Tesla Model Y Complaints

3,785 consumer complaints on file.

#11562592December 29, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my new Tesla Model Y RWD, which I received on December 3, 2023. I have encountered two major issues with the vehicle and the customer service. First, I was promised by Tesla representatives that I would receive six months of free Supercharging after delivery, as part of a referral program. However, this offer has not been activated yet. When I contacted Tesla, one of the supervisors told me that I was not eligible for this offer, because I placed my order on September 23, before the program started. This is unacceptable, as I was assured multiple times by Tesla agents that they would honor the offer and match it before delivery. I also offered to take back my self-driving capability which is available to me for free for the first 3 months. Second, I have experienced serious problems with the auto-pilot feature of the vehicle. I have used it four times briefly in the last month, and every time the car slowed down significantly when it was supposed to cruise at 50 mph. Twice, I had to avoid rear collisions by pressing the accelerator or the brakes. I reported these incidents to Tesla through the app, but I have not received any response or explanation. The most alarming event occurred on December 26, when I was with my family on a return trip from IKEA in Woodbridge, VA. The weather was bad and the Tesla suddenly stopped on the road. I suspect that the front camera falsely detected an obstacle and caused the car to brake abruptly. These issues are not only frustrating, but also dangerous and potentially life-threatening. I am very disappointed with the quality and performance of the Tesla Model Y, as well as the lack of customer support and accountability. I request that Tesla either provide me with a satisfactory solution or compensate me for the inconvenience and risk that I have endured. I have a legal background and I am aware of my rights and remedies under the Lemon Law and other consumer protection laws.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11562479December 29, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The driver's side mirror vibrates when in movement making it nearly impossible to see anything with it. I have tried to get it repaired but Tesla has stated that "there is no update on this. The concern arose earlier this year for new delivery Model Y's. For right now, we know Tesla is in the middle of creating a new part but there is no update on when it will become available for replacement at this time." It appears that many are complaining about the uselessness of the mirrors and the unresponsiveness to Tesla on this issue. The car was delivered with this issue but I was told that Tesla is working on this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11562374December 28, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This is to inform you of the incomplete tow package that Tesla sells/installs as a factory option on Model Y and Model 3 vehicles. The 12 volt auxiliary power pin on the standardized 7 pin trailer wiring plug/outlet is non-functional, and this can pose a significant hazard to the vehicle, other vehicle, and surroundings when trailers equipped with electric brakes are towed. The hazard is that certain weight ranges of trailers are required to have electric trailer brakes and, in case the trailer breaks away from the tow vehicle, the trailer is required to have a built-in battery that provides the power to actuate the brakes. This battery gets recharged ONLY when it is plugged into a tow vehicle, and it gets its recharging current from the 12 volt auxiliary power pin which Tesla has delivered without any power whatsoever being supplied. The hazard: Anyone using a Tesla Model Y or 3 to tow a trailer with electric brakes will NEVER be getting the trailer's battery recharged. Once the trailer battery goes flat there will be NO EMERGENCY BRAKE ACTIVATION if the trailer detaches from the tow vehicle. My understanding is that when Tesla switched from a standard 12v lead-acid battery to a 16 volt lithium battery it became necessary to include an electrical component to reduce the voltage to 12 volts which has been the automotive standard for decades. Tesla did NOT provide this component to provide 12 volts to the trailer outlet's Auxiliary Power pin - instead, they just left it dead. Tesla made this change in the spring of 2022. People immediately noticed and asked for a fix, to which Tesla replied that it would be coming "soon". My August 2023 build Model Y has the dead Aux Power pin, and when I submitted a warranty claim they replied that the fix for it would be available "soon". Tesla has been selling this incomplete, hazardous tow package for a year and a half with the promised fix nowhere in sight.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11562189December 27, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I was driving in left lane of highway at night with cruise control engaged, traveling 70mph. Autopilot was NOT engaged - only the Traffic-Aware Cruise Control. I turned on my right turn signal to change lanes. At the same time a car came up behind me in the left lane and was tailgating me. As I began my lane change, my Tesla did a hard brake that slowed it down considerably and was not initiated by me. I had to accelerate hard to recover, and don’t know how the car behind me didn’t rear end me. There were no cars close ahead of me in any of the lanes. There was no warning displayed or sounded by my car. This vehicle had done the same thing more than once in the days prior to this incident, but in less dangerous situations and in the daytime. The car has not been seen by any service center, but I will be reporting the malfunction to Tesla. The car is new and had been on the road 12 days when this incident occurred.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11562058December 27, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Water collects in the rear bottom trunk compartment. This flooding has resulted in moId. It appears as though the rear trunk is not properly installed and I have seen this reported on forums by other Tesla owners. Here is an example: [XXX] I have sent my Tesla for repair but it’s out of warranty. Tesla is also really poor when it comes to service times etc so I want to file a formal complaint to see if this helps other Tesla owners. 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
#11562050December 27, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Subject: Safety Concerns Regarding Recent Model y Autopilot Update To Whom It May Concern at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), I am writing to urgently express my concerns about the latest software update for the Tesla Model Y’s autopilot system, which, in my view, significantly compromises safety. As a Model 3 owner for over one year, I have generally found the vehicle and its features to be reliable and safe. However, the recent update has introduced an overly stringent hands-on-wheel detection mechanism that is not only inconvenient but also potentially hazardous. The new update requires frequent and often forceful interaction with the steering wheel to assure the system of driver presence. This change is drastically different from my previous experience, where I received only one hands-on-wheel violation in two years. The current sensitivity of the system disrupts the smooth operation of the autopilot, leading to frequent and abrupt disengagements. I have found myself struggling to maintain the system’s activation, inadvertently causing the vehicle to exit autopilot mode multiple times. This issue goes beyond mere inconvenience; it actively detracts from driving safety. The need for constant and sometimes aggressive adjustments to satisfy the system’s requirements is distracting and can lead to erratic vehicle behavior. The irony is stark: a system designed to enhance driving safety and ease is now a source of potential danger and stress. The unpredictability and over-sensitivity of the updated system could lead to dangerous situations, especially on highways or in heavy traffic, where sudden disengagement of the autopilot can be particularly risky. As a driver, I now find myself more focused on keeping the autopilot engaged than on the actual driving conditions and surroundings, which is surely contrary to the feature’s intended purpose. Thank you for your prompt attention to this serious safety concern. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561920December 26, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The contact rented a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH with the Adaptive Cruise Control activated, the vehicle experienced Phantom Braking and abruptly decelerated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice during the trip; after de-activating the Adaptive Cruise Control, the vehicle operated normally. During the failure there were no other vehicles or objects nearby. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer, the local dealer, and the Rental Car Company were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561873December 26, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My car drove forward despite me selecting reverse gear.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561840December 26, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I am reporting a false/phantom Tesla forward collision warning took place on Dec 13, 2023 at midday at 12:22 PM ET, clear road conditions with no rain, snow or ice, clear visibility without any fog, while I was driving on Alder Woods Dr. at Fairfax, VA. Tesla's forward collision warning system issued a warning for a legally parked car on the street which didn't pose any safety threat. The system mistaken the parked car with a moving car on the road and issued a warning which caused a lot of anxiety and distraction on me and my passengers traveling with me in the car. I passed the parked car without any problem, so did many other drivers ahead and behind me. This incident clearly shows that Tesla's forward collision system is not accurate and it is creating a lot of problems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561803December 26, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding the safety of my Tesla vehicle following the latest software update 2023.44.30 after I learned that the changes imposed were after the campaign #23V-838. Prior to these alterations, I felt that my vehicle was safer, and the recent modifications have raised apprehensions about its overall safety performance. I have noticed that since the recent update, the frequency of beeping noises while driving and engaging auto pilot (the free built-in adaptive cruise control) has significantly increased during routine tasks such as adjusting the volume, changing music, or even turning the heat on or off. This heightened beeping is not only distracting but also induces stress and anxiety, creating an unnerving driving experience. It is my belief that the increased frequency of these beeping sounds may contribute to a less safe driving environment. I urge you to thoroughly investigate the impact of these audible alerts on driver concentration and overall safety. Your attention to both the safety features and the auditory aspects of these changes is crucial. I appreciate your prompt consideration and investigation into these issues for the well-being of Tesla vehicle owners. Sincerely,
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561782December 25, 2023
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Due to NHTSA Recall Number 23V-838, the car has become more dangerous than before. Often making me apply more force on the wheel when constantly alerting me which has inadvertently made me swerve into oncoming lanes. Not only has this mandatory recall made the autopilot experience much worse, but it seems highly politicized by the previous leader of nhsta and should be reinvestigated. This is such a failure of over regulation over biased leadership and should not be tolerated.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561767December 25, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Phantom breaking multiple times in one trip, car will break on empty road no obstruction or any reason for breaking almost caused an accident on highway
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561765December 25, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We pulled over on a street to unload our car and a system update started. Our car was unable to move for over an hour. We were in a traffic lane. We reached out to tesla and the said that this was expected behavior and there was nothing they could or would do.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561722December 24, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY/WIPER
The backup camera failed to display any image, even with a vehicle restart by pushing the 2 buttons on the steering wheel to force a vehicle restart. I cannot see the back of the vehicle without the camera as the rearview window is so up high that it creates blind spots that I cannot see to safely get in or out of a parking spot and this creates a huge safety risk. Warnings that displayed was emergency braking unavailable and park assist unavailable. Also, the headlights on this vehicle is too bright that other drivers are flashing their high beam at me believing that I had the high beam on when I only have the low beam on. This creates a safety risk as the lights blind other drivers on the road and the same make and model of the vehicle can also create visibility problems when traveling in the opposite direction as it can also blind me. Those matrix headlight that can dim certain areas and not blind other drivers should be standard and enabled by default on all vehicles, including this one.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561683December 24, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The vehicle’ Full Self driving control malfunctioned two times. This vehicle delivered to me on Aug 31, 2023. The recent full self driving malfunctioned on Dec, 16th, 2023. The vehicle was on self driving mode and about to get into a near fatal crash. I had immediately intervened and avoided the crash. This caused damaged to front passenger side tire and wheel apart from mental trauma to myself and for my family . I contacted Tesla asap and informed about the incident. Tesla responded back two days after and asked me to pay for tire and wheel replacement which caused by Tesla’s fault. Earlier, for the same kind of incident, i visited Tesla’s service center so that they can fix the faulty full self drive system. The Tesla service center kept my vehicle for ten days and took no action to fix the issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561679December 24, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
After Tesla software update 2023.44.30.2, the rear back up camera no longer works. It’s just a black screen. Failure first occurred on 12/20/2023. Also, Tesla “Auto pilot” no longer works (cruise control and lane assist). Support team could not fix both issues. Have a service appointment scheduled on 12/27/2023. Thank you and happy holidays.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561656December 23, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My driver side tail light has water leaking into it, I reached out to Tesla to have it repaired. Tesla informed me that the amount of water in my taillight is considered acceptable, and that they will not swap it out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561498December 22, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY:TRUNK LID, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LOCK
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while parked and the truck was opened, the truck closed on the child's head inadvertently. The contact stated that on another occasion while parked and the trunk was opened, the trunk closed inadvertently on her right middle, and ring fingers without sensing that an object was in the trunk's way. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11561496December 22, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We bought a 2023 Model Y from the Mesa Tesla on 12/17/23. The staff rushed orientation (we are first-time EV owners) saying they were so busy that we could only get 15-30 minutes max for a complex vehicle. They told us calibration is normal and to reboot the Y if anything happens and showed us how. Once we drove off the lot the A/C went out and we got calibration prompts saying Pull Over. We pulled over less than 0.5 miles out and the A/C came on. Because of the bullying at the dealer we we afraid to go back and decided to go home. Again the calibration prompts came on and Pull Over. My wife was driving with my daughter and my in-law's and I was behind her in another car with our son. She suddenly started slowing down on the road because the vehicle would not let her accelerate. I pulled over to the side but she could not. I went to her and rebooted the Y, per Tesla's directions, and the car went dark and locked me and my in-law's inside in moving traffic (my wife had exited with my daughter). We had to call Gilbert police to direct traffic around us (had many angry drivers until Gilbert police came not understanding why a Y with a paper license tag was stopped in the road) and a tow truck for help. Two other drivers did stop to help too. I found the manual release but my in-law's could not. The tow truck driver had to climb (we had previouly rolled the windows down with the A/C issue) from the front seats to the back to get my in-law's out and paid $140.00 to have our new Y towed back to the dealer. For one week the story keeps changing - there is a coolant leak, no coolant leak but bad sensor, now the PCS is bad. I do not understand how the government can sanction such vehicles. We saved for a long time to purchase what was a dream vehicle for my wife and our famil'ys life was endangered within minutes. We are terrified of this vehicle and being around others like it on the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11561403December 21, 2023
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Received the new OTA recall update. The driver monitoring is now too sensitive and I cannot check the cross traffic when approaching intersections without receiving alerts to pay attention to the road. The car then requires me to apply varying amounts of turning force to the steering wheel, which sometimes can cause accidental disengagement, which also disengages TACC and auto braking. This is dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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