Tesla Model Y Complaints (2023)

1,136 consumer complaints on file.

#11647275March 9, 2025
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, STEERING
Two weeks I had my model Y serviced for shaking of the car and steering wheel. They deemed the cause of the shaking due to unalignment of the wheels and they claimed to have fixed the issue. After receiving the car for the week after it began to make a sound of something hitting every time I made a U turn or any time I turned the wheel. While driving 3/8 with my family in the car I made a U turn in a parking lot and heard the same loud sound of hitting. When I went to check two large approximately 3 inch bolts were on the ground but no nuts in sight and my control arm broke the bottom plate and was completely unattached from the car. Thankfully the bolts came off while in a parking lot and not 20 minutes prior when I was driving on a windy road. Within 24hours Tesla contacted me saying my car was ready for pickup without any explanation of why the bolts came off, No full inspection completed for other issues and no alignment of the tires. Under the Tesla mechanic notes they only reinstalled the bolts and tightened the front wheels and not the back. Upon further research online I have found numerous other people complaining of the same issue of the bolts for the control arm falling off on Model Y and 3 Teslas due to forgetting to weld the bolt nuts to the sub frame.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646817March 6, 2025
STEERING
3/5/2024. Upon startup, car does not have power steering. Error code UI_a020 on screen and steering wheel very difficult to move as car reverses. Put car back into park and arranged for alternate transportation. Manufacturer advises "monitoring and reporting back when/if alert re-occurs"
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646395March 4, 2025
SUSPENSION
The two bolts securing the lower lateral link of the front passenger side loosened and dropped out in 14 months of the car ownership, causing the lateral link detached from the subframe of the car. The car makes loud noise when turning, poses danger of suspension failure and possibly loss of control on freeway driving. I have scheduled a service appointment with Tesla service center and see if they can fix it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644706February 25, 2025
SEAT BELTS
The seatbelt does not latch in the buckle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644018February 20, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I am submitting a complaint regarding a serious safety issue with my 2023 Tesla Model Y. The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete power loss while in operation, creating a hazardous situation. Below are the details of the incident: •Component/System Failure: The vehicle’s electrical system failed, leading to a shutdown. The following alerts were displayed on the screen: •VCFRONT_a191: Electrical system power reduced – Vehicle shutting down •VCFRONT_a192: Electrical system unable to support all features – Switching off features to conserve energy •BMS_a151: Vehicle may not restart – Service is required •DI_a227: Please wait while high voltage system powers up •Safety Risk: The unexpected shutdown posed a serious safety risk. If this had occurred in high-speed traffic, it could have led to a crash, endangering my safety and that of others on the road. •Reproduction of Issue: The issue has not been reproduced yet, but it is an ongoing concern. I have not received a resolution from Tesla at this time. •Inspection by Authorities: The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Tesla, law enforcement, or insurance representatives. However, I am willing to make it available for investigation. •Warning Signs: There were no prior warning signs before the failure. The alerts appeared shortly before the vehicle lost power completely. This issue raises concerns about the reliability and safety of Tesla’s electrical system. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter to prevent potential accidents caused by similar failures in other vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643963February 20, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
This is my 4th safety report about the same issue: unexpected braking while on cruise control. Since my last report, Tesla offered another free month of auto pilot but I did not take it for fear of this braking issue. On Tuesday [XXX] I was returning to my home in Las Cruces NM from Colorado. I was on [XXX] toward Albuquerque, and there was very little traffic. I decided to see if I could get away with the cruise control. As I was pulling into Bernalillo, there were some oncoming cars in a left-turn lane at a signal, and my car braked automatically...enough to lurch me forward. I decided to stop at the "new" Tesla dealer in Bernalillo (I got my car in Santa Fe) and ask about the automatic breaking and whether they'd fixed it. The 2 service employees looked at each other and one said "No". I then asked about whether I needed to re-boot my key card since my screen went blank while I was in CO, during a snow storm, parked. I luckily had my phone and on the Tesla App, under Roadside Service, it gave me the option to re-boot the screen! I did so. The serviceman said he didn't think the blank screen had anything to do with my key card, but I could re-boot it if I want to. (A prior complaint also reported the failed key card in less than a year and Tesla's unwillingness to replace it). 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
#11643906February 20, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Tesla offers a "Smart Summon" as part of a PAID feature of Full Self Driving. I have used this feature many times without issue. In this incident, it failed to detect a support column next to a parking spot and while pulling out, it turned right and collided with the pole causing damage to the vehicle. Tesla refused to take responsibility for their feature failing.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643514February 18, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
My Tesla model Y rear passenger window on the right side exploded, and glasses were shattered on February 14, 2025. I was driving on [XXX] and near the exit of [XXX] at approximately 11:40AM.，I was driving at approximately 65 mph. I heard an explosion sound at the back. The noise was very loud and sudden, and I was startled and distressed by the sound, and my eardrum was in pain due by the loud sound and the rush of the wind to inside my vehicle. I took my car to a Tesla svc center at Santa Clara . Tesla service center made me paid for the repair for $339.06. I am very concerned about the safety issue, fortunately there was no passenger at the back, otherwise the passenger could be severely injured. The weather was cloudy and the traffic was light. I found an article on the Internet - There were another similar incident about the rear right window explosion. There were no vehicles adjacent to my car while I was driving. I would like to express my concern regarding the potential safety implication of this incident. I urge your organization, investigate whether this issue is isolated or a part of broad pattern that may affect other vehicles. This left me a dark shadow while my driving now. 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
#11643017February 16, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While in an automatic car wash with the vehicle in "car wash mode" the vehicle suddenly stopped free rolling and the vehicle behind the Tesla Model Y crashed into the Tesla. The Brown Bear car wash reported that these types of incidents are common at Brown Bear car washes and that they ocurr when the drivers of Tesla cars remove their seat belts while the car is in the car wash.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11641831February 10, 2025
STEERING
While driving heard a noise from front end. As I turned right the steering wheel turned left in opposite direction. I heard something fall and found a bolt that fell off the car control arm. I managed to get the car back to my garage and called Tesla service. They say it needs an alignment and are going to charge me for this repair. A bolt should not be falling off the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640775February 5, 2025
STEERING
Subject: Urgent Safety Concern – Steering Component Failure in 2023 Tesla Model Y Dear Tesla Customer Support / NHTSA Safety Division, I am writing to formally report a serious safety issue involving a critical steering component failure in my 2023 Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX] 38,917 miles). The failure led to a loss of control and resulted in a collision. On [XXX], my wife, [XXX] , was driving the vehicle on our residential street, shortly after leaving our driveway. At a low speed of approximately 8-10 mph, she suddenly lost steering control as the car rapidly veered to the right. Despite attempts to steer, the vehicle was unresponsive, leading to a collision with a parked car. Damage Summary: •Our Tesla Model Y: Damage to front bumper, headlights, right wheel cover and right fender. •Parked Vehicle: Deep scratches and dents on the rear driver-side bumper and passenger door. Upon inspecting the vehicle after the incident, it became apparent that a suspension or steering component (likely the lower control arm) had failed (broken). After researching online, I discovered that multiple Tesla Model Y owners have reported similar sudden failures of the same part, indicating a potential manufacturing defect. Request for Immediate Action: 1.Tesla Inspection & Full Repair at No Cost – Since my vehicle is under warranty and this appears to be a manufacturing defect, I request a full investigation and repair at Tesla’s expense. 2.NHTSA Investigation into a Potential Recall – Given that similar failures have been reported by other Tesla owners, I urge NHTSA to review this issue for a potential recall before more accidents occur. 3.Tesla’s Official Response – I would like Tesla to confirm whether this component has been investigated for defects in other vehicles and what steps are being taken to prevent other accidents. This incident could have been far worse had my wife been driving at higher speeds. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640674February 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
My car is equipped with autopilot feature which I am unable to use due to safety score system designed by Tesla which is used for calculating insurance premiums. This safety score system doesn’t count the miles driven on autopilot and only counts the miles driven without autopilot to decide safety score which impacts insurance premium. This policy forces consumers to drive car without autopilot to increase number of miles driven to compensate for any mistakes made during driving without autopilot. This not only compromises safety of the vehicle and passengers but also deprives me to use features of my car that I paid for. Since autopilot is a supervised driving and requires driver active engagement the miles driven using autopilot should also be counted to decide safety score. Dealership are unable to help with any issues related to safety score system and there is no customer support available to address customer concerns.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11638960January 27, 2025
SUSPENSION
My wife was driving her 2023 Model Y with our [XXX] son in it, suddenly she heard a loud sound back to back twice and the car stopped, she couldn’t drive or move the car, she stepped out and saw 2 large bolts on the ground near the front passenger tire and the tired turned inwards and the tire would not turn upon steering and would not move at all. We called Tesla Roadside assistance. The tow technician reviewed the situation and said this should not have happened and it is a major issue. If this happened on a freeway it could have been a disaster. He also told us that he has to try to get the bolts back in after removing and breaking some of the adjacent plastic cover on the bottom of the car in order to safely tow the vehicle without additional damage. The car was towed after 2 hrs of breaking adjacent plastic next to where the bolts were supposed to be and trying to get bolts back on to straighten the wheel. Truly shaken, if this happened on a a freeway or when car was fast, it could have been a devastating accident involving life of my child and wife. We are still trying to fathom what happened and why. We will talk to the Tesla service center tomorrow. We found at least one other post on forums re: similar issue with Tesla. [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
#11636991January 20, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Heat pump tends to fail when temperatures reach out temperatures below 0ºF. This is a safety risk as at these temperatures, a failure to the vehicle heat pump could lead to death. There are many reports in forums and social media, such as here: [XXX] and [XXX] that shows this is a common issue. The system started to fail last time the temperatures reached around that point (around the beginning of Jan 2015), however the car quickly recovered from that. The error shows up as vcfront_a447. 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
#11636899January 19, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
How did Tesla pass the Safety Standards for the position of rear door handles to manually open the vehicle? The vehicle gets into an accident OR the car plunges into water - and this almost always results in a non-responsive/deal battery. *** The rear passengers are hurt and you want them to find that little piece of rubber mat hidden in a cranny, lift it, and then use their nail to open the plastic cover to reach that piece of junk to manually open the door? ** NO WAY !! Manual door handle in the rear doors should be placed where it's easily accessible, just like you have on the front doors. This is truly a life threatening safety issue with how Tesla has hide the rear passenger manual door handles. Please force Tesla to issue a recall and fix the issue by providing an easy access to manually open the rear door in emergencies. The car gets on fire and rear passengers may burn alive because they won't be able to open the door due to the current system of a super hidden rear door handle. Thanks, [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
#11636850January 19, 2025
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am lodging a formal complaint about recurring safety issues with my Tesla Model Y Long Range Dual Motor AWD, purchased on June 8, 2023. These issues have led to multiple skidding incidents under normal conditions, vehicle damage, and concerns about its safety and reliability. Incidents: Sept. 23, 2023 (6,279 miles): Suspension noise reported to Tesla Service Center, Clarkston, MI. Service concluded suspension was operating as intended (Invoice No. 3000S0008134598). Dec. 4, 2024 (29,425 miles): Skidding on a highway caused minor contact with another vehicle. Repairs (two rear tires and parking lamp) cost $1,007.28 at Grand Rapids Service Center (Invoice No. 3000S0011836159). Dec. 24, 2024: At 9 mph near a stop sign, the vehicle skidded, colliding with a cement pole, damaging the bumper and parking lamp. Jan. 9, 2025: During a service appointment at Ann Arbor, technicians experienced skidding during a road test. Inspection revealed worn rear tires (recently replaced), damaged suspension, and subframe assembly. Repair costs totaled $10,022.69, but Tesla denied warranty coverage. Concerns: Safety and Reliability: The AWD system consistently fails to prevent skidding, unlike older vehicles from other manufacturers like Hyundai and Toyota. Service Negligence: Tesla Grand Rapids provided worn rear tires. Previous services overlooked suspension and alignment issues, contributing to recurring incidents. Warranty Denial: Despite being under warranty, Tesla refused coverage, advising an insurance claim, which is unjustified given the defects and poor maintenance. Request for NHTSA Action: Investigate potential defects in the braking, traction control, and suspension systems. Recommend a recall if defects are confirmed. Hold Tesla accountable for repairs under warranty and ensure improved service practices. Seek compensation for emotional distress and service deficiencies. I hope NHTSA will act promptly to ensure public safety and uphold Tesla’s commitment to safety measures.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11636171January 15, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Occurred on [XXX] at [XXX]. Las Vegas. [XXX] and [XXX] are the closest intersections. My lane had construction cones and I had to merge. There was one Zoox ahead of me and one behind in the left lane and I tried to merge in between with blinkers on. The Zoox car behind sped up to close the gap to block me out. After the stop light turned green zi tried to merge again before my lane ended and the driver did the same thing by closing the cap and almost hitting the Zoox ahead of him. It also looks like that driver intentionally partially blocked the first left turn lane so I couldn't use it. I have everything recorded on my Tesla Front, side and back cameras. I attached the footage in the email for review. We should all be concerned if the autonomous vehicle drives this way or if it's learning from this driver's driving behavior. I wanted to add that I had my wife and infant in the car. There's a baby on board sticker on the back, driver side so the Zoox driver had to have seen it and still decided to run me into the cones unless I stopped despite I was already on the dashed lines merging in. It's all on the cam. 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
#11635254January 10, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
After leaving the supercharger (car charged to 92%) I came to a stop light. The car was NOT in autopilot. I took my foot off the accelerator pedal. The car had nearly come to a complete stop when it starting accelerating again. My foot was NOT on the pedal. I tried to brake and the brakes would NOT work. I turned the car to try to avoid hitting the car in front of me while pressing on the brake. Brakes still would not work and I slammed into the car in front of me. I believe that the car was not able to put the energy from the acceleration back into the battery (regenerative braking technology) and therefore pushed it back into acceleration mode. I also believe this caused the brakes to not work. I know there have been many recalls in China and other complaints of the same issue. I've had the car for 2 years and had never had this problem before. Another note when the accident happened the screen was showing a software update that wanted to be installed. This was a very disturbing and rattling happening and I'm not worried to drive the car after a super charge.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634800January 8, 2025
SEAT BELTS
Whenever the temperatures drop below 40 degrees, the driver seat belts stops functioning properly. Have to pull several times before the seat belt strap can pull all the way to be clicked on. Once seat belt is locked in place, while driving the seat belt feels like it could choke me. Once temperatures are normal, the seat belt operates normally. Also, the rear center seat belt intermittently will not lock in place. Have already reported these issues to Tesla and waiting for them to schedule the car for service at their service center.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11634083January 4, 2025
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
As I entered the parking lot I disengaged FSD by taking over the steering wheel. When it can to navigating into the parking spot I gently push the accelerator and the pedal disappeared from under neath my foot as the car accelerated forward hitting the car to my right. My calls to Tesla went unanswered so I could not report the incident. The incident happened May 2nd 2024.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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