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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | We experienced an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation with Tesla Y model on [XXX] around [XXX] and would like to report to NHTSA. We were driving on [XXX] going towards Nashua and my TESLA-Y car when the steering wheel froze and I got message that front camera was not working. When I tried to steer the car in the lane, the car suddenly braked and took two 360 degree spins (turns) on the highway with cars streaming at high speed around us. We went from the left lane to the right most lane after two 360 degree spins and ended in the right lane. Luckily, no other autos hit us and I was able to take control of the car and pull over in the right lane. The incident is recorded int the Tesla's harddrive which we can make this available to you. the car started working normally so we drove back home. We have had minor control incidents with the lane assist and auto pilot systems of this car in 2023 and 2024. We have complained and showed the problem to Tesla dealer in Watertown, MA. However they said there is nothing wrong with the car. We request you to investigate this incident with Tesla and find out the cause for the car to take this dangerous breaking and spinning incident on a highway. Thanks, [XXX] and [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Vehicle had a open window during rain storm. Interior got wet. Next day the vehicle was left to dry out. Vehicle caught on fire and engulfed in flames in the backseat. Nobody was harmed fire was contained by the Frisco Fire Department. Vehicle was then towed away. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| May 2025 | STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | I have had Supervised Full Self Driving in the vehicle for well over a year. I have used the Smart Parking feature Monday-Thursday to park the vehicle at work and it has worked flawlessly. On [XXX] around [XXX], I went to [XXX] . After entering the gate to parking on [XXX], I drove slowly. I was able to select a parking spot and tapped on it on the screen for the selection and then started the automatic parking. There were no other cars around as we were all just starting to enter the gate and park. The car began to move in reverse. It then paused turned the wheel a bit, turned it back, tried to decide what it was going to do and started to move forward. The car then drove up the curb on to the walkway and almost drove into the building. I was able to hit the brake quickly to stop the process. There was no damage to the building or the car. I had never had an issue with the Smart Parking until this time. I then backed the car off the sidewalk and parked it myself. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | •Incident Date: [XXX] •Location: Dallas, GA – Intersection of [XXX] and [XXX] •Systems Involved: Forward Collision Avoidance, Automated Driving System Description: While operating my 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range Sport in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode at approximately [XXX] AM on [XXX], when the vehicle failed to yield at a yield sign while heading west on [XXX] at the intersection of [XXX] . A vehicle was already traveling west on [XXX] , and FSD accelerated through the yield rather than stopping or yielding. I had to apply the brakes rapidly to avoid a near side-swipe collision. The road was dry, with partly cloudy weather. Fortunately, no collision occurred. Dashcam footage was saved and can be made available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | UNKNOWN I was driving with no Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). My vehicle took control of the steering wheel, swerving uncontrollably, almost hitting approaching cars, and a wooden electricity post. It was diffucult to keep the steering wheel steady. I struggled to pull the vehicle to the side of the road until I made a complete stop. A witness checked on me and was concerned that I had almost crashed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | On [XXX], the vehicle displayed multiple alerts: “Electrical power reduced,” “Climate cabin controller requires service,” “Electrical system may not support all features,” and “Vehicle may not restart.” I scheduled service for May 21, 2024, and dropped the vehicle off at the Tesla Service Center in Fresno, CA. Tesla failed to provide a written invoice for that visit. A service advisor told me “It was a glitch” and that I should check the app, but no documentation appeared. Despite multiple in-person and written requests, I never received a record of the visit. On [XXX], the vehicle failed to start and was towed back to Tesla. A May 24 invoice confirmed a major safety issue—a high-voltage current fault that triggered the Pyrotechnic Battery Disconnect. Tesla later marked the May 21 appointment as “canceled” in their system. I photographed this cancellation screen in July, confirming the visit was erased despite a clear safety-related defect. This raises concerns about Tesla’s compliance with documentation and reporting obligations. I also submitted two reimbursement requests for $470.12 in transportation costs, which Tesla has not honored. These incidents show a pattern of concealment and unfair warranty practices. I respectfully request an investigation into this issue and whether a broader safety recall is warranted. Supporting documents are available upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | WHEELS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | This is my 7th report. On [XXX] [XXX] pm I was traveling home from Alburquerque and was just past Isleta Resort and Casino heading south on [XXX]. I don't use cruise control very often because of the emergency braking that occurs (and that I have reported several times before). I was on a long drive and decided to try it on a short section of [XXX] on my first day, and found that it was slowing on it's own when I approached a car from behind. Two days later on the way home, when there was no one in front of me, it slowed significantly without needing to and I thought it was better than the past rapid braking...as I was thinking about this, the car abruptly "slammed on the brakes". I was forced forward but had my seat belt on. Stuff fell off back seat onto the floor. The Igloo cooler on the front passenger floor toppled forward. I'm quite sure there would have been a accident had someone been behind me. Additionally, the car is not recording my tire rotation from 16,000 miles, and continually says the last tire rotation was at 8,000. Good thing Discount Tire keeps track, as I am now overdue for another rotation (25k+ miles). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My name is [XXX] and I'm a 2023 Model Y owner. My car is completing 2 years on [XXX]. It was delivered on [XXX]. I've about 18000 miles. The tires were all in pretty good conditions. My touch screen did not give any low-pressure warning or any sort of warnings. On [XXX] we were driving from Charlottesville to Centreville, Virginia. After about 25 miles on [XXX], car wobbled a lot and we pulled over and find a flat tire with the side teared as shown in attachments. We called Tesla road side assistance and they said we can tow it to Richmond, VA and then replace tire next day which is Monday. We then called AAA and towed the vehicle in a truck back home to Centreville, VA. Next day Tesla road side tire team came. They checked the tire and found no nails and he mentioned that the tire still has good over 50% thread life. I asked him how this could have happened and it is bizarre and totally strange this happened as we don't have any damage on our rims or wheels. I paid 365$ to replace the tire as the technician told replacing is the only choice. A brand-new tesla that came with 4 tires - how can this happen when we have maintained and we have rotated and always maintained the recommended pressure. There was not a warning and suddenly tire became like this. We would like Tesla to arrange for reimbursement of the tire that did not last even 2 years and for the towing expenses of 370$ (attached receipt here). Reached tesla with the only email that I found online: resolutions@tesla.com and got no response in 2 weeks INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The issue lies with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system 12.6.4 on HW3. While driving on roads with lower speed limits (such as 35 or 45 MPH), the vehicle occasionally brakes abruptly for no apparent reason, even when there are no vehicles or obstacles ahead. This unexpected braking behavior can be dangerous, as it may lead to rear-end collisions if the driver behind is not attentive or prepared to stop suddenly. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | This incident happened on [XXX], I just got the Tesla data and police report. Here are the events as I remembered: - I was driving my 2023 Tesla Y with FSD supervised (v13.2.8) along [XXX] entered from [XXX] and driving close to north of [XXX] without any issue - Noticed a car in front of me braking hard (about 6secs from the recording dashcam footage) - Realized FSD was not braking hard enough (or at least it did not feel like it) - Slammed on the brake for what felt like an eternity (about 2 secs from the dashcam footage) - Rear end collision on the front car at 25 mph, airbag deployed. I remembered feeling the brake pedal vibrating but did not stop the car at all. By analyzing the raw data provided by Tesla, it is found brake, accelerator, AEB, ABS and TSC were completely messed up after FSD failed, please refer to the attached analysis report. Note: The dashcam video file and the original Tesla data are available for reviewing if any need as I cannot upload along with this report. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| May 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with the full self-driving system activated, the message "System Malfunction - Take Over Immediately" was displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable diagnose the vehicle or duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 39,000 |
| May 2025 | SUSPENSION | Driving less than 5 mph, upper and lower control arms break off, throwing front driver side body onto front driver side tire. It could’ve been extremely bad if we were driving on the freeway and even caused death. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Adaptive cruise control changes speed without warning, often when passing a truck clearly in another lane, but also for no apparent reason. This occurs an average of approximately once every 5 miles, but at irregular intervals. It slows quickly enough to be a hazard. This occurs in all modes (set by speed limit or manual). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While proceeding across the southbound two lanes of a divided 4 lane street the vehicle inexplicably braked violently to a complete stop. When stopped the vehicle was across the two lanes of the road (as I was headed for a divided left turn lane). The was traffic on the road that had to stop for my vehicle. It took a couple of seconds for the car to release the brakes and allow me to continue across the street. This could have cause a wreck if the street traffic had not been paying attention or had assumed I was going to continue as should have been expected. I had to try to hit the gear shift stock in order to get the car to continue moving, although I am not sure that the car required this action. I did not know for how long the vehicle would be immobile. I could have been injured or killed due to this "phantom braking" incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Control arm bolts failure. As my wife was driving from a stop light making a right turn at below 10 mph she heard a loud bang. Both of the bolts connecting the control arm had fallen out onto the ground causing the wheel to fail and push back into the wheel arch. The problem has been reported to the dealer but from research and conversations with them this is fairly common. Should that have happened on a freeway it could have been catastrophic. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | AIR BAGS | The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, occupied with his son in the vehicle, another vehicle collided into the front center of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to merge into another lane. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to his neck, shoulder, and lower back. The contact son sustained injuries to the neck. No medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to Al's Towing Yard. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The contact mentioned that the seat belts did retract. The contact stated that the failure was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed the contact to call his insurance company. The approximate failure mileage was 30,491. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention | 30,491 |
| Apr 2025 | SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an unknown seat belt message was displayed along with an audible chime while the front driver's side seat belt was securely buckled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the front driver's side seat belt buckle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V376000 (Seat Belts); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,792. | Crash: No Fire: No | 76,792 |
| Apr 2025 | STEERING,SUSPENSION | Knocking noise coming from front left tire when turning, accelerating, and reversing. Investigated noise and found a bolt hanging (unscrewed) from control arm/tie rod and another bolt loose and working it's way loose. If this bolt unscrew, I'm positive steering would be lost. See pictures. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | STEERING | Vehicle was performing normally until I stopped and put vehicle into reverse to back into a supercharger stall. Heard a clunk when starting to back up. Car started to resist moving and front started to lift in the air a few inches. Stopped and went forward to go around and try again. Vehicle would not turn to left when going forward. Got out and noticed front passenger wheel was not aligned with other front wheel. Then noticed tie rod was ripped out of socket. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | VISIBILITY,AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My wife was driving the car on March 7th 2025. Before she leaves the house, she had her front defroster on and the windshield was clear before she leaves the house. 5 minutes later, the front windshield became so foggy to the point she could not see anything in front of her and the front defroster was still on. And because of that so foggy windshield she moved out of her lane with no lane departure warning or anything and then she hit the railway pole without any emergency brakes going off or any warning signs letting her that she is about to hit something. The whole front of the car was gone and the car was totally lost but no airbags deployed at all and that was also concerning. Also there was no issues or any warning lamps or messages before the loss. The car was taken to a body shop and was inspected by the body shop and I believe a representative from my insurance company went to inspect the car at the body shop. So these are the parts I felt faulty or causing the safety concern: - front defroster - automatic emergency brakes - lane departure warning - forward collision warning | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SEAT BELTS | The panel covering the driver seatbelt popped open & now the seatbelt position cannot be adjusted correctly. It appears as if the track holding the seat belt behind the panel is loose /rattling and the seatbelt system may need to be tightened down. I immediately contacted the dealer/manufacturer & Tesla wants 17 days to simply look at the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | This is my 6th complaint about Tesla. I wrote recently when my remote drivers could not unlock my car. I solved it myself and when I got home, I called Roadside service for help re-programing the key card that failed. The person told me to call Tesla on Monday about the inability of my other drivers to unlock my car. I did that yesterday, and I told him I thought it was something wrong with my car, and suspected I needed to take it in for service. He said no, it wasn't the car but that I needed Premium Connectivity ($10/mo) in order for my drivers to be able to unlock my car. He put me on hold and came back to tell me that "it's a safety thing" so that no one can remotely unlock my car. The reason I put 2 friends in other states on my profile was for them to be able to help me, as a single woman who lives alone and takes camping trips alone. That is not a possibility. Furthermore, I asked him about the sudden braking on Cruise Control and he'd never heard of it. He uses the auto drive, that they don't call auto drive anymore...presumably because of the safety issues. I think this car needs to be recalled like the trucks were. They are not safe and Tesla doesn't care. By the way, the car has 5G, but I cannot stream my music or listen to podcasts, to which I'm already subscribed, without paying for Premium Connectivity. What a scam. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | This is my 5th complaint and involves, again, the key card. This is the used key card the El Paso Tesla Dealer was kind enough to give me, and help me program, when one of the original key cards, less than a year old, stopped working. (Tesla wanted me to pay $45 for 2 new key cards) The used key card stopped functioning so I planned to call Tesla and have them "reprogram it"...something that must be done while I am in the car. I went on a last-minute trip and took my spare, barely-used key card. I also had my phone but didn't realize I'd not re-downloaded the Tesla app when I recently troubleshot my phone. Later in the day I parked at CIty of Rocks State Park in NM, still without connectivity, and locked the car with the "good" key card. Then I misplaced the key card! I called one of my 2 backup drivers and asked her to unlock and start my car for me. Her App did not allow her to do so, even though it showed the location of my car at City of Rocks...it said "move closer to the car". (She lives in CA). I had to get a ride to Wifi, download the Tesla App, and when I tried using it to unlock the car, it said "you must be closer to the car". When I got to the car, I was able to unlock and start it using the phone key. After arriving home, I used my App to get Roadside assistance and asked for a phone call when they texted to confirm my location. I explained that I didn't need service, just needed help re-programing my defective card. (I had since found the good card!) The woman on the other end was helpful but it was difficult for her also. We ended up removing the defective key from my profile, though it required a lot of work and also required the "good" key card. I have to call Tesla on Monday (it was Sunday) to get the card re-programmed. Had my difficulty been in a high-traffic or unsafe area I would have been in trouble. The "backup" drivers on my App are there for emergency access to my car, supposedly from any location. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | STEERING | The driving wheel locked during a turn on back road and ran right into a electricity pole. All air bags deployed and the electricity pole broke. The driver was slightly injured on her forearm. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While using cruise control (TACC) or FSD, the vehicle inadvertently brakes until vehicle stops, due to detecting light glare or other things as a collision threat. This happened many times. Reported to Tesla service, they said it is a bug and I should file a bug report. I have previously filed many bug reports about this but no software update fixed the problem. Incident happened many times, Tesla should have records of all, because when there is a disengagement, driver is asked to tell what happened by voice. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |