Tesla Model Y Complaints

3,785 consumer complaints on file.

#11667345June 17, 2025
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS, SEATS
“Front passenger Safety restraint system fault, service required” RCM2_a636 message keeps appearing on the screen. It happened right after I bought the car, so I took it to Tesla to fix. It went away for a few months and now it’s back again. According to Tesla, this fault, “ Based on the airbag system's self-diagnostic checks, a persistent fault has been detected in one or more safety restraint components. This could involve seat belts, impact sensors, occupant sensors, or related safety components. • If the airbag warning indicator stays on, the vehicle should not be driven until inspected. • Recurring faults require immediate Tesla service attention. • Pre-tensioner or sensor damage can compromise proper seat belt functionality.” This is a serious safety issue that should be addressed in a recall as it could jeopardize occupant safety of the seat belts or air bags do not work. It also appears to be somewhat widespread and persistent. Tesla also does not appear to have a permanent fix as the first time I took it in they made a comment about one repair already having been done on this before I got the car as a certified used one from Tesla.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667319June 17, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Tesla's FSD functions slowly has been reduced in the last years. Firts Tesla disabled the double pull function, resulted taken away the standard cruise control function. Lately, the fully paid ($12000) FSD is not recognizing streetsigns anymore, which worked perfectly before. This function is crucial to manage speeds, lanes, pedestrians and school zones or just attend in public roads! Tesla service center refuses to fix this issue or offer any additional solutions! This is very concerning and those vehicles with full FSD are not safe to operate on public roads anymore! Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667272June 16, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Phantom braking on the highway. We were the only car and without warning the car slammed on the brakes. There was nothing for the vehicle to hit in the road or cross traffic.It did this 3x in 35 miles. This has happened both while just cruise control and when the full self driving was on. We are too worried to use either of there is any traffic around us. We have not been to dealership yet. Fast beeping when it hits the breaks. Have not seen any alarms.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667042June 15, 2025
SUSPENSION
The lower control arm of the passenger front wheel separated from the vehicle entirely while the vehicle was in motion. There are two bolts which attach the bushing to the front sub-frame assembly. These bolts pass through the frame and are secured into nuts which are affixed to the frame. The bolts are not captured; there is no retention device (pins, wiring) which prevent these bolts from backing out of position, other than torque. Blue thread-lock compound was visible on both bolts, which remained present in the bushing after the control arm separated from the frame. When the arm detached from the frame, it dropped to the asphalt and made a loud grinding noise. The passenger side front wheel became directionally unstable and rotated inward and left, out of alignment with the intact driver-side wheel. This misalignment, while the vehicle was in motion, disrupted steering control and forced the passenger front wheel into the fender, causing friction and significant further damage to the frame and the suspension. This damage, combined with the driver's actions, stopped the car immediately. Fortunately, this occurred at low speed. Unfortunately, the cumulative damage left the vehicle immobilized in the middle of public road. Due to the great weight of the vehicle and the unstable front wheel, the vehicle could not be removed from the roadway and thus blocked traffic for several hours. The bolts, frame, and control arm were not visibly damaged. The bolts lost torque and backed out of the frame without noticeable indication that they were doing so. Tesla's characterization of the fault was that the vehicle "ejected" the bolts. Tesla repaired the damage under warranty. Multiple reports of similar (visually identical) events are available: [XXX] [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
#11666886June 14, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving slowly at a parking lot of a supermarket and preparing to park on my right. When I saw a car on my left front backing up, I pressed on the brake pedal immediately and turned the wheel slightly to the right. All of a sudden, the Tesla accelerated on its own with a very strong force and high speed, with the wheel turned sharply on its own toward the right. The Tesla then run through the steel fence of the parking lot, flying past the sidewalk, and finally settled on top of a big rock on the ground (which is placed there to protect the supermarket building). All of these happened so fast with such a strong force and all in an unintended manner. I was not injured and luckily no other persons or vehicles were involved. However, the vehicle was totalled and there were damage of the supermarket property.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666524June 12, 2025
SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS
While driving, a persistent error appears on the screen with a chime: "Front left safety restraint system issue" (Error Code: RCM2_a128). After researching online, it appears this is a commonly reported issue among Tesla owners and may have serious safety implications. The error code RCM2_a128 indicates a fault in the vehicle’s safety restraint system, specifically related to the seat belt or restraint mechanism on the front left side.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666422June 11, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The car exhibited a noise from the drivers side (LH) rear brake caliper, car was brought into Tesla for repair and it was determined that "Technician Notes: Technician inspected and verified excessive noise from the driver's side rear brake when applied, as reported by the customer. The noise was caused by a loose brake caliper on the left rear side. The technician replaced the left rear brake caliper and performed a brake fluid bleed/flush to resolve the issue. After the repair, the technician confirmed that the brake noise was no longer present." Tesla Service. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Brake caliper coming loose reduces brake performance and could lead to catastrophic failure and accident. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, see above. Tesla Service center "resolved" the issue by replacing the caliper. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No inspection, beyond Tesla service noted above. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lights, just a clicking sound from the caliper, sounded loose.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666241June 11, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owned a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact's daughter was driving at approximately 30 MPH when the vehicle had independently accelerated. The contact said that her daughter drove through an intersection and crashed into another vehicle. The contact's vehicle crashed into the other vehicle's driver's left front door. The contact stated that her vehicle's front end was crushed, and the other vehicle's driver's side door, driver's side rear wheel, and tailgate were damaged. The contact stated that both vehicles had to be towed. The contact stated that the air bags had deployed in her vehicle. The contact stated she drove her daughter to the hospital. The daughter only had pain in her neck and shoulders; there were no cuts or abrasions. The police arrived and issued an incident report. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot, and the contact was advised by her insurance provider that the vehicle was a total loss. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,011.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11666057June 10, 2025
AIR BAGS, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
The primary safety restraint system, specifically the driver's side airbag, failed to deploy during a significant frontal impact collision. This severely compromised my personal safety, as my head struck the steering wheel with force, leading to injury and pain. Had the impact been more severe, the lack of airbag deployment could have led to much more serious, potentially life-threatening, injuries. Immediately after the impact, the primary braking system also malfunctioned, and the vehicle's warning and autopilot systems became compromised, posing further safety risks. The specific airbag non-deployment problem has not yet been reproduced or formally confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, vehicle is currently scheduled for its first post-accident inspection at a Tesla Collision Center address 6010 Richmond Ave, Houston TX 77057 on June 11, 2025, and is available for inspection. To date, the vehicle has not been formally inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives for these specific malfunctions. Police responded to the accident scene and filed a report, but no technical inspection was conducted by them. There were NO prior warning lamps, messages, or symptoms indicating a malfunction with the airbag system before the collision. However, immediately after the collision, the primary brakes failed and the warning system and autopilot system showed signs of malfunction/disruption; no specific warning lights related to these post-impact issues appeared prior to their malfunction.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11665868June 9, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owned a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that it was raining while driving on the highway at 45 MPH when the vehicle began to hydroplane, no warning lights were illuminated, The contact attempted to slow down their vehicle however upon depressing the brake pedal the vehicle would not stop, and the vehicle immediatley spun around 2 times before crashing into a concrete barrier with the rear and front end of their vehicle. No property damage was reported, and the vehicle came to a stop upon impact. The airbags did not deploy. The vehicle did not need to be towed. The hazard warning light was illuminated, and warning messages were displayed stating that cameras had been damaged. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was driven back to the contacts residence, and from there, towed to a local Tesla dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and it was declared a total loss. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665628June 8, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
On June 6, 2025, at 5:30 PM MST, I was scheduled to take delivery of a Tesla Model Y at Tesla’s Aurora, CO Delivery Center. Upon inspection, I found visible rear paint damage. Tesla staff verbally acknowledged the defect but refused to provide any written documentation of the issue or the repair plan. I declined delivery due to the defect and the lack of formal repair documentation. I was then told by Tesla staff that if I refused a second delivery — even if the issue remained — I would forfeit my $250 deposit. This was framed as non-refundable and used to pressure acceptance. I also attempted to trade in my leased vehicle (financed by Santander Consumer USA). Tesla and Santander gave me conflicting information about the lease structure, trade-in value, and ownership responsibilities. No formal documentation was offered to clarify. I contacted Tesla’s lease return department, requested written confirmation of the defect, and later filed complaints with the BBB and the Colorado Attorney General. I am seeking CFPB support to investigate Tesla’s and Santander’s leasing practices, use of deposit threats, and lack of transparency in trade-in and vehicle condition handling.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665568June 8, 2025
SEAT BELTS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I leased this brand new but demo car with 1850 miles, 2 months old from Tesla Seattle. This is a brand new total redesign-2026 Model Y. I was assured that they do multiple point testing before delivery and I had to trust their process. Unlike any other car dealers, I was NOT allowed to test drive this car before I sign the lease. The car was not in great condition (in addition to the expected wear and tear as a demo car). a) It's charged to only 60% battery rather than the full 80%. b) The stains all over suggest that apparently no one did any finish work as expected. I have pic proofs available upon request. The delivery manager Jill manually wiped off some stains when I pointed them out. c) There was a dent of 2-3 inches on the hood which indicates a possible past accident. After driving the car home, SERIOUS ISSUES were identified (because no test drive was allowed before I take the lease of the car). 1) The driver's car seatbelt does NOT LOCK upon a sudden pull, mimicking the situation in a crash. THIS IS A COMPLETELY RECALL ISSUE AS IT COULD CAUSE PPL TO DIE, AND MYSELF AS A MOM OF A SMALL CHILD INCLUDED. It locks about 3 out of 10 times. My previous cars- Mercedes, Toyota, Hyundai and BMW all lock on EACH sudden pull! 2) The passenger seatbelt has the same problem. 3) The backseat seatbelts are much better, and locks much more often than driver's and passenger's. It locks about 8 out of 10 times. I went to Tesla Lynnwood WA on Jun 6 and the service manager Cayla and tech said there is no issues despite that MY seatbelt performs so much worse than (1) other two 2026 Model Y, one of which is a newer demo (2) older Model Y, 2025 and prior, locks on EACH sudden pull as well! (3) ALL 3 new 2026 model Ys ALL have much less reactive seatbelts! Another issue I had which makes me needing to have this car replaced under LEMON LAW is, (A)My phone key gets disconnected randomly and I had to use card key all the time (B)My 2nd card key can't open the car at all!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665554June 7, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The low voltage battery went out after rear right door was opened to put children in car seats. Drove 45 minutes to a train museum with the kids. Everything was working fine on the way down. Once done with the museum and back at the car, opened right rear door to put my younger child in the car seat. My older child decided to enter the car through same door as she didn't want to wait for me to finish to take her to the other side. Once my younger child was buckled up, I closed the door to come over to the other side the buckle in my older child into car seat. The door would not open. The phone application would not get the car to unlock the doors. I could not open any of the doors. Children were trapped inside. My oldest child was not yet buckled and I was able to instruct her to crawl to the front and try opening both doors with the electronic button, which did not work. I then instructed her to use the mechanical door latch vs the electronic and she got the door open. Had it not been for the fact that she was still unbuckled she would not have been able to get to the front to open the doors. I would have needed to call 911 for help getting the kids out as the car was unresponsive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665528June 7, 2025
SEATS
I picked up a new model Y Juniper. I have an issue with the driver's side seat. The seat bottom is shifting and popping when turning. They replaced the seat with a brand new one. I still have the same issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665422June 6, 2025
SUSPENSION, STEERING
A suspension rod/bolt fell off my car. When I was making a right hand turn my car began screeching and shaking, I lost control for a second and almost hit another vehicle, luckily I was able to stop my car. I had my car towed to a Tesla service station for repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665380June 6, 2025
SUSPENSION
Upper and lower control arms failed, and front suspensions bushings became torn. The car did not present any warning lamps or warning messages. The issue became apparent when a loud creaking/squeaking sound started coming from the front of the vehicle, and could be reproduced by turning the steering wheel, or by accelerating or braking. Control arm and suspension failures have been a frequent issue amongst Tesla owners, and the NHTSA should consider a recall for the design flaw.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665184June 5, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The rear light bar is extremely unsafe, it is especially undercarriage lighting which is illegal to have on while the vehicle is in motion. Not visible enough during inclement weather conditions, and can cause glare issues for other drivers while the roads are wet, due to its downward shining. The light can easily be obscured by hauling things such as bike racks. People are wrapping the plastic panel u deer the light which can alter performance. The light does not illuminate the full width of the car giving drivers behind a false sense of the car’s width. This has to be the most unsafe light on any car on the market
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664977June 4, 2025
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2026 model Y won't stop on the road when I released the gas paddle and even i felt it speeded up a little bit at 35 miles.it put me, my [XXX] daughter and other's safety at risk. I hit on the brake and feel need to hit harder abnormally to slow the car not even mention to stop the car. It took me long way to stop the car. At Once I stopped the car, it tried to speed up and I hit the paddle again. right after, then it tried to rocking back and forth and vibrated finally stopped. I tried serval time to repeat the issue it still exits. and I called Tesla customer service. they haven't look at it yet. but I in the service mode here is the some components are malfunctioned. 1. Rgenerative braking backfill, braking pedal torque is unavailable. 2. Traction control setting is unavailable. 3. DI_Brake torque is invalid. DI is Drive interface. 4. HOLD stopping mode is unavailable. there is no any warning showed in the console before and after the issue happened. 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
#11664968June 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Description of Incident: I was taking my family on a road trip from Disneyland back home to Chandler, Arizona when our 2022 Tesla Model Y displayed a battery issue. We stopped in Palm Springs to charge, but the battery would only charge very slowly and capped out at 32%. We brought the vehicle to the Palm Springs Tesla Service Center, where they diagnosed a failure in the high-voltage (HV) battery and stated it would need to be replaced — a process that would take about a week. Given that the car is only two years old, I found it concerning that a battery expected to last around 10 years would already need replacement. We were provided a loaner vehicle and returned to Arizona. When the repair was completed, I drove the loaner vehicle back to Palm Springs (a 5-hour trip) to pick up my car. On the return drive home, I stopped at a Tesla Supercharger in Quartzsite, Arizona, but the vehicle would not charge. After spending over 90 minutes on the phone with Tesla roadside assistance, a tow truck was dispatched and took both me and the car to the Glendale, AZ Tesla Service Center. There, I was informed — again — that the HV battery needed to be replaced. I explained that this component had just been replaced two days ago in Palm Springs, and asked for an explanation. I was not provided with any specific technical reason for the repeated failure, other than being told that the battery "just needs to be replaced again." Safety Concerns: At this point, I am deeply concerned that there may be a more significant or systemic issue with the vehicle’s electrical or battery systems that has not been properly identified. The repeated HV battery failures — combined with the lack of a clear explanation — raise serious safety concerns for my family and me, especially given how reliant the vehicle is on this system for power, propulsion, and emergency response.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664727June 3, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
The Hood paint thickness looks too thin and painting quality so bad. As soon as it got the stone chip, it makes the body metal part exposed to the air. This defect has hazard of corrosion the Hood metal and it makes that metal get brittle. When the driver get the accident after corrosion, it makes passenger in death or severe danger.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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