2020 Tesla Model Y Problems & Owner Complaints

Forward Collision Avoidance 104 14 crash 6 injury

“we were in a head-on collision (not our fault) in April. The police determined the combined speed of the crash impact to be 60-65 miles per hour. The 2020 Tesla Y  did not deploy its airbags. And as far as we can determine, the accident was not automatically recorded by the Tesla as it should have been. Because the airbags did not deploy, I sustained a fracture to my sternum that traverses over to my collarbone. We both have TBIs and other injuries. With that kind of an impact, one would expect an airbag to protect oneself, yet it did not. There were no warning lights/messages/etc from our…”
NHTSA complaint #11595352, 2024 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“I had a major accident on Sep. 24th 2022 when the car sped the traffic light and was hit by another on coming vehicle. This crash has caused a life changing changes to me & others involved in the accident. The vehicle suddenly sped without my control without stopping on the red light. I also had a major financial & vehicle loss with legal activities still pending. Tesla is not investigating and not taking responsibility of this accident and the nearest dealership is avoiding my claims. My auto insurance Allstate is handling this claim.”
NHTSA complaint #11509549, 2022 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“i WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON i-75 ABOUT 10AM on January 16, 2022. Traffics was moderated as I was driving in the left lane about 60 mph following another car. It had suddenly started snowing rather hard and the road was wet as it had been for the previous 50 miles. I felt no change in the road or car handling. Another dark SUV started passing me on the left. That seemed normal until the dark car was about 3/4 of the way passed me. Suddenly my Tesla swung to the left and came in contact with the right rear panel of the SUV. I tried to correct my car but it suddenly went out of control…”
NHTSA complaint #11453380, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Unknown Or Other 52 11 crash 3 injury

“we were in a head-on collision (not our fault) in April. The police determined the combined speed of the crash impact to be 60-65 miles per hour. The 2020 Tesla Y  did not deploy its airbags. And as far as we can determine, the accident was not automatically recorded by the Tesla as it should have been. Because the airbags did not deploy, I sustained a fracture to my sternum that traverses over to my collarbone. We both have TBIs and other injuries. With that kind of an impact, one would expect an airbag to protect oneself, yet it did not. There were no warning lights/messages/etc from our…”
NHTSA complaint #11595352, 2024 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The trunk hatch door does not stop moving (opening or closing) when it comes into contact with an object. Incident #1: I closed the trunk not realizing that my husband was under the hatch door. The hatch door came down on his head and did not stop closing until he forced it to stop with his arm. Incident #2: I pulled the car into my garage but did not realize that I had not pulled the car far enough into the garage. I opened the trunk from the drivers seat. The hatch door hit the closed garage door and kept trying to open (scratching the hatch door on the garage door in the process) until I wa…”
NHTSA complaint #11419591, 2021 · 1 injury(ies)

“In Summon Mode, autonomous driving, our car collided with another stationary parked car”
NHTSA complaint #11605031, 2024 · crash

Vehicle Speed Control 37 13 crash 6 injury

“The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while reversing at low speed from his driveway, the accelerator pedal inadvertently depressed into the floorboard, resulting in sudden unintended acceleration. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle struck two other parked vehicles in another driveway before crashing into a residence. The residents were not injured. The contact sustained a fractured neck, and shoulder pain from his seat belt, and head pain from striking the steering wheel. The contact's front passenger sustai…”
NHTSA complaint #11570095, 2023 · crash · 3 injury(ies)

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 TESLA MODEL Y. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING INTO THE DRIVEWAY OF THEIR RESIDENT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING AND CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE SAFETY COLLISION DID NOT FUNCTION. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES FROM THE SEATBELT TO THE NECK, CHEST, SHOULDERS AND UPPER BACK WHERE HE WAS TAKEN TO URGENT CARE THEN TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE WIFE WHO WAS THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE CHEST, ARMS, AND NECK WHERE SHE RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR AT AN URGENT CARE. NO POLICE R…”
NHTSA complaint #11374936, 2020 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“THIS IS MY THIRD TESLA (MODEL S AND X AND NOW Y) IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. I WAS THE PRIMARY DRIVER HAVING OVER 40K MILES DRIVEN. I DO NOT SUFFER FROM ANY MEDICAL PROBLEMS. ON MONDAY MORNING OCTOBER 5TH AROUND 9AM I MADE MY WAY TO MY LOCAL SUPERMARKET. I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT SLOWLY. THE TESLA MODEL Y WAS LESS THAN A WEEK OLD, SO I WAS DRIVING EXTREMELY SLOW TRYING TO FIND A PARKING SPACE WHERE I WOULD LEAST LIKELY GET A DOORDING. I SPOTTED A SPACE, AND PROCEEDED TO SLOWLY TURN INTO THE SPACE. AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING SPACE, I SLOWLY TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR (GAS) AND NOTIC…”
NHTSA complaint #11367044, 2020 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Service Brakes 35 6 crash 6 injury

“The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking space, the vehicle rolled back and crashed into a concrete wall. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. Additionally, on October 17, 2021, the contact slightly depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle accelerated abruptly and crashed into another vehicle. A police report was filed. The other driver in the second vehicle required medical attention. No ai…”
NHTSA complaint #11500280, 2021 · crash · 3 injury(ies)

“i WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON i-75 ABOUT 10AM on January 16, 2022. Traffics was moderated as I was driving in the left lane about 60 mph following another car. It had suddenly started snowing rather hard and the road was wet as it had been for the previous 50 miles. I felt no change in the road or car handling. Another dark SUV started passing me on the left. That seemed normal until the dark car was about 3/4 of the way passed me. Suddenly my Tesla swung to the left and came in contact with the right rear panel of the SUV. I tried to correct my car but it suddenly went out of control…”
NHTSA complaint #11453380, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The car suddenly picked up the speed in the parking lot, went over the car stopper, curb and hit the Tree. The airbags never got activated, OR the sensors were nonfunctional. I received a call in less than 1 minute from Tesla Roadside if I was safe. Paramedics took me to the ER by 911. I had some injuries because of a malfunction of airbags, brakes, and warning systems. The car is towed to the nearby Tesla-approved repair place. I am somewhat concerned about the cause, and I believe Tesla knew what had malfunctioned in their car. I have been a safe driver without traffic tickets and accide…”
NHTSA complaint #11434806, 2021 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Lane Departure 29 3 crash

“The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V838000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact was driving at an undisclosed mph up a driveway with autopilot on, the contact engaged autosteer by veering to the left before the vehicle crashed into the mailbox. There were no injuries and no police report. The lane departure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the Tesla Collision Center to be diagnosed. The technician stated the following components failed, steering, t…”
NHTSA complaint #11565846, 2024 · crash

“On 9/11/22 at approximately 1:30PM I was driving north on I65 in northern Tennessee just before the Kentucky border. Conditions were heavy rain. Traffic was moving but heavy. I had autopilot engaged. I was traveling approximately 70 mph. Three lanes of traffic. I was in the far left lane. I had my hands on the steering wheel. Without any prior notice, I lost total control of the car. Seemingly all four wheels were autoplaning due to the wet pavement. I had zero control of the car. The car seemed to slow down, drifted into the full shoulder left lane, then rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise an…”
NHTSA complaint #11493603, 2022 · crash

“Backup camera appeared in on screen window as usual when I put the car in reverse to back into my parking spot. The camera looked clear and trajectory lines moved appropriately when I turned the steering wheel. However, main backup view in center of screen did not update as I moved the vehicle backward, it remained on a static, still frame of video. I reversed into a low fence post that I knew was behind me somewhere but could not be seen when looking out the rear window or using any of the mirrors. I usually look to the backup camera to show me where this post is and help back up close to it.…”
NHTSA complaint #11427120, 2021 · crash

Suspension 29 4 crash 1 injury

“While driving on the freeway the autopilot kept turning on, I would immediately turn the autopilot off. The autopilot came on and turned my steering wheel to the left into the highway barrier, thus causing me to take a corrective action. The weather on the freeway way wet and traffic was moderate. The monitor displayed autopilot, which I turned off many during my trip as I am not comfortable with autopilot . I have an insurance claim as there was extensive damage to my car.”
NHTSA complaint #11585534, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“My wife made a left turn onto Agana Drive from Patterson Avenue in Santa Barbara, California a few blocks our home. After coming to a complete stop before making the turn, she drove about 150 feet when the car swerved to the right and the right rear passenger side of our Tesla Model Y hit left rear driver’s side of another car (BMW). I drove over to assist her and it appears from the AAA tow truck driver that a part of the axle on the right passenger side rear wheel broke later confirmed by my insurance agent and my auto mechanic. It was surprising since she was had completed the turn, was dr…”
NHTSA complaint #11447921, 2021 · crash

“HERE IS A BADLY SMASHED MODEL Y IN THE JUNKYARD. HTTPS://WWW.IAAI.COM/VEHICLEDETAILS/39229111?TENANT=US&ROWNUMBER=21 IT IS CERTAIN THAT OCCUPANTS WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR INJURED. BEARING IN MIND THE NUMEROUS MODEL Y CARS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE SUSPENSIONS SNAP OFF FOR NO GOOD REASON THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT THIS CRASH WAS CAUSED BY A SUSPENSION FAILURE. THE BROKEN BALL JOINTS, PROTRUDING DRIVE SHAFT AND DETACHED WHEEL POINT TOWARDS THIS CRASH BEING CAUSED BY A WHOMPY WHEEL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS CRASH AND OBTAIN DATA FROM THE BLACK BOX. THANK YOU…”
NHTSA complaint #11398785, 2021 · crash

Electrical System 26 3 crash 1 injury

“The car locked my toddler inside his car seat because the 12v battery died died as soon as we put him in his seat and closed hid door. There was absolutely no warning before that battery had died, indicating that it was low. Because of the way a Model Y is designed, there is no mechanical way to open the door when the 12V battery dies. The toddler is incapable of manually unlocking the door from inside when the electrical button doesn’t work. This is a huge safety issue and can result in death of children if not resolved by Tesla”
NHTSA complaint #11617384, 2024 · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V838000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact was driving at an undisclosed mph up a driveway with autopilot on, the contact engaged autosteer by veering to the left before the vehicle crashed into the mailbox. There were no injuries and no police report. The lane departure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the Tesla Collision Center to be diagnosed. The technician stated the following components failed, steering, t…”
NHTSA complaint #11565846, 2024 · crash

“During phone calls, the system would start making sparking noises and stall the calls. While navigation was input parts of the screen would disappear. While backing up, the rear cameras would freeze and stall. The rear camera freezing had caused us to get into an accident, and caused us to have 4 near misses. When I was trying to download the latest software release, the software download froze and never downloaded. I started to drive to the Tesla dealership and as I was doing so, the screen picture of my vehicle disappeared along with the gear shift indicator, the surrounding cameras fa…”
NHTSA complaint #11527838, 2023 · crash

Steering 26 5 crash 2 injury

“A 2018 Ford Explorer, marked police vehicles, was operating with lights and siren when it proceeded through a red traffic light at an intersection. The subject vehicle, 2020 Tesla Model 3, was proceeding through a green traffic light at the intersection and struck the Ford.”
NHTSA complaint #11722999, 2025 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“While driving on the freeway was unable to steer. It has happens multiple times. Once on the freeway while I was trying to exit, I suddenly couldn’t steer. Another time, I was merging when again I could not move the steering wheel. The third time was when I was in the middle of making a left turn. All these situations were incredibly dangerous.”
NHTSA complaint #11613660, 2024 · crash

“Tesla Model Y 2022 lost steering control April 20, 2024 Vehicles - Model Y While backing out of indoor parking garage Steering wheel locked up! Before I could hit the brake the car collided with the cement wall in the garage. Causing some damage to right side. I tried a system reset, no luck. Called Tesla they had me go into diag mode and try a few things with no success. They sent a tow trunk and took to car to the Tesla Highland Park then to the Collision center – they could not unlock the steering wheel and called in people from the FTS (Field Technical Support) team to look at it.…”
NHTSA complaint #11589925, 2024 · crash

Air Bags 17 9 crash 8 injury

“we were in a head-on collision (not our fault) in April. The police determined the combined speed of the crash impact to be 60-65 miles per hour. The 2020 Tesla Y  did not deploy its airbags. And as far as we can determine, the accident was not automatically recorded by the Tesla as it should have been. Because the airbags did not deploy, I sustained a fracture to my sternum that traverses over to my collarbone. We both have TBIs and other injuries. With that kind of an impact, one would expect an airbag to protect oneself, yet it did not. There were no warning lights/messages/etc from our…”
NHTSA complaint #11595352, 2024 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 TESLA MODEL Y. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING INTO THE DRIVEWAY OF THEIR RESIDENT, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING AND CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE SAFETY COLLISION DID NOT FUNCTION. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES FROM THE SEATBELT TO THE NECK, CHEST, SHOULDERS AND UPPER BACK WHERE HE WAS TAKEN TO URGENT CARE THEN TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE WIFE WHO WAS THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE CHEST, ARMS, AND NECK WHERE SHE RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR AT AN URGENT CARE. NO POLICE R…”
NHTSA complaint #11374936, 2020 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH with the Auto Pilot activated, the driver attempted to steer into the left lane to avoid a collision. The vehicle suddenly began to fishtail causing the driver to lose control of the steering and crash into the concrete median. During the crash, the vehicle was destroyed. The air bags did not deploy and the driver sustained a head contusion and later received medical treatment. No police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to the home. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufact…”
NHTSA complaint #11572864, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Visibility/Wiper 16 2 crash

“During phone calls, the system would start making sparking noises and stall the calls. While navigation was input parts of the screen would disappear. While backing up, the rear cameras would freeze and stall. The rear camera freezing had caused us to get into an accident, and caused us to have 4 near misses. When I was trying to download the latest software release, the software download froze and never downloaded. I started to drive to the Tesla dealership and as I was doing so, the screen picture of my vehicle disappeared along with the gear shift indicator, the surrounding cameras fa…”
NHTSA complaint #11527838, 2023 · crash

“Backup camera appeared in on screen window as usual when I put the car in reverse to back into my parking spot. The camera looked clear and trajectory lines moved appropriately when I turned the steering wheel. However, main backup view in center of screen did not update as I moved the vehicle backward, it remained on a static, still frame of video. I reversed into a low fence post that I knew was behind me somewhere but could not be seen when looking out the rear window or using any of the mirrors. I usually look to the backup camera to show me where this post is and help back up close to it.…”
NHTSA complaint #11427120, 2021 · crash

“Observed intermittent center display/infotainment computer (MCU) crashes/reboots where the center display becomes blank and then restarts. In recorded events, when reverse was selected during an MCU reboot interval, the rearview camera image did not display until the reboot completed. Recorded rear camera unavailability during reverse was approximately 10–17 seconds. MCU crash/reboot behavior was observed to be repeatable, including predictable occurrence while the vehicle was in the built-in Service Mode. After a factory reset, repeated/double boot behavior was also observed. Additional obs…”
NHTSA complaint #11714932, 2026

Structure 14 6 crash 2 injury

“While driving on the freeway the autopilot kept turning on, I would immediately turn the autopilot off. The autopilot came on and turned my steering wheel to the left into the highway barrier, thus causing me to take a corrective action. The weather on the freeway way wet and traffic was moderate. The monitor displayed autopilot, which I turned off many during my trip as I am not comfortable with autopilot . I have an insurance claim as there was extensive damage to my car.”
NHTSA complaint #11585534, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The rear trunk smashed my fingers. I pressed the open button on the rear trunk and heard it unlatch. I stuck my hand under the trunk to try to help it open up. The trunk quickly reached, smashing my fingers. I was able to press the open button again and lift the trunk up. The could break someone’s fingers off completely, especially a small child. A warning is 100% necessary. I thought it was unlatched and would open since I heard it unlatch and it looked as if it was opening, albeit very slowly.”
NHTSA complaint #11686034, 2025 · 1 injury(ies)

“We were trying to park the car at Costco Parking lot on Jan 14th, 2022 in the early afternoon. A car had pulled out of a parking spot and indicated us to move forward in that spot. When we tried to move forward,the vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit three other cars. The airbags did not come on. We have asked Tesla to look into this and are awaiting a response. There was damage to front end, both bumpers, hoods, front grill etc. The accident was reported to the Police, Insurance Company and Tesla. The vehicle was towed to Tesla dealership and then was sent to another repair facility, Gerber…”
NHTSA complaint #11451841, 2022 · crash

Seat Belts 12 1 crash 1 injury

“The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a stationary dumpster. During the crash, the front driver-side air bag did not deploy and the front driver-side seat belt malfunctioned and failed to secure the driver in place. As a result of the failures, the contact sustained an injured nose and facial bruises after making contact with the steering wheel, a fractured rib, and a right elbow injury along with torso bruises. No police report was taken. The vehicle was towed away. Medical tre…”
NHTSA complaint #11483691, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“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 sea…”
NHTSA complaint #11723972, 2026

“Subject: Complaint Regarding Faulty Seat Belt on Tesla Vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ) Dear NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline, I am writing to formally report a safety concern regarding my Tesla vehicle, VIN [XXX] . I have experienced issues with the seat belt system, which I believe are related to a known defect. Despite this, my vehicle was not included in the recent recall for faulty seat belts. The problem I am facing is consistent with the conditions described in the recall notice, and I am concerned about the safety implications of continuing to use this defective component. I believe that my vehicl…”
NHTSA complaint #11668372, 2025

Wheels 11 6 crash 2 injury

“While driving on the freeway the autopilot kept turning on, I would immediately turn the autopilot off. The autopilot came on and turned my steering wheel to the left into the highway barrier, thus causing me to take a corrective action. The weather on the freeway way wet and traffic was moderate. The monitor displayed autopilot, which I turned off many during my trip as I am not comfortable with autopilot . I have an insurance claim as there was extensive damage to my car.”
NHTSA complaint #11585534, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“i WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON i-75 ABOUT 10AM on January 16, 2022. Traffics was moderated as I was driving in the left lane about 60 mph following another car. It had suddenly started snowing rather hard and the road was wet as it had been for the previous 50 miles. I felt no change in the road or car handling. Another dark SUV started passing me on the left. That seemed normal until the dark car was about 3/4 of the way passed me. Suddenly my Tesla swung to the left and came in contact with the right rear panel of the SUV. I tried to correct my car but it suddenly went out of control…”
NHTSA complaint #11453380, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Tesla Model Y 2022 lost steering control April 20, 2024 Vehicles - Model Y While backing out of indoor parking garage Steering wheel locked up! Before I could hit the brake the car collided with the cement wall in the garage. Causing some damage to right side. I tried a system reset, no luck. Called Tesla they had me go into diag mode and try a few things with no success. They sent a tow trunk and took to car to the Tesla Highland Park then to the Collision center – they could not unlock the steering wheel and called in people from the FTS (Field Technical Support) team to look at it.…”
NHTSA complaint #11589925, 2024 · crash

Exterior Lighting 9

“While driving with Auto Pilot the car turns off the high beams whenever it sees too many reflectors. Such as on power poles of guard rails. The problem is twice this week I seen deer crossing the road ahead of me and the car turned off the high beaks. Then for a couple seconds I couldn't turn on the high beams manually. When I asked Tesla to look at this problem I was told they are in development. I own this car for three years and I think nothing is being done.”
NHTSA complaint #11528118, 2023

“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 autom…”
NHTSA complaint #11498456, 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?”
NHTSA complaint #11490854, 2022

Back Over Prevention 7 3 crash

“The car was almost parked and the parking button was about to pressed when the car suddenly accelerated hitting a light pole in front on the passenger side and the car ended up on a lane in a four lane local road perpendicular to traffic flow. The accelerator was definitely not pressed. I have been driving the car for last year and three months and have 26000 miles on it. There was no warning of nearby obstacles or any beeps.”
NHTSA complaint #11449406, 2022 · crash

“The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving approximately 3 MPH and in reverse gear, the rearview camera display began to drop frames and was not displaying live action. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had a manufacturer technician go to his work location who diagnosed on a laptop and stated that there were no issues with the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired and the contact stated that the failure was ongoing. The contact stated that he did have a backup crash due to a camera failure. The contact's rear bumper crashed into…”
NHTSA complaint #11478275, 2021 · crash

“In the process of filing a claim court against Tesla for garage door closing on my vehicle (because of Homelink). Multiple damages and no help from Tesla at all. Homelink was installed on my Tesla Y in February and the door closed twice on my vehicle while I was parking the car. Email me ASAP: [XXX] PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).”
NHTSA complaint #11421320, 2021 · crash

Seats 7

“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 PAR…”
NHTSA complaint #11741791, 2026

“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 sea…”
NHTSA complaint #11723972, 2026

“I have been getting "RCM2_a626" error for "front passenger safety restraint system fault. It comes and goes. Apparently it is a common issues among tesla owners. When I first filled for the error they quoted $2000 for replacing front passenger seat. The error went away so I canceled the appointment. Then it came back in a random fashion and getting more frequent. This time, in addition to replacing the front passanger seat cushion, "they're retrofitting "SBR in OCS Equipped Front Passenger Seat." I'm not sure what that means. If this is a common issue, there must be something to do with manufa…”
NHTSA complaint #11603610, 2024

Power Train 5

“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 inadvertent…”
NHTSA complaint #11528060, 2023

“Touchscreen repeatedly freezes. Won’t show gear selection, speed, or any other items. The touchscreen freezes then takes some time to crash to black screen before reboot. Has happened daily since Tesla update. Tesla refuses to provide a fix and continues to tell us to wait for an update. This is unsafe.”
NHTSA complaint #11466013, 2022

“Without any warning, the display on my car froze up when my car came to a stop, and I could not accelerate. It seemed to say I was going 15 mph, when in fact I was stopped, and the display was completely unresponsive. Stepping on the accelerator did nothing. I could not use my turn signals, activate my 4-way flashers. No one was injured, since this happened on a quiet residential street, and I was able to wave to other motorists to go around me. After about 3 minutes, my car seemed to have reset, and I was able to drive it normally. I would gladly make my vehicle available for inspection…”
NHTSA complaint #11451780, 2022

Fuel/Propulsion System 4

“Vehicle has 51,126 mi as of this writing. When new (June 2020) 250 miles of freeway range was typical in typical California weather for an efficiency rating of 280 Wh/mi for 100% to 1% state of charge (SoC). This was tested repeatedly, numerous times, on multiple road trips. At ~12K miles into ownership, OEM tires were swapped as they were dangerously useless in rain and snow. Repeated calculations confirmed ~10% range loss. This meant that average Wh/mi consumption went from about ~280 Wh/mi to about ~308 Wh/mi, for a real world freeway range reduction to about 227 from say 250 (again 100%…”
NHTSA complaint #11545755, 2023

“Without any warning, the display on my car froze up when my car came to a stop, and I could not accelerate. It seemed to say I was going 15 mph, when in fact I was stopped, and the display was completely unresponsive. Stepping on the accelerator did nothing. I could not use my turn signals, activate my 4-way flashers. No one was injured, since this happened on a quiet residential street, and I was able to wave to other motorists to go around me. After about 3 minutes, my car seemed to have reset, and I was able to drive it normally. I would gladly make my vehicle available for inspection…”
NHTSA complaint #11451780, 2022

“Heating / defrosting unit failed. While driving to work in 1 degree freezing weather my heating / defrosting unit would not provide a clear fog free windshield so i could safely see outside. Dealer has me scheduled for a date for repair but this is the second time this has happened. First time 9/2021 and now 1/2022. No inspection has happened yet. Warning message displayed saying that the climate control has failed.”
NHTSA complaint #11445797, 2022

Visibility 2

“Component or System Failure: The HVAC system, specifically the compressor and supermanifold, failed on my 2020 Tesla Model Y. Tesla retained the replaced components during service, so they are not available for inspection. Safety Risk: This failure caused a loss of cabin heating and prevented proper windshield/window defrosting during cold weather, severely impairing visibility and creating unsafe driving conditions. Critically, this system also regulates battery heating. Without it, battery performance in cold temperatures can be compromised, reducing driving range, impairing charging capabi…”
NHTSA complaint #11657285, 2025

“Heat and A/C. VCFront_a447 code Can't defrost windshield / can't drive in the cold”
NHTSA complaint #11642358, 2025

Engine 1

“My 2020 Tesla Model Y Long Range/AWD vehicle has 46,000 miles and can no longer recharge its battery (engine) with an approved charger (L2) due to a commonly failed part inside the battery. This part is called PCS (Power Conversion System). This device attached to the Tesla battery is used to convert power from a charger which is AC (household alternating current) into DC (Direct Current) the battery can understand. This error appeared for the first time on [XXX] at [XXX]. This critical part has failed in thousands of Tesla vehicles, some multiple times easily verified by thousands of custo…”
NHTSA complaint #11670914, 2024

Latches/Locks/Linkages 1

“The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V554000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Electrical System); however, the contact stated that the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a System Software Update Issue. The contact was informed that the dealer was not responsible to cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate mileage was 77,334. Parts distribution disconnect.”
NHTSA complaint #11612560, 2024

Other/I Am Not Sure 1

“This is now the 2nd carseat, same exact brand and model. The headrest is to be positioned in certain spots as the child grows. I raised it to where its needed but the headrest falls. I have watched countless youtube videos and read the instruction manuals how to and the headrest still goes to the lowest sitting position possible. When it happened to the first carseat they sent out backing plates for ME to replace and it did not help. Then sent a new whole headrest piece to replace which didn't help either. I had to slightly put my foot down in order for them to just send a replacement seat. N…”
NHTSA complaint #11528076, 2023