Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 21, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

276 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
47

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 18 mention a crash, 8 mention an injury.

software faults 24unintended acceleration 18sudden stalling 3
A recent report: I am reporting multiple safety‑critical incidents involving my Tesla Model Y equipped with FSD (Supervised). The vehicle has repeatedly performed sudden braking in active traffic without any…
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I am reporting multiple safety‑critical incidents involving my Tesla Model Y equipped with FSD (Supervised). The vehicle has repeatedly performed sudden braking in active traffic without any obstacles present, causing physical jolting and creating a risk of collision. These incidents occurred on [XXX] and XXX including a sudden hard brake at approximately 2:18 p.m. on XXX. Additionally, the vehicle has shown lane‑centering instability on the highway. On XXX at approximately 1:51 p.m., the vehicle drifted within the lane and failed to maintain proper centering while FSD was engaged, requiring immediate manual intervention to avoid unsafe movement. Tesla service has stated that no error codes were detected, but also acknowledged known FSD software behaviors affecting Hardware 3 vehicles. This indicates the system may be performing unsafe maneuvers without logging faults. I am reporting these incidents because they pose a direct safety risk to me, other drivers, and pedestrians. I request that NHTSA review these behaviors as potential safety defects in Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) system. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11757733 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Worth reading
45

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 4 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

software faults 30sudden stalling 2
A recent report: On June 17, 2026, I experienced a severe and life-threatening entrapment inside my 2020 Tesla Model Y. The incident occurred immediately after I finished charging the vehicle for approximately two…
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On June 17, 2026, I experienced a severe and life-threatening entrapment inside my 2020 Tesla Model Y. The incident occurred immediately after I finished charging the vehicle for approximately two hours at a charging station under direct sunlight, which left the car extremely hot. After charging, I drove a short distance, parked, and left the vehicle for approximately 20 minutes. Upon my return, my card key failed to unlock the vehicle. After contacting my wife for assistance, I was briefly able to open the door, but I became securely locked inside the cabin as soon as the door closed. The 12V battery had completely failed without any advanced warning or vehicle alarm. All power was lost. The windows were fully rolled up, the climate control stopped, and there was no airflow. The cabin temperature was rapidly rising due to the earlier sun exposure. In a state of panic and facing a dangerously overheating cabin, I called my wife to inform her that I needed to break a window. I struck the windshield to draw the attention of passersby, which cracked the glass but did not shatter it. I then attempted to force a side window outward to establish ventilation and crawled into the back seat to try to open the trunk, but all electronic and external release mechanisms were unresponsive. After regaining composure, I used my phone to look up emergency solutions online and ultimately located the manual mechanical door release. I was able to escape.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11764144 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
71

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 8 mention a crash, 4 mention an injury.

software faults 56loss of braking 5unintended acceleration 3
A recent report: When I went to my local garage to have a wheel rotation and wheel alignment done, they discovered that my rear driver side break hose was leaking. They also discovered that the rear passenger side…
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When I went to my local garage to have a wheel rotation and wheel alignment done, they discovered that my rear driver side break hose was leaking. They also discovered that the rear passenger side break hose was showing similar wear/damage. I had the car towed to Tesla repair center because the replacement parts were backordered for the local garage. At the Tesla repair center, I asked if this was a potential build quality issue or something else, which they couldn't answer. Besides tire related items, like new tires and wheel alignment, all my other servicing was done thru Tesla. They noticed that they had done some half-shaft lubrication work that would have required them to disassemble the breaks. Of course they are not going to speculate or admit wrong doing. Therefore, in my mind, the issue was either original build quality from the factory or maybe the Tesla service mechanic not properly reassembling the breaks during one of the service visits. Just incase this was a factory build issue, I wanted to put in this incident so it can be counted towards any tally that NHTSA maybe keeping.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11594286 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Worth reading
52

Most reports here involve loss of steering. Of these, 10 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

loss of steering 22software faults 10
A recent report: While my wife was driving on a flat straight road, she heard a loud bang noise from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle made a loud grinding noise. Upon inspection, it was found the bolt securing…
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While my wife was driving on a flat straight road, she heard a loud bang noise from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle made a loud grinding noise. Upon inspection, it was found the bolt securing the front right damper to the suspension had snapped and come loose. The nut fastening the bolt was lost on the roadside.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11757704 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
18

Most reports here involve airbags not deploying. Of these, 5 mention a crash, 5 mention an injury.

airbags not deploying 7software faults 6
A recent report: Vehicle had "front passenger safety restraint system fault" multiple times intermittently. Serviced by Tesla service center in Dublin, CA who confirmed the problem. Documentation on the invoice…
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Vehicle had "front passenger safety restraint system fault" multiple times intermittently. Serviced by Tesla service center in Dublin, CA who confirmed the problem. Documentation on the invoice stated that there was an open service bulletin related to this issue and was related to "the occupancy sensory in the seat was not functioning as expected." Upon inspection by the technician they found "an open connection in the seat harness and seat cover that can cause intermittent alerts." Additional repair notes indicate that this was to "address a service bulletin related to the front passenger seat's occupant classification system. We identified the need for an update to ensure proper functionality. To resolve this, we retrofitted the system in the front passenger seat as per the bulletin requirements." The fact that there is an open service bulletin for this issue indicates that it is not isolated to just this vehicle. An issue with the occupant sensors of a front vehicle seat directly impacts whether the air bags will deploy in a crash, therefore this is a serious safety risk.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11723972 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Worth reading
21

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

software faults 3
A recent report: Interior of glass roof - dangerously hot on sunny days, capable of causing burns. This problem has caused several family members including children to yelp in pain due to brief contact with the glass…
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Interior of glass roof - dangerously hot on sunny days, capable of causing burns. This problem has caused several family members including children to yelp in pain due to brief contact with the glass (heads meeting glass surface while placing children in car seat, getting in and out of car seat and hands brushing against glass surface). The temperature inside the tesla also far exceeds other cars I go into. This is easily reproducible on any spring/summer day. I understand there are cars with black paint that can get hot and you try to avoid touching that area. But if there is literally black glass above you in the interior that is not insulated, that is completely unavoidable and a constant hazard. There should be insulation provided standard.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11692642 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Worth reading
22

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

software faults 9sudden stalling 1
A recent report: 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…
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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.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11741791 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 276 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2020 and 2026, roughly 45 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.