Tesla Model Y problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 7 model years (2019–2025), NHTSA has logged 3,749 owner complaints and 36 safety recalls for the Tesla Model Y. That averages 128.3 complaints per year on the road — far more complaints than typical (index 3.05 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Electric vehicles segment it ranks #10 of 10 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 56.4.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
Across seven model years from 2019 to 2025, the Tesla Model Y has logged 3,749 owner complaints and 36 safety recalls, averaging 128.3 complaints per year which is far more than typical at an index of 3.05 against all tracked vehicles. While it ranks #10 of 10 for fewest complaints within the Electric vehicles segment where the average is 56.4, the 2023 model year stands out with a rate of 311.4 complaints per year running at least 50% above the model's own average and generating the most recent reports totaling 233 in the last 12 months. The most common problem area is Driver-assist systems accounting for 34.3% of complaints with recurring terms like "control", "cruise", "phantom", "autopilot" and "braking", while 485 complaints describe a crash or fire involving 357 injuries and 109 deaths. Owners should research the 2023 model year most carefully as it has the highest rate, whereas the 2020 model year sits well below the average with only 41.2 complaints per year.
Summary drafted by an AI model running on our own server from the figures on this page, and checked number by number against the data before publishing. The statistics and the analysis above come from our fixed methodology, not from the model.The trend is flat. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models are within 19% of the 2020 and 2021 models (531 early complaints per model year versus 339).
The 2023 model year has the highest rate (311.4 complaints per year) and the 2020 model year the lowest (41.2). The 2023 model year runs at least 50% above the model's own average — the one to research most carefully. The 2020 model year sits well below the model's average.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Driver-assist systems (34.3% of complaints), followed by Electrical (14.9%) and Brakes (12.9%). Driver-assist systems complaints are 6.0 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Recurring terms in owner reports: “control”, “cruise”, “phantom”, “autopilot” and “braking”. 485 complaints (12.9%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 357 injuries and 109 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 652 complaints versus 547 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace. The 2023 model year generated the most recent reports (233). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 14 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 36 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2022 (10), 19 fixable over the air. 18 NHTSA defect investigations have covered this model, 7 still open; the latest is “Lower Lateral Link detachment” (opened 2026-07-29, still open).
Every other tracked model among Electric vehicles has fewer complaints per year, including Tesla Model S, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Tesla Model X and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Complaints in first 2 years on the road | vs. same-year average | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | — | View › |
| 2020 Fewest complaints | 275 | 41.2 | 0.98 | 53 | 0.93 | 20 | 24 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2021 | 1,066 | 187.9 | 4.47 | 625 | 10.22 | 124 | 23 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2022 | 854 | 182.7 | 4.34 | 600 | 8.12 | 112 | 20 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2023 Years to research carefully | 1,144 | 311.4 | 7.4 | 815 | 9.81 | 233 | 17 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2024 | 314 | 117.4 | 2.79 | 247 | 3.51 | 110 | 5 | Electrical | View › |
| 2025 | 96 | 57.4 | 1.36 | — | — | 53 | 3 | Electrical | View › |
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 652 · Previous 12 months: 547 Steady
Problem areas
Driver-assist systems ›
1,286 · 34.3% · 5.98 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- cruise645
- phantom422
- autopilot377
- control707
Electrical ›
560 · 14.9% · 0.95 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- cameras95
- computer87
- features78
- self-driving44
Steering ›
344 · 9.2% · 1.41 vs. all vehicles · Rising
- steering255
- wheel170
- control131
- assist reduced38
Interior & equipment ›
252 · 6.7% · 0.75 vs. all vehicles · Rising
- fsd29
- full self15
- software31
- screen34
Wheels, tires & suspension ›
218 · 5.8% · 2.33 vs. all vehicles · Rising
- suspension106
- control arm66
- lateral54
- front126
Body & structure ›
186 · 5.0% · 0.54 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- wipers42
- windshield65
- visibility35
- rain26
Airbags & seat belts ›
161 · 4.3% · 1.12 vs. all vehicles · Falling
- seat91
- passenger77
- belt51
- safety restraint35
Other
80 · 2.1% · 1.18 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- seat32
- accelerated17
- police15
- child9
Transmission / powertrain ›
77 · 2.1% · 0.18 vs. all vehicles · Rising
- rear unit6
- rear motor6
- center19
- inverter6
Engine ›
55 · 1.5% · 0.07 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- motor disabled7
- rear motor6
- center17
- front motor5
Lighting
39 · 1.0% · 0.67 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- headlights13
- beams10
- bright7
- blinding5
Fuel system
9 · 0.2% · 0.06 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- someone3
- people3
- hit3
- braking3
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Common terms in reports
- control1444
- cruise962
- phantom621
- autopilot578
- braking932
- lane714
- fsd245
- suddenly608
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 14 months
What owners report
I own a 2021 Tesla Model Y with approximately 51,300 miles. Beginning in June 2026 I noticed a persistent creaking noise from the front suspension, most audible when accelerating and when turning at low speed.
Tesla on autopilot crossed over the double yellow line and hit our red jeep head on. Both vehicles were totaled and all passengers were injured.
Every little bump or weight shift my car makes, the rear suspension makes a creeping slide. I've already had to replace control arms in tube front suspension for a loud clunking noise
My 2023 Tesla Model Y suffered a critical factory safety defect: under-torqued front suspension lateral link bolts, causing dangerous clunking noises under Autopilot. The official Tesla Invoice verified the defect and noted it was re-torqued to spec.
My passenger rear door is completely broken and unsafe. While I am driving down the road, the car suddenly thinks the door is wide open (ajar) because the window won't roll up all the way.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Electric vehicles
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla Model S | 708 | 17.4 | 0.41 | Worsening | Falling | 31 | Interior & equipment |
| 2 | Chevrolet Bolt EV | 532 | 17.8 | 0.42 | Stable | Steady | 13 | Electrical |
| 3 | Tesla Model X | 736 | 18.6 | 0.44 | Worsening | Falling | 33 | Interior & equipment |
| 4 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | 650 | 28.9 | 0.69 | Improving | Steady | 0 | Electrical |
| 5 | Ford F-150 Lightning | 536 | 33.4 | 0.79 | Improving | Falling | 2 | Electrical |
| 6 | Kia EV6 | 535 | 38.5 | 0.91 | Improving | Rising | 5 | Electrical |
| 7 | Volkswagen ID.4 | 991 | 48.7 | 1.16 | Worsening | Steady | 24 | Electrical |
| 8 | Tesla Model 3 | 4,228 | 100.4 | 2.39 | Worsening | Steady | 35 | Driver-assist systems |
| 9 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 1,319 | 114.8 | 2.73 | Improving | Rising | 14 | Electrical |
| 10 | Tesla Model Y | 3,749 | 128.3 | 3.05 | Stable | Steady | 36 | Driver-assist systems |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 36
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 19
Safety recalls: 2019 (3) · 2020 (24) · 2021 (23) · 2022 (20) · 2023 (17) · 2024 (5) · 2025 (3)
Investigations
- Lower Lateral Link detachment Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 156 complaints alleging a suspension failure in model year (MY) 2018-2020 Model 3 and MY 2021-2023 Model Y vehicles. The suspension failure involves the detachment of the front lower lateral link, which potentially causes a loss of vehicle directional control. In most cases, there was no advance warning or indication that the suspension failur…
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Teslaâs Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the systemâs ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient t…
- Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (âODIâ) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute traï¬c safety violations. This investigation concerns versions of FSD that Tesla has labeled as "FSD (Supervised)" and "FSD (Beta)." Tesla characterizes FSD as an SAE Level 2 partial automat…
- Electronic door handles become inoperative Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received nine Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQs) reporting an inability to open doors on Model Year (MY) 2021 Tesla Model Y vehicles. The most commonly reported scenarios involved parents exiting the vehicle after a drive cycle in order to remove a child from the back seat or placing a child in the back seat before starting a drive cycle. In those e…
- Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (âODIâ) has identified numerous incident reports submitted by Tesla, Inc. (âTeslaâ) in response to Standing General Order 2021-01 (the âSGOâ), in which the reported crashes occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports. The majority of these reports involved crashes in which the Standing General Order in place at the time required a…
- Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts. Closed
On January 6, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation 24003 (PE24033) to investigate Actually Smart Summon (Summon) sessions resulting in crashes during active sessions. According to Tesla, Summon is a short-distance SAE Level 2 system, controlled by the user from a cell phone within a certain distance and intended for use in parking lots and on private prope…
Frequently asked questions
Which Tesla Model Y model year has the most complaints?
The 2023 model year has the highest rate (311.4 complaints per year) and the 2020 model year the lowest (41.2).
Is the Tesla Model Y getting better or worse?
The trend is flat. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models are within 19% of the 2020 and 2021 models (531 early complaints per model year versus 339). In the last 12 months owners filed 652 complaints versus 547 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace.
What are the most common Tesla Model Y problems?
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Driver-assist systems (34.3% of complaints), followed by Electrical (14.9%) and Brakes (12.9%). Recurring terms in owner reports: “control”, “cruise”, “phantom”, “autopilot” and “braking”.
How does the Tesla Model Y compare with other Electric vehicles?
Within the Electric vehicles segment it ranks #10 of 10 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 56.4. Every other tracked model among Electric vehicles has fewer complaints per year, including Tesla Model S, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Tesla Model X and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Does the Tesla Model Y have recalls or open investigations?
Recalls: 36 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2022 (10), 19 fixable over the air. 18 NHTSA defect investigations have covered this model, 7 still open; the latest is “Lower Lateral Link detachment” (opened 2026-07-29, still open).