Complaint volume
1067 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
1067 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2023 Tesla Model Y, grouped by component category.
1067 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
1,067 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was driving a Tesla Model Y with Full Self-Driving (FSD) engaged in Standard mode on a wet roadway post-rain. Shortly before the incident, my vehicle had completed a lane change on FSD and was traveling with traffic flow. A vehicle ahead braked suddenly after reacting to another vehicle merging unsafely near a lane split. The stopping occurred quickly, reducing available reaction time. The FSD system did not appear to respond with sufficient braking force or early enough given the conditions. A forward collision warning sounded shortly before impact, but there was limited time to avoid the collision. The vehicle ultimately rear-ended the car ahead. I am submitting this report because of the system’s delayed response in wet conditions, failure to ensure enough space on FSD- especially after a lane change and during a sudden/abrupt traffic slowdown may present a safety concern if experienced by other drivers. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | On April 16, 2026 around 7:30pm CT, I was driving a Tesla Model Y 2023 on I-35 near downtown Austin. There was an extreme traffic jam, I turned on the Auto Pilot so it can cruise by itself without touching anything. It worked for a while, but suddenly it veered off to a lane on my right side, crashing into a large truck on the front right. This damaged all the front and passenger side fender. The car had to be towed. I used this feature many times in the past, it always stayed within the lane. This time it acted erroneously. This should not be marketed as "auto pilot" that people may lose their lives due to insufficient safety guard in the system. Fortunately the traffic was moving very slowly, no one was hurt in my case. I got all incident data downloaded from Tesla to prove its fault. Based on the data, the Autopilot system had a fault starting at 12:50pm and 14:55pm, and was disabled at 15:59pm, but there were no warning as I turned it on when I drove on I-35 around 7pm. See the attached data file (highlighted rows, the claim system doesn't allow the original Excel file to be uploaded). | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I was driving home with Tesla FSD engaged, and my right turn was approaching. Since the Tesla did not activate the right turn signal on its own, I turned on right indicator manually while FSD was still engaged. But FSD changed the lane to the left and accelerated, and rear-ended the vehicle in front of me. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | The rear subframe wiring harness on my Tesla contains a significant design flaw that creates an unreasonable safety risk. The factory-installed corrugated protective tubing (wire loom) terminates prematurely, leaving approximately 1 inch of critical wiring completely exposed at the connector. This specific harness uses soy-based insulation, which is a known attractant to rodents. Because of the 1-inch gap in protection, rodents have been able to sever the same connector twice within a 30-day period Safety Risk: The exposed wires in the rear subframe harness are responsible for Rear Drive Unit communication / Wheel Speed Sensors / Brakes]. A failure of these wires while the vehicle is in motion could result in a sudden loss of propulsion, unexpected braking, or the loss of stability control systems. This creates a high risk of a collision, particularly at highway speeds. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Hello, I am reporting a safety issue with the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system on my 2023 Tesla Model Y. The vehicle has been taken in for service four separate times for this issue. During these visits, Tesla service technicians were able to reproduce and confirm the problem. I have been explicitly advised in writing by Tesla service not to use the Full Self-Driving system due to safety concerns and to use standard AutoSteer instead. While FSD is engaged, the vehicle exhibits dangerous and unpredictable behavior, including: Crossing over double yellow lines into opposing traffic, Driving significantly below the speed limit (e.g., ~4 mph in a 25 mph zone), Stopping in the roadway without any traffic or obstructions, Swerving within the lane while attempting to maintain position, Hesitation during turns, stop signs and at intersections. Tesla has attempted multiple repairs, including replacing steering-related components and multiple cameras across separate service visits. These repairs did not resolve the issue. At my last service visit Tesla has since indicated that the problem is likely software or firmware-related and that there is currently no available fix, with a recommendation to wait for a future update of an unknown timeline. If their statement is correct, this issue should be affecting every vehicle out there on the same software. At this time, I have been advised not to use a system that controls steering, braking, and acceleration due to safety concerns, and no timeline or resolution has been provided. I am submitting this complaint because the system behavior presents a potential safety risk to myself, passengers, and other drivers, and the manufacturer has not provided a current fix despite multiple confirmed service visits. I am attaching my last service invoice only in regards to this matter where they indicated to not use FSD, but I can provide other documentation showing the replacement of cameras and steering parts as well as videos if needed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | WHEELS | Excessive inside tire wear even tough tires are not at tread wear indicator cause dangerous situation. Tesla knows of this problem. And it is designed this way with no camber adjustment to rear suspension | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Parked into driveway. Placed car into park. In doing so, car suddenly rapidly accelerated into reverse until I slammed on the breaks. My son was behind the car grabbing something out of the trunk at the time. I could have ran him over if I wasn’t there to slam on the breaks!!! Car was NOT placed into reverse and accelerator was NOT pushed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The FSD has been failing more often. Yesterday we took a one00 mile trip and the car twice tried to veer into the side cement barrier, more times than I can count. It breaks hard while we were driving over 55 miles an hour. And two times it weirded left over the double line into oncoming traffic lane. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The forward-facing camera system, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), and Autopilot/cruise control have repeatedly failed on a 2023 Tesla Model Y with approximately 22,000 miles. The AEB system becomes unavailable and the Autopilot disengages without warning, including at highway speeds of 70 mph and city speeds of 30 mph. The active safety systems are functional less than 10% of the time. The sudden, unexpected loss of active safety systems at speed presents a serious risk of accident and injury. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by an authorized Tesla service center on three separate occasions. Repairs attempted include replacement of the triple forward-facing camera assembly (twice) and replacement of the car computer (HW3) with a firmware update. Despite these repairs, the defect recurred within days of each service visit. A fourth service appointment is now scheduled for the same issue. Warning alerts appeared on the vehicle display prior to each failure, specifically "Camera Blocked" and "Automatic Emergency Braking Unavailable." These alerts were first detected in August 2025 and have recurred through January 2026. All three repair attempts were covered under the manufacturer's Basic Vehicle Limited Warranty, confirming acknowledgment of a manufacturing defect. The vehicle and components have been inspected by the manufacturer's authorized service technicians. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | TIRES | This is about my tires, follow-up from my previous report ID 11726883 regarding inadequate original tires. Since 1. Tesla was unresponsive to my defective tire issue, 2. Discount Tire insisted on my continuing to drive until all 4 tires reached 4/32" tread depth, and 3. My local tire store, where my Tesla would get towed in the event of a flat while I'm near my home town (since the nearest Tesla dealer is >50 miles away), is unable to access the warranty on the original Continental Contact RX tires. He was originally told that they had to be worn to 2/32", I was advised to call Continental Tires Customer Service and chose the option of Warranty claims. I was immediately advised that Continental does not warranty original equipment tires. I was therefore forced to spend significant extra money at my local tire store, which does not get the volume discounts that Discount Tire gets. It is no longer practical for me to use Discount Tire, an hour's drive down the interstate, for my tire needs. It is further impractical for me to drive on tires that do not provide the safety that I need, despite the fact that Discount Tire would give a credit of approximately $50/tire once all 4 reached 4/32". I also now realize that Discount Tire is providing that credit at their own cost, despite the fact that they told me that the Continental with the TE on it (mine has a T2) is eligible for warranty rebate. They scanned my tires with the hand-held scanner and their computer indicated it was rebate-eligible, though the Warranty was for 40,000 miles instead of the 55,000 that the first Discount Tire person told me on the phone. I bought new tires yesterday at 33,002 miles. Bottom line is that both Tesla and Discount Tire are protecting Continental Tires from the unsafe original tires for (at least) the Tesla 2023 Long-range Y. None of the 3 are responsible to the at-risk public who is paying for their profits. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I believed Tesla full self driving (FSD) was in effect. My Tesla proceeded at 35 miles an hour toward a stop sign and I had to manually stop the vehicle to prevent blowing the sign. It turns out that Tesla sent an email 2 days ago (April 7 2026) that notified me that FSD had been cancelled because my credit card was declined (I had to replace a card on April 7 due to a lost card). I did not see this email. There was no notification in the vehicle that FSD had been deactivated. When I thought I was engaging FSD, I was in fact engaging an autosteer mode with much lesser capabilities, essentially only acting like adaptive cruise control and lane guidance. Engaging this lesser mode is done in EXACTLY the same fashion as FSD, and any driver using it in my situation would always assume FSD was active. This problem, if not corrected will absolutely cause accidents and potentially fatalities. Tesla needs to inform the driver via the head unit that FSD is not active in an obvious, unmistakeable way. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | On the evening of April 8th 2026, my wife was driving our 2023 Tesla Model Y home in San Francisco, CA when she noticed unusual noise coming from the front left wheel area. The vehicle was otherwise functioning normally aside from the noise. The following morning, I inspected the vehicle and found a large hex bolt (Class 10.9 grade) on the ground directly beneath the car. The front left wheel was binding and the vehicle was completely undrivable — the wheel felt stuck and made grinding/scraping noises when attempting to move. Based on the bolt size, grade, and location, this appears to be a front suspension lateral link fastener that detached from the subframe. This is the same defect described in NHTSA recalls 21V-835, 22V-895, and 23V-235, involving under-torqued or improperly secured front suspension fasteners on Tesla Model Y vehicles. The vehicle had 28,482 miles at the time of the incident. There was no prior collision, impact, or road hazard event. No warning or alert appeared on the Tesla touchscreen at any point. The vehicle displayed no diagnostic message despite having a compromised suspension component. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | While performing a low-speed reverse turn into a driveway, a loud clunk was heard and the driver side front wheel completely separated from alignment. The vehicle became immediately undrivable. Upon inspection, the ball joint retaining nut was found to be absent from the front driver side suspension assembly. No torque verification mark was present on the fastener. The vehicle is currently at an authorized Tesla service center for repair and is available for inspection. Safety risk: Complete loss of wheel alignment and directional control. Failure occurred at low speed in a private driveway. Had this occurred at highway speed the consequences could have been catastrophic. Confirmed by dealer: An authorized Tesla service advisor confirmed that a Technical Service Bulletin exists in Tesla’s system for this exact condition. No owner notification was issued prior to failure. The advisor confirmed the retaining nut is installed by an automated robot assembly process with no human torque verification step and no verification mark applied. Prior warning symptoms: NONE. No warning lamps, no messages, no audible symptoms prior to catastrophic failure. The absence of a retaining nut on a safety-critical suspension fastener with no quality verification process represents a systemic assembly defect potentially affecting all vehicles produced under the same assembly process. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | SEAT BELTS,WHEELS | Vehicle: 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range Complaint: I am reporting a serious safety issue involving a vehicle sold by Tim Dahle Nissan Murray in Murray, Utah. Approximately three weeks ago, I purchased a 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range from this dealership. After purchase, I discovered that the rear seat belts were not functioning. I have evidence indicating that the dealership was aware of this defect prior to the sale. This is a critical safety issue, as seat belts are required safety equipment under federal motor vehicle safety standards. The vehicle should not have been sold in this condition. Additionally, the vehicle had an issue with the right rear wheel/tire losing air. When I returned to the dealership, they failed to properly inspect or repair the issue. Instead, they reduced the air pressure in the other tires to match the leaking tire, rather than addressing the defect. After leaving the dealership, the tire again lost air. Upon inspection by another service provider, the wheel rim was found to be bent. When the tire was inflated to proper pressure, it began leaking air immediately. This created an unsafe driving condition, as the vehicle could not maintain proper tire pressure. I was forced to have the vehicle repaired by Tesla at my own expense (1,390). The combination of non-functioning seat belts and an unsafe wheel condition placed my family, including my newborn child, at significant risk. I am requesting that this matter be investigated as the dealership knowingly sold a vehicle with defective safety equipment and failed to properly address additional safety-related issues. Also a police report was filed but I do not know how to get ahold of that it was filed with the Murray police department | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING,SUSPENSION | The bolts attaching the front passenger wheel's lower lateral link to the body fell out. Luckily this occurred while pulling into a parking lot. Once both bolts had fallen out the vehicle was not steerable. There have been many instances of this reported online, but usually they occur with far fewer miles and I was not experiencing the symptoms. The day prior there was an alert stating that an alignment was needed but it was still okay to drive. I could tell there was a slight alignment issue while driving. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla Service Center and is currently being repaired. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | SUSPENSION | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle made an abnormal clicking sound. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center, where it was diagnosed and determined that the driver's side upper control arm had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 52,000 |
| Apr 2026 | STEERING | I was parking my vehicle in my driveway, turning left to park in front of my garage and heard a loud pop. I got out, looked underneath the car and didnt see anything unusual. I later investigated by moving the vehicle and noticed my steering wheel was turning without any driver input, and heard the tires scrubbing more than normal. I got out of the vehicle and noticed my tires were not aligned, having one tire pointing to the left, and the other tire pointing straight. Then I noticed a large bolt on the ground. I called Tesla and they told me my car was 2000 miles out of warranty and would have to pay for towing and the repair. I feel the steering should still be covered under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness,Tether, Lower Anchor (on car seat or vehicle),Other/I am not sure | Nuna Exec Next car seat. I have the older version of this car seat for my older child and it works great. The new version ("Next") has an issue where the tigthening/loosening strap folds over and gets stuck, thus making it impossible to loosen the straps and remove the baby from the seat which is very dangerous for the child, especially in case of an emergency. This is not the way the item should work. I contacted the company, they sent me a full replacement. The replacement seat acts the same way, they are willing to send me another shell replacement. This is clearly a production/design issue - not a one-off seat issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | My 2023 Tesla Model Y suddenly became inaccessible via key card and phone key with no prior warning. The tow operator successfully jump-started the vehicle with a 12V jump and it powered on — suggesting a 12V battery failure, not an HV system failure. Tesla diagnosed water ingress in the HV battery pack and HV harness, citing an isolation resistance fault and open flood port. Their conclusion escalated from "water ingress" to "vehicle submerged," with an $11,000 battery replacement recommended and warranty denied. I am disputing this. The vehicle has never been submerged or exposed to flooding. The only physical evidence provided was clean water droplets on a single HV connector — no waterline staining, no sediment, no debris, no pin corrosion. No ingress pathway (seal, gasket, or breach point) was identified. The flood port mechanism was not explained and may activate from pressure changes or seal failure — not exclusively submersion. The vehicle powering on after a 12V jump is inconsistent with catastrophic HV failure from submersion. I believe this may represent a manufacturing defect in the HV battery pack sealing system allowing moisture intrusion under normal conditions. Tesla has classified this as owner-caused damage without sufficient physical evidence. If similar cases exist across 2023 Model Y vehicles, a systemic defect may be present. Safety risk: sudden, complete vehicle shutdown with no warning — potential loss of propulsion while driving. Vehicle is currently at Tesla Service, undisassembled, and available for inspection. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | While driving under normal conditions, without any prior impact, collision, or road hazard, the control arm on my vehicle suddenly detached. This occurred during active driving and caused an immediate loss of vehicle stability and control. The failure happened without warning and posed a serious safety risk. At the time of the incident, my children were in the vehicle, which significantly increased the danger. The vehicle had not been involved in any accident or misuse. This appears to be a potential manufacturing or assembly defect involving a critical suspension component. Tesla towed the vehicle and repaired it at no cost. However, a suspension/control arm failure during normal driving is a serious safety concern that could lead to loss of steering control and possible crash. I am reporting this incident for safety investigation purposes, as this type of failure may pose a broader risk to other drivers. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | Incident Date，March 07, 2026] Current Mileage, 31625 miles I am reporting a catastrophic structural failure of a safety-critical suspension component on my Tesla Model Y. Upon inspection, I discovered that one of the bolts securing the driver-side lower control arm has completely detached and fallen off. A second bolt is approximately 50% loose. This has caused a significant safety hazard, as the control arm is no longer properly secured to the subframe, leading to a high risk of total steering loss and wheel detachment while driving. Furthermore, when I contacted Tesla Service, they demonstrated extreme negligence by instructing me to drive the vehicle in this lethal condition to their service center. They also initially refused to cover the towing and repair costs, claiming it was not a factory defect despite the clear evidence of fastener failure (improper torque or thread locker application during manufacturing). This is a clear manufacturing defect that poses an immediate threat to the driver, passengers, and other road users. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this batch of Model Y vehicles for suspension fastener integrity issues to prevent potential fatal accidents. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | This is my 10th report; it relates to 2 issues I have reported before 1. The "phantom breaking" on cruise control that I have reported a few times previously has apparently been fixed on a software update, but we were not notified. I went in to Santa Fe Tesla where I took delivery of my vehicle and got into a discussion about my disappointments with this car, specifically the tires (see #2). I mentioned my past problems, including the phantom breaking. The man was dismissive and a bit defensive and asked if I'd made an appointment. I said I'd been told several times they hadn't figured out a software fix (and even Tesla employees were simply refraining from using cruise control, which is what I did). He said they "fixed it a while ago" and he's not had complaints since then. I tried cruise control on my 45 minute freeway drive and indeed, the problem did not occur. Interesting that they knew it was an ongoing problem, didn't deal with it, and didn't announce when they finally did fix it. I do not yet know if it is an ongoing safety problem for me but I'm planning to gradually increase my use of cruise control, since most of my driving is high-speed freeway driving. 2. I asked about getting warranty rebate for my original tires that have failed at 38K miles. He said I would have to pursue that through the distributor (American Tire?) and that he'd only had 2-3 customers ever do that. He said most customers just pay for better tires. He offered to sell me another Continental tire in the $400 range and implied that I could find tires through a tire store. I went to Discount tire who can get me a rebate on only 1 of the 4 tires because it's down to 4/32" tread. The other 3 can't be warrantied until they reach 4/32"...and I've already hydroplaned/slid on the freeway in a sleet storm with wet roads. The company knowingly provides inadequate tires and does not stand behind them. This is an unacceptable safety risk and a moral outrage. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | In approximately August 2023 — approximately seven months after purchase — the vehicle’s battery stalled completely while I was driving a few miles from my house on a surface road. The vehicle lost all drive power without warning. I was fortunate that no vehicle was following me or they might have slammed into the vehicle’s rear if they were unable to suddenly quickly stop. I turned on the emergency flasher lights, and after waiting a few minutes, the vehicle restarted and I decided to just drive the car home. I did not continue on my planned destination. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | SUSPENSION | I was driving on the freeway and suddenly my care start moving to the right and screen shows me the message steering alignment service recommended ok to drive. When i stopped the vehicle one of the bolts fell off from underneath of the car and I was no longer able to turn the wheels. I towed the car to Tesla Burlingame dealership, and they told me that I have to replace front lateral link assembly, nut and washer, half shaft assembly front. Even though tesla stuff confirmed my issue i the same as previous recall but because my vin number not in the list and this is wearable parts I have to pay 2000.00 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | STEERING,WHEELS | Catastrophic Axle Failure, I was driving out from my driveway when this happened. Just the day before my wife was driving on the highway, and I was driving with my two boys. I have video of the complete failure of the left driver's side axle. The vehicle was towed by the dealer and is at the dealer as we speak. There has been no inspection by the police or insurance representative. We had reported it to Tesla at our last appointment but they said they could not recreate the noise. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |