Complaint volume
1068 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
2023 Tesla Model Y Complaints
1068 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2023 Tesla Model Y, grouped by component category.
1068 Total complaints
137 Crash reports
3 Fire reports
45 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, steering, vehicle speed control,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 137 crash reports, 3 fire reports, 45 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 74 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 13,628 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to forward collision avoidance, steering, vehicle speed control,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 2023 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.
2023 Tesla Model Y
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2023 Tesla Model Y complaints?
137 Crash
3 Fire
45 Injury
1 Fatality
92 Towed
34 Medical attention
What are the most common 2023 Tesla Model Y complaint categories?
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 184
STEERING 97
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 65
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 60
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 54
SUSPENSION 53
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 36
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 34
VISIBILITY/WIPER 32
SEAT BELTS 26
1,068 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | SEAT BELTS | Whenever the temperatures drop below 40 degrees, the driver seat belts stops functioning properly. Have to pull several times before the seat belt strap can pull all the way to be clicked on. Once seat belt is locked in place, while driving the seat belt feels like it could choke me. Once temperatures are normal, the seat belt operates normally. Also, the rear center seat belt intermittently will not lock in place. Have already reported these issues to Tesla and waiting for them to schedule the car for service at their service center. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | As I entered the parking lot I disengaged FSD by taking over the steering wheel. When it can to navigating into the parking spot I gently push the accelerator and the pedal disappeared from under neath my foot as the car accelerated forward hitting the car to my right. My calls to Tesla went unanswered so I could not report the incident. The incident happened May 2nd 2024. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | Cameras not working suddenly, navigation software hung in last location coordinates, auto pilot and it’s safety features not working Backup cameras not working , creating blind spot while reversing the car Not sure what caused the issue , there was an over wire update few days back maybe that is causing it Reported to Tesla service but appointments are backed out seems many cars has this issue recently in last 1-2 months | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and attempting to reverse, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped. The contact regained control of the vehicle on the curb. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 30,000 |
| Dec 2024 | STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE | On [XXX] at [XXX] on [XXX] I experienced a sudden malfunction of steering control of my Tesla Model Y, followed by a rightward movement initiated by vehicle automation and potentially amplified due to the steering malfunction. The vehicle then collided with an 18-wheeler truck on the right lane and came to a stop on the middle lane. I was driving past Tracy CA on [XXX] towards Modesto on a personal trip to Merced with my daughter, [XXX] , in the front passenger seat to drop her off. Fortunately, there was no casualty or injury from this incident. We are fortunate enough to have survived physically unscathed. A difference of few seconds could have led to significant injuries or impairment. Pictures attached show the steering wheel position turned to the left at about 160 degrees, while the front wheels turned to the right at about 20-30 degrees. For a right turn it’s about a 220-degree position, which is not possible by a single swipe of the steering wheel. Please note, the front wheel position in below picture cannot be justified either way. The steering wheel and front wheel remained frozen in this position when high voltage battery supply got disconnected at crash. This proves the turn of the wheel, thereby the movement of my vehicle to the right was not caused by my steering wheel control. Vehicle Automation Engaged related to this safety incident- Advanced Driver Assistance Systems such as Autopilot, Lane Assist, Collision Avoidance Assist and other safety features were active during this incident. There were no audio or visual warnings related to lane departure, forward collision or blind spot on the vehicle dashboard. The vehicle was declared a total loss by the insurance carrier, Tesla Insurance and currently in possession of their salvage vendor Copart, Title Express. Tesla Service refused to do any inspection of the components involved in this failure while the vehicle was at the body shop, Carstar Chilton Autobody, San Carlos, CA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The Main Display went completely dark and Required Rebooting of the Car when attempting to move the car from the PARKED state to DRIVE state. This was the second occurence of this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | SUSPENSION | The lower lateral link got disconnected from front suspension. Bolt wasn’t tightened to spec originally. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Heads do not work properly. Dark spots appear during night time driving. While driving during night you can see portions of the left side of the road. This car was bought brand new and I have made two appointments to correct this problem. But was told it was normal. Can’t see a portion of the road so this is definitely not normal. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Vehicle drove on it’s own with no driver in while charging. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | STEERING | Vehicle control arms need to be replaced as suggested by the service department. They are currently clicking because they are not secure. I truly believe this is a safety hazard. Arms cannot be replaced for another month. Seems to be a widespread issue from my research. If arm fails, driver would lose control of the vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,WHEELS | Front suspension axel system failed two bolts fell off left wheel arm causing me to lose control of vehicle. I was in the vehicle with my children I was driving out my mothers driveway less than 5mph when the incident occurred I do not even want to imagine what could have happened if I was driving the vehicle on a high way or at a high speed. Tesla representatives I have spoke to over the phone have said them selves this is common and I have read multiple articles online this is a safety issue if this happens on a highway this would and could cause fatalities. The vehicle did not prompt any warnings or messages. Prior to this incident occurring I reached out to Tesla because vehicle had been making a clicking noise and the soonest appointment they had available was not until January. The vehicle has been towed to Tesla Van Nuys CA and two different tow truck companies did not want to be involved so Tesla road side had to do the tow all 3 tow truck drivers agreed this is definitely a safety issue and common issue with TESLA this needs to be recalled. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | Was driving in traffic and when the cars were coming to a stop I was putting my foot on the break to prepare for a stop but it kept creeping forward and I’m pushing down the breaks as hard as I could but nothing. It ended up hitting the big rig in front of me. The mode of my breaks is on hold it’s always been on hold I even tried to push the parking button but it would not budge, continued forward the collision stopped the car | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | STEERING | While driving, I experienced abnormal steering control. I am not sure if it’s a mechanical or electronic issue. The vehicle was towed to a local towing facility. I have reported the issue to Tesla but have not received a response regarding an inspection or next steps. This could be a potential safety issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Accident report [XXX] I was driving on [XXX] fort smith ar to Bentonville Car was on autopilot, it was raining on and off and with all other cars we were driving around 70-80 mph All the sudden it started a short slip on the right then second after that it started spinning and took us out of the road car totaled car. I believe problem is autopilot did not disengage when car started to slip but instead it was still on until the car got out of the road and hit a large tree. This is 3rd time for me to have this type of accident with same situation slip then spin then out of the road. I believe autopilot is the problem here 100%. This autopilot system is very dangerous. I had enough of this and im hoping national highway traffic system will step in. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE | There is a steering malfunction, with my Tesla Model Y it completely locks up and the steering is disabled. The steering doesn’t move at all the following warning and codes appeared on the dashboard. DI a223 Traction control disabled Drive with caution DL a222 Stability control disabled Drive with caution GTW_w074 Steering assist reduced Steering may require increased effort Ul_a020 Steering assist reduced Steering may require increased effort. Now this is the second time it has happened within few months. It was taken to the dealership with the same complaint this was their diagnoses Concern: Customer states: Feature Availability & Settings - Steering is disabled, park assist disabled , stability control disabled, traction control disabled, vehicle hold disabled Repair Notes: Confirmed customer concern. Removed and replaced steering rack, after replacement all systems operating as designed Correction: General Diagnosis Correction: Steering Rack (Dual Motor) (Remove & Replace) - Remove and Replace Parts Replaced or Added Part Quantity STEERING GEAR - LEFT 1.00 HAND DRIVE(1188832-00- A) NUT&WSHR[SW],M14X1.5, 2.00 [10],ZNFL,PTP(1109263- 00-B). There is a serious and unsafe issue with this car. A potential disaster waiting to happen. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | AIR BAGS | My car was hit by another car in front left corner and side door at very high impact. Car has severe damaged and it is totaled now. Air bags on the driver side did not deploy even at such high impact. No air bags were deployed. There was only one person, myself driver, in the car. Police came and investigated the accident and filed report. I have also submitted the air bags issue to Tesla. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION | AUTO PARKING FEATURE MALFUNCTION AND BACKED RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL AND BUMPER INTO A YELLOW POLE IN A PARKING SPOT. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | At 10:11 PM driving on 95 south at 78 miles per hour the car stopped on its own violently braking and swerved across the intersection. Then we kept getting alerts about the cameras. I have pictures of the alerts. There was no obstruction on the highway. Car just braked for no reason. Very scary | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ENGINE | This vehicle radiator protection is defective where rocks are able to hit the radiator and at some point the Tesla notified me that the radiator had leaked and it is safe to continue driving. I continue to drive and monitor the radiator level as I waited for a scheduled appointment. When I brought my vehicle to the appointment, they said that because I drove the vehicle while the radiator fluid leaked I damaged certain components that now I would be responsible to replace. Believe not only Tesla‘s vehicle notification was misleading, they have defective protection for the radiator and all model Y vehicles if not all Teslas have the same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | SUSPENSION | In August 2024 with roughly 7,000 miles, I noticed a creaking sound when turning left. This issue was intermittent and the sound was getting louder over time. I made a service appointment at the next available date (10/8/2024) at the Tesla Service Center in Fresno, California, and the service technician was unable to duplicate the sound on a test drive and refused to look at my car. The issue became more persistent and louder over time. I took my car to my local tire shop on 11/26/2024 because the car no longer felt safe to drive due to the loud creaking or popping sound when turning left. The steering also felt very loose overall. The local tire shop advised me that the right control arm was about to fall out and the car is absolutely not safe to drive and a major safety hazard. Therefore, I towed the car to the Tesla service center in Fresno California, and they repaired the right control arm under warranty and aligned the car. There were no on-screen warnings - just the sound I was hearing. Tesla ignored my concerns in October 2024 and their refusal to look at my car then could have potentially caused me to lose control of the vehicle and potentially get into a serious accident where myself or others got hurt. Since loss of steering is serious, it could have potentially resulted in death. This is a common issue with Teslas and it was absolutely unacceptable that they would not inspect my car in October when I specifically described the concern and said that I feared it was the control arms based on my research. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | While Driving, the system prompt electrical system failure. pull to the road side. within 20 or so seconds, the car lost power. About 10 minutes or so later, the whole car (emergency light, door, trunk etc lost power too. Consider the car lost driving power in seconds, then lost emergency light can be highly dangerous to all parties. Before the failure, the car shows "front motor is disabled, power is reduced, OK to drive" This OK to drive turns out not OK to drive, misleading. Now the car is fixed (yet to pickup), reason Front drive unit and pyro fuse were replaced (new car, but with refurnished part). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | SEAT BELTS | This incident occurred repeatedly during travel from 6/28/2024-7/2/2024, the last time we had a passenger in the seat of interest. The right rear seatbelt kept tightening around the passenger to the point of extreme discomfort and eventually interference with breathing. The only resolution was to unfasten and refasten the seatbelt. The tightening effect occurred when the passenger adjusted her body in the seat or when the car experienced even minor bumps in the road. This repeated in a short cycle, approximately every 5-10 minutes, causing such irritation as to force the passenger to travel without the seatbelt buckled, despite repeated attempts to make the seatbelt operate correctly. This is obviously extremely unsafe--and illegal in many states, and in some cases negating insurance coverage, etc. Although this particular incident occurred in the vehicle noted earlier in this form, it also occurred in our 2015 Model S Tesla (now sold) on the right front side and in our currently owned 2018 Tesla Model 3, also on the right front side. We reported the original occurrence of the problem (Model S) to Tesla several times, and they inspected the seatbelt. There conclusion was always the same, as they stated to us, that the seatbelt was operating correctly, by design. We tired of reporting the issue. I know for a fact that for a correctly operating seatbelt, it may momentarily lock when bumps occur, then the lock releases. The seatbelts are available for inspection on request. There were no warning or error indicators presented in the car except the standard indication when the seatbelt was unfastened (intentionally). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I have reported this same issue twice before. When on cruise control, the car brakes unexpectedly. My 2nd and most recent report was on [XXX]: "... I had already disabled "Apply Brakes when Regenerative Braking is Limited" under Dynamics on the screen. (see photo) He showed on the screen, under Autopilot, that I could disable Automatic Emergency Braking, which I did. I was concerned that this warning pops up: "The vehicle will not automatically apply the brakes even when a collision is detected" (see photo) but he suggested I try it to see if it would solve the cruise-control braking. I was hopeful, and disabled it, knowing that it might take a while to know if that solved the problem. I drove the 30 miles home on the frontage road instead of the interstate, and when there were no other cars around, I set cruise control at 50 mph, the speed limit. I came to a series of small hills in the road, and was reminded of the first time the automatic braking happened, on a 60 mph road with longer amplitude hills of greater height. Amazingly, it happened again! Pretty significant braking and slowed me to 25. This time I waited it out to see if it would resume the cruise control at 50. It did not. I have since restored the Automatic Emergency Braking as that seems important for a crash situation. I have restored the "Apply Brakes When Regenerative Braking is Limited" since that obviously was not the problem either." I did not use cruise control again until [XXX], when I happened to be returning home from Silver City to Las Cruces and was on the same highway, [XXX], where the problem first occurred. It is a 2-lane road and often there is no traffic, so I felt safe trying cruise control again. I set it at 55, the speed limit, and after only a few miles the car braked again. I do not use cruise control anymore, and was dismayed to find that Tesla is again offering a free trial of autodrive! This is a huge safety issue! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Harsh braking while using cruise control. Known as "PHANTOM BRAKING". This is causing extremely dangerous situations. The vehicle slams on the brakes while at high speeds for no apparent reason. Perfect weather and road identification markers. Happens with oncoming vehicles in normal path of travel as well as when there is a break in painted lines on the roadway. This creates a serious potential for an accident injury or death. Happens consistently. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I [XXX] was driving at around 50mph with 100% visibility and in few seconds I got in to fog ( see pic shows clear condition ). I took of the accelerator and tesla slow down but not like it normally does auto braking ( hold mode ). The car in front of me that I didn't see was in the dense fog section in full stopped state and I crash into her. With no visibility and driver in front in full stop condition I could not avoid accident. I had no time to react. At the time crash my speed might be around 10/15mph. The point I am trying to make is Tesla Y model which is using Camera based collision prevention didn't delect car in front of me maybe because of fogged camera. Tesla Y didn't warned me for collision to avoid car crash. Tesla Y also blanked out on screen, didn't show me lanes which in normal case does. On the screen usually it show all the car moving around plus the object around the car but it didn't display anything. Tesla Y completely fails in foggy conditions as it uses camera to detect and we crashed with no warning or auto braking. I have recordings from all four cameras recorded and also collision. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |