively submersion. The vehicle powering on after a 12V jump is inconsistent with catastrophic HV failure from submersion. I believe this may represent a manufacturing defect in the HV battery pack sealing system allowing moisture intrusion under normal conditions. Tesla has classified this as owner-caused damage without sufficient physical evidence. If similar cases exist across 2023 Model Y vehicles, a systemic defect may be present. Safety risk: sudden, complete vehicle shutdown with no warning — potential loss of propulsion while driving. Vehicle is currently at Tesla Service, undisassembled, and available for inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728249March 31, 2026
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Following a 25-day repair at a certified collision center due to an earlier accident, the vehicle's Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Active Safety Systems began failing. The vehicle repeatedly failed to keep speed and failed to stay centered in the lane. On March 25, 2026, while traveling at low speed on a public roadway with FSD actively engaged, the system failed to maintain a stable path and incorrectly steered the vehicle into a curb, causing property damage to the wheel. This failure put my safety and the safety of surrounding traffic at risk by executing an unpredictable steering maneuver that the active safety systems failed to prevent. The vehicle was taken to the manufacturer's service center twice with this specific complaint prior to the curb strike. The service center investigated and officially concluded that this was not a software issue, stating that they could do nothing else. They deferred the resolution back to the collision shop, citing likely camera/sensor physical misalignment from the 25-day body repair. The collision shop is now refusing to review the vehicle or inspect the hardware, claiming lack of visible exterior damage despite the internal service team stating this is a latent hardware alignment defect. The vehicle is currently in the same failing condition and available for inspection upon request. No warning lamps or error messages appeared on the screen prior to the failure or the curb strike. The symptom of unpredictable lane tracking first appeared immediately upon receiving the vehicle back from the collision repair earlier this year. Note: I have a formal data privacy request pending with Tesla to pull the exact chat logs showing their refusal to service this hardware defect. I will provide these to the investigator upon follow-up.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728094March 30, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Safety Defect: Uncommanded trunk actuation while the user was asleep inside the vehicle. The vehicle’s proximity-sensing system (Bluetooth Phone Key) triggered a full power-open cycle without any active user input. The system failed to recognize that the vehicle was occupied and failed to detect an external obstruction, resulting in a collision. This poses a severe risk of unauthorized vehicle access or personal injury while a user is sleeping or camping in the vehicle.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728013March 30, 2026
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, STEERING
While driving under normal conditions, without any prior impact, collision, or road hazard, the control arm on my vehicle suddenly detached. This occurred during active driving and caused an immediate loss of vehicle stability and control. The failure happened without warning and posed a serious safety risk. At the time of the incident, my children were in the vehicle, which significantly increased the danger. The vehicle had not been involved in any accident or misuse. This appears to be a potential manufacturing or assembly defect involving a critical suspension component. Tesla towed the vehicle and repaired it at no cost. However, a suspension/control arm failure during normal driving is a serious safety concern that could lead to loss of steering control and possible crash. I am reporting this incident for safety investigation purposes, as this type of failure may pose a broader risk to other drivers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727855March 30, 2026
AIR BAGS
On January 12, 2026, I was involved in a multi-vehicle collision on I-4 West near US-27 Off Ramp in Polk County, Florida. My vehicle was struck on the left rear quarter panel causing me to lose control, hit a second vehicle, and travel off the road to the hazard lane. The vehicle was declared a total loss by the insurance company. Despite the severity of the impact, none of the airbags deployed. The Florida state crash report confirms airbags were marked as Not Deployed. The vehicle is currently at a salvage yard and is available for inspection. No warning lamps related to the airbag system were present prior to the crash. The failure of the airbag system to deploy in a total loss collision put the driver at significant risk of serious injury.”
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727796March 29, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
On multiple lane roads whe I am driving next to traffic in the same direction, if I try to give a large truck in the next lane plenty of room the lane keep assist activates and pushes me closer to the vehicle I am trying to avoid. When LCA first takes control it feels like it turns toward the line it's alerting about. Then it steers me towards the thing I was trying to avoid. The happens every drive and causes close calls with traffic, curbs, or large shrubs in the median. I have other older Tesla Model Ys that allow you to keep this setting off permanently. My new Model Y resets on every drive. It's several menu levels deep and distracting when I have to disable while driving. Please have them let me keep this dangerous option off permanently. Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727700March 28, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
I was entering the on-ramp to [XXX] , from [XXX] , to merge onto the freeway east bound towards [XXX] , when my Tesla suddenly lost all power, the brakes did not work and the power steering completely failed making it feel like it was locked up. I was traveling approximately 40-50 mph at the time nearing the gore point to merge onto the freeway. Fortunately I was in the inside lane and I rolled to a stop away from other vehicles. I could not steer at all. Had I been completely on the freeway, I could have been rear ended badly. I had my two young boys in the vehicle with me, both [XXX] and [XXX] . We were completely trapped in the vehicle with no power. My [XXX] old remembered to use the manual latch to get out. I opened my door manually and It broke my driver side glass window. Vehicles were passing us rapidly to enter the freeway. I called my husband who is a police officer and he came and picked us up. We called Tesla who said they could not get a read on our battery whatsoever. We called a tow company and had this vehicle towed to Tesla repair center in [XXX] , after reporting our traumatic event. They claim our warranty is expired, but our vehicle only has 37,638 miles and should be covered under the 8 year, 120,000 mile warranty that covers a major malfunction like this. 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
#11727359March 26, 2026
SEAT BELTS
Seatbeall does not click in
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727101March 25, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
On March 23, 2026, my vehicle experienced a sudden and simultaneous failure of multiple critical safety systems without any prior warning. The alerts displayed included: Automatic Emergency Braking unavailable, traction control disabled, stability control disabled, and additional driver-assistance features becoming unavailable. This incident created a serious safety hazard, as the loss of these systems significantly reduces vehicle stability and braking assistance, increasing the risk of loss of control, especially at highway speeds or in adverse weather conditions. In addition, the front-facing camera exhibits fogging and reduced visibility during cloudy and rainy conditions, which further impacts the reliability of safety and driver-assistance systems. Based on my research, similar issues have been reported by other Tesla owners, suggesting this may not be an isolated incident but a potential pattern defect. I am concerned about the safety of operating this vehicle and request that this matter be investigated for potential defects affecting critical safety systems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727063March 25, 2026
AIR BAGS, STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On [XXX] 1512PM. Drive on [XXX] with auto pilot driving. Seen on construction and hit some object driver side by front bumper , fender, Side mirror,Door and Wheel. Couldn't avoid crash by control handle. There is none of airbag action. All deployed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11726982March 25, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Incident Date，March 07, 2026] Current Mileage, 31625 miles I am reporting a catastrophic structural failure of a safety-critical suspension component on my Tesla Model Y. Upon inspection, I discovered that one of the bolts securing the driver-side lower control arm has completely detached and fallen off. A second bolt is approximately 50% loose. This has caused a significant safety hazard, as the control arm is no longer properly secured to the subframe, leading to a high risk of total steering loss and wheel detachment while driving. Furthermore, when I contacted Tesla Service, they demonstrated extreme negligence by instructing me to drive the vehicle in this lethal condition to their service center. They also initially refused to cover the towing and repair costs, claiming it was not a factory defect despite the clear evidence of fastener failure (improper torque or thread locker application during manufacturing). This is a clear manufacturing defect that poses an immediate threat to the driver, passengers, and other road users. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this batch of Model Y vehicles for suspension fastener integrity issues to prevent potential fatal accidents.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726883March 24, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
This is my 10th report; it relates to 2 issues I have reported before 1. The "phantom breaking" on cruise control that I have reported a few times previously has apparently been fixed on a software update, but we were not notified. I went in to Santa Fe Tesla where I took delivery of my vehicle and got into a discussion about my disappointments with this car, specifically the tires (see #2). I mentioned my past problems, including the phantom breaking. The man was dismissive and a bit defensive and asked if I'd made an appointment. I said I'd been told several times they hadn't figured out a software fix (and even Tesla employees were simply refraining from using cruise control, which is what I did). He said they "fixed it a while ago" and he's not had complaints since then. I tried cruise control on my 45 minute freeway drive and indeed, the problem did not occur. Interesting that they knew it was an ongoing problem, didn't deal with it, and didn't announce when they finally did fix it. I do not yet know if it is an ongoing safety problem for me but I'm planning to gradually increase my use of cruise control, since most of my driving is high-speed freeway driving. 2. I asked about getting warranty rebate for my original tires that have failed at 38K miles. He said I would have to pursue that through the distributor (American Tire?) and that he'd only had 2-3 customers ever do that. He said most customers just pay for better tires. He offered to sell me another Continental tire in the $400 range and implied that I could find tires through a tire store. I went to Discount tire who can get me a rebate on only 1 of the 4 tires because it's down to 4/32" tread. The other 3 can't be warrantied until they reach 4/32"...and I've already hydroplaned/slid on the freeway in a sleet storm with wet roads. The company knowingly provides inadequate tires and does not stand behind them. This is an unacceptable safety risk and a moral outrage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726708March 24, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Tesla Model Y Performance with 47,000 miles. Driver's side, rear passanger door would not open. No accident or damage to the car or car door. Door could not be opened from the inside nor the outside with the handle. ISSUE: The Emergency Door release in the pocket of the door failed to release and open the door.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726425March 23, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
With Full Self-Driving activated, while the vehicle was performing a maneuver to exit a parking space, it reversed directly into a stationary concrete pillar. The impact occurred on the rear driver’s side. There was no driver steering or pedal input during the reversal. The pillar was a large, high-contrast concrete structure, and there was insufficient time to intervene once the vehicle began reversing toward the pillar. Such defect in the Full Self-Driving system is dangerous for drivers and pedestrians alike.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726359March 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In approximately August 2023 — approximately seven months after purchase — the vehicle’s battery stalled completely while I was driving a few miles from my house on a surface road. The vehicle lost all drive power without warning. I was fortunate that no vehicle was following me or they might have slammed into the vehicle’s rear if they were unable to suddenly quickly stop. I turned on the emergency flasher lights, and after waiting a few minutes, the vehicle restarted and I decided to just drive the car home. I did not continue on my planned destination.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726221March 22, 2026
SUSPENSION
I was driving on the freeway and suddenly my care start moving to the right and screen shows me the message steering alignment service recommended ok to drive. When i stopped the vehicle one of the bolts fell off from underneath of the car and I was no longer able to turn the wheels. I towed the car to Tesla Burlingame dealership, and they told me that I have to replace front lateral link assembly, nut and washer, half shaft assembly front. Even though tesla stuff confirmed my issue i the same as previous recall but because my vin number not in the list and this is wearable parts I have to pay 2000.00
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726037March 21, 2026
STEERING, WHEELS
Catastrophic Axle Failure, I was driving out from my driveway when this happened. Just the day before my wife was driving on the highway, and I was driving with my two boys. I have video of the complete failure of the left driver's side axle. The vehicle was towed by the dealer and is at the dealer as we speak. There has been no inspection by the police or insurance representative. We had reported it to Tesla at our last appointment but they said they could not recreate the noise.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725975March 20, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While on my way to run an errand, I opened up the back door to strap my 2 year old in, when i closed the door, the car would not open whatsoever, after trying for a few minutes with the phone key app for tesla and the physical key fob, nothing would work. I had to end up calling 911 and firefighters came out and had to physically open the door, which broke the window. The car was completely unresponsive and would not turn on. After researching what happened, it turns out the 12v battery had died. I was able to jumpstart the car with jumpers and that was able to open up the rest of the car's doors. However, during the time my son was stuck inside with the over 95 degree weather, the had no safety mechanism in place to open it physically like a traditional key fob would. It is very disheartening knowing my son could have potentially lost his life over something so simple that could be resolved with a physical keyhole on the outside like almost every traditional vehicle has. This is something that should not occur, ever. The fact that the car was able to open up once more before completely dying and perfectly at the wrong time after closing the door while my son was trapped in there in complete heat was very disappointing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725775March 20, 2026
SEAT BELTS
Rear seat belt latch won't latch. This becomes a problem because dirt and debris fall into the seat belt latch since the seat belts latches are lower than the seat cushions. Child eats something with crumbs and the crumbs fall into the seat belt latch. Over time these build up to the point the seat belt won't click in.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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