Tesla Model Y Complaints (2023)

1,136 consumer complaints on file.

#11677984August 2, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The vehicle in front of us came to a sudden stop, but my Tesla failed to issue any alerts or activate automatic braking. When we attempted to brake manually, the car did not allow full braking and continued moving forward, ultimately causing a collision. This strongly suggests a malfunction in the Tesla’s safety or braking system. As a result, I’ve suffered significant financial losses due to the vehicle being totaled and damage caused to other vehicles/other persons injuries involved. This incident is also likely to lead to increased insurance premiums moving forward.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11677444July 31, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
-As a regular driver in the DC area, I have repeatedly experienced the Lane Departure Avoidance system disabling itself mid-drive. This is particularly troubling in city driving conditions marked by unpredictable traffic, unclear lane markings, and frequent distractions—scenarios where these safety features are most essential. Lane Departure Avoidance helps prevent accidents by alerting drivers or gently correcting steering if the vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane. -I don't know if there was a specific concern about the safety of others, but it may have. -Unknown -Not needed -No - just happened
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676662July 28, 2025
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, STEERING
While driving on the freeway, I heard an unusual noise coming from beneath the battery of my car. Concerned, I drove to a nearby friend's house and parked there, carefully checking my dashboard for any warning signals but finding none. I decided to resume my journey, but as I backed out of the driveway, I heard a sudden noise indicating something had come loose, followed by a crackling sound. Upon inspecting the car, I discovered that the control arm had become detached, the axle had popped out, and two bolts had come off. During the towing process, I noticed that the steering had become extremely tight. To my surprise, I had never received any recall notice from Tesla addressing this issue. Considering that my car is less than two years old, I was deeply disturbed by the situation. This incident has significantly undermined my confidence in the safety of the vehicle, as it highlights a potential manufacturing defect involving defective parts. I regularly use this car to drive my children to their activities, and knowing that this could have led to a catastrophic failure such as tire separation, loss of steering control, or compromised braking capabilities especially on the freeway, is worrying. The car was towed to a dealer and currently in the queue for evaluation by tesla technicians. I requested detailed service report from Irvine service center. There were no warning indicators in the dashboard while I was driving or after the bolts came loose.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676373July 26, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
The tesla computer freezes. Sudden there is no information from the car, no miles per hour, no navigation, no side view cameras. I can drive the car but that's is all. Since the navigation is entirely dependent on the computer I can't tell where I am going. It has happened more than 30+ times in the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675282July 22, 2025
WHEELS
I am writing to report a serious safety issue following a recent service appointment for my Tesla Model Y at the Peabody, MA location (10 Andover St) on Friday, [XXX]. After driving approximately one hour on the highway following my visit, I heard a popping noise. Upon arriving home, I inspected my vehicle and removed the lug nut cover from the rear right tire — the one that was serviced during my appointment. To my shock, two lug nuts came off with the cover, and two others were not even screwed in. This is absolutely unacceptable and extremely dangerous. The wheel could have come off while I was driving, which could have led to a catastrophic accident. 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
#11674418July 18, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While attempting to park my Tesla, I accidentally struck another vehicle’s side step with the front passenger side of my car. The other vehicle was not damaged, but my Tesla sustained visible damage. The vehicle’s camera system failed to detect or display the side step, giving the impression that there was sufficient clearance. As a result, I relied on what I believed to be accurate visual guidance from the Tesla camera system. During a follow-up visit to the Tesla Service Center in Gilroy, California, I was told that similar incidents have occurred before. According to the technicians, the camera system has known limitations in detecting low-profile or side-mounted obstacles, such as running boards or side steps. This presents a significant safety concern. Tesla vehicles rely heavily on cameras and sensors for driver awareness, particularly during parking maneuvers. When key blind spots exist in the system—especially in areas the driver may not be able to visually confirm easily—it puts both property and people at risk. Drivers are conditioned to trust the vehicle’s spatial guidance systems, but in this case, that trust may lead to preventable accidents. Given Tesla’s growing market share and the increasing use of its camera-based safety and autonomy features, I believe this issue could affect many other drivers. It may warrant broader review to determine whether a design or software update is necessary to improve detection of low-profile obstacles and better inform drivers in parking scenarios.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673191July 13, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On Memorial Day weekend, my car was parked outside, and apparently back passenger window was left open, which caused the backseat area of the car to be soaked in water. We noticed that in the morning, and parked the car inside the garage, and kept the door and windows open so it could dry quickly. However, a few hours later, around 4:30 pm, the car caught fire while parked in the garage. We called 911 right away and quickly using two fire extinguishers, quickly put out the fire. The Frisco Fire Department opened up the investigation, and I believe they concluded the cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit due to water or battery-related issues. The fire incident occurred inside the garage, which could have potentially burned the entire house. However, due to the brave actions of my [XXX] , we put the fire out, but he ended up in the hospital due to severe smoke inhalation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11672542July 10, 2025
STEERING
Making a right turn and heard a pop sound. Pulled into a parking lot immediately found the steering arm dropped and shortly after a large bolt fell out. There is supposed to be 2 bolts holding up each side, one bolt was already missing. Event occurred without incident. Normal street driving at a low speed turn.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672510July 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The car computer (HW3) in my 2023 Tesla Model Y failed without warning while I was traveling from Maryland to New Jersey. When I attempted to drive the car, the main screen was completely black and unresponsive, meaning I could not see or control any essential functions—no speed display, gear indicator, or system feedback. The vehicle was not drivable. Acceleration was extremely delayed (took more than 10 seconds to start moving from stop) when attempting to move, and the car felt like it could stop at any moment without warning. I had no way to safely monitor or control the vehicle’s basic operation. This created a serious safety risk—not only was I unable to access the gear or speed, but the vehicle was in a condition where it could shut down suddenly at any time due to the computer failure. This left me stranded while away from home and could have resulted in dangerous situations if I had been on the road when it failed. Tesla Service inspected the vehicle and confirmed the issue was an internal fault in the car computer (HW3), diagnosed by their senior technician. They provided a repair estimate of approximately $3,000. No police, insurance, or other third parties have inspected the vehicle. There were no warning messages, alerts, or symptoms before the failure occurred. It happened suddenly and completely at around 59,000 miles—just 9,000 miles past the basic warranty limit. The failed computer is being fixed by Tesla service center in Paramus, NJ location.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672278July 9, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while reversing out of the garage, the message "Camera Temporarily Not Available" was displayed intermittently. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened, and the rearview camera had become inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that a software update notification was displayed; however, upon initiating the update, the center display screen froze in the middle of the update. Additionally, the contact stated that the front and rearview cameras, the navigation system, the cruise control mode, and distant cruise control mode, the blind spot detection system, the self-driving assist system, and other safety systems were inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle appeared stationary on the center display even while driving. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center, where it was diagnosed and determined that the computer system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672082July 8, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Response: All 3 times has been with a faulty inverter 2)How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Response: Safety was a HUGE concern. The Tesla model Y has stalled and completely shut down while driving through traffic and at speed. The complete failure did not allow any coasting to try and get out of harms way. 3) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Response: All 3 times this issue has occurred were all serviced by Tesla directly and has always been a faulty inverter. 4) Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Response: Yes, all 3 times the car failed the car was assessed by Tesla's service station Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? 5) Yes, the first 2 times the warning appeared there was only a matter of seconds before the car completely stopped in the middle of traffic. This last time there was a warning stating the car will not restart if stopped.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672022July 8, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
car has a improperly installed windshield, it got cracked while sitting in a covered parking lot on June24th,2025. the hottest day of season with 100 + degrees temperature,Crack was very small in the middle of windshield size3” x 3” and got bigger waiting for Tesla’s appointment.When i went to Tesla today for replacement of windshield they just gave me the run around and denied to replace under warranty. This is a manufacturing defect as there is nothing else but a crack . Tesla should be fined for big time and ordered to fix it under warranty. There are so many customers who have the same problem.The crack never happened with any outside influence .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671817July 7, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was using the self driving in about 65 miles per hour this was little bit under speed limit in highway in Florida. Suddenly the car started to do zig zags and cycles alone and when I tried to control the car and drive my self the car didn’t respond to me and self driving couldn’t be stopped I couldn’t switch to regular driver this was self driving malfunction and could cause big accident in a highway. The car stopped because it took me out of the road and hit the guardrail.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670678July 2, 2025
SUSPENSION
Tesla lateral link bolts fell out and/or sheared off. The happened on the front driver side of the vehicle. It happened while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670301June 30, 2025
STEERING, SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to complete a left turn, the contact briefly heard an abnormal clicking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle, after which the steering wheel jerked abnormally. The vehicle quickly returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the front-end suspension bushings. The contact was also informed that a bolt on the driver’s side control arm had loosened. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670031June 29, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
The Tesla “self driving” features are inconsistent, at best, and frequently fail. I can not believe that the government approves these capabilities or the Tesla is accepting liability for road use. If these features are not reliable under supervised conditions, why would they be considered safe for robo taxi release? I have repeatedly tried to report this to Tesla and they say the systems are operating as designed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669618June 27, 2025
SUSPENSION
I was driving my 2023 Tesla Model Y under normal road conditions when a sudden mechanical failure occurred. There was no collision or external impact involved. While driving in the San Jose area, the bolt of the front left lower control arm suddenly detached, causing the control arm to disconnect and drag on the ground. As a result, the front wheel became jammed, the vehicle lost steering control, and I was unable to continue driving safely. Upon immediate inspection, I found the suspension system severely damaged, with the control arm completely detached from its mounting point, posing a serious safety risk. The vehicle has approximately 19,200 miles and is still under factory warranty. This kind of failure is extremely uncommon and appears to be a structural or manufacturing defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669530June 26, 2025
STEERING
The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 - 50 MPH, the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that while attempting to regain control of the vehicle and attempting to correct the steering wheel, the vehicle kept going to the right and to the left independently. The contact was unable to regain control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle struck a railing and a concrete divider with the passenger’s side front bumper and then the rear passenger’s side quarter panel, and the vehicle spun around on the highway and came to a stop. The contact pressed the emergency latch to exit the vehicle out of fear that the vehicle might catch on fire. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side tire was pushed back due to the impact. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that all the air bags deployed as designed. The vehicle was towed to a local Collision Center. A Police report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was deemed destroyed by the Insurance Provider. The contact sustained injuries to the upper back, left shoulder, right elbow, and neck; however, there were no broken bones reported. The contact received medical attention for the injuries sustained. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11669421June 26, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2023 Tesla Model Y has produced concerningly loud mechanical noises while parked, plugged in, and not being driven. I’ve experienced this on two separate occasions—[XXX] and [XXX]—after the vehicle had been parked for several hours in a garage. Upon waking the car (without driving it), it emitted a very loud and persistent mechanical sound, both while plugged in and even after unplugging. The volume and intensity of these sounds were far beyond normal operation and raised immediate concerns of overheating, component failure, or an underlying safety defect. The experience felt unsafe enough that we considered exiting the vehicle both times. We attempted to schedule a service appointment through the Tesla app, but received no response, and the request appears to have disappeared with no record remaining in the app. Based on the nature of the sound, we’re unsure what it could be, and may indicate a malfunction in the cooling system or battery thermal management. I have video documentation of both incidents, along with video from other nights with similar temperatures where this did not occur, for comparison. I’m submitting this report out of genuine concern for vehicle safety and reliability, especially given Tesla’s known issues with thermal and battery behavior in high-heat conditions. These noises began recently, and we have owned the car since 2022 and have driven it consistently in high Texas heat every summer. This suggests a new or developing malfunction, not a feature of normal operation. 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
#11668631June 23, 2025
SUSPENSION
The bolt that connects the control arm to the vehicle chassis fell out of the care (and was recovered) and the mechanic noted the other bolt was also very loose.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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