Exterior Lighting Problems of Tesla Model Y - part 2

Tesla Model Y owners have reported 56 problems related to exterior lighting (under the exterior lighting category). The most recently reported issues are listed below. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Tesla Model Y based on all problems reported for the Model Y.

36 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2023 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 03/25/2023

Water intrusion rear tail lights. According to Tesla service it is within Tesla specs.

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37 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2023 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 02/08/2023

3 days after purchase, headlights would not work, car towed to service center, both front headlight assemblies were replaced. 3 weeks after purchase, fault detected on passenger restraint, service center states passenger seat needs to be replaced to make airbag operational. I live 90 miles from service center, making these repairs quite difficult.

38 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2022 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 02/07/2023

The high-beam headlights are randomly turning on while city driving. The auto high-beam function is turned off, so high beams should not turn on. This affects the safety of the other cars around me. I typically drive in the city and using the high beams is not necessary because of dense traffic and available overhead street lights. This issue has not been confirmed by a dealer, service center, manufacturer, police, etc. There is no warning before the high-beams turn on. When they turn on, the blue high-beam indicator on the driver display does illuminate.

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39 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2023 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 01/02/2023

I purchased a [car make, model, year] on [date of purchase] with the understanding that the vehicle was in excellent condition and safe for all passengers. Unfortunately, my experience has been far from satisfactory, as I have discovered multiple issues that were not disclosed to me during the purchase process. First and foremost, the car was misrepresented regarding its safety features and its suitability for passengers riding in the back. Since my purchase, I have noticed significant safety concerns for individuals seated in the back of the vehicle. The lack of proper safety restraints, along with inadequate seat belt functionality, poses a serious risk to the well-being of those riding in the rear seats. I find it deeply troubling that these critical safety aspects were not made known to me prior to the purchase. Moreover, my discontent is further compounded by the fact that, merely two months after my purchase, I discovered that the prices for the same make and model of the car were drastically reduced. This revelation indicates that I paid an inflated price for the vehicle, which is both unfair and unjustifiable. I believe it is only reasonable that I be compensated for this disparity, as it implies a breach of trust and fair business practices. Considering the circumstances described above, I kindly request the following actions to be taken: 1. Conduct a thorough inspection and rectification of the safety issues pertaining to the vehicle, specifically addressing the concerns related to passengers in the back seats. 2. Provide me with compensation for the price discrepancy, reflecting the difference between the price I paid and the drastically reduced prices that were implemented soon after my purchase. 3. Offer an apology for the misrepresentation and lack of disclosure during the sale, which has caused me significant inconvenience and distress. I believe that resolving this matter in an amicable manner is in the best interest of both parties involved.

40 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2020 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 12/15/2022

This occurs driving on highway 50 between placerville, CA and meyers, CA a predominantly 2 lane winding mountain highway bounded by many cliffs and rocks. The only way to properly engage the high beam lights is to activate the automatic high beam system. The lights inappropriately switch to low beams leaving me on a curvy road with insufficient light to see the curves. In some cases I need to hold the high beam flash control which does not allow me to keep both hands on the steering while while navigating that road. The vehicle needs a typical manual high beam control as I think the automatic system does not work safely when the cameras receive light bouncing off the rocks and snow. Virtually all cars have a manual control for this important light. This makes for a very dangerous driving situation.

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41 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2022 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 11/24/2022

The lane departure warning goes off frequently and at random times when there is no issue with it at all. The windows are constantly malfunctioning and turning down when there is nothing obstructing the path of the window. The tail lights will go out at random times and will only be notified by other drivers particularly at night making the vehicle unsafe to operate and unreliable.

42 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2020 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 10/25/2022

This is a general complaint, not specific to this VIN headlights on many modern cards are becoming increasingly brighter, causing major safety issues in the ability to see facing oncoming traffic. I find myself often blinded by an oncoming vehicle that does not even have its brights on. Is there anything being done to address the issue of manufacturers installing headlights that are a safety issue for oncoming traffic?.

43 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2021 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 10/24/2022

When activating the Tesla autopilot, the lights are automatically controlled to activate the bright headlight mode. The vehicle does not permit the user to disable the automatic brights setting while the car is in autopilot mode. While the Tesla vehicle attempts to turn off the brights when an oncoming vehicle approaches, the Tesla vehicle fails to detect the oncoming vehicle and the brights remain on. This causes the oncoming vehicle to flash their brights back at the Tesla vehicle because the driver of the oncoming vehicle is blinded by the brights of the Tesla vehicle. I have asked Tesla to fix this issue, but they refused to address it and provided a vague suggestion that a future software update will fix the issue. A recent software update has not fixed this issue.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

44 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2022 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 10/08/2022

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request: auto high beams; car is available for inspection how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk: in arlington heights, IL the car started automatically switching the high beams on and off. At first the auto high beams would engage for 7-10 seconds, then disengage for 7-10 seconds. Then the auto high beams engaged for 2-4 seconds and disengage for 2-4 seconds, as if flashing them. This is unsafe as it is distracting to the driver (me), it can obstruct the view of oncoming traffic, and it makes it appear as if I am driving erratically which can result in a traffic stop / unnecessary police intervention. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center - no, they will not take the vehicle in to their service center and only provided mobile service appointments during the work day. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others - no were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear - the car was recently serviced (October 5, 2022) for a nonfunctioning a/c compressor and heating pump. I am not aware of what other service / software changes+resets were made to the car while out of my possession.

45 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2022 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 09/03/2022

Taillights habitually fog up (in moderate southern California weather) and block the visual braking visibility. Tesla says having lights you can’t see when braking is normal.

46 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2022 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 06/21/2022

Turn signal does not always activate. If I hit the turn signal stalk so it goes past the first detent (for three blinks) but not hard enough to get to the second detent (on until cancelled or turn completed), it does not come on at all, either the three blinks or constant blinking. This is dangerous because the turn signal does not activate predictably, especially when changing lanes on the highway. I should be able to tap the turn signal to get the 3 blinks to come on and then switch lanes, but when used this way it does not always come on. I had this inspected by a Tesla mobile service technician and he reproduced what I reported but said this is working as intended because it is detecting an "accidental bump" and not activating. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. There are no warning lights or messages.

47 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2022 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 06/20/2022

Auto dimming and bright headlights do not dim for oncoming traffic consistently. Unsafe for other travelers at night.

48 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2021 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 04/02/2022

When Tesla infotainment system needs a restart due to malfunction (which is easy to accomplish by holding the 2 steering wheel buttons for 10 seconds), the car doesn't allow the turning signals to function. All other essential motor functions work normally, it's just the turning signals don't. As a result, there were a couple of times when I needed to restart the screen due to bugs and turn on my signals without success - since I had to turn in a high traffic street. It's great that the car allows the infotainment to be restarted, but I don't believe a safety function such as turning signals should be impacted - there should be a temporary way to keep them working to avoid this safety hazard. I love my car and love what the company is doing, but this one I had to report since I'm concerned this might impact a lot of other drivers and potentially cause injury.

49 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2021 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 03/16/2022

The Tesla’s operating system on the center screen froze. I was unable to view speed. I was also unable to turn on wipers, blinkers, or switch headlight beam setting. The operating system had to be rebooted while driving. This has happened twice. The first time was 2/11/2022, on i40 w in TN. The second time, noted below, was on i65 s in al.

50 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2021 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 01/20/2022

Hello, Tesla has released an update that will turn on the side camera when the blinker is activated. At night, the blinker can blind the camera making it difficult if not impossible to see any object. I'm concerned that this can cause the driver to turn into another car at night. The picture attached is with the hazard lights on and you can see how one camera works correctly and the other has a massive glare.

51 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2020 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 01/14/2022

Tesla recently release their version 11 user interface. This update took a lot of safety features and put them behind menus. Windshield wipers, defrosters, seat warmers were all easily accessible in the previous version. Now they are wall hidden behind menus. If you need one of these features while driving, you get distracted while trying to find it which is dangerous. But these features are necessary to use while driving.

52 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2020 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 12/29/2021

Turn signal causes excessive glare effect on the side repeater cameras during nighttime use. Driver is unable to view blind spot camera feed properly when engaging in a lane change.

53 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2020 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 12/01/2021

A recent software change removed the automatic activation of headlights with wipers. Headlights on with wipers is the law in most states and a common sense practice. However, with the removal of the automatic activation, you are forced to tap into several sub menus on the touchscreen in order to manually activate the head lights, all while driving in less than ideal conditions.

54 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2021 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 10/25/2021

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the dashboard and yes. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? car display has unexpectedly rebooted while I was driving, my display rebooted. It crashed when my passenger was attempting to read the release notes while I was driving. It was night, and after it rebooted, the part of the screen that shows the car and road flashed white, blinding me while driving. I lost the ability to signal or determine if it's signaling, no speed indicator no anything, not even a signal sound. I couldn't control the windshield wiper, when I attempted to turn on the emergency blinkers, I had no visual or audio confirmation that it was working. This lasted for 1-2 minutes. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no as the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no.

55 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2020 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 03/17/2021

Tail lights on both sides constantly fill with condensation blocking the visibility to drivers behind me. I have reported the problem to Tesla but they keep saying it's within specs. The manufacture is only looking at pictures to make the judgment and not actually allowing me to come in to correct the problem. I have two Model Y's and they are having the same problem.

56 Exterior Lighting problem of the 2020 Tesla Model Y

Failure Date: 03/15/2021

Break light builds up condensation and obscures the lights from being seen. I reached out to Tesla to have the part replaced under warranty. They claim that condensation to that level is normal. I think it's a safety risk.


Other Common Exterior Lighting related problems of Tesla Model Y


Model Y Service Bulletins
Model Y Defect Investigations