Electrical System Problems of Tesla Model Y - part 2

Approximately one month after purchasing a new vehicle, the steering system suddenly failed without any warning. While the car was parked at home and started normally, the steering wheel became extremely heavy, hot, and then completely locked. The vehicle could not be steered at all and became entirely non-drivable. Multiple warning messages appeared, including warnings related to reduced steering assist effectiveness and lane departure avoidance being unavailable. This occurred at approximately 1,000 miles. The failure happened suddenly with no prior symptoms. This defect created a serious safety risk. If this had occurred while driving, it could have resulted in loss of vehicle control and a potential crash. The vehicle was not drivable and had to be towed to a Tesla service center. The issue has been reported to Tesla and is currently under inspection. The exact cause of the failure is unknown at this time. A sudden and complete loss of steering control on a nearly new vehicle is extremely dangerous and indicates a potential defect in the steering system or related electrical components.

Center console usb component part#1522264-00-b, available for inspection. Usb-c charging port that had been plugged in for more than a year, started smoking and wire melted while vehicle was parked. If this would have happened while my wife was on the highway on the way to work and smoke suddenly appeared, it would have cause her to be startled and degrade her ability on a busy highway. This would have most likely have created a traffic incident in memphis on highway 240. I asked the dealer if there were any reports of defective part and I was told no. I brought the components in to show but the parts manager or service staff were not interested in the details or my concerns that smoke had been detected and that it melded the metal piece of usb-c charger to that Tesla part. I bought another replacement part from Tesla, but I am not utilizing the charging port for fear of smoke/fire. There were no warning lights or indication prior to the day of event where my wife observed burnt plastics and visible smoke. On November 26th called me in a panic that the car was smoking. She went out to our vehicle during her break and she smelt burnt plastic and observed smoke from the middle console. Shortly after she called me at my work, and after making sense of what she was telling me, I told her to unplug the usb-c but the parts manager melted of and the metal piece was stuck in the charging port. I left my work and after 30 minutes got to the vehicle, the burnt plastic was still evident but smoke no longer visible. I detached the panel with the part unplugged from power source, thank you youtube for the diy video. Pictures will be included with this report, but format doesn’t allow for video upload. Video will be provided upon request.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Tesla removed the lighted emergency frunk (front trunk) release button and its wiring from this vehicle and other similar newer builds. The elimination of this key safety feature is a clear violation of the u. S. Federal motor vehicle safety standard fmvss 401 for interior trunk release; requiring all new passenger cars with trunk compartments (rear and front) to have a way for someone trapped inside to escape. There is currently no method to open a latched front trunk cover from inside this new vehicle.

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.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

In my 2026 Tesla Model Y long range, there is no emergency release in the frunk (front trunk). I do believe there is a law that requires this. What if the unthinkable happens and someone gets stuck inside of it? I have seen others post about not having it as well, so it is definitely not limited to a small number of vehicles. I do not even see the harness for the emergency release inside of the panel. This is a huge safety issue.

While the car was in operation a message popped up with flashing red light and said drive unit issue car powering down. It went into neutral. Turns out the inverter and rear drive unit had to be replaced.

On November 16, 2025, my Tesla Model Y experienced a complete and dangerous failure while driving. The touchscreen went totally blank and stopped responding. All essential driving information and safety functions were lost, including speedometer, gear selection, turn signals, hvac/defrost, and vehicle controls. At the same time, the car made a continuous loud humming/buzzing sound and displayed a low coolant warning. This made the vehicle unsafe to operate because I could not see my speed, cannot shift properly, and could not access any safety controls. This is the second time my vehicle has experienced a critical malfunction. The first major incident occurred on July 28, 2025. A complaint has been filed with the NHTSA under tracking number 11676662. Both failures involved sudden loss of essential functions, raising serious concerns about electrical, cooling system, or display system defects. I am reporting this because it is a serious safety risk and could lead to vehicle loss of control, inability to signal, or inability to see speed or gear position. The problem has been reported to Tesla and is pending evaluation at a Tesla service center. Warning messages and symptoms appeared at the moment of failure with no prior signs.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Detailed description of the defect: Friday incident: while picking up my son from school, the vehicle abruptly disabled multiple safety and driver-assist features. The car rolled backward on a slight incline, failed to display any surrounding vehicles on the fsd visualization, and retained accelerator input even after I removed my foot from the pedal. The vehicle continued to speed up slightly in drive and reverse without my input. Soft resets did not resolve the issue. Monday incident (collision caused by malfunction): on Monday morning, the same malfunction occurred. As I reversed into my garage with the door opening, the car again held the accelerator input after I lifted my foot, causing the vehicle to continue moving backward unexpectedly. The vehicle struck my garage door, causing property damage and a dent to the trunk. This was not driver error. It was unexpected propulsion after pedal release — an extremely dangerous condition.

I am filing this complaint regarding a high-voltage battery defect in my 2021 Tesla Model Y. The vehicle has been diagnosed by Tesla service, and both the technician and service advisor confirmed that the high-voltage battery has an internal short. This is a critical failure involving the primary energy/storage system of the vehicle. Despite acknowledging the internal failure, Tesla is denying warranty coverage for the battery replacement. They have stated that failure is internal, and is not caused by anything external the failure was not caused by an accident, environmental exposure, or improper use. This appears to be a component-level defect within the 2021 Tesla Model Y battery packs considering Tesla has issued prior service bulletins for Model Y high-voltage battery quality issues in adjacent Model Years, this may indicate a broader pattern of battery defects. They are trying to charge people over $12,000 for battery replacements that should be covered by Tesla due to poor workmanship and materials used. Many have had to have multiple battery packs replaced.

My vehicle experienced multiple safety system malfunctions before a minor collision occurred. While driving, the car displayed warnings indicating that traction control had been disabled, followed immediately by a warning that the automatic vehicle hold/brake hold was disabled. These failures happened before any impact. At the same time, the vehicle’s cameras were not functioning correctly, and the vehicle did not provide any forward collision warning. The automatic emergency braking system also did not activate. Because these systems failed, the vehicle did not warn, slow down, or brake to avoid a collision. After the collision, the vehicle showed several additional safety system failures. These included automatic emergency braking unavailable, and repeated safety restraint system faults affecting both the front left and front right restraint systems. The airbags did not deploy even though conditions suggested they should have, and afterwards the vehicle displayed persistent airbag and seatbelt system error icons. The restraint system appears to have gone offline. The vehicle is currently unsafe to drive due to failures in braking, traction control, perception/camera systems, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and the airbag/restraint systems. These failures occurred before the collision, contributed to the collision, and continued afterward. The manufacturer’s service center has declined to provide towing or a loaner or rental vehicle while the safety defects are being investigated, which will take about 30 days.

See all problems of the 2025 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

On October 2, my Model Y battery was replaced with a defective cell. Tesla service center replaced the battery. The vehicle could not charge or operate, making it unable to be driven. Today, November 2, while driving my car, my Tesla abs system and other battery components experienced total failure while driving. For a brief period of time, I was unable to brake completely and my vehicle felt like it was skidding. At the time this occurred, my 1 year old daughter and pregnant wife were in the vehicle. This could have been much worse.

My 2022 Model Y, 213k miles, battery health 77%, no issues until beginning of November 2025. After Tesla’s update, bms_a079 popped up, capped charge at 22%. No dead cells, no imbalance—pure software bug remotely triggered by Tesla. Service refused written diagnosis, only said ‘nine thousand dollars for new battery. Risk of stranding.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

On 11/01/2025 at (12:15 pm]) my Tesla Model Y (VIN: 7saygaee8rf983245) was **parked in park/hold mode** in the winchester park parking lot, los angeles ,California the * navigation was set to an address in the center of the park**. The address on the address log of the car navigation system. The **Tesla gps navigation destination was set to a point marked in the middle of the park** (not a parking spot or road). **without any driver input** (no accelerator pedal pressed, no hands on wheel), the vehicle **suddenly shifted into drive, jumped the curb, and accelerated approximately more than 30 feet] into the park grass**. This caused **damage to wheels, and all the passenger side of the vehicle to impact with a large rock placed in the park **zero pedal input** — confirmed by driver and will be verified in Tesla server logs. No injuries. No other vehicles involved. **root cause**: **full self-driving (fsd) software / navigation system** incorrectly engaged **lane keeping assistance** while parked, triggering **unintended acceleration** via **speed control** logic. The car was on software update and suddenly disappeared. The car **autonomously drove itself** toward the gps point **from a complete stop**. Police report filed to lapd (case #251102900293). Tesla vehicle data report requested. **request NHTSA investigation** into * navigation-induced unintended acceleration from park**.

First cold day of the year and the heater stopped working. With the heater not available the windshield couldn’t be cleared it would always fog and cover the windshield blocking the view infront of the vehicle. Next couple days it was even cooler and the windshield was frozen with no way of heating and clearing the view. Yes the issue was reproduced by the service center upon taking the vehicle there once the vehicle was a little warm. Tesla service center mentioned there was an internal fault in the compressor which they can’t be clear so have to replace a compressor, exv valve, pressure temperature sensors and coolant. Vehicle was parked when I tried to turn the heat on in the morning it would just blow cool air. No warning before the failure. Once the compressor faulted it would give a warning “vcfront_a447” cabin climate control system requires service. And just blow cold air everytime the vehicle is started. If turning on heat from the phone app or inside the cabin it would blows cold air for about 10 mins then it will show the warning lamp.

The driver rear left side door is unclear electrical control and broke so I cannot open the door from the outside. I have a child inside. This is an extreme safety hazard were an accident to occur.

Full self driving disengage with no warning and won’t start up again. Unsafe.

The horn becomes muted during rain. Major safety defect. Tesla service center checked and replied 'it works normal when water driesd out'. This is a major safety problem. Technician is telling me that's how it is, does that mean raining days I have to drive without a functional horn? sunny days it works fine, as that's how every vehicle should be. But under slippery, foggy and limited vision raining days, car becomes mute on horn, how would that be fine and normal? the horn is a federally mandated safety feature. A horn that fails in the rain is a safety defect. Tesla need to have attention on this and either fix the issue or replace the horn with other better designed product. I'm not the only Model Y owner who has this issue, google it, you'll see that's a 'common problem '.

The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the tpms displayed that the psi of the tires was low. Additionally, a notification advising that the vehicle was experiencing low voltage and drainage and would shut down was displayed. The contact called towing services. The contact stated that the towing agent who assisted in towing the vehicle informed the contact that the tires were losing air, and the front passenger's side tire or wheel was defective. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla service center, where the power converter system(pcs) was corrected. Additionally, the technician informed the contact that the passenger's side tire was leaking air due to a rim defect, but the vehicle was not repaired, and the contact was advised to pick up the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle could not be driven at 20 mph due to the failure. The contact had not retrieved the vehicle from the service center. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 24v935000 (tires), but the Tesla service center informed the contact that the recall repair was completed. The contact stated that NHTSA campaign numbers: 24v554000 (latches/locks/linkages, electrical system) and 24v935000 (tires) were marked as complete on the manufacturer's website; however, the NHTSA VIN tool displayed that the recalls were incomplete. Additionally, the contact stated that the driver's seat was not adjustable. The contact stated that while attempting to move the seat higher and forward, the seat turned inward towards the right. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

I am writing to formally report a serious malfunction involving my Tesla vehicle. On my 2024 Tesla Model Y. I experienced an unexpected accelerator malfunction that caused the vehicle to surge forward uncontrollably. The incident occurred at approximately as I attempted to dive in slowly, the accelerator suddenly malfunctioned and my car creeped in slowly and rapidly increased power without my intention. Despite immediate attempts to brake and regain control, the vehicle continued to accelerate and subsequently collided with a gate, resulting in significant front-end damage. I firmly believe this was due to a mechanical or electronic failure in the vehicle’s accelerator or related control systems. The malfunction posed a serious safety hazard and could have resulted in injuries, and this has affected me mentally. I am requesting a full investigation into this malfunction, including an inspection of the vehicle’s electronic logs, sensors, and accelerator system to determine the cause of this unintended acceleration. I would appreciate your prompt response and guidance on the next steps to resolve this matter, including vehicle inspection, repair, and coverage options.

The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the battery was losing charge abnormally quickly. The contact needed to charge the battery every 2-3 days instead of every 5-6 days. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact observed the code bmsa079 on the computer, and messages "vehicle unable to charge to maximum charge level" and “maximum charge level reached - reduced maximum charge levels" were displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was determined that one coil in the battery was inoperative, and the dealer reduced the charge and refused to increase the battery charging level. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 155,000.

The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact observed a 2026 Tesla Model Y robotaxi that had unexpectedly stopped in active traffic. The contact stated that while driving in the right lane, the contact became aware that the vehicle in the left lane remained stopped at a green light. The contact expressed concern that the issue posed a serious safety hazard and could have resulted in a more severe situation with ongoing traffic. The contact was concerned that the issue could be especially dangerous in a school zone with children nearby. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.

What happened?while driving at 20 mph on [xxx] sunny without any prior “hood ajar” warning, the hood suddenly popped open and smashed the windshield. The vehicle became undrivable. Safety risk?obstructed forward visibility; near-miss crash. When/where?[xxx], sunnyvale, CA 94086, California vehicle info?2025 Tesla Model Y evidence?teslacam (front cam) [xxx] (skip to 0:25 in the video. ) [xxx] (skip to 0:33 in the video. ) [xxx] (skip to 0:01 in the video. ) information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

?? immediate escalation: safety-related hv drive-system concern / diagnostic fee dispute / no loaner – urgent review needed VIN [xxx] I am requesting immediate escalation of a safety-related concern involving my 2021 Model Y (approx. 90,000 miles) currently assigned to the Tesla wilmington service center. The advisors (shelly & amanda) has stated the diagnostic fee will not be covered until after inspection, but the earliest inspection is October 22, and I’m being asked to drop off the vehicle now with no loaner or transportation support. This is a high-voltage drive-system concern that may fall under the drive unit limited warranty (valid through Feb 2029). The local team refuses to classify the case under warranty review or confirm transportation support, leaving me without safe mobility for weeks. Please escalate this to a corporate service manager or hv warranty specialist today and confirm: 1. That the diagnostic will be covered pending warranty review, and 2. That loaner or transportation support will be provided. I’ve been going back and forth with the wilmington team for a week, and this matter has not been resolved. Despite this being a safety concern and issue . I was told that that o would have to wait weeks to get this issue resolved. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud pop coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle lost automotive power and rolled away in reverse downhill towards oncoming traffic. The contact was able to avoid oncoming traffic and reverse onto the shoulder of the road; however, the driver’s side rear driver’s door failed to unlatch or open as intended while using the interior door handles. A local tow truck arrived on scene, and the passenger’s side door failed to open as intended with the exterior door handle. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the 12-volt battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but remained at the local dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Vehicle information: 2026 Tesla Model Y mileage: ~2,700 miles purchased: July 2025 complaint description: I purchased a brand new 2026 Tesla Model Y in July 2025. At only 6 miles, the car already had an antenna issue that required a week in service. Now, at just 2,700 miles, the air conditioning has completely failed — no airflow at all. This failure occurred suddenly and without warning. The Tesla tampa service center offered no immediate assistance, only an appointment in 4 days, with no loaner or alternative support. This situation creates a serious safety hazard, especially in florida where summer temperatures routinely exceed 95°f. Driving or sitting in a vehicle without functional air conditioning in such heat places both the driver and passengers at risk of heat exhaustion, dehydration, or heat stroke, particularly for children. It is unacceptable for a brand-new vehicle at this price point to experience such a critical failure so early. The lack of timely support from Tesla’s service department further compounds the danger. Safety concern: loss of air conditioning in high-heat environments like florida represents a direct safety risk to occupants and should be investigated as a potential defect. Desired outcome: I request that NHTSA investigate whether similar failures are occurring in other Tesla Model Y vehicles and determine if this is a wider defect that warrants corrective action or a recall.

I was driving along one of the main highways in orlando, florida called [xxx], on Wednesday [xxx], in my Model Y Tesla. I was between the exits of [xxx], and [xxx]. I was in the middle lane. There was a software update issued the previous Sunday. The warning came on the display that the lane changing was not valid. At that point the car took over and accelerated. The brakes would not work, until I slammed on it after 3 times, and the car began to decelerate. The air conditioner went off, along with the electrical turn signals. I as able to get off at the [xxx] exit for it is a bit of a "hill" up in florida, but knew I could coast into a lane hopefully no one would be in. I was able to at least coast into a parking lot, and bump the car into a concrete barrier, and a tree infront of the barrier. The car would not respond to park, neutral or the emergency brake. I tried re-booting the car 3 times and nothing. I had to call a tow truck to tow to the Tesla service center in clermont, florida. They could not get it in park either and had to drag the Tesla onto the flatbed. After 5 days of not responding to my text, I walked into another Tesla service center to plead my problem. Long story short, there is an unexplained anomaly that is in the canbus and cannot duplicate the error. More $ to have to tested for another week. They gave me a loaner to use, a model s. After a few days driving it the loaner screen went blank and I was stranded. I had their loaner towed back to the service center. They will not 100% address the problem. They know it is in the canbus system, but now I definitely am scared to drive the car or get it back. How do I know if they will really tell me it is fixed? I fear if I get back in the car. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Driving our 2023 Tesla Model Y east on I-20 on October 1, 2025 near pecos TX. Car suddenly lost power and started hard braking. We were rear ended by a large pick-up truck that was following as we were both traveling approximately 80 miles per hour when this occurred. The car was towed back to dallas from big springs, TX (approximately 280 miles). The car's rear-end damage was such that my Tesla was deemed totaled by the insurance company. This power failure and hard braking had happened to me repeatedly over the last few years. When I spoke to Tesla at the dallas service center about this issue, they acted as though they had never heard of this happening to anyone. We were both shaken by this accident but other than some soreness the next day we are physically ok. Tesla repair estimate was approximately $22,000. I was forced to buy another car. I had not planned on doing this as my car was fairly new with low mileage.

Both b-pillar camera housings on my 2023 Tesla Model Y performance become extremely hot even when the vehicle is parked in a closed garage and not in use. On the morning of the incident, the garage temperature was approximately 78°f. The car had been parked overnight for over 12 hours, plugged in, and charging to 80%. While the vehicle was preconditioning, no defrost features were active. Despite this, both pillar surfaces measured 156°f with an infrared thermometer—hot enough to cause skin burns within seconds according to standard burn-threshold data for human skin (~155°f). Both sides heating to this temperature simultaneously suggests an electrical or control malfunction keeping the pillar camera assemblies energized. These components sit near the seatbelt anchor and side-curtain airbag area, raising concern of fire, electrical, or occupant-safety risk if the condition persists. Continuous heating while parked could also degrade wiring insulation or camera electronics used by the vehicle’s driver-assistance systems. The vehicle and affected components are available for inspection upon request. The issue has not yet been inspected or confirmed by Tesla, but a service appointment request was submitted immediately after the event. Tesla repeatedly rescheduled the appointment, delaying it by more than six weeks despite the described safety concern. No diagnostic alerts, warning messages, or notifications appeared in the vehicle or Tesla app. This abnormal heating has occurred more than once under similar conditions and does not appear to be caused by ambient temperature or sunlight exposure.

Our new Model Y with only 302 miles lost driving power, reported a high voltage problem, and shutdown in the middle of the street. Within an hour Tesla towed it to the repair center. The next day we picked up a loaner. Throughout the ordeal the Tesla staff have been very friendly. They only needed two days to make the repair. Here is what the technician wrote in the Tesla app. With the vehicle on site found it unresponsive and unable to drive. Towed the vehicle in and pulled vehicle data. Found numerous alerts for contactor power supply being undervoltage. Performed and exhaustive inspection of the right main harness. Found the contactor power supply wire to have a short to ground in the harness. Continued inspection and found the harness to have rubbed through the harness at the right rear c pillar area. Removed the wires and rerouted to prevent damage. Rewrapped the harness and added foam to prevent the issues from returning. Performed a test drive and verified the vehicle is back to working order with no alerts or issues.

This incident appears to relate to NHTSA ongoing investigation at Tesla's low voltage battery system failure causing door handle malfunction. (September 26, 2025) 2021 Model Y front and rear doors (all four) was locked down with a seven years old child inside the car at home garage driveway. Mom unable to open up doors from exterior. A few hours later, left driver door was able to open but other passengers door remained locked down. (October 2, 2025) sent Model Y to Tesla service center and identified low voltage battery and vehicle controller failure. Tesla technician replaced those electrical components with service fee charged.

Bought a brand new Model Y and I less than a week I received the below two error message warnings and the airbag light comes on. Cabin occupancy radar obstructed. Front passenger safety restraint system issue. Also to engage the fsd, I have to double tab 2-3 times in order for it to engage.

The screen continues to not turn on with my Model Y. This is making it a dangerous situation with backing out of my house and while I’m at the store. Additionally, I can’t tell the speed I’m going or if there are any problems with the car while driving. I’ve gone back to Tesla multiple times and they have not figured out what is going on.

VIN [xxx] battery problem car is less than 3 years old. Suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. Only had about 5 seconds or so to react and the car stuttered and shut down. Could not move it or drive it all. Dashboard was still working but it would not move and flashing red in the console. Very scary and frustrating experience. Fortunately, I was on a city and not on a highway. The car had an error: "pull to the side" which was very short of an alert response. I tow the car to Tesla center and was told that more than likely main battery issue with the inverter or similar. The service center does confirm the inverter has been reset but they cannot find anything wrong with it. I do not think it is safe to drive as incident could happen again with the battery/inverter. This has happened to many other cars Tesla had. Thanks, [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s side seat failed to adjust to the intended position while the digital screen was in use. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that when the manual front driver’s side seat control pad was in use, the manual front seat control pad felt fragile and moved the front driver’s side seat forward into the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, and the front driver’s side seat control pad was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 8,790.