Tesla Model Y owners filed 3,783 complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for model years 2015–2025 (see the Car Problem Index for all 60 models), and NHTSA lists 36 recall campaigns for the same years. The 2023 Tesla Model Y drew the most complaints (1,156); across all years, owners complain most about automatic emergency braking / collision warning (48% of complaints).
Key findings
- Worst model year: 2023, with 1,156 complaints, led by automatic emergency braking / collision warning (474) and 17 recalls.
- Complaints vs recalls: Automatic emergency braking / collision warning drew 1,815 complaints and 4 recalls.
- Over-the-air fixes: recalls 25V092000, 24V935000, 24V554000, 24V376000, 24V153000, 24V051000, 24V035000, 23V838000, 23V085000, 22V844000, 22V702000, 22V296000, 22V235000, 22V063000, 22V050000, 22V045000, 22V037000, 21V846000, 20V609000 can be repaired by a software update, without a dealer visit (19 of 36).
- Earliest-failing area: steering complaints came at a median 3k mi.
- Fire and crash reports: 25 complaints mention a fire and 476 a crash, with 360 injuries and 109 deaths reported.
Tesla Model Y complaints and recalls by model year
| Model year | Complaints | Top problem areas |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 24 recalls | 276 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (105), Speed control / acceleration (37), Brakes (35) median 5k mi · 47 crashes |
| 2021 23 recalls | 1,074 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (577), Brakes (177), Speed control / acceleration (160) median 4k mi · 86 crashes · 6 fires |
| 2022 20 recalls | 861 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (494), Speed control / acceleration (140), Brakes (131) median 10k mi · 89 crashes · 8 fires |
| 2023 17 recalls | 1,156 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (474), Steering (210), Speed control / acceleration (167) median 6k mi · 152 crashes · 4 fires |
| 2024 5 recalls | 318 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (120), Backup camera / rear sensors (61), Electrical system (58) median 9k mi · 72 crashes · 4 fires |
| 2025 3 recalls | 98 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning (45), Lane departure assist (19), Electrical system (17) median 7k mi · 30 crashes · 3 fires |
One recall campaign often covers several model years, so the recall column adds up to 92, more than the 36 separate campaigns. Newer years have had less time to collect reports.
Most-reported Tesla Model Y problems, and what they cost to fix
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Recalls | Median mileage | Estimate the repair |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic emergency braking / collision warning | 1,815 | 48% | 4 | 4k mi | — |
| Speed control / acceleration | 549 | 15% | 0 | 5k mi | — |
| Brakes | 533 | 14% | 1 | 5k mi | Brake repair cost |
| Electrical system | 486 | 13% | 8 | 8k mi | Alternator / electrical repair cost |
| Steering | 416 | 11% | 3 | 3k mi | Power steering repair cost |
| Lane departure assist | 320 | 8% | 0 | 7k mi | — |
| Suspension | 273 | 7% | 4 | 10k mi | Shock / strut replacement cost |
| Backup camera / rear sensors | 165 | 4% | 4 | 9k mi | — |
Top problem areas only; one complaint can count twice.
What Tesla Model Y owners report
Owners’ own words; dollar figures are what they reported.
Automatic emergency braking / collision warning
1. Forward collision warning false alarm is very frequent. Often triggered by pedestrian on nearby sidewalk or parked car on street side. Tesla is using forward collision warning to lower my safety score and raise my insurance premium. 2. Tesla sold me "full self driving" package to me for $8000+TAXES for more than two years and still have not delivered the product. It's a faulty system with lots of safety hazards.
2020 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11494631
We have noticed an increase in phantom braking while using cruise control and/or auto pilot. Prior to november it would happen randomly and only on single lane highways. Now it happens every time we try to use cruise control. It is very dangerous as we may be rear ended it stops so fast with nothing in front of us.
2021 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11455617
Related recalls: 24V153000 (2020–2022): Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash. 22V317000 (2021): Swapped camera views can prevent the vehicle's cameras from detecting crossing objects and high-curvature lane lines, impairing the Autosteer and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) performance, and increasing the risk of a crash. 21V846000 (2020–2021): Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Speed control / acceleration
Tesla's fsd functions slowly has been reduced in the last years. Firts Tesla disabled the double pull function, resulted taken away the standard cruise control function. Lately, the fully paid ($12000) fsd is not recognizing streetsigns anymore, which worked perfectly before. This function is crucial to manage speeds, lanes, pedestrians and school zones or just attend in public roads!
2022 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11667319
We have noticed an increase in phantom braking while using cruise control and/or auto pilot. Prior to november it would happen randomly and only on single lane highways. Now it happens every time we try to use cruise control. It is very dangerous as we may be rear ended it stops so fast with nothing in front of us.
2021 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11455617
None of these 549 speed control / acceleration complaints is matched by a recall on these model years, so a repair is covered only by warranty or paid by the owner.
Brakes
While driving, the front left brake caliper detached, causing immediate damage to the wheel and a tire blowout. There was no recent brake, wheel, or suspension service (over two years). Tesla is repairing the vehicle for an estimated $2,336.41 but did not clearly identify root cause. This was a sudden brake system failure that could have resulted in loss of control. I am reporting this as a potential safety defect.
2022 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11716035
Alerts regarding vehicle steering, stability, emergency braking, lane control traction, received all at once and the Tesla ai advisor indicated others were reporting the same. No other vehicles in lanes around US showed up on the vehicle lcd screen as normally they do too. Car did not brake normally (foot off accelerator and no braking) and handling seemed different although we were very cautious.
2021 model-year owner, NHTSA complaint 11643673
Related recalls: 21V387000 (2020–2021): Contact with the rim may cause a loss of tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
533 owners reported brakes problems; the brake repair cost calculator shows what the fix costs where you live.
Tesla Model Y recalls
Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for your car’s open recalls.
| Campaign | Announced | Model years | System | Risk (NHTSA's wording) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26V507000 | 2026-08-05 | 2020–2023 | Exterior lights | Headlight low beams that are too bright can reduce visibility for oncoming drivers, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 26V315000 | 2026-05-19 | 2025 | Equipment / accessories | Missing weight information provided by the label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 26V283000 | 2026-05-05 | 2020–2023 | Backup camera / rear sensors | A delayed rearview image reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 25V092000 (OTA) | 2025-02-14 | 2023 | Steering | A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 25V002000 | 2025-01-07 | 2023–2025 | Backup camera / rear sensors | A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 24V935000 (OTA) | 2024-12-17 | 2020–2025 | Tires | Driving with improperly inflated tires increases the risk of a crash. |
| 24V886000 | 2024-11-22 | 2024 | Seats | The seat back frame may not properly restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 24V554000 (OTA) | 2024-07-24 | 2020–2024 | Latches and locks | An unlatched hood can fully open, obstructing the driver's view and increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 24V376000 (OTA) | 2024-05-28 | 2020–2023 | Seat belts | A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash. |
| 24V153000 (OTA) | 2024-02-27 | 2020–2022 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning | Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are muted, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 24V051000 (OTA) | 2024-01-30 | 2019–2024 | Electrical system | Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 24V035000 (OTA) | 2024-01-22 | 2023 | Backup camera / rear sensors | A rearview image that does not display while in reverse decreases the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash. |
| 23V838000 (OTA) | 2023-12-12 | 2020–2023 | Electrical system | In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash. |
| 23V489000 | 2023-07-14 | 2023 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning | Safety features that are unavailable without any warning to the driver may increase the risk of a crash. |
| 23V434000 | 2023-06-19 | 2023 | Electrical system | A defective battery disconnect may not isolate the vehicle's high voltage battery after a crash or fault detection, increasing the risk of electrical shock and injury. |
| 23V385000 | 2023-05-30 | 2022–2023 | Steering | A loose fastener may allow the steering wheel to disconnect from the steering column, which can cause a loss of steering control and increase the risk of a crash. |
| 23V130000 | 2023-02-27 | 2022–2023 | Seats | A loose seat frame bolt may reduce the seat belt system's performance, increasing the risk of injury during a crash. |
| 23V085000 (OTA) | 2023-02-15 | 2020–2023 | Steering | FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash. |
| 22V895000 | 2022-12-06 | 2023 | Suspension | A loose fastener can allow the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 22V844000 (OTA) | 2022-11-15 | 2020–2023 | Exterior lights | A taillight that fails to illuminate may reduce the visibility of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 22V702000 (OTA) | 2022-09-19 | 2020–2022 | Visibility (windows, mirrors, wipers) | A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 22V317000 | 2022-05-09 | 2021 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning | Swapped camera views can prevent the vehicle's cameras from detecting crossing objects and high-curvature lane lines, impairing the Autosteer and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) performance, and increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 22V296000 (OTA) | 2022-05-03 | 2022 | Backup camera / rear sensors | A lagging or restarting CPU may prevent the center screen from displaying the rearview camera image, gear selection, windshield visibility control settings, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 22V235000 (OTA) | 2022-04-12 | 2020–2022 | Electrical system | Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 22V063000 (OTA) | 2022-02-04 | 2020–2022 | Electrical system | Pedestrians may be unaware of an approaching vehicle if the PWS sounds are obscured, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 22V050000 (OTA) | 2022-02-02 | 2020–2022 | Electrical system | Decreased defrosting performance may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 22V045000 (OTA) | 2022-02-01 | 2020–2022 | Electrical system | The driver may be unaware that their seat belt is not fastened, increasing the risk of injury during a crash. |
| 22V037000 (OTA) | 2022-01-27 | 2020–2022 | Electrical system | Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash. |
| 21V912000 | 2021-11-21 | 2020–2022 | Suspension | Suspension links that separate can reduce vehicle stability and control, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 21V846000 (OTA) | 2021-10-29 | 2020–2021 | Automatic emergency braking / collision warning | Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 21V835000 | 2021-10-25 | 2020–2021 | Suspension | A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing instability and increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 21V388000 | 2021-05-25 | 2019–2021 | Seat belts | Improperly attached fasteners may prevent the seat belt retention system from performing as designed, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 21V389000 | 2021-05-25 | 2019–2021 | Seat belts | An improperly attached fastener may prevent the seat belt system from performing as designed, increasing the risk of injury. |
| 21V387000 | 2021-05-25 | 2020–2021 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Contact with the rim may cause a loss of tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 20V709000 | 2020-11-17 | 2020 | Suspension | A detached upper control arm can cause the wheels to lean in or out, decreasing the driver's ability to steer and increasing the risk of a crash. |
| 20V609000 (OTA) | 2020-09-30 | 2020 | Exterior lights | Trailer brake lights that fail to illuminate during braking increase the risk of a crash. |
What this data can and can't tell you
3,783 unverified owner reports, not adjusted for sales. Method.
Other Tesla models in the index
- Tesla Model 3 (4,295)
- Tesla Model S (2,502)
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint files (nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-25; NHTSA recalls database (nhtsa.gov/recalls), retrieved 2026-09-23. Model years 2015–2025. Free to cite with a link to this page.