Tesla Model Y Complaints

3,785 consumer complaints on file.

#11713005January 23, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is NO emergency release button and light inside the frunk (front trunk) of my Tesla Model Y Performance 2026.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712905January 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact's client owned a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while his client was driving at an undisclosed speed under 60 MPH, the vehicle caught fire in an unknown location. The origin of the fire was unknown. The contact stated that his client attempted to unlock the vehicle doors, but the driver's handle did not work as intended, trapping the contact's client in the burning vehicle. The contact stated that the police and fire department arrived, but were not able to get close enough to the vehicle due to the inferno. The contact's client succumbed to the fire. The fire department extinguished the fire after approximately 40 minutes. The vehicle was destroyed but towed to a tow yard. The manufacturer was notified of the fatality. No further information was available as of yet. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
1
#11712901January 23, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
The computer in my car has been undergoing short circuiting, rendering all driver safety features inoperable. This is a known problem with hardware 4 and reported many places. I was backing out of my garage and the read camera and automated braking are not functional and it is nearly impossible to see out the back. When backing out, I struck another car in the driveway, resulting in damage to both cars. Had the system been functional, visibility would have been there and the automated braking would have avoided the collision. The vehicle has been seen by Tesla and I have been told that the warranty has expired and the computer must be replaced at my cost. Tesla has replaced other computers under a recall for the same issue reported. This is a serious safety issue as without a functional computer, features such as software updates, navigation, bilnd spot monitoring, lane keeping, cruise control, all cameras (rear, side, front), autopilot, autobraking etc. are nonfunctional.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712754January 22, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My heat pump and ac unit went out and Tesla wants me to pay $4000 for a faulty part that broke in less then 3 years
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712708January 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:AUTONOMOUS/SELF DRIVING, STEERING
The contact owned a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the contact’s daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH under significant rainy weather conditions, with autopilot mode engaged, the auto pilot became inoperable. The contact stated that the driver attempted to steer the steering wheel; however, the steering could not be steered, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle subsequently collided with a concrete wall and might have collided with another vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that all the air bags of the vehicle deployed during the crash. As a result of the incident, the driver sustained a nose injury and facial lacerations. The driver was transported to a local Emergency Room for medical treatment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed a total loss. A Tesla service center was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance had been provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11712499January 21, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My Model Y does not have an emergency release button in the frunk of my car. In the United States, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 401 mandates an interior release mechanism for enclosed trunks to prevent entrapment.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712416January 21, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, STRUCTURE:BODY, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On or about May 23 or 24, 2025, while using FSD to park the vehicle, I engaged reverse mode. The vehicle was fully under FSD control during this maneuver. Unexpectedly, the car reversed into a fixed pole, impacting the rear of the vehicle and causing a noticeable dent. The system did detect the collision and stopped upon impact, but failed to avoid it entirely. This incident occurred despite my hands being on the wheel and full attention as a supervising driver, in accordance with Tesla's guidelines for FSD use. I believe this represents a malfunction in the FSD system's object detection or path planning during reverse parking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712285January 20, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Incident Date: December 11, 2025 Vehicle: 2026 Tesla Model Y Location: DFW Airport, Irving, TX System: Full Self-Driving (Autopilot / FSD) Description: On December 11, 2025, my 2026 Tesla Model Y was operating under Full Self-Driving while exiting an airport when the vehicle struck a gate arm, causing property damage and windshield/body damage. No injuries occurred, but the collision happened while the FSD system was actively controlling the vehicle. Following the collision, I requested the vehicle operational and FSD engagement data from Tesla for the incident timeframe. Tesla provided a CSV dataset; however, the FSD engagement and autonomy decision-layer data were almost entirely missing, despite the vehicle being in motion and presumably under FSD control. On follow-up requests, Tesla stated they are unable to provide additional autonomy data and that “Tesla does not collect all your vehicle data,” despite marketing the system as Full Self-Driving and collecting extensive telemetry. This raises a safety concern because: 1.A collision occurred during FSD operation. 2.Tesla is not providing complete autonomy data for safety assessment. 3.There appears to be no transparency into FSD decision-making, object detection, or control authority at the time of impact. 4.Owners, insurers, and potentially regulators cannot review how FSD behaved during a safety-related event. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA is aware that: (1) A collision occurred under FSD control, and (2) Tesla refused complete operational autonomy logs for evaluation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712254January 20, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle experienced PCS (Power Conversion System/DC-DC converter) failure, rendering it completely undrivable—no 12V power, cannot charge or start. PCS is physically integrated inside high-voltage battery pack per service manuals. High-voltage battery warranty active (8yr/120k miles). Tesla service denies coverage citing "associated component" in vague emails—provided only general warranty table, no specific exclusion language despite repeated requests for exact quote/formal written denial. Escalated to managers: Offered "view-only" internal service bulletin on screen at meeting—no print/copy/photo allowed. Explicitly refused formal written denial letter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712177January 20, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On January 20, around 9:35 am, Phoenix time, I had the car in self-driving mode for a left-hand turn at the intercession of Camino Real and River Road in Tucson, Arizona. A real-time view shows that it’s a tricky and dangerous left-hand turn. For the past 3 weeks, the car navigated it well, waiting until it was perfectly safe to do so. Today, however, the car moved quickly and unexpectedly into the center of River Road, narrowly escaping a head on collision with a west-bound car, and then paused, squeezed in between west and east-bound lanes when I tapped the brake and took the wheel. Everything happened so quickly. I made the left turn into the east-bound lane, but, looking back, I don’t know how an accident didn’t occur, as traffic was still moving in east-bound lanes rapidly. There must have been enough distance between two cars at just the right time, that nothing hit me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712063January 20, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The vehicle repeatedly [XXX] [XXX], and [XXX] displays critical safety alerts indicating failure of the parking brake and automatic vehicle hold systems. Specific error codes documented include: •DI_a246: Automatic vehicle hold disabled (Use brake pedal when stopping) •EPBL_a179: Parking brake functions degraded (Parking brake may not apply or release) •UI_a019: Parking brake functions degraded 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
#11711855January 19, 2026
SEAT BELTS
New vehicle was delivered from the factory with an inoperable seat belt. After removing a trim piece, I found the seatbelt wrapped around several trim clips inside the pillar.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711674January 17, 2026
SUSPENSION
While driving my 2023 Model Y Long Range I heard a loud grinding noise. I was able to get home and park. When I further inspected the vehicle, I jacked up the car, removed the front driver side wheel, and immediately what I saw horrified me. The "FRONT LOWER LATERAL LINK ASSEMBLY" was completely disconnected from the vehicle, just hanging with a bolt missing, and another bolt barely hanging on. Upon searching the internet for issues I found several other people who had the same exact issue as me. As of now I have no vehicle to drive due to this mishap, but the bigger issue at hand is how many others are affected by this lack of workmanship, and how many accidents could be caused by the entire wheel disconnecting from the vehicle at high speed. In other vehicles I am used to seeing a Crown Nut, which has slots that allow a pin to cross and lock in place to prevent this from happening, yet here we are.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711573January 16, 2026
STEERING, SUSPENSION, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The defect involves the front suspension and/or steering system of a new 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Symptoms—persistent front-end clunking/thunking (primarily driver-side), steering instability, and vibration—began immediately upon delivery in late 2025, with Tesla notified same afternoon as delivery. The vibration now begins around 60 mph and intensifies with speed. Steering feel is excessively vague on-center (requiring constant correction to maintain lane position) yet overly twitchy and sensitive to inputs, creating inconsistent and unpredictable handling. The condition has progressively worsened and now renders the vehicle unsafe at highway speeds due to risk of loss of control. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms have appeared prior to or since onset. Tesla service centers have had multiple opportunities to evaluate the vehicle under warranty. The problem has not been confirmed objectively by Tesla; during at least one evaluation, a technician drove only at speeds below complaint threshold (despite requests to test at the speeds where symptoms occur), stated he did not feel the issue, and performed no further diagnosis. Multiple appointments were canceled or rescheduled by Tesla (including one after I arrived). The vehicle was repeatedly returned without documented objective testing or repair addressing the complaint. During one visit, the Tesla app indicated an active “visual quality check” while the vehicle remained parked outside and not being worked on for an extended period (documented). To rule out tires, I installed a brand-new set; the vibration worsened afterward. Safety risk: Unresolved steering/suspension instability increases the risk of loss of vehicle control at highway speeds, endangering occupants and other road users. Odometer at onset: 15 miles Current odometer: 3596 miles
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711522January 16, 2026
TIRES
I am submitting this complaint to escalate a safety-related concern involving premature and abnormal tire wear on my Tesla Model Y, which has not been adequately addressed by Tesla. I purchased my Tesla Model Y in [Dec, 2023]. Within less than one year of normal driving, all four tires wore out significantly and required full replacement on 08/30/2024. The vehicle has been operated under normal city and highway conditions, and Tesla-recommended tire pressure was maintained consistently. This level of tire wear is well below reasonable tire life expectations and raises safety concerns, including reduced traction, increased stopping distance, and the risk of tire failure. After replacing the prematurely worn tires at my own expense, I reported the issue to Tesla Service and requested that the vehicle be inspected to determine whether alignment, camber, or suspension issues contributed to the abnormal wear. Tesla indicated that an evaluation would only be performed if I agreed to pay for diagnostic services, rather than proactively inspecting the vehicle for a potential underlying defect. As a result, no documented root-cause analysis or corrective action was provided at that time. During a later Tesla service visit for a separate suspension noise concern, Tesla replaced multiple front suspension components (including control arms and lateral/compliance links) and performed a four-wheel alignment under warranty. These repairs occurred after the tires had already been replaced, which created doubt as to whether the suspension condition at the time may have contributed to the earlier premature tire wear. Because the suspension was not evaluated when the abnormal wear occurred, the underlying cause remains unresolved. Replacing tires alone without timely evaluation of possible contributing suspension or alignment issues does not adequately address the associated safety risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711497January 16, 2026
SUSPENSION, STEERING
A critical front suspension component failed on my 2023 Tesla Model Y without any accident, misuse, or external damage. While backing out of my garage at low speed, a loud “BAM” occurred — the front lateral link bolt fell off, detaching the lateral link and causing the front body to drop onto the tire. My child was inside the vehicle. Tesla-certified technicians inspected the vehicle and service records confirm the lateral link bolt was loose and missing, directly causing the failure. Multiple suspension components were replaced under warranty, confirming a manufacturing defect, not customer-caused damage. This is a serious safety-critical failure. At driving or highway speed, it could have caused loss of steering, severe injury, or death. The day before, my spouse drove the vehicle on the highway with our younger child — by luck, a catastrophic event did not occur. Before and after the wheel detached, the Tesla monitor did not display any warnings. Even after the lateral link and wheel partially detached, the vehicle remained in driving mode and ready to operate, despite a wheel being unsecured — a basic condition that should trigger an immediate alert. This demonstrates a critical failure in Tesla’s safety systems. There were no recalls listed under my VIN. However, NHTSA records show similar failures, with recall notifications issued under NHTSA Recall 21V-835 in 2021 for 2021 and earlier Tesla Model Y and Model 3 vehicles. The same failure in my 2023 Model Y at 23,641 miles shows the defect was not fully corrected and continues to pose a public safety risk. I am reporting this to NHTSA due to the extreme safety risk and request a full investigation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711298January 15, 2026
SUSPENSION
While driving my Tesla, the front suspension abruptly failed. Two bolts from a critical suspension/control arm component fell out while the car was in normal motion. There was no impact, no debris, no road hazard, and no prior service that would explain missing bolts. The vehicle suddenly dropped, and the chassis collapsed onto the wheel, causing grinding and severe loss of drivability. This failure occurred without warning. Tesla Service inspected the vehicle and confirmed the bolts were missing but could not explain how they came loose or fell out. The bolts showed no damage, and there was no undercarriage damage, indicating a structural or manufacturing defect. This was a life-threatening incident. This type of suspension/separation issue appears to be a known problem with Tesla vehicles. I request that NHTSA review this failure as it poses a significant risk to vehicle occupants and the public.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711284January 15, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:AUTONOMOUS/SELF DRIVING
The contact owned a 2026 Tesla Model Y. While reversing out of a parking spot using the Full Self-Driving feature, the system turned the wheel and maneuvered the vehicle into a pole, striking the left side of the front bumper. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 15,803.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711221January 15, 2026
AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Passenger side airbag did not deploy. Emergency auto brake did not seem to work. The passenger side of the vehicle was struck by other car at high speed and sustained significant damage
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11711113January 15, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
After charging the vehicle threw error code “BMS_a079 Unable to charge - Maximum charge level reached Reduced maximum charge level - Schedule service”. The car would no longer charge and had to be taken in for service. Tesla advised the High Voltage battery needed to be replaced. Replacing the High Voltage battery resolved the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Tesla Model Y