Complaint volume
247 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
2026 Tesla Model Y Complaints
247 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2026 Tesla Model Y, grouped by component category.
247 Total complaints
44 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
12 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 unknown or other, forward collision avoidance, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 44 crash reports, 1 fire report, 12 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 14 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 6,895 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to unknown or other, forward collision avoidance, electrical system?
- 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 2026 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.
2026 Tesla Model Y
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2026 Tesla Model Y complaints?
44 Crash
1 Fire
12 Injury
0 Fatality
18 Towed
9 Medical attention
What are the most common 2026 Tesla Model Y complaint categories?
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 53
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 20
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12
STRUCTURE 11
SUSPENSION 7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 6
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 6
STEERING,SUSPENSION 6
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5
247 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in the Standard Mode or in Cruise Mode, depressing the brake pedal, there was a delay with the brake lights illuminating. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the taillights were functioning properly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Jul 2025 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving along a few roads using Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) or AutoPilot (AP), the car will suddenly brake for no reason at all. Speeds reduced from 75 to 50 in 2 seconds. Had there been a car close behind me, we may have collided. I am able to reproduce this on several other roads as well. I have not yet reported this to the manufacturer, but a review of internet forums shows this to be a relatively common occurrence among owners. They refer to this as Phantom Braking. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Incident Date: July 12, 2025 Approximate Time: 1:30 PM Vehicle: 2026 Tesla Model Y Location: I‑75 South express lane toward I‑285 East, Marietta, GA Event Summary: While Autopilot was engaged, the vehicle was entering the exit ramp to I‑285 East when it abruptly veered left into the I‑285 West entrance ramp, against traffic, crashing through two “no entry” security gates. I was able to safely bring the vehicle to a stop before entering oncoming traffic. Crash Details: • The vehicle struck two barrier gates. • Impact shattered the windshield, spraying glass across the cabin. • Both my son and I sustained small cuts from glass shards. • Vehicle was rendered undrivable and had to be towed by authorities to a secure facility. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | I was driving with FSD on [XXX] and had to intervene to take control when a bumper showed up on the road. When FSD was driving in standard mode, it was driving at 72 miles/ hr and was too close to the prior car. When the prior car quickly dodged the bumper my car was already too close to the bumper and needed to make a quick turn. The car almost rolled over. Dashcam video: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | After doing multiple search online came across multiple user complaints about new Tesla model y juniper 2026 Lr awd you can feel vibration from steering wheel at highway speeds it is really specific at 80mph this is not a normal behavior especially vibrations took it to the service center and was told it was the wheels are not balanced properly so they fixed it apparently but is still doing it. I truly believe there is something Tesla knows but is not acknowledging it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | We ordered a car from Tesla on April 19th and received an email on May 1st stating the vehicle we had order had arrived, ready for delivery. We set up delivery for [XXX]. Picked the car up that day. On May 9th, we noticed that the “as configured” options on the Monroney sticker didn’t match the actual installed features on the vehicle. It was missing the Full Self Driving that was listed on the Monroney sticker (that we had not ordered). I immediately contacted Tesla and was told by Corporate sales support in California that it would be corrected since it was on the sticker at the time of delivery, it has to be included with the VIN purchased. Trusting them enough not to get the name of the gentleman I spoke with was my mistake. I have contacted Tesla corporate customer service, Tesla corporate sales support and the Council bluffs delivery center after I noticed the discrepancy between what was actually on the vehicle and what the Monroney disclosure stated. I have requested the full self driving capability that is listed on the Monroney sticker with the VIN attached to the car I purchased be added to the vehicle to match their disclosure under the “as configured” section of the sticker. I was told by corporate sales support in California that it would be added to the vehicle because of their mistake. I noticed it had been added to the wrong vehicle (we have 2 teslas). I contacted customer service and they directed me to council,bluffs. Preston Sherwood told me he suggested leaving it on the wrong vehicle, just cancel the monthly subscription and subscribe on the correct vehicle. So I did just that and my paid subscription expired yesterday on the wrong vehicle and the option went away. I contacted customer service and they said they would make it right, but it has to go through “sales support” then promised they would call me. No one did. The feature still isn’t on the vehicle as listed on the only physical legal document we were provided at delivery. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | We just took delivery of our 2026 Tesla Model Y Juniper yesterday. Today, my wife was driving to work at around 40 mph when the car suddenly performed a hard brake (phantom braking), coming to a complete stop for no apparent reason. The driver behind her nearly rear-ended her. Importantly, she was not using Autopilot or Full Self-Driving at the time of the incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | TIRES | Owned car for only a week with 470 miles on odometer. At appromately 10am CST on June 26 while on an exit ramp the tire sidewall failed catastrophically causing extraneous damage to fender well liner and molding. Car was stopped immediately as emergency services police and towbtruck were called. Weather was clear and there was np obstructions on the road. There was also no indication of low tire pressure until the failure happened. All tires were at the recommended 42 PSI per Tesla vehicle data. The failure was a complete total circumferential separation of the inner bead /sidewall from the rest of the tire. All tires were replaced by owner with Michelins due to lack of trust in the manufacturing quality of the pirelli tires. Tesla and Pirelli are not acknowledging any responsibility for this failure. This is a major safety related incident which could have caused a lot more damage if the car was traveling at a higher rate of speed. On an exit ramp the speed was not more than 45 mph. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Subject: Formal Safety Complaint – Tesla Robotaxi Operation in Austin, TX on [XXX] Dear NHTSA ODI Team, I am writing to formally report a serious safety concern involving a Tesla Robotaxi operating in Austin, Texas on [XXX]. The vehicle was documented drifting into the wrong lane, crossing a double‑yellow line before realigning in the correct lane—posing a definite risk to oncoming traffic The same or a related Robotaxi was recorded exceeding posted speed limits, with speeds reaching approximately 39 mph in a 30 mph zone Visible in these clips were no adverse weather conditions or challenging intersections, contradicting claims that such factors influenced the mishaps Why this matters: The deployment is an early paid, driverless Robotaxi service—yet the performance demonstrated in these incidents raises immediate concerns about the system’s readiness for real‑world, public‑road operations The vehicles appear to be violating traffic laws, compromising the safety of passengers, other road users, and pedestrians. NHTSA’s own inquiry into these behaviors, and Tesla’s desire to keep responses confidential, underscore the importance of fully transparent oversight What I respectfully request: Confirm whether Tesla submitted its full responses by the deadline Ensure that all communications are reviewed under applicable standards, not withheld as proprietary. Promptly assess and address the potential defect in Tesla’s Robotaxi control software or hardware. Require Tesla to provide crash data, performance logs, and operational protocols for these and future incidents. Publish a full report on the safety of robotaxis INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE | I owned the vehicle less than a month, using full supervised drive, FSD. Today 6/22/2025 1:45 PM almost had an accident. The vehicle was in the right made a left turn crossing a yellow line, then made a turn in a white line, in front of the vehicle behind me. I took control of the vehicle to proceed in the correct lane. On another occasion it made a right turn, corrected itself to the left lane as it should have done. I am hearing impaired, focus on the road, cannot look at the screen monitor while driving. The vehicle stopped, advised me FSD was inoperable, had to manual drive to my destination. There is no warning, alerts for the hearing impaired. Other issues driving in the wrong lane, then at the last minute changes to the correct lane, I am certain cutting off drivers. UNKNOWN | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Phantom braking on the highway. We were the only car and without warning the car slammed on the brakes. There was nothing for the vehicle to hit in the road or cross traffic.It did this 3x in 35 miles. This has happened both while just cruise control and when the full self driving was on. We are too worried to use either of there is any traffic around us. We have not been to dealership yet. Fast beeping when it hits the breaks. Have not seen any alarms. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE | On June 6, 2025, at 5:30 PM MST, I was scheduled to take delivery of a Tesla Model Y at Tesla’s Aurora, CO Delivery Center. Upon inspection, I found visible rear paint damage. Tesla staff verbally acknowledged the defect but refused to provide any written documentation of the issue or the repair plan. I declined delivery due to the defect and the lack of formal repair documentation. I was then told by Tesla staff that if I refused a second delivery — even if the issue remained — I would forfeit my $250 deposit. This was framed as non-refundable and used to pressure acceptance. I also attempted to trade in my leased vehicle (financed by Santander Consumer USA). Tesla and Santander gave me conflicting information about the lease structure, trade-in value, and ownership responsibilities. No formal documentation was offered to clarify. I contacted Tesla’s lease return department, requested written confirmation of the defect, and later filed complaints with the BBB and the Colorado Attorney General. I am seeking CFPB support to investigate Tesla’s and Santander’s leasing practices, use of deposit threats, and lack of transparency in trade-in and vehicle condition handling. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I leased this brand new but demo car with 1850 miles, 2 months old from Tesla Seattle. This is a brand new total redesign-2026 Model Y. I was assured that they do multiple point testing before delivery and I had to trust their process. Unlike any other car dealers, I was NOT allowed to test drive this car before I sign the lease. The car was not in great condition (in addition to the expected wear and tear as a demo car). a) It's charged to only 60% battery rather than the full 80%. b) The stains all over suggest that apparently no one did any finish work as expected. I have pic proofs available upon request. The delivery manager Jill manually wiped off some stains when I pointed them out. c) There was a dent of 2-3 inches on the hood which indicates a possible past accident. After driving the car home, SERIOUS ISSUES were identified (because no test drive was allowed before I take the lease of the car). 1) The driver's car seatbelt does NOT LOCK upon a sudden pull, mimicking the situation in a crash. THIS IS A COMPLETELY RECALL ISSUE AS IT COULD CAUSE PPL TO DIE, AND MYSELF AS A MOM OF A SMALL CHILD INCLUDED. It locks about 3 out of 10 times. My previous cars- Mercedes, Toyota, Hyundai and BMW all lock on EACH sudden pull! 2) The passenger seatbelt has the same problem. 3) The backseat seatbelts are much better, and locks much more often than driver's and passenger's. It locks about 8 out of 10 times. I went to Tesla Lynnwood WA on Jun 6 and the service manager Cayla and tech said there is no issues despite that MY seatbelt performs so much worse than (1) other two 2026 Model Y, one of which is a newer demo (2) older Model Y, 2025 and prior, locks on EACH sudden pull as well! (3) ALL 3 new 2026 model Ys ALL have much less reactive seatbelts! Another issue I had which makes me needing to have this car replaced under LEMON LAW is, (A)My phone key gets disconnected randomly and I had to use card key all the time (B)My 2nd card key can't open the car at all! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | SEATS | I picked up a new model Y Juniper. I have an issue with the driver's side seat. The seat bottom is shifting and popping when turning. They replaced the seat with a brand new one. I still have the same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The rear light bar is extremely unsafe, it is especially undercarriage lighting which is illegal to have on while the vehicle is in motion. Not visible enough during inclement weather conditions, and can cause glare issues for other drivers while the roads are wet, due to its downward shining. The light can easily be obscured by hauling things such as bike racks. People are wrapping the plastic panel u deer the light which can alter performance. The light does not illuminate the full width of the car giving drivers behind a false sense of the car’s width. This has to be the most unsafe light on any car on the market | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | My 2026 model Y won't stop on the road when I released the gas paddle and even i felt it speeded up a little bit at 35 miles.it put me, my [XXX] daughter and other's safety at risk. I hit on the brake and feel need to hit harder abnormally to slow the car not even mention to stop the car. It took me long way to stop the car. At Once I stopped the car, it tried to speed up and I hit the paddle again. right after, then it tried to rocking back and forth and vibrated finally stopped. I tried serval time to repeat the issue it still exits. and I called Tesla customer service. they haven't look at it yet. but I in the service mode here is the some components are malfunctioned. 1. Rgenerative braking backfill, braking pedal torque is unavailable. 2. Traction control setting is unavailable. 3. DI_Brake torque is invalid. DI is Drive interface. 4. HOLD stopping mode is unavailable. there is no any warning showed in the console before and after the issue happened. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STRUCTURE | The Hood paint thickness looks too thin and painting quality so bad. As soon as it got the stone chip, it makes the body metal part exposed to the air. This defect has hazard of corrosion the Hood metal and it makes that metal get brittle. When the driver get the accident after corrosion, it makes passenger in death or severe danger. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | This is a proactive step to report that the headlights on Model Y Juniper 2026 are not projecting seamlessly onto the road. The low beam shows patchy lights and also has a blocked-out grey patch on the right-hand side of the car. This patch is not due to any wreckage of the headlights. The high beam is also not precise and feels as if it is a column of light, which is not very clear to drive in. I took my car to Tesla's dealership, and according to them, that is how the lights project, even on their demo car. I think the headlights should project a clear light onto the road, and these are not. This could cause an accident due to a lack of clarity. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I am writing to report a concerning incident involving the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature on my 2026 Tesla Model Y. The incident occurred on Saturday, [XXX], at approximately [XXX] EDT at the intersection of [XXX] . My wife and I were traveling from Safety Harbor, FL to Foxtail Coffee on [XXX] , a trip of approximately two hours. The FSD system performed well for 98% of the journey. However, at the aforementioned intersection, the vehicle was stopped at a red light in the left lane, first position, for approximately 45 seconds. Suddenly, without warning, the car accelerated and ran the red light. Thankfully, there was no cross traffic, and no collision occurred, but this was a frightening experience that significantly undermined our confidence in the FSD system. Even though we love the vehicle, we felt the need to report the incident 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 incident occurred on [XXX] around [XXX] (from the dashcam footages) in a highway (don't know the place, but I have a police report). I was driving my Tesla model Y 2026 with Full Self-Driving (FSD v13.2.8) Beta engaged when the vehicle suddenly off the road and hit the fence on shoulder. I retrieved dashcam footage from the incident, including footage leading up to and during the accident. the FSD system malfunctioned, the car is in a body shop and is available for inspection upon request if done quickly; Huge risk to myself and others because no way know when the FSD failed; from this link, same issue: [XXX] the vehicle has not inspected by others no any warnings, the fsd had been working properly in the firt 300 miles trip; but all of sudden, swerved to the roadside with full speed. 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 | Hello, I am not sure if it is related or not, but I updated to the latest FSD software overnight 2025.14.6 This happened this morning during my first FSD after the update. When at the traffic light to turn left onto the highway my car suddenly did a 90 degree turn and entered the highway on the completely wrong side, directly into oncoming traffic. This happened this morning at approximately 450-500am PST. It turned and made such a sharp left that I had to grab the wheel and take over. But it was too late, it was already on the WRONG SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY heading directly into oncoming head on traffic... It happened so fast that I hit the button somehow and canceled the ability to submit my report on why I took over. This happened heading south on [XXX] in Brentwood CA. It turned left onto the wrong side of [XXX]. My car has never had any issued like this until this morning. This is so bad that I am now scared to even drive the car. I am hoping you might still be able to access the drive and see what happened. Thanks, [XXX] [XXX] VIN: [XXX] Tesla Model Y Launch INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was driving my 2026 Tesla Model Y when another vehicle pulled out from a driveway and struck the front/side of my car. The Tesla failed to initiate Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and no airbags deployed. This raises serious concerns about the functionality of Tesla’s safety systems in real-world scenarios. The vehicle has not been modified in any way and was in standard driving mode. I have contacted Tesla Support requesting a diagnostic and explanation, but I believe this incident should also be reviewed as a potential safety defect. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |