Equipment Problems of Tesla Model Y - part 1

Lateral control arm bolt has fallen out with no impact/collision or reasonable explanation.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

On Saturday, [xxx] at around [xxx] going west on [xxx] toward [xxx] stopped at the intersection of [xxx]. While driving my 2022 Tesla Model Y, performance, I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green and I began accelerating normally through the intersection, both passenger-side doors unexpectedly unlatched at the same time. The windows on both passenger doors lowered slightly, and the vehicle displayed a warning indicating the doors were open and to drive carefully. This created an immediate safety hazard, as the doors opened while the vehicle was in motion without any intentional action from the occupants(there were 0 occupants there). This is the second time this exact issue has occurred under similar circumstances, with the previous incident also happening as I accelerated from a red light. The vehicle should not allow multiple doors to unlatch while driving. I have reported the issue to Tesla for inspection and request that this incident be documented and investigated as a potential safety defect. I was going less that 10 mph when this occurred. Thankfully, my toddler was not sitting in the back seat and there were no passengers in the car. No injuries. No crash. *unable to upload any photos/screenshots at the moment, but can email or link a drive when need be. This website doesn't support any uploads at the moment. I'm on a mac using google chrome. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

This week, I was driving my Tesla at approximately 65 mph in the middle lane of a six-lane freeway. Autopilot was engaged. Traffic was moving normally, and I was not aware of any obstacle or hazard that would have required emergency braking. Without any warning, the vehicle suddenly applied the brakes and rapidly decelerated until it came to a complete stop in the middle travel lane of the freeway. I was not pressing the brake pedal. The event occurred unexpectedly and created a potentially life threatening safety hazard. My vehicle came to a stop in a high-speed traffic center lane! after I disengaged autopilot and pressed the accelerator, the vehicle responded normally. Immediately following the incident, the display showed the message “autopilot unavailable. ” that message later disappeared, and no additional warning messages remained on the screen. I contacted Tesla to report the incident. Tesla reviewed the vehicle’s logs remotely and later discussed the results with me by telephone. During that conversation, I was told that the event was considered an “anomaly. ” I was also told that the vehicle logs reflected the event approximately one hour from when it actually occurred and that the logs indicated the vehicle was not operating in autopilot at the time of the incident. This information was inconsistent with the event, because autopilot was engaged when the sudden braking occurred. I could not even move to berm. Tesla did not request that I bring the vehicle in for a physical inspection. Instead, I was told there was no reason to have the vehicle examined. During the same conversation, I was encouraged to consider subscribing to Tesla’s full self-driving (supervised) system, which requires an additional monthly subscription, rather than continuing to use autopilot as a result of a question I asked about two plans. Tesla closed my service ticket without performing an inspection indicating there was no benefit spending $$ to essentially receive no additional.

After about 2 minutes from leaving a patients house, I was driving at approximately 25mph when my frunk(front trunk) of my Tesla flew open and hit my windshield. There was no alert through the Tesla app or in the car itself. I stopped the car stepped outside and the frunk would not close after when I tried to close by hand, it would stop at the latch. When I closed it from the Tesla app it was able to close properly.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

It was raining, when I was driving on i95 highway, the vehicle suddenly started to spin by itself, and out of my control. When I tried to hit the brakes, there was no response, then it swung out of the lane and hit on the tree. I have reported to police, and I just filed a claim with insurance company, and I will also report this to Tesla later. However, I think it is really very dangerous, and I hope it can be investigated for safety reason. I have video recordings, I can provide if you need them. Thank you.

Whenever the self driving feature is disengaged, a pop up menu is forced into the user asking for a reason for the disengagement. The user is forced to submit a response for the pop up menu to go away. This menu shifts sections of the screen around and can cause distractions due to the user looking for specific information that is typically there but is not due to the pop up menu.

While in full self driving mode in my Tesla, it was making a right turn into a parking lot when it suddenly violently accelerated. Before I could gain control it crossed the parking lot entrance, climbed the curb, and came to rest on a lawn in front of a business. Luckily no one was hurt. It appears the car will be totaled by the insurance company at the completion of their investigation.

I was driving on fsd mode, my car suddenly changed very fast to left lane by itself and hit the car on that lane right behind me.

While operating a 2026 Tesla Model Y on full self-driving (fsd) supervised, the vehicle's vision-based lane-keeping system failed on an unmarked residential road. At approximately 26 mph, the vehicle approached a blind crest of a hill. Due to the lack of painted center lines, the fsd software miscalculated the road geometry and drifted significantly into the center/oncoming lane exactly as it reached the top of the hill. This lane departure created an immediate, severe safety hazard, as it placed the vehicle directly in the path of potential oncoming traffic with zero forward visibility over the crest. Due to the critical lane positioning error, immediate driver intervention was required. The driver took manual control of the steering wheel to force the vehicle back into the correct lane, causing the fsd system to instantly disengage. Simultaneously, the driver applied manual braking to reduce speed drastically down to 10 mph to safely clear a resident working on the right shoulder and stabilize the vehicle. Prior to the failure, there were no warning lamps, error messages, or symptoms indicating the system would fail to maintain proper lane positioning. The system appeared to be functioning normally up until the crest of the hill. The vehicle and its autopilot/fsd components have not yet been inspected by Tesla, police, or an independent service center following this specific event. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request.

"I have a Tesla Model Y that experienced what looks like a steering malfunction, with documented data and repair records already in hand. "while driving our 2024 Tesla Model Y when the steering wheel suddenly turned itself, hard left, and driver couldn't regain control. The car went up a hillside, between a utility/ electricity pole and an electrical box, coming to a stop just inches from the pole. No injury, but real vehicle damage. " "I pulled Tesla's own vehicle data log for that exact moment. It shows the steering angle went from +362° to -358° — basically two full wheel rotations — in about 1. 5 seconds, while the torque sensor barely registered any force. Then the wheel stayed pinned at full-left lock for about 8 seconds while the car was actively accelerating in drive. " there was a fault code 14 mention in the data file right before the incident. "Tesla told us their review of the data showed 'no malfunction. ' but afterward, Tesla's own repair records show they replaced the steering gear assembly and the drive unit — after we complained the steering felt stiff once we got the car back from the first repair. ".

I purchased a 2021 Tesla Model Y (VIN: [xxx] ) used directly from Tesla. I am the first retail owner outside of Tesla. I am currently experiencing a knocking noise from the driver side suspension. I have requested that Tesla inspect and complete the following federally mandated safety recalls and service bulletins, none of which appear in my vehicle’s service history: • NHTSA recall 21v-835 / sb-21-31-003 — front suspension lateral link fasteners may loosen and separate from the sub-frame, causing instability and crash risk • NHTSA recall 21v-912 — suspension knuckles may fracture • sb-20-31-006 — front upper control arm ball joint reseal Tesla service has refused to perform these repairs free of charge, citing expired warranty (warranty expired April 5, 2025). Tesla’s response does not address that these are federal safety recalls, not warranty repairs. Federal law requires recall repairs to be performed free of charge regardless of warranty status, age, or mileage. Tesla has also failed to provide written documentation confirming whether these recalls were completed prior to selling me the vehicle. Instead, I have been redirected to a self-service VIN lookup tool and a general data privacy request form — neither of which confirms when, where, or whether the recall work was actually performed. I am requesting NHTSA investigate Tesla’s failure to complete these safety recalls prior to selling this vehicle to a retail customer, and their refusal to honor federal recall obligations. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Even after the recent recall for backup camera freezing, my backup camera froze again today. I took the car in, in the past, to report the problem and was told to reset the computer even after the technician witnessed the problem. Got charged $300 so haven't been back. Problem has been there for a couple of years. I had hoped the software update would fix it but no such luck.

On xxx, at approximately 5:00 pm, my daughter was operating our 2024 Tesla Model Y on [xxx] near the [xxx] exit in [xxx]. The vehicle suddenly became uncontrollable. According to the driver, the steering wheel appeared to move on its own, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly, braking was ineffective, and the vehicle zig-zagged across multiple lanes of traffic from the far left lane to the far right lane. The vehicle reportedly performed approximately half of a 360-degree spin before control was regained. Several motorists reportedly pulled over after observing the vehicle’s erratic behavior. Tesla service later inspected the vehicle and advised that no fault was found and that the vehicle was operating within factory specifications. However, no explanation was provided for the loss-of-control event. Due to the seriousness of the incident and the risk of severe injury or death, I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this matter as a potential vehicle safety defect. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Seat occupancy sensor failed for the second time. The car will randomly shut off if I am inside because it does not detect a passenger. When I exit the vehicle, the car will stay on for an extended period of time due to failed seat occupancy sensor. This is a widespread issue affecting all makes and models of Tesla. They are aware of the high rate of failure and have not made any attempt to issue a recall. This is dangerous and inconvenient as the infotainment system will not pair with your phone because it does not detect a driver. When moving, the car will also randomly throw itself into park at speed if you don’t put on your seatbelt before moving. The first time this happened, I smashed my head on the steering wheel.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Component/issue description: following a recent over-the-air (ota) software update to the vehicle's full self-driving system, a dangerous user interface defect was introduced. Immediately upon an fsd disengagement—the critical transition window where the operator must resume manual driving control—the center touchscreen populates a mandatory, invasive feedback popup menu. This menu causes a severe driver distraction and creates an immediate safety hazard. The popup blocks vital driving visualizations and navigation data on the screen at a high-stress moment. Furthermore, the ui creates a functional touchscreen lockout, demanding manual and visual interaction from the driver to clear the box while the vehicle is actively in motion. Forcing a driver to divert their eyes from the roadway to navigate a touchscreen menu immediately following a system intervention creates an unreasonable and systemic risk of collision. The manufacturer has provided no setting to disable this dangerous distraction.

This incident is related to full self driving feature in my Model Y. It abruptly stopped on the road even when there was no obstacle. Luckily there were no vehicles behind my car which would otherwise resulted in accident and injuries to myself and my family.

The persistent intervention-reason prompt (the black box that appears immediately after disengaging fsd and stays until answered) creates a safety-critical distraction exactly when the driver must regain full attention and control. It forces eyes off the road or interaction with the screen during the handover moment, increasing crash risk. It cannot be dismissed without input and has no timeout or “x” button. Request NHTSA investigate this as a potential defect in the driver-assistance system.

See all problems of the 2025 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

On xxx at approximately 12:30–1:00 pm, I was backing my Tesla Model Y out of my garage. While reversing, I felt unusual vibrations coming from the vehicle. After backing out, I shifted the car into drive and attempted to make a left turn. At that point, the vehicle would not turn, and it began producing significant noise and vibration. I exited the vehicle to inspect it for any obvious issues, such as an object lodged underneath the car or a flat tire. I found no visible obstructions, and all four tires appeared to be in good condition. I then drove the vehicle forward toward my driveway and garage area and inspected it again. During this inspection, I found a finger-sized screw or bolt underneath the vehicle. I attempted to reverse the car once more, but the same problem occurred: excessive vibration and an inability to steer either left or right. There were no warning lights, alerts, or notifications displayed on the Tesla screen at any point during this incident. I subsequently contacted Tesla roadside assistance and requested that the vehicle be towed to a Tesla service center. Tesla remotely accessed the vehicle data but informed me that they could not detect any issues based on the vehicle diagnostics. They suggested that I drive the vehicle to the service center. I explained that the vehicle was unable to turn left or right and that I did not believe it was safe to operate under those conditions. At the time of the incident, I was accompanied by my [xxx] father-in-law, and we were preparing to travel to an urgent care facility. The vehicle had been operating normally the previous day. The vehicle currently has approximately 32,077 miles and is approximately 2 years and 5 months old from the date of manufacture. The vehicle has no history of repair work or tire service performed outside of Tesla-authorized service. My primary concern is the significant safety risk presented by this failure on public space. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While my vehicle was operating under fsd, it ran a red light at the above intersection, resulting in an accident.

My bulldog died yesterday in the new Tesla y we bought because the side storage in the back doesn’t have a cover. I regret ever buying that car. The side storage should come with a cover especially for the size of the space. My explorer came with covers. She went in head first and suffocated to death. I pulled over as soon as I realized something was wrong and had do compressions on her in front of my kids. But it was too late. This is a safety issue. Fix it before it happens to other families. My family is devastated by this. People put their animals back there. It should be safe. We should be able to trust the product especially at the cost we paid. The car has dog mode which means it is supposed to be safe for you to leave your dogs in the car. It is not. I have records of her cremation.

Driver used Tesla fsd (supervised) to park. The car (Tesla Model Y 2023) prepared to park and slowed down. Second before full stop, the car suddenly accelerated on its own without driver stepping on the accelerator. It went onto the curb and knocked over the fence and continue to drive full speed before driver braked hard and stopped the car. Video is available upon request.

I am reporting an issue with supervised fsd regarding school zones in ohio. In my area, active school zones are indicated by flashing lights. The fsd system successfully recognizes these lights and reduces the vehicle's speed to the legal limit of 20 mph. However, if there is a traffic light within the school zone, the vehicle loses track of the school zone speed limit after stopping or cycling through the intersection (red/green transitions). Once the traffic light turns green, the car quickly accelerates back to the normal speed limit (e. G. , 35 mph) while still inside the active school zone. I have posted this issue to @Tesla and @tesla_ai on x, but have not received a response.

Car is missing front trunk emergency release. Apparently standard on newer Tesla’s but it violates fmvss 401 as a child can easily fit in the front trunk.

Tesla 2026 Model Y was involved in a severe motor vehicle accident directly caused by a critical software and/or hardware malfunction of Tesla’s full self-driving (fsd) system. At the time of the incident, the vehicle’s full self-driving (supervised) software suite was actively engaged and driving the vehicle. While navigating, the system suffered an abrupt and uncommented control malfunction. Despite prompt attention, the autonomous system executed an erratic, uncorrectable maneuver that overrode human intervention thresholds, completely failed to respond safely to the immediate driving environment, and directly caused a collision.

After the newest software update, the Tesla Model Y fsd now shows a pop-up menu every time you disengage full self-driving. The pop up menu is black, so it contrasts with the white screen and causes a visual distraction. Additionally, the pop up menu requires you to make a selection in order to make it disappear - there’s no way to swipe it away (which would still be problematic while driving). Because it’s mandatory, and it is located on top of the volume controls for music/podcasts/etc, you are unable to pause auditory stimulation such as music/podcasts. This happens at the exact moment you need to focus most: when a traffic situation is so dicey, disabling fsd is required to ensure safe driving. This is an absolute safety concern. I tried to disable the feature through Tesla’s support services, but that option is not available. This is a serious safety concern, and it’s frankly egregious that Tesla is allowed to do this. The pop-up menu does not benefit drivers in any way - it’s clearly there for Tesla to collect data to improve their fsd product. They need to find a way to collect that data without impacting the safety of the driver and other vehicles on the road. Furthermore, it’s not even good quality data collection - the variables they provide in the pop-up menu are vague and do not come with definitions. Their quality system needs tighter review.

The latest Tesla autopilot software forces users to engage in an autopilot product survey after disengaging autopilot while driving in order to gain access to audio/radio controls. The survey is not dismissible without reading a complicated prompt and choosing a response, and it completely obstructs audio controls until you participate in the survey. The driver therefore cannot turn off music to listen for emergency sirens, pedestrians, or other potential safety cues while driving at any speed, unless the driver also takes eyes off the road to participate in the forced product survey. This is by design and affects all Tesla drivers who use the autopilot feature.

2025/2026 Tesla Model Y juniper experiences noticeable vibration starting at approximately 75 mph on smooth highways. The vibration is felt throughout the entire vehicle: steering wheel, doors, seats, and pedals/floor. It is not limited to the steering wheel. Tire balancing, alignment, and foam checks have all been performed with no resolution. Tesla service states the issue is ‘normal/within spec. ’ video of the vibration with speedometer visible is attached. This matches a widespread pattern reported by other juniper owners. Video: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The full self driving system has malfunctioned and is failing. I was put in incredibly dangerous situations that were near potentially fatal accidents. Had someone been a little bit closer when following me, I would not have had enough time to counter the issue. Yes it has been confirmed but not nearly to the extent that I have experienced it it has been inspected by a local service center from the company. There have been some visibility warnings but nothing else.

The touchscreen dedicates 2/5th of the screen to what they call "traffic visualization" which is the car depicting where the surrounding vehicles, traffic lights, etc. Are. While this display is useful for the self driving software engineers to compare what the car is seeing vs. The actual traffic near it, for the actual driver this display is nothing more than a very distracting video game! which diverts driver's attention away from the road to the touch screen. And this display cannot be turned off by the driver. In fact it can be expanded to cover the entire touchscreen. . . . Even more distracting! the visualization changes to a vertical view when parking to display other vehicles and parking lines which is useful, but during driving the traffic visualization is the same as watching a movie on the touchscreen. . . . . And I believe not allowed both by Tesla and NHTSA. Please have Tesla remove the dangerous traffic visualization display while moving more than say 10mph so I can be used for parking, but not for anything else. I am not sure why Tesla wastes so much of the limited touchscreen space on a useless safety distraction when their are other items that can be displayed in that screen space most drivers would appreciate. Most Tesla models only have the one screen compared to other brands that now feature 2 or more that seem to be appreciated by buyers so when Tesla complains about removing it, remind them of this point!!.

The radiator for the car gets fully clogged with debris very easily. There is no screen mesh to protect the radiator from all the debris. The radiator then becomes clogged with debris in the fins and stops cooling correctly. This is not a serviceable item that an owner could accomplish. This should not have to be brought to the Tesla repair centers and be charged for a design flaw that will cause the car to overheat. There needs to be a simple small holed mesh placed in the front grill that owners can simply wipe off with their hands. Tesla states this is a maintenance item, but for how much it cost, most owners are not taking their cars in. Most owners dont even know about the problem. Also, most owners are not getting down on their hands and knees to look at the radiator or to even think about checking it. Large leafs easily get stuck and block most of the radiator.

After updating to Tesla fsd 14. 3, whenever I take over from fsd, the vehicle displays a mandatory “intervention reason” prompt on the center screen. The prompt does not disappear unless the driver selects a reason. This occurs immediately after a disengagement/takeover, when the driver may still need full attention on the road. The prompt can cover map/navigation information and forces interaction with the touchscreen while driving. I believe this may create a driver-distraction safety risk.

Subject: safety concern with video evidence (4/28/2026) I am reporting a serious safety concern involving full self-driving (supervised) on my 2026 Tesla Model Y. Date/time: April 28, 2026 at approximately 12:48–12:50 pm location: soledad canyon rd at golden oak rd / golden triangle rd, santa clarita, CA while operating in fsd (supervised), my vehicle approached an active railroad crossing with warning signals engaged and the gate lowered. The vehicle initially stopped appropriately; however, it then proceeded forward onto the tracks while the crossing remained active and a train was approaching. I immediately intervened and reversed the vehicle off the tracks to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. During this maneuver, the railroad gate made contact with the vehicle. I have preserved video footage documenting: * initial stop at the crossing * forward movement onto the tracks under fsd * manual intervention and reverse maneuver * contact with the railroad gate following the incident, I observed linear markings across the windshield consistent with contact from the railroad gate arm. While some of the markings appear to be transferable residue, there are remaining visible streaks that have not been fully removed and may indicate surface damage. Photos and videos will not upload.

I took delivery of a brand new Tesla Model Y today in austin, texas. Within less than two hours of delivery, the vehicle experienced two separate and serious failures while driving. During the first incident, the vehicle suddenly stopped in the middle of the road without any warning while I was driving. The vehicle became completely unresponsive and came to a stop in active traffic. I immediately contacted Tesla service for assistance. The representative advised me not to worry and stated that the vehicle likely came to a safe stop location and that there appeared to be no issue since the system had recovered. I was told the vehicle was safe to continue driving. However, this information did not reflect what actually occurred. The vehicle had stopped in the middle of an active roadway, not in a safe location. After the system temporarily became operable again, I continued driving as instructed. However, during a second drive shortly after, the exact same issue occurred again within approximately 10–15 minutes, this time on a much larger and heavily trafficked road. When the vehicle stopped both times, it became completely electronically controlled and unresponsive. There was no manual way to move or safely reposition the vehicle. I was stranded in the middle of moving traffic on a major road, unable to control or move the car in any way. I felt that my life was in danger due to the inability to regain control or remove the vehicle from traffic. Both incidents occurred on the same day of delivery within a very short time frame, making the vehicle completely unreliable and unsafe to operate. At least one of the incidents occurred while using self-driving features. Due to the repeated failures, the severe safety risk, and the incorrect reassurance provided during the first incident, I no longer feel safe operating this vehicle. I am requesting a buyback or refund rather than repair, as this issue occurred immediately after delivery and represents a critical safety conce.

Full self driving did not detect pole. I press the fsd of Tesla going out of the parking lot and the car turned to the side where the pole is located hitting the side where the camera part right next to driver side. The sensor of the car did not detect completely that there is a pole on side.

Incident: on April 17, 2026 at ~8:30 am, my 2024 Tesla Model Y was operating on fsd (supervised) approaching wunderlich county park parking lot entrance, woodside, CA. Clear daylight, 11-12 mph, turning into the parking lot. What happened: a stationary metal w-beam guardrail (~2-3m long, ~1m tall) was directly in the forward path, clearly visible. Fsd failed to detect the obstacle, then silently disengaged 2 seconds before impact. Timeline from in-vehicle replay: - 08:30:vehicle fully aligned with guardrail, direct collision course - 08:30:fsd actively engaged (self-driving indicator displayed), 12 mph, guardrail clearly visible - 08:30:fsd disengaged - 08:30:impact two failures: 1) detection: for ~2 sec (08:30:23-08:30:25), fsd in active control with clearly visible stationary standardized guardrail directly in path. System failed to detect, decelerate, or alter course. 2) silent disengagement: fsd disengaged at 08:30:25 with no audible alert, no haptic feedback, no visual alert in driver's forward field of view, no "take over" prompt. Only indication was center display change, outside driver's forward line of sight required by Tesla's owner's manual to keep eyes on the road. Driver state: I was monitoring road per owner's manual. I received no warning of fsd handoff. I had no awareness fsd disengaged. I took no manual action (no brake, no steer) because I was not notified. I discovered disengagement only upon reviewing in-vehicle dashcam replay the following day. The 2-sec interval was insufficient reaction time even for an informed driver (below aaa/NHTSA 1. 5-sec baseline). Research on automated handoff indicates 3-7 sec needed even when notified. I was not notified at all. Crash: yes, vehicle collided with the guardrail. Injuries: none. Third-party damage: none. Fire: none. Consistency with NHTSA proceedings: pattern matches concerns in investigation pe21-020, engineering analysis ea22-002, recall 23v-83.