Tesla Model Y Complaints

3,785 consumer complaints on file.

#11690255September 29, 2025
SUSPENSION
Noticed a minor squeaking sound during turning and during minor road bumpiness. Got worse, so did troubleshooting (turn wheel full right/left at very slow speed). There was a very loud pop/bang, and then a horrible grinding sound with accompanying vibration. Got out, noticed a large bolt laying on the ground. Looked under the car, and noticed the bolt was missing from the LH lateral linkage. The wheels are now canted/misaligned with each other (both facing inward, or one straight/one turned). There were zero warnings from the on board computer. If this had happened at highway speeds it could have been deadly or otherwise catastrophic. Completely unacceptable design.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690215September 28, 2025
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, STEERING
During normal driving on Sat Sep 27 2025, unusual noises started to come from the front left wheel. There were no warning lamps or messages, and no indication of issues prior to onset of the noise. I had the vehicle towed to a Tesla Service Center the following day. Tesla's technicians found that the front lateral link bolt on the left hand side had backed out and fallen out of the subframe. They determined that the cause was related to improper torque specification or application of the original bolt. They reached this conclusion in part because the passenger side lateral link to subframe bolts were also under-torqued. Rear bolts were not affected. Tesla has replaced the front lateral links on both sides with new bolts. There was no vehicle accident or damage, so there has been no involvement or inspection by police or insurance. It is fortunate that this issue began when the vehicle was traveling at low speed, and that I chose to have the vehicle towed to the service center rather than driving it. The bolt has loosened when the noise started, and finally fell out at the service center. Had I been driving at highway speeds when the bolt fell out, I could have lost control of the car and injured myself and others. Online research suggests this is not an isolated incident for this model of car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690194September 28, 2025
AIR BAGS
I keep getting alerts that there is a front right safety restraint system issue and service is required. Repair note Nov. 14 2024 stated: Safety Restraint alert has been intermittent over at least the past year. Customer has had previous Service Visits for same alert (RCM2_a136_sideAB1stRowROpen). Issue seems to be somewhere within the harness affecting the passenger side airbag. Replaced the Front Right (passenger) seat harness.Alerts are currently cleared. Feb 15, 2024 Repair Notes: Technician verified customer concern. Tech found the alert was for the 1st row passenger side airbag. Tech checked the connector in the seat and it was softset. Tech plugged it back in and made sure it was secure. Tech test drove and verified no alerts present.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689987September 26, 2025
SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the front suspension lateral link fasteners were loosened. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V835000 (Suspension), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 22,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689943September 26, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle 2022 Tesla Model Y AWD with Long Range Battery (Steel Grey) VIN: [XXX] License Plate: [XXX] State: CA Production Date: 03/2022 Incident Date/Time: September 20, 2025 ~7:30 AM Location: [City, CA] Description: While using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD), the vehicle approached a construction zone with a red light. The car slowed as if preparing to stop, then suddenly veered toward the side of the road and struck a construction barrier/pole. The maneuver was unexpected and occurred too quickly to prevent impact. This raises concerns about FSD’s ability to handle construction zones, traffic signals, and obstacles. Injury/Property Damage: Vehicle declared a total loss. Driver sustained neck and back injuries. Request: I am reporting this as a potential safety defect and request NHTSA investigate whether Tesla’s FSD has deficiencies in detecting/handling construction zones and signals in these conditions. Complainant contact: [XXX] Phone: [XXX] Email: [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
#11689928September 26, 2025
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, STEERING
I picked up my son from school and got home at about 3:30 PM on Sunday 9/21/2025. My son got out of the car and I heard a “clicking” sound when turning my steering wheel to the left to prepare for backing into my garage. There were no warning lights or messages for this issue. I did get out of my car and checked, but did not see anything that hit my car underneath. I got back in my car and continued backing my car into the garage. The nightmare started happening - The bolts connecting the front control arm and steering knuckle fell off that caused the left “arm” disconnected from the steering knuckle. This had resulted a sudden total loss of steering control. Please see attached photos. I could not imagine if this would have happened on the freeway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689915September 26, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH, STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:EXTERIOR
On August 20th, 2025 at 2:50pm, my eight-month-old infant was trapped inside my Tesla Model Y for approximately 30 minutes due to a critical systems failure. The vehicle experienced an error with the 12V battery that rendered the doors, windows, and trunk completely inoperable, preventing any means of access or escape. My infant was flushed, diaphoretic, and crying while stuck in his car seat with an indoor temperature exceeding 104 degrees fahrenheit. Despite all attempts to override the system, the car remained locked, and the battery dead, and emergency services had to be contacted. Officers from the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, and Montecito Fire Department arrived on scene and, in order to rescue my baby, were forced to smash a window to gain entry. The police officer was advised by a Tesla representative to do so, as he confirmed there would be no way to override the system to open the doors. My baby was found screaming in a pool full of sweat and was carried to an ambulance, where the paramedic warned me of concerning vital signs and advised me to go to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to have his condition assessed and treated, if necessary. I have obtained a copy of the police report (Case No. XXX) and will provide it upon request. Tesla confirmed that this problem with the 12V battery is common, nonetheless we were made to pay for a new window and a battery replacement. There were no warning signs leading up to the shutdown and not notifying us of this system failure and the risk involved is complete negligence on behalf of Tesla.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689573September 24, 2025
SUSPENSION
Front suspension upper control arm makes loud creaking/squeaking noises when turning at low speeds. This is a known and widespread issue affecting Tesla Model Y and Model 3 vehicles, caused by premature ball joint wear. This poses a safety risk, as the upper control arm is a critical suspension component and could fail while driving, potentially leading to loss of steering control. Tesla has acknowledged the issue through service bulletins, but they do not cover the repair outside the 4yr/50k mile warranty, leaving many owners with the same premature failure. Some repairs may be offered under goodwill, but this is inconsistent and not guaranteed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689423September 24, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
When in reverse, the reverse camera disappears if the driver turns the air conditioner on. I was in reverse, pushed the air conditioner button, the camera disappeared and I hit a car behind me. There were also no warning sensors when I got close to the car. It seems to be a safety issue for the reverse camera to ever disappear while in reverse. I’ve had many other cars and while in reverse, you can still turn on the radio or the air conditioner without losing the reverse camera visibility. a child could easily be run over because of this
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689371September 24, 2025
WHEELS
This vehicle is experiencing vibration at highway speeds. it was reported several times to the dealer without resolve. The upon the 3rd trip to the dealer, they are now saying that somehow all 4 rims are bent. None of the wheels have any visible indication of an impact, scratch or damage to the tires. As the only driver to this vehicle, i know firsthand it has not experienced any impact in way of significant bumps, pothole or otherwise. This is diagnosis is of serious concerns if the vehicles wheels will hold up under normal driving and if it were to experience a bump such as one found on a highway paving ridge during construction would it break or become uncontrollable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689256September 23, 2025
SUSPENSION
On last sunday (Sep.21, 2025), I drove my tesla model Y on high way. The vehicle suddenly loss of control and start shaking a lot. In the mean time, there are many system error messages posed on the screen, making the vehicle totally not drivable. On the second, it was identified by the Tesla service team that the lateral link bolt is missing. This issue has been the subject of Tesla recalls and reports, but after double check, my model Y never receive this recall, and cause me having no chance to prevent this accident happen. On last Saturday (Sep.21, 2025), I already reported the suspension issue through tesla app, but no Tesla service team person contact me, nobody help me. In summary, missing lateral link bolt is a very serious problem that cause the vehicle loss of control. However, Tesla never gives me a chance for recall repair, and even I report this and I still got no response.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688701September 21, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Full Self Driving safety-critical issue (running a red light) and could have resulted in a collision. [XXX], ~[XXX] MDT. VIN: [XXX] , Model Y, FSD software version 13.2.9 [XXX] , in the left turn lane (heading west on [XXX] , intending to turn south onto [XXX] ). FSD incorrectly proceeded through a red light at the SE intersection of [XXX] and [XXX] (northbound side) when the light at the SW intersection (southbound side) turned green, crossing the northbound lanes and completing a left turn onto southbound [XXX] . Clear weather, light traffic, no oncoming traffic on northbound [XXX] . FSD misread the traffic light signals, likely confusing the green light at the SW intersection (southbound [XXX] ) with the red light at the SE intersection (northbound [XXX] ). 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
#11688641September 20, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The screen continues to not turn on with my Model Y. This is making it a dangerous situation with backing out of my house and while I’m at the store. Additionally, I can’t tell the speed I’m going or if there are any problems with the car while driving. I’ve gone back to Tesla multiple times and they have not figured out what is going on
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688597September 20, 2025
SUSPENSION
When you’re driving even 20 mph if a road is little bumpy the car bombs so much a suspension or shock whatever they have is crap that’s a major issue with Tesla model Y this should be recalled and fixed for all the vehicles. Why did they approve this vehicle when you pay over $50,000 for the vehicle This is a major issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688524September 19, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The Full Self Driving (Supervised) ADAS in this vehicle will react to shadows on the road and can put the car or other cars at risk. We have had multiple instances where, on a sunny day, the car will react to shadows cast on the road and take evasive action like braking or switching lanes abruptly. This can be hazardous due to the random nature of the of the occurrences and them happening at times when a driver may be lulled into a false sense that the car seems to be driving itself well. So far we have been lucky that no other vehicles were traveling too close behind or to the side of us. We have experienced this behavior multiple times and there are other people online who have reported this. The car gave no warning indicators either before, during, or after the occurrence. Note that our car uses a Hardware 3 computer. I believe that this issue may have been fixed on newer Tesla cars that use Hardware 4.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688401September 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH, STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:EXTERIOR
On July 5, 2025, I entered my vehicle parked in my home garage and the door latched shut. Upon putting my foot on the brake. Center screen was blank (did not power on). I attempted to press the unlock button on the door and there was no sound from the motor to open the door. The door was still locked from the inside of the vehicle and I was locked inside. I waited around 5 minutes (after attempting to call my wife to try to let me out of car and tried the open the drivers door again by pressing the exit button. The door unlatched by normally the window rolls down partially to exit. This time the window did not move and I have to force the door open by pressing my shoulder hard against the interior door panel. I hear a popping sound from inside the door and the window would not roll up. I did not drive the vehicle fearing that the car would not start and my family could be trapped inside the car. I created an appointment for Tesla service for July 7, 2025 for the door locks and the driver's window that would not roll up completely and also would roll down but return to a 70% rolled up position automatically. I did received an error warning on the late evening of July 6, 2025 that the 12 volt battery voltage was low on the main center screen of my vehicle. I took the vehicle to Tesla service on July 7, 2025 and it was determined that the 12 volt auxiliary battery that was faulty and my window was repaired and recalibrated. I never saw an alert for the 12 volt auxiliary battery low voltage prior to when I was locked inside the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688313September 19, 2025
SUSPENSION
Hi, I have 2024 model Y rear wheel drive and wheels are so bumpy. They’re charging over $45,000 for the car. How come you guys approve this vehicle? The suspension is so bad. The car bounced whenever you drive that is big recall to fix this issue when you’re spending $45,000 on a vehicle how did you approve that the car is so bouncy whenever you drive that’s a major major issue with Tesla…….
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688228September 18, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH, STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:EXTERIOR
- Open rear passenger door and secured child in car seat. - Try to open driver side rear passenger door - which would not open. - Tried to open rear passenger door where child was in, and the door would not open. - Car was powered off and none of the doors opened. - After approximately 5 minutes, front passenger door opened, and child was removed form the car through the front door. - Requested roadside assistance with the diagnosis of 12V battery failure. - No warning that 12V battery was near end of life - Software updated the previous night.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688226September 18, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Our 2026 Tesla Model Y could not stop at a traffic light and rear ended the vehicle in front of it. Pumping the brake peddle had no effect. The incident did show up in the vehicles app. The front end was damaged (hood, drivers side fender and bumper). I contacted a Tesla representative and was instructed to make an appointment at a collision repair center to have the body work done prior to having the brake system diagnosed. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle at this time. I feel that Tesla should bear the cost for the collision repairs.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688217September 18, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against Tesla, Inc. regarding multiple critical safety failures that occurred with my Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX] ) during a collision on Saturday, [XXX], while I was traveling eastbound on [XXX] from the [XXX] exit to the [XXX] exit in Pennsylvania. At approximately [XXX], I was driving in the left lane when a BMW SUV abruptly cut into my lane ahead of me, accelerated briefly, and then suddenly braked. I immediately applied the brakes multiple times in an effort to stop my car. Even though there was sufficient space to stop safely, the braking system failed to respond, resulting in a collision with the BMW in front of me. Despite my efforts to avoid the impact, the following dangerous and unacceptable failures occurred at the time of the accident: 1.Failure of Regenerative Braking / Deceleration: When I lifted my foot from the accelerator, the vehicle did not decelerate as expected under Tesla’s regenerative braking system. 2.Failure of Braking System: Despite pressing the brake pedal twice—including a heavy application—the braking system failed to prevent collision, contrary to Tesla’s advertised safety performance. 3.Failure of Collision-Avoidance Features: Critical safety systems—including Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and Obstacle-Aware Acceleration—did not engage to mitigate or prevent the impact. 4.Failure of Airbag Deployment: Despite the severity of the crash, none of the airbags deployed, exposing me to serious risk of injury and raising grave concerns about the integrity of the Model Y’s occupant protection systems. 5.Post-Collision Failure of Regenerative Braking: Following the accident, when I attempted to drive the vehicle, the regenerative braking system was completely non-functional, creating a continuing safety hazard and rendering the vehicle unsafe to operate. 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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