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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2024 | SEAT BELTS | 2 of 3 backseat seatbelts suddenly stopped latching, middle seat, and driver side rear seat. These are the seatbelts we use the least in this vehicle. Yes, the dealer replaced the 2 failed seatbelts, but would not replace all seatbelts in the vehicle. The vehicle was only inspected and fixed by Tesla. No, there were no warnings. This is especially concerning since we use a seatbelt to secure a car seat in the backseat. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | STEERING,POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES | I was driving on PA Turnpike in light rain . I never drive fast . Somehow my car start shifting from one side of the rd to another I slow down but I did not feel connection with sterling wheels car start spinning in circles and I crashed with 2 kids in the car. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I am writing to file a formal complaint against Tesla, regarding a significant issue with my Tesla Model Y 2021, which I purchased in December last year. This matter pertains to false advertising and a failure to uphold the promised capabilities of the vehicle. Despite Tesla's advertising and product descriptions promising a range of 330 miles on a full charge, my car has consistently achieved at least 40% less than this advertised range. This drastic shortfall has severely impacted the vehicle's usability and the value I derive from it. I scheduled a service appointment with Tesla. The resolution proposed by the service team was both shocking and unacceptable. They suggested that to achieve the advertised range, I would need to disable the vehicle's cameras. This advice is not only impractical but also negates one of the key safety features of the car. There was no disclosure at the point of sale that the use of standard vehicle features, such as the cameras, would so drastically reduce the car's range. To suggest disabling a critical feature to achieve the advertised performance is misleading and diminishes the value and functionality of the vehicle. Feeling deceived by Tesla, as the product delivered does not meet the specifications and capabilities that were advertised, I am seeking a resolution to this matter. I propose the following options: 1-A technical fix to the car that allows it to achieve the advertised 330-mile range without disabling any safety or standard features. 2-Complimentary access to Tesla's Supercharger network 3-A full refund for the vehicle, allowing me to return the car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The horn placement on my car VIN [XXX] ) 2023 Tesla Model S Plaid is difficult to find when in an emergent situation. The horn is a small button on the right side of the steering wheel rather than the center of the steering wheel. Twice in the past week, I have failed to alert another car that they were about to hit me. I reflexively hit the middle of the steering wheel to alert the other vehicle. Given the horn doesn't reside in the middle of the steering wheel, I failed to get the drivers attention and had to swerve erratically to avoid an accident. The horn placement is dangerous, non functional and needs to be addressed by Tesla and NHTSA immediately. Tesla drivers who drive an updated steering wheel are essentially driving with no horn. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Vehicle screen has phantom touches. Extremely unsafe as the vehicle will turn volume to max, turn heat/air up and down, and make other changes on its own and while driving. Almost caused several accidents. Tesla had made me wait for a month before they will fix. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER,BACK OVER PREVENTION | I often experience significant lag for rearview camera and the turn signal indicator lights. Sometimes it takes up to 10 seconds for the rearview camera view to come up. It's dangerous because it's hard to tell if the car is in reverse or not. Sometimes it takes multiple attempts to change gear. I have similar experience with the turn signal indicators. It takes multiple attempts for the signals to come up, or there is often significant delay on when I turn on the signal and when the lights actually come on. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The vehicle's primary Autopilot processor randomly and completely failed while in active use on February 10th, causing the vehicle to immediately change course towards a highway barrier at high speed. Since that moment, every time the Autopilot DAS computer is reset, the primary processor refuses to transition from the INIT state to the NOMINAL state and instead transitions to CRITICAL state. The vehicle had software update 2023.44.30.8 for recall campaign #23V-838, recall number SB-23-00-008 applied 1 month ago, which was supposed to decrease the probable misuse of the DAS system. However, many individuals reported that the recall immediately and irreversibly damaged their DAS computer, so Tesla offered them a free replacement without hassle. However, I have been struggling to work with Tesla's Carlsbad, California service center for over a week to get the DAS computer replaced at no cost, since the computer was damaged after an update caused the computer to become irreversibly damaged after their software update was installed -- a software update which was supposed to have made the Autopilot system safer, but which has instead unfortunately irreversibly damaged the Autopilot computer, and caused my vehicle to randomly and immediately weave towards a highway barrier at high speed. I am wrongfully being asked to pay in excess of $2500 for a replacement computer as a result of the update damaging the DAS computer. They claim the catch-all diagnosis of a "short circuit" internal to the DAS computer caused the damage which would be out of warranty, except the computer has never been opened by myself. They confirmed to me that they chose that diagnosis after a process of elimination without actually probing the electrical system within the computer. The Carlsbad service center refuses to give me an accurate estimate for any further engineering analysis, claiming it could take multiple hrs/days at $245/hr. This is extremely unreasonable and presents unlimited risk. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | On 6/25/22 our 2021 Tesla Model Y with 16,163 miles had a sudden unintended acceleration, it didn't responded to the breaks and within seconds hit a parked car and finally stopped when it crashed to a large tree. It was a "Total Lost" by the insurance. Around 1pm on a clear sky day, driving out of a small gated residential community, before exiting I pulled over the side of the road for a few minutes, when I resumed the car suddenly accelerated to what felt like full speed. While I stopped by the side of the road the car remained in "D" mode, when I resumed I forgot that it was already on "D" and pushed the shift level down; we think the car went to Cruise Control to the last used speed which was probably a highway speed. The breaks didn't stopped the car and didn't cancel the accelaration. It traveled out of control less than 150 feet before it crashed to a large tree. For some "unknown" reason, the footage of the 4 cameras got erased from my usb memory stick. The only video left was the front camera and that video was cut a couple of seconds before the first crash. Tesla took almost a year on their "investigation" and the result was a long technical BS indicating that they didn't found anything abnormal. Driver airbag deployed. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | When driving the car abruptly slows down. This also happened on the freeway. I get an error message that says “power limited” and a turtle symbol. This is the second time this issue has happened. Tesla service center has not been able to confidently diagnose this issue. They say it’s resolved and once I leave the service center and the problem comes back. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that all the windows in the vehicle had become distorted, cloudy, bubbly, and delaminated, creating a visibility hazard while driving. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a service appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 18,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,000 |
| Feb 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was driving to work this morning, February 7th, 2024 driving at freeway speeds. My Tesla touchscreen dropped out and went completely dark. The reset process is to press and hold for about 30 seconds and another 30 seconds for the full restart. I attempted this twice and proceeded to pull off the highway. During this period, I could not see how fast I was driving, whether my brake lights, turn signals, or headlights worked at this time to safely transit through traffic to get off the road. I put my hazard lights on, but again did not know if these worked or not. The screen finally came back online and seemed fine until I could get to work, this was an extremely scary experience and a perfect example as to why all cars should have a cluster driver screen mandatory, I will be getting rid of this car as soon as possible. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | STEERING,POWER TRAIN | The power steering went out and it was virtually impossible to turn the steering wheel. It was unsafe to drive because you were not able to turn the car unless you were very strong. Safety issue-unable to turn the car without possibly colliding with another car. Tesla replaced the drive train. Another incident happened while getting into the car and driving it. An alert came up on the screen saying that the power train needed immediate service and that I could not exceed 60 mph. I was driving at the time. As I continued to drive to my destination the alert kept coming on with different speeds I could not drive at. It eventually got down to 53 mph and it physically would not drive over that speed and it was on the freeway and dangerous because the car kept slowing down. Tesla replaced the oil pump in the back battery. I have had this car for 3 years and it has been in the shop 15 times. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | SEAT BELTS | Left rear seatbelt is not locking | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | VISIBILITY | As the window starts to fog up, I turn on the defrost. The defrost does not come on for 2 to 3 minutes. However, there is some air that comes out that causes the window to fog up more. It reduces the visibility and I have to pull over because I can’t see. This happens every time I turn on the defroster. There is some delay of 2 to 3 minutes before the hot air actually blows out. I went to Tesla to see if this is a recall and they said my car did not qualify but it seems there are other test ones that have the same problem. It is dangerous when I am driving and the car windows if I turn the defroster on, it’ll cause me to lose complete visibility within seconds, and then it takes 2 to 3 minutes for the hot air to kick out. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Rear ultra sonic sensors (USS) sliding into the vehicle. No impact or cause for rear sensors to move. Two of the four rear USS pieces are moving back in their housing and are no longer flush with the bumper. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Since installing the update for 23V-838; TC2023-657 compliance, you guys have absolutely ruined autopilot. Your regulatory overreach has resulted in my task workload increasing while using any ADAS systems Tesla supplies, and multiple times I have reached task saturation from the number of nags, alerts, and prompts that have appeared since applying the 23V-838; TC2023-657 update. In some cases I have engaged autopilot, been nagged, wiggled the wheel which disengaged, re-engaged, been nagged, wiggled the wheel which disengaged, re-engaged, 3 times in a row. I have benchmarked almost every other ADAS system on the market and you [XXX] have somehow regulated tesla auto pilot into a place where it has literally the most frequent nags, alerts, prompts, and annoyances of anything on the market. Ask yourselves whether you honestly think nags that audibly prompt and distract the driver for merely glancing at the autopilot set speed, briefly adjusting the map, or even daring to adjust vent position are really a wise tradeoff, or just something you cooked up because you have an axe to grind. Here's another one - as petty bureaucrats, would you rather have Autopilot or FSD on the road, or a hypothetically drunk driver? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The most recent recall and modifications to Autopilot have dramatically reduced subjective safety. I am more distracted by warnings and interventions by the system. The system is less able to adapt to changing conditions. It seemed to be far more effective from a safety standpoint prior to the recall. People were and are the problem with autopilot, not autopilot. As with people, it made/makes mistakes. But an attentive driver easily corrects. Full Self Drive is different, but if any driver has ever been under the illusion that autopilot does not require full attention, it is the driver's fault. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I understand that in September 2022 there was a recall because the windows were pinching people's fingers and not letting go. Why then did it happen to me in January 2024? The window closed on my finger and was trying and trying very hard to close, as if the sensor didn't detect an object at all. I pulled and pulled at it for a few seconds before my hand ripped out. I wasn't sure how bad the damage would be as it was cold outside. I had a raised red mark and no feeling in the entire tip for a few days. Today is Day 8 and the mark looks exactly the same, but I have maybe half of the feeling back. I'm assuming it will be OK and I haven't gone to a doctor. Also, I did contact Tesla directly and they didn't care. They just had low-level people email me boilerplate language about a recall. No one reached out to say that they were sorry the car malfunctioned or express any concern. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | AIR BAGS | The front passenger safety alert system fault warning appears Occupant Classification System (OCS) of Front Passenger Seat is faulty and Tesla said it’s not covered under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1. Under certain circumstances, the vehicle is able to decelerate using its regenerative braking system without illuminating the brake lights. This occurs during "one pedal driving" where the operator is driving only using the throttle to both accelerate and decelerate the car, without the input of mechanical brakes. This is a programming issue, not a mechanical issue. The brake lights are "triggered" when the car decelerates at a threshold of -0.1G or greater. At anything less than -0.1G, the lights will not turn on. This drastically increases the risk of a rear-end collision. 2. Under the right conditions the operator could decelerate from a speed of 45 mph to 5 mph without the brake lights ever coming on, not until they reach a near-complete-stop. This poses a high risk to all drivers that are behind the vehicle, and fails to give warning to other drivers. It should never be possible for this to occur. 3. This problem has been in discussion on Tesla owner's forums; specifically "Tesla Motors Club". (see attached posts) Tesla has the highest accident rate, and no one has yet figured out why. A typical internal combustion vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission coast-down decelerates at an average rate of -0.02G. The Tesla's regen brake light turn-on threshold of -0.1G is 5X more than the deceleration of a typical coasting ICE car (-0.02G) . For slow-downs between -0.02G and -0.1G, where the Tesla's deceleration exceeds an ICE car by up to 5X, there is no warning to other drivers, as the brake lights will not turn on. Any braking force above -0.02G of deceleration exceeds that of an ICE car, and should be made-known via the brake-lights. I hope that this is not overlooked; it is extremely important for this to be addressed to reduce rear-end collisions involving EV's. 99%+ of vehicles in the USA are ICE, and do not coast-down at a rate of -0.1G. The brake lights must indicate this above-normal reduction in speed. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The purpose of this missive is to complain about how blindingly bright the Tesla Model Y's headlights shine into the eyes of on-coming traffic and pedestrian. The Model 3's headlights are marginally less blinding (probably only because they are a few inches lower than the Model Y's) and there seems to be no similar problem with the Model S and Model X headlights. I have no issue with bright headlights in general, but they should not be focused into the eyes of on-coming traffic and innocent pedestrian. To be clear, I do not own this Model Y represented by this VIN. Thanks! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Windshield developed a huge crack due to using max defrost in 15 degrees Fahrenheit weather. There was no crack whatsoever the night before and in the morning after setting the max defrost setting on, I noticed a huge crack across my windshield! I took it to their shop in Lyndhurst, OH and they told me that there was signs of previous damage, and the action of using max defrost in this weather caused it to crack the way it did. So they tried charging me $1500! I looked with them and it was barely a nick! like it almost looked like the initial point of damage as nothing but a smudge on the glass that you couldn't wipe off... The fact that my glass is so sensitive that the heat from operating the system normally would cause it to crack in such a way baffles me... Thank you for your time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Tesla Autopilot lost control in rainy weather, swerved off the road on freeway at 80mph, swung back in the leftmost lane and then to shoulder, risking lives of driver and all passengers including 2 children. Impact resulted in broken wheel rims and bursted tires. This could have been fatal accident if there are other cars on the road at the time of incident. There were absolutely no warning on the screen and near zero time to react with vehicle wheels turning sharp left at 80mph. Footage though immediately visible on DashCam has disappeared from USB drive. Requested vehicle logs from Tesla but that too has gap in coverage exactly during time of accident. Tesla Service Center has not responded to request to get system log at the time of accident. Missing logs and camera footage exactly at the time of incident is suspiciously missing. Footage and logs are available for next day as well as several weeks and months in the past. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving on highways using adaptive cruise control, the vehicle will slow down quickly from highway speeds of 60 to 75 mph, down to 40 or 45 mph without the presence of an obstruction in front, such as a vehicle, or even a shadow, that could fool the vehicle’s camera. This puts us at risk of being rear-ended on the highway. The problem happens randomly. I have reported the issue to Tesla twice. It happened once while on the phone with a Tesla representative that had called me back regarding my reported complaint. The Tesla rep said they were aware of the issue and were working on correcting the issue via a software issue. Tesla has cancelled my requests for service appointments regarding this issue. In September of 2023 we attempted to use the cruise control to see if it had been repaired but it happened again. There were no prior warnings. The issue first appeared in September of 2021. It has happened many times since then. I first reported around Sep of 2022. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | After the latest recall (campaign #23V-838), the automated warnings while using autosteer becomes so frequently that it becomes distractingly dangerous. Even when i briefly avert my eyes while driving on an empty highway results in the warnings | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |