Complaint volume
1019 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2021 Tesla Model Y Complaints
1019 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Tesla Model Y, grouped by component category.
1019 Total complaints
85 Crash reports
6 Fire reports
22 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are forward collision avoidance, vehicle speed control,forward collision avoidance, service brakes,forward collision avoidance. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 85 crash reports, 6 fire reports, 22 injury reports, and 4 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 98 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 16,683 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to forward collision avoidance, vehicle speed control,forward collision avoidance, service brakes,forward collision avoidance?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Tesla Model Y?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2021 Tesla Model Y
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Tesla Model Y complaints?
85 Crash
6 Fire
22 Injury
4 Fatality
63 Towed
14 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Tesla Model Y complaint categories?
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 280
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 72
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 70
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 64
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 44
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 34
SUSPENSION 30
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 29
STEERING 26
VISIBILITY/WIPER 19
1,019 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2023 | LANE DEPARTURE | “Full self driving” (Tesla’s beta feature) swerved erratically when used on highway with bike rack attached to tow hitch loaded with 4 bikes. The screen intermittently showed a car following closely (which wasn’t there) and likely swerved to try and get away from it. This caused the car to move onto adjacent lanes risking bumping into other cars in those lanes | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Countless times, at high legal speed, with adaptive cruise control enabled, on a straight blemish-free level highway with perfect visibility, sudden automatic deceleration was experienced-- several times every hour over 11 hours of driving. I have video recordings. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | We have recently experienced a significant and concerning increase in incidents of phantom braking and have thus far been unable to receive an adequate response from Tesla. We have had at least six instances of this occurring today, 16-Jun-2023 in the first 6-7 hours of our cross-country drive, and I’ve shared these time stamps with Tesla service. This is because we experienced this same thing 2-3 times on another long drive in November of 2022, and Tesla service told us at the time they couldn’t do anything about it unless we had time stamps because otherwise, it’s too many pages of code to sort through and beyond that, you have to notify them within 12 days of the incident or they can’t look into it at all (which is what happened with me- although I had to chase them to even get a response). They also said it was a “known issue” but were unsure about a planned remedy. I took screenshots of that conversation with Tesla service and have attached to this submission in the event that’s helpful. We are still pending a response from Tesla service for the multiple incidents today. Interestingly, we had taken this car on multiple lengthy drives in all types of conditions prior to Nov 2022, but never experienced this issue previously. It certainly seems to be increasing in frequency and intensity (I know my n=1 for my sample size here makes this somewhat anecdotal, but it’s terrifying regardless) and it seems like only a matter of time until tragedy strikes. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | STEERING | On. 12 June 2023 between 6-7 pm the steering wheel jammed off in the Mountain house shopping plaza . I could not move the steering wheel as it was very hard to move it . Next day on 13 June 2023 around 7-9 pm in Modesto downtown the steering wheel jammed again while I was turning left on the light . This is very scary as the vehicle could not be tunrned at all. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle attempted to turn left onto a side street while the Autonomous Self Driving feature was engaged. The contact stated that the vehicle began the left turn from the right side of the roadway and went across two lanes and into the opposite traffic lane headed in the other direction. The contact stated that the failure with the Autonomous Self Driving feature occurred several times previously at the same part of the roadway. The contact stated that the turn signal had been engaged only briefly, and no warning lights were illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the Autonomous Self Driving software version was "Full Self-Drive Beta 11.4.2 (2023.7.10 a 165AF53442E). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 27,777. | Crash: No Fire: No | 27,777 |
| Jun 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Repeated "phantom braking" caused by shadows from clouds, pavement coloration changes, billboards some distance from the highway, large advisory signs, and even pieces of blown-out truck tires on the shoulder produce sudden deceleration of over 30 mph in just seconds from the automatic emergency braking system on my 2021 Model Y Performance. This mostly occurs on interstate highways or secondary highways when the vehicle is in cruise control or auto steer with cruise control mode. A recent trip of several thousand miles produced over 20 cases of phantom braking. The windshield area in front of my forward facing cameras is always kept clean. HAZARD: It has created the risk of rear-end collisions, or stimulated road rage from following drivers. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving eastbound on the CA60 freeway and merging onto the Interstate 10 freeway, on a clear sunny day and on a dry road, without another vehicle beside the car, with the 'autopilot' (not full version) engaged, the car suddenly initiated an uncommanded acceleration which required the driver to aggressively depress the brake pedal to stop the acceleration and to disengage the automated driving feature. This sudden acceleration brought the vehicle dangerously close to another vehicle traveling in front before it could be stopped. Witnesses were in the car when this incident occurred. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving northbound on the CA111 freeway along an elevated ramp leading to the Interstate 10 freeway, in the evening after sunset, and on a dry road, without another vehicle beside the car, with the 'autopilot' (not full version) engaged, the car suddenly initiated an uncommanded acceleration which required the driver to aggressively depress the brake pedal to stop the acceleration and to disengage the automated driving feature. This sudden acceleration placed the driver and occupants at risk to the car traveling around an elevated tight curve with a ramp speed limit that the car exceeded. Witnesses were in the car when this incident occurred. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving at speed (75-80 mph) on Interstate 90 and 80 (different days) auto aggressively applied brakes. No other autos, trucks or obstructions were anywhere close to the car. There was no forewarning the problem was going occur. All occurred in daylight from morning until mid afternoon. I recognize this as phantom braking. Tesla refuses to look at the car because I did not have the exact time the problems occurred, messages from 6/2/23. I am of the opinion if this was Elon's car they would look at it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Tesla full self driving drove off highway curb and dropped 10 feet down, vehicle was total loss, airbags popped. There was a car trying to change to Tesla lane, Tesla overacted and took over control, and driver was unable to take back the control while in full self driving mode, no warning sign whatsoever during the accident, Tesla just drove off high way curb by itself. No collision between Tesla and other car. As experienced driver for over 30 years, I have never had accidents at fault, never made such silly mistake to drive off high way. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| May 2023 | SEAT BELTS | rear seat belts do not latch. the male portion of the seatbelt will be able to go in fully, but there's no click or latch to prevent it from coming back out. this is a huge safety issue, but Tesla has refused to service it. there are no warning lamps or messages. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | For last several months my 2021 Tesla Y is experiencing phantom braking while using cruise control. Happens about once every 50 miles on the highway and occurs on straight roads with no traffic in front or behind and no road hazards. Braking is sudden and hard and represents a significant hazard . Thanks | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | On a trip from Spokane to Seattle on 5/27/2023, while traveling at 72mph on I-90, we experienced “phantom braking”. This resulted in the vehicle rapidly decelerating based on its detection of something in front of the car to avoid a collision. This occurred 3 times on the trip, and in no case was there anything for the vehicle to avoid. Weather was clear and road conditions were dry. Our biggest concern is that there could have been someone following directly behind, and would have certainly caused an accident if this were the case. The Tesla was in “autopilot”, which is the only mode we have experienced this. We experienced this last year on the same stretch of I-90, just east of Moses Lake to just west of George Washington. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | SEATS | The drivers seat is not bolted down properly, it moves while driving. It makes it so that I don't feel in control of the vehicle and I may accelerate unintentionally as my foot is moved by the seat moving. I also fail to break as I need to as the seat moves back and my foot fails to engage on the brake. There are no warnings, and Tesla service is aware and maintains it is "under spec" I have attached a copy of their work order information | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | POWER TRAIN | My wife was driving in moderate rain on the freeway. We were going about 70mph which was the same speed as the rest of the cars. We were going around a gentle turn in the road. Then without warning, our car started to slowly spin around. My wife instantly and completely lost control. We spun almost 180 degrees, crashed into two other vehicles, and came to rest against the cement barrier. Luckily nobody was seriously hurt, but we totaled two vehicles and damaged another. If the spin had happened along a different section of road we frequently drive on, we would have slid into oncoming traffic and people could have been killed. I requested that Tesla send the full data logs of the accident. It shows that my wife released the accelerator pedal right when the spin started. In most cars, releasing the accelerator causes the car to gently slow down. But Teslas, on the other hand, do aggressive regenerative braking when the accelerator is released. So it was as if my wife had pressed the break. HERE IS THE PROBLEM: THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM APPLIES THE BREAKS TO THE REAR WHEELS ONLY. On dry pavement this is fine, but on a wet road, going around a turn, hitting only the rear breaks was enough to cause the back of our car to slide out from behind us. Here is more detail: 1. Our car was All Wheel Drive. But the Tesla has published that for increased efficiency, they don't actually use the front motor except during high acceleration. This means that most of the time the car is only rear wheel drive. 2. Our car had under 25,000 miles on it, and the factory tires. The rear tires were worn more than the front tires, likely due to the car's acceleration being mostly applied to the rear tires. I believe that Tesla could fix this issue with an over-the-air recall. The recall would need to either reduce regenerative braking when wet roads are detected, or apply braking across both the front and rear wheels while on wet roads. Thank you! | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 55-65 MPH, the vehicle experienced "Phantom Braking". The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |
| May 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Driving I-80 on May 9 between 2 - 4 pm going approx 70mph using autopilot. Sudden, unexpected, rapid deceleration causing back seat contents (suitcases & my dog) to fly forward. Nothing in front of me, no visual obstruction, weather clear and sunny. Luckily no one behind me. It felt like I had slammed on the brakes. I did get off highway shortly after to get dog out of where he lodged in back seat.Tesla rep via text messaging said I caused this by tapping accelerator & no need for inspection, but I do not recall doing that. I did receive a message/warning around the approx time I think this occurred stating “Driving visualization temporarily degraded” (I have screenshot.) They did send me the spreadsheet data of that day but I can’t decipher it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The problem I am writing about is not specific to my Tesla vehicle, but inherent to all Tesla's. I have read in the news about the issue concerning the full AutoPilot with drivers not paying attention figuring the vehicle will drive itself. Although, there is another inherent issue with vehicles without subscribing to AutoPilot while using the cruise control feature resulting in a problem referred to within the Tesla community as "phantom braking." While the cruise control is active and the driver is attentive with hands on the steering wheel, the vehicle intermittently jams on the brakes even though there are no obstacles in the road ahead. The driver and passengers are panicked requiring the driver to immediately respond by pressing the accelerator to avoid being rear-ended. My wife and I have experienced the issue on multiple occasions since owning our Tesla Y since September 2021. We have experienced the issue on clear days with perfect weather and a clean windshield. The road is clear with no vehicles in front of us on a divided highway traveling at highway speeds. We've also experienced the issue on a two-lane non-divided road with oncoming traffic in the other lane. Eventually, the problem becomes such an issue that we have to turn-off the cruise control to drive normally which defeats the reason why cruise control is desired. I had presented the issue with Tesla support, but I was basically blown off. Although, this issue is frequently commented by other Tesla owners on social media. Basically, the Tesla cruise control does not function like any of my other car's cruise control. The problem is thus software related to how the images from the camera are interpreted. I'm worried about my safety with the possibility of being rear-ended. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | STEERING | The right tie rod suddenly disconnected when I turned the steering wheel. The tie rod did not look damaged. The car lost all steering control. Fortunately I was in my driveway when it occurred. The car has 24,000 miles and has never been in an accident. The car was towed to Tesla for repairs on 5/19/23 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Over the past 2 weeks there have been multiple (5+ times in one day) instances of phantom breaking both using adaptive cruise control and autopilot. This often happens when approaching a bridge but also in areas where bridges are not present. Sometimes the sun may be towards the front of the car, sometimes not. Luckily no collisions, but the sudden breaking is a safety hazard and prevents the use of the car’s advanced features that are meant to reduce driver fatigue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Phantom Braking while driving interstate 15 on May 8, 2023 at 11:15 AM. No other cars were within a half mile in front or behind. Car went from 70mph with hard braking until I took control to regain speed. Had there been other vehicles behind me, it could have resulted in a rear end collision. Reported to Tesla today, May 15th, but told there is no fix. I have not used the Autopilot feature much at all, since most driving is short city trips. I do not intend to use this feature for safety concerns. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I own a 2021 Tesla Model Y. I took possession of it on August 7, 2021, in Santa Barbara, Ca. Ever since, I have had thousands of instances of automatic emergency braking (phantom braking) episodes while using cruise control or autopilot. On January 26, 2022, I had 47 documented episodes, in just two hours. The experiences of severe phantom braking have been terrifying. The car often slams on its brakes for no apparent reason, many times on a four lane highway, or on a freeway with no cars or obstacles. I worry about getting rear-ended, which could end in severe injury or death. It has been in for repair five times, and the technicians are animate that a software update is coming very soon to resolve this problem (they've been promising that since a few weeks after taking possession of the Tesla). I expected the problem to be resolved by now. It hasn't. The AEB continues today. Can you please force Tesla to fix this problem immediately? It is very dangerous. Please provide a response identifying actions you are taking to resolve this very important safety matter. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | For the FSD beta, it does not currently parse and respect road signage such as “No Turn on Red” and “Detour”. This constitutes a material safety risk and also a moving violation. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I experienced multiple instances of ghost braking while driving at highway speeds, one that resuled in a near collision with the vehicle behind me. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in Autonomous Self-Driving mode driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to stop as another vehicle was approaching, causing the other vehicle to swerve. The contact stated that the vehicle responded insufficiently after the speed was set to 30 MPH. The contact then stated that a week later she received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V085000 (Steering, Electrical System). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was able to perform an OTA software update; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20. | Crash: No Fire: No | 20 |