Power Train Problems of Tesla Model Y - part 1

Summary of issue: the vehicle has experienced intermittent drive disconnections without warning. This occurred multiple times on August 9–10, 2025, during trips between palo alto and monterey. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection? the suspected component is the drive unit (covered under Tesla’s 8-year drive unit & battery warranty). The vehicle and its systems remain available for inspection by NHTSA or Tesla. How was safety put at risk? the intermittent drive disconnections can result in sudden loss of propulsion without warning while the car is in motion. If this occurs at highway speeds, it creates a serious safety risk of collision or loss of vehicle control. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center? Tesla service has attempted to inspect the vehicle but reported “no fault found. ” because the issue is intermittent, Tesla did not reproduce it during their inspection, though I documented it on August 9–10, 2025. Has the vehicle/component been inspected by the manufacturer or others? yes, the Tesla service center inspected the vehicle 25 August 2025. However, Tesla has refused to provide a detailed record of what diagnostic steps were actually performed (log review, physical inspection, or drive unit stress testing). Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms? no warning lamps or messages appeared at the time of the failures. The vehicle resumed propulsion after several seconds, clearing the condition without leaving an active customer-facing alert. Concern: because the failure is intermittent and leaves no persistent alerts, Tesla has returned the vehicle without resolving the problem or providing adequate documentation. This leaves a potential safety-critical drivetrain failure unaddressed. Requested action: I request that NHTSA investigate potential drive unit intermittent disconnection failures in Tesla Model Y.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

My 2026 Model Y won't stop on the road when I released the gas paddle and even I felt it speeded up a little bit at 35 miles. It put me, my [xxx] daughter and other's safety at risk. I hit on the brake and feel need to hit harder abnormally to slow the car not even mention to stop the car. It took me long way to stop the car. At once I stopped the car, it tried to speed up and I hit the paddle again. Right after, then it tried to rocking back and forth and vibrated finally stopped. I tried serval time to repeat the issue it still exits. And I called Tesla customer service. They haven't look at it yet. But I in the service mode here is the some components are malfunctioned. 1. Rgenerative braking backfill, braking pedal torque is unavailable. 2. Traction control setting is unavailable. 3. Di_brake torque is invalid. Di is drive interface. 4. Hold stopping mode is unavailable. There is no any warning showed in the console before and after the issue happened. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Vehicle had a open window during rain storm. Interior got wet. Next day the vehicle was left to dry out. Vehicle caught on fire and engulfed in flames in the backseat. Nobody was harmed fire was contained by the frisco fire department. Vehicle was then towed away.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Unintented accelaration may 15th, 2025 - at about 2 pm the car was being parked in a small local shopping area parking lot by my wife. As she was pulling into the lot, the car suddenly accelarated and surged forward and she had to slam on the brakes to avoid any collision and getting out of control. After about 30 minutes, as she was pulling out of the parking in reverse, a similar experience, the car accelerated/surged backwards and she again had to slam the brakes to avoid any collision with other cars. This time, she also felt a loud thud under the rear portion of the car, no damage noticed. Have sent a note to Tesla service for it to be evaluated.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

A year ago I went on a road trip from florida to iowa in the winter, temperatures were freezing or below freezing. I got an alert to maintenance powertrain, after driving to Tesla they informed me the oil pump on the rear motor was falling apart. It was replaced. A year later on a second road trip to the same location also in sub freezing conditions the exact same error pops up, in service mode it says rear oil pump error.

Squeaking of lower control arms arms around 70k miles. Upper & lower require replacement, per Tesla service center.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

Front suspension axel system failed two bolts fell off left wheel arm causing me to lose control of vehicle. I was in the vehicle with my children I was driving out my mothers driveway less than 5mph when the incident occurred I do not even want to imagine what could have happened if I was driving the vehicle on a high way or at a high speed. Tesla representatives I have spoke to over the phone have said them selves this is common and I have read multiple articles online this is a safety issue if this happens on a highway this would and could cause fatalities. The vehicle did not prompt any warnings or messages. Prior to this incident occurring I reached out to Tesla because vehicle had been making a clicking noise and the soonest appointment they had available was not until January. The vehicle has been towed to Tesla van nuys CA and two different tow truck companies did not want to be involved so Tesla road side had to do the tow all 3 tow truck drivers agreed this is definitely a safety issue and common issue with Tesla this needs to be recalled.

­•unknown parts or system malfunctions; yes, an inspection can be issued •the car is parked very close to the house and continuously producing poisonous and harmful gas, battery liquid and glasses splattered more than 20ft away. •no, before the incident there was no issue observed. •no, but from the fire department report the cause of the fire was "failure of equipment". •no, there was no warnings from the app, or signs of malfunctions. The car functions normally.

Got a new battery for the car due to an accident I had back in Feb 2024. The battery lasted me up to August 2024 before I received an error saying that my car won’t charge any more and it’s at maximum charge. I took my car in and the Tesla service center explained there is no physical damage, and that it’s a mechanical issue.

On [xxx], the vehicle displayed multiple alerts: “electrical power reduced,” “climate cabin controller requires service,” “electrical system may not support all features,” and “vehicle may not restart. ” I scheduled service for may 21, 2024, and dropped the vehicle off at the Tesla service center in fresno, CA. Tesla failed to provide a written invoice for that visit. A service advisor told me “it was a glitch” and that I should check the app, but no documentation appeared. Despite multiple in-person and written requests, I never received a record of the visit. On [xxx], the vehicle failed to start and was towed back to Tesla. A may 24 invoice confirmed a major safety issue—a high-voltage current fault that triggered the pyrotechnic battery disconnect. Tesla later marked the may 21 appointment as “canceled” in their system. I photographed this cancellation screen in July, confirming the visit was erased despite a clear safety-related defect. This raises concerns about Tesla’s compliance with documentation and reporting obligations. I also submitted two reimbursement requests for $470. 12 in transportation costs, which Tesla has not honored. These incidents show a pattern of concealment and unfair warranty practices. I respectfully request an investigation into this issue and whether a broader safety recall is warranted. Supporting documents are available upon request. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6.

Steering disabled due to software update resulting in vehicle undriviable and having to be towed from driveway Tesla requiring customer to pay for hardware replacement due to software update failure costing $2,921. 24 for the replacement, out of pocket. Required replacement of steering rack (dual motor) part - steering gear left hand drive (1044832-00-a).

The main screen on my Tesla Model Y flickers while driving, as well as charging. I have a video of it happening, if you slow the video down it completely shuts the screen down for a millisecond and then turns back on. I have sent this video to Tesla, as well as Tesla technicians has confirmed the issue happening when they had the vehicle. I have had the vehicle into Tesla 3 separate times for service, they don't know how to fix the issue and keep telling me to wait. I have been dealing with this issue since January 2024 and am tired of waiting and putting my safety at risk. I feel that I have been more than patient with them and now I feel that they are now blowing me off. They don't feel that it is a safety concern even considering that the display screen went out while driving 70 mph, for 13 miles and I couldn't get it to turn back on.  aditionally the side cameras on the vehicle intermittently go out. There is no warnings or symptoms prior to it happening it just happens. I have 29 times documented of it happening to me. I have requested a buyback which was denied as well as a loaner from Tesla until they can fix the issue, yet they denied that as well. It seems that Tesla does not care about the safety of me and I want this issue to be investigated. I have the video of the screen flickering reach out to me to get it since I cant post it in the place below.

The battery coolant started leaking when we connected the car to a supercharger. After charging a low coolant warning came up on the screen, but the message read “ok to drive”. Started driving home when more alerts came up “power reduced” and “speed limited to 68 mph” but still showed “ok to drive”. About 30 miles later the screen abruptly shut down on the freeway. Was able to pull over to a stop on the shoulder and call a tow truck. Screen never came back up even after attempting to restart, car is now at the service center. There is a pump that has continued running for over 2 days without stopping. The interior lights turn on and off every 30 seconds. There has been no damage from road debris or anything else to this car. The vehicle only had ~350 miles on it, and we only had it for 3 days before it malfunctioned. The screen displays vital information such as speed, turn indicators, and so on. Without the screen being on it is not possible to safely operate the vehicle.

Car warned that drivability - acceleration and top speed reduced/performance may be restored on next drive but gave no opportunity for me to pull over safely. Felt like someone pulled the e-brake during regular driving speeds and prevented me from safely slowing down, steering or maneuvering the vehicle into a safe spot. This occurred during a rainy night with my wife and 3 daughters in the vehicle who were terrified and still afraid to drive in the vehicle. Tesla replaced the front drive inverter and about a month later the same issue happened again on a busy road around 1pm in the middle of traffic and this time the rear drive inverter had to be replaced. Myself nor my family have felt safe in the vehicle but feel stuck with it.

I was driving on PA turnpike in light rain . I never drive fast . Somehow my car start shifting from one side of the rd to another I slow down but I did not feel connection with sterling wheels car start spinning in circles and I crashed with 2 kids in the car.

When driving the car abruptly slows down. This also happened on the freeway. I get an error message that says “power limited” and a turtle symbol. This is the second time this issue has happened. Tesla service center has not been able to confidently diagnose this issue. They say it’s resolved and once I leave the service center and the problem comes back.

I hit a rock at approximately 35 mph that got projected under my car and caused a bad leak in the battery coolant system. Received a low coolant warning about one minute after the incident. The alert indicated that the car was safe to drive but to schedule service ASAP. Tesla instructed me to drive to the local SC that is 15 min away when though enough coolant had leaked to render the user display black. I had no turn signals, no speedometer, nothing except the ability to move the car. Tesla alerted me the next day that the damaged occurred at a poorly protected point where the coolant lines connect to the hv battery and that the battery with less than 20k miles needs to be replaced. As a result, they discharged the energy from the battery to avoid a “thermal event”. In doing some research, I discovered a number of documented cases of similar failure due to the fact that a plastic part is used to protect this critical area and is known to break and not offer ample protection to the coolant lines and front drive system. I’m very concerned that had this occurred on the highway and I continued to drive that a “thermal event” would occur and put me in grave danger of a vehicle fire. This area is too critical for proper vehicle operation and safety around high voltage components to use plastic parts to protect them. I also discovered that earlier model model 3s used a heavy cloth for this role before changing to the plastic version.

This is not a defect but rather something I consider could be dangerous. On slippery conditions example, during heavy snow fall, or when there is slush or if there is an icy surface, I find that the awd system in my vehicle which is all controlled via software that the manufacturer wrote (because it is a dual electric motor setup, and there is no mechanical connection between the front and rear axle), tends to either send too much power or tried to regen too much to/from the front motor when the steering wheel is turned (something they can detect), and it tends to cause unexpected understeering which if you are not accustomed either to driving an electric car or Tesla’s awd system could end up in a potential accident. I am writing to you because I know that my voice will go unheard since I do not have access to any of their feedback challenge. Again I do not consider that a potential dange, nothing imminent or defective with the vehicle. The fix in my opinion is a software update that could impliment road surface detection via their vision, in combination the steering angle sensor wheel slippage detection, to detect that the trajectory of the vehicle is not going as desired and mitigate that through multiple techniques of traction control, I know that with a rwd Tesla they do use the front brakes in certain conditions to force the wheels to dig in the snow and try to find traction from experience even though there is no front motor.

I purchased a Model Y performance on October 31, 2023. I was driving the vehicle on 11/1 and I received an error that my rear motor was disabled and my top speed was reduced to 68 mph. This occurred on a high traffic highway. Took the car to the dealership and they replaced the rear motor inverter. Vehicle only had 130 miles on it. This should not occur in a brand new vehicle. I felt unsafe while driving it in this condition.

Vehicle started reversing from a parallel parking spot to get enough room in front to exit. Once vehicle reversed enough to exit the parking spot driver confirmed vehicle was switched to drive. Accelerator was pressed and vehicle moved backwards instead of forward. Street was flat and vehicle was stationary from when drive was selected and before accelerator was pressed.

The Model Y abruptly stopped in traffic creating a collision hazard and impact of the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was completely disabled and had to be towed. Upon inspectiong by the Tesla service, the power conversion system had failed for the rear motor system which is part# assembly - front vehicle controller generation 3. 1(1583991-10-d). The attached document has links to other owners with the same complaint. Also attached is the Tesla repair estimate which as can be seen has nothing to do with a rear end collision as it is replacing the front power conversion system.

On August 28, 2023, driving back from golf at tijeras creek, the vehicle noted several faults: cruise control disabled, autopilot disabled, parking brake disabled, and others. We parked in newport beach and the vehicle failed to move—appears the parking brake locked up. The vehicle was taken to Tesla for repair; the vehicle had 4,423 miles on the odometer when it was taken to Tesla for repair. The technician states that they identified the brake fault, removed and replaced the right brake caliper. Its disabled the vehicle from safe operation. September 21, 2023, the vehicle was driven locally 23 miles and the condition returned. This time the vehicle was in a shopping mall and the parking brake would not release, disabling the vehicle. Screen shots of the fault codes were taken to preserve the evidence. Eventually, the operator was able to shimmy the vehicle forward and return to the house. On October 4, 2023, only 90 miles after repair by Tesla, the exact same condition—parking brake function degraded. The vehicle, again, refused to disengage the parking brake. The vehicle suffered again the problem that rendered the vehicle in operable. The vehicle was again towed. On October 13, 2023, the vehicle was picked up from Tesla service for repair of the third defective and dangerous condition; the vehicle was driven locally and, on the freeway, to determine if Tesla had actually corrected the dangerous and defective condition. After about two hours in varying conditions and 90 miles, the vehicle was parked in the garage overnight. In the morning, the vehicle was loaded for an outing, and again the dangerous and defective condition occurred. This time, the vehicle could not be backed out of the garage; the tow truck was called.

Vehicle's rear drive unit failed suddenly while traveling on a highway. Rapid deceleration with only seconds to react has created a hazardous conditions for the driver and those around him. Throttle was unresponsive. Tesla confirmed the failure and replaced the rear drive unit with a "remanufactured" part. Follow warning/fail codes were shown during the incident: app_w009, dif_a062, bms_a170.

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed and that there were three error messages displayed on the control panel; however, the contact was able to safely drive the vehicle to his residence. The contact stated that after he the vehicle had sit for a couple minutes, the power steering did return. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,170.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?: I got delivery of my new Model Y and odometer was reading 3 miles, I took the delivery and drove 10 miles and it stuck the steering wheel , "rear motor got disabled alert" and vehicle went to slow speed on freeway all of sudden, I had truck behind me it would ended up very bad for me and family, I had to immediately put emergency signal and stop on road side, I tried to call Tesla road safety helpline and they were totally busy and did not receive call. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? ; this car "rear motor disabled " twice in middle of freeway , has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?: yes they confirmed but unable to give me more details . Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? : no they kept it secret with less info. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?: no warnings, just stopped over in middle of freeway . So scary specially to new car. I would like NHTSA to inspect all new Model Y car which have problems reported please check online and see the percentage of people received this kind of risky issues.

Battery is not able to charge . The message shows need services bring the car to Tesla service center , they told us the battery need to be replaced. They did not tell us what caused the battery to die. The car has about 30000 miles on it . Daily driving to work. Don’t understand why the battery dies so fast . Does anyone report the same problem on 2021 Tesla Model Y ?.

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while pulling into the driveway, the vehicle accelerated at high-speed causing the vehicle to struck a wall to the contact resident. The contact stated the brake assist did not activate. The vehicle had major front-end damages. The contact's resident wall was damages. Both the contact's wife who was driving and the passenger suffered concussion and whiplash. The contact's wife suffered neck injuries but neither the driver or passenger seek medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop. The manufacturer was contacted for the vehicle data. The failure mileage was 3,746.

While driving at highway speeds, the car unintentionally went into neutral. The setup: the driver was on the highway with cruise control on. Upon turning cruise control off to prepare for entering an exit ramp, the car also went neutral. We lost power and the regenerative braking that you expect in this car. The center console stated something like “please shift into drive or reverse”. The cause is that Tesla uses an up movement on the right hand gear stalk to cancel auto pilot, cancel cruise control, and to put the car into neutral. If that up movement is too long, the car will inadvertently go into neutral regardless of car speed. We reported this to Tesla and they suggested all model 3s and ys do this. Some light searching online showed this happening to others too. This feels dangerous at highway speeds. And the point at which you are turning cruise control off could be a critical phase of driving and feels like a unsafe time for the car to loose power.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model Y 🔎.

I was about to park in car space in a parking lot. Instead of stopping in the car space, it has accelerated suddenly into the lawn in front of the car space. Tried to stop and it accelerated again and then hit the tree. The left front part of the Model Y is damaged and is still in the body shop even after more than a month. I thought the only explanation is I have pressed accelerator instead of break. But as I think about it, I don't think I pressed the accelerator. It did sudden intended acceleration twice during that incidence.

The power steering went out and it was virtually impossible to turn the steering wheel. It was unsafe to drive because you were not able to turn the car unless you were very strong. Safety issue-unable to turn the car without possibly colliding with another car. Tesla replaced the drive train. Another incident happened while getting into the car and driving it. An alert came up on the screen saying that the power train needed immediate service and that I could not exceed 60 mph. I was driving at the time. As I continued to drive to my destination the alert kept coming on with different speeds I could not drive at. It eventually got down to 53 mph and it physically would not drive over that speed and it was on the freeway and dangerous because the car kept slowing down. Tesla replaced the oil pump in the back battery. I have had this car for 3 years and it has been in the shop 15 times.

My new Model Y has caused numbness and tingling in both myself and passengers of my car while driving. Tesla has stated nothing is wrong with the car. It injures me every time I drive it. They forced me to take the car back and return my Model Y loaner car. The loaner vehicle caused no issues at all.

Location: car wash tunnel symptom: ghost braking/shifting while in car wash mode and neutral, Tesla shifted inexplicably from neutral to park, causing Tesla to be rear-ended by the car behind in the car wash tunnel. My passengers and I could have been injured. Tesla engineers completed a technical review of the safety incident but refused to provide the full report instead directed me to consult lawyers. On the day of the service appointment, they did not even inspect my vehicle but instead told me to request vehicle data online. It turned out to be a waste of time to download vehicle recorded data that only Tesla engineers understand. The service invoice says, “verified proper operation of the vehicle. ” that is false. They did not even admit my car into the service entrance. This crash is preventable, but Tesla is not taking this defect seriously and refuses to share the full report of technical review.

The new Model Y froze in the middle of an interstate highway indicating it was shutting itself down and not driveable. It took only 30seconds from 60 miles per hour to completely inoperable and stopped itself in traffic. Currently the mileage of this car is only 12 miles and I drove only 7 miles about 20 minutes after the we picked up the car. Tesla service told me it was a rear motor inverter issue. There are many incidents of similar occurrences people report online. Luckily we were saved by some quick thinking driver who called 911, while we were anxiously trying to contact Tesla service. The police parked his cruiser to shield us from the fast moving traffic.

Component or system failure: the internal malfunction of the rear drive unit in my 2022 Tesla Model Y, which has been documented and addressed on two separate occasions by the Tesla service center, has raised significant safety concerns. This component is critical for the vehicle's operation, and its failure mode necessitates thorough inspection and a definitive resolution to prevent recurrence. Safety risks: the sudden loss of power on a busy highway, without any warning, significantly compromised my safety and the safety of others around me. Being forced to restart the vehicle under such conditions was not only distressing but also exposed everyone involved to a heightened risk of accidents. This incident has profoundly impacted my confidence in the vehicle's reliability and safety. Problem reproduction and confirmation: the malfunction was initially confirmed and addressed by a Tesla dealership, which underscores the seriousness of the issue. However, the recurrence of the problem, even after professional intervention, and the subsequent attempt to rectify the issue without a clear diagnosis, adds to the uncertainty and concern regarding the vehicle's safety and the effectiveness of the repairs conducted. Inspections: the direct involvement of Tesla's service center in inspecting and attempting to repair the vehicle indicates that the manufacturer is aware of and is taking steps to address the issue. Nevertheless, the absence of a definitive resolution or clear understanding of the malfunction's cause continues to be a source of worry. Warning signs prior to failure: the complete absence of any warning signs before such a critical failure is particularly alarming. This lack of forewarning deprived me of the opportunity to take preventive action, further exacerbating the fear and potential danger associated with the malfunction.

1)2 weeks into owning the car had a powertrain error message which was fixed by replacing the front drive unit oil pump. 2)static noise behind the display unit was due to the harness of the circuit not being tightened properly. 3)left hand drive side latherallink bolt was loose and dropped off while making a turn. Right hand latherallink bolt was not tightened to the recommended torque. Lefthand driver side latherallink was replaced and bolts have been tightened. I have updated the invoices, videos and pictures of the 3rd issue. Have requested Tesla to replace my car with a new one as I do not feel safe in the car nor do I feel safe having my family in the car. I have raised this issue with Tesla on Saturday (April 30) and have not heard back from them. I could not upload the video of the issue that I have captured on my phone in this ticket. Please let me know how to share that via an email.