2023 Tesla Model Y
Problem Areas
Complaints Over Time
Recent Complaints
The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH in autopilot mode when the vehicle crashed into a tree. After the crash, the vehicle battery caught on fire and there was an explosion. The contact sustained bruises on the left hand that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed but no further information was available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact's dad owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated the owner opened the liftgate, attempting to unload the vehicle after a trip, when the liftgate inadvertently fell on the head near the left ear area, fracturing his skull on the left side, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the asphalt. As a result, the contacts dads brain bled within both fractures. The contact's dad was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was the only occupant of the vehicle at the time of the failure. The vehicle was inspected by Tesla, and advised that a power lift strut replacement part was needed; however, the contact wanted NHTSA to inspect the original part before the replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was not filed. The vehicle remained at his dad's residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there was a faulty power lift strut and that the taigate had 1 powered strut, causing the liftgate to close inadvertently. The approximate failure mileage was 17,273.
Client was severely injured (traumatic brain injury, fractured skull bone and ankle with ongoing cognitve and physical symptoms, probably permanent) as a pedestrian when crossing Rt 28 in Chatham, MA. He was struck by a 2023 Tesla Model Y in reduced roadway visibility conditions due to sun/shade conditions. The auto braking system failed to activate in time to avoid the collision. This appears to be directly related to NHTSA investigation PE24031.
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH in light rain, the vehicle suddenly braked and causing the vehicle to lose control. The contact stated that the vehicle was on cruise control and auto drive assist. The contact stated that the vehicle veered to the left, crossed two lanes of traffic, and crashed into the highway divider wall. The contact stated that there were no warning lights. The contact stated that the left front end had crashed first, and then the driver's door and left front fender had crashed into the dividing wall. The contact stated that the driver's front air bag had deployed and burst; there was a large tear starting from the top of the air bag all the way to the steering wheel. The contact stated that he had burns on his hands due to the air bag explosion, bruises on his chest, and right arm. The contact stated that the police and emergency services arrived. A police report was filed. The contact stated that he was transported to the hospital, and the vehicle was towed to a manufacturer's collision center. The contact stated that the manufacturer's collision center downloaded the collision information from the vehicle's main frame and shared the accident report with the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that a software update (2025.44.25.5) was performed on the vehicle, which was for a temporary free self-driving mode. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated sideways and crashed into the highway's concrete retaining wall. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where he was treated bruised left knee, cracked ribs, and several other bruises to various parts of his body. No property damage was reported. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene to an independent mechanic, where it was deemed a total loss. Neither the manufacturer nor the service center had been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,500.
The car don't run well
Pulled into hospital parking garage. Stopped to pull parking ticket. When the parking gate was raised, Tesla immediately took off at very high uncontrolled speed. Basically a runaway vehicle. There was no accerlation on my part. Brakes did not work. Hit parked car in the garage about 300 feet from the parking gate. I was taken to hospital with broken wrist. Car has been totaled.
The vehicle in front of us came to a sudden stop, but my Tesla failed to issue any alerts or activate automatic braking. When we attempted to brake manually, the car did not allow full braking and continued moving forward, ultimately causing a collision. This strongly suggests a malfunction in the Tesla’s safety or braking system. As a result, I’ve suffered significant financial losses due to the vehicle being totaled and damage caused to other vehicles/other persons injuries involved. This incident is also likely to lead to increased insurance premiums moving forward.
The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 - 50 MPH, the contact lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that while attempting to regain control of the vehicle and attempting to correct the steering wheel, the vehicle kept going to the right and to the left independently. The contact was unable to regain control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle struck a railing and a concrete divider with the passenger’s side front bumper and then the rear passenger’s side quarter panel, and the vehicle spun around on the highway and came to a stop. The contact pressed the emergency latch to exit the vehicle out of fear that the vehicle might catch on fire. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side tire was pushed back due to the impact. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that all the air bags deployed as designed. The vehicle was towed to a local Collision Center. A Police report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was deemed destroyed by the Insurance Provider. The contact sustained injuries to the upper back, left shoulder, right elbow, and neck; however, there were no broken bones reported. The contact received medical attention for the injuries sustained. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
The primary safety restraint system, specifically the driver's side airbag, failed to deploy during a significant frontal impact collision. This severely compromised my personal safety, as my head struck the steering wheel with force, leading to injury and pain. Had the impact been more severe, the lack of airbag deployment could have led to much more serious, potentially life-threatening, injuries. Immediately after the impact, the primary braking system also malfunctioned, and the vehicle's warning and autopilot systems became compromised, posing further safety risks. The specific airbag non-deployment problem has not yet been reproduced or formally confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, vehicle is currently scheduled for its first post-accident inspection at a Tesla Collision Center address 6010 Richmond Ave, Houston TX 77057 on June 11, 2025, and is available for inspection. To date, the vehicle has not been formally inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives for these specific malfunctions. Police responded to the accident scene and filed a report, but no technical inspection was conducted by them. There were NO prior warning lamps, messages, or symptoms indicating a malfunction with the airbag system before the collision. However, immediately after the collision, the primary brakes failed and the warning system and autopilot system showed signs of malfunction/disruption; no specific warning lights related to these post-impact issues appeared prior to their malfunction.
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.
I was fully stopped at red light of intersection of [XXX] . Suddenly my vehicle accelerate it self and start auto drive at high speed and malfunction, hitting multiple parked vehicles. My vehicle was on auto holding brake feature. I was not able to control my vehicle, even when I tried pressing the brake. No warnings or alarms from my vehicle when crashes into multiple parked cars. On [XXX] incident happened. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
First time when it happened, i was able to control and It went to back to normal. I did not pay attention after. Second time I took right turn and the car drove in left lane but this time I felt steering was rigid and was unable to control the Steering and hit a tree. Driver seat air bag was deployed and all doors were locked. Gel from air bag burned my right hand wrist.
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while his daughter was attempting to make a left turn at approximately 5 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the rear passenger-side end of the vehicle. There was cosmetic damage and the vehicle came to a stop in the middle of the road. The air bags failed to deploy. As a result, the driver impacted her head on the steering wheel causing head injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and was not given a diagnosis. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure still occurred; the contact was informed the headliner was damaged due to the repairs done along with several other failures. The manufacturer was notified of this failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was 7,000.
The contact called on behalf of her mother who owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while the mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact's mother depressed the brake pedal, however the vehicle did not stop. The contact stated that the vehicle crashed into a concrete pillar. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was not equipped with a self-mode drive. The contact's mother sustained injuries and was transported to the local hospital. The contact's mother was treated for a broken right ankle, a broken rib, and a possible torn ACL. A Police report was filed, however, the information was unavailable. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,613.
Regenerative braking is a huge factor when it comes down to hydroplaning. Hydroplaning and braking do not go well together. Generally in a normal gasoline vehicle, when in a hydroplaning situation where you feel the vehicle is beginning to slide, you would let go of the throttle (gas pedal), and correct the steering. Upon doing that, regenerative braking (which comes from letting go of the gas pedal), caused the vehicle to completely go sideways and no chance for me to correct the steering. This situation could have been avoided if the vehicle did not automatically brake on it's own when I let go of the throttle, in this situation.
My car collided with another car and a fine white powder was released but no airbag was deployed along with a slight burning odor
I am reaching out on behalf of my wife who met with accident on 3/24/2024.She was driving Tesla Y model and this accident occurred due to System failure of Vehicle , brakes and Steering wheel get locked and she was not able to do anything and car hit the couple of trees on other side of parking lot . She was not using Autopilot feature and it vehicle didn't stop after applying the brake instead of stopping , its get accelerated and steering was also locked.
The Facts of the Incident: On [XXX], at approximately [XXX] PM, [XXX] , was driving our 2023 Tesla Model Y on Arizona State Route [XXX] ), a two-lane highway, enroute from Orange, California, to the Grand Canyon South Rim. The vehicle carried a total of four passengers, including my wife, myself, and another couple from San Diego. During our journey, an alarming and life-threatening situation unfolded. Without warning, our 2023 Tesla Model Y abruptly veered to the left, dangerously encroaching into oncoming traffic. Despite my immediate attempts to regain control by steering the vehicle away from the oncoming traffic, the steering wheel became unresponsive, effectively locking in place. This mechanical or software malfunction prevented me from correcting the perilous situation, resulting in a head-on collision with a large Ford 350 Truck, which was also traveling at a high speed, estimated to be more than 60 miles per hour. Fortunately, while there were injuries, there didn’t appear to be any life threating injuries. Because of the resources required to further investigate and do an analysis of the vehicle, as well as the challenge of dealing with Tesla Inc., law firms have declined to pursue further investigations. Morgan and Morgan initially started an investigation with Knott, LLC, Arizona, but then dropped the pursuit due to costs. The vehicle is still on-hold by my insurance company, USAA, but they may not hold it much longer before placing it on auction. However, it is urgent that NHTSA take possession and complete further analysis of this vehicle. Your assistance and consideration are appreciated, and I look forward to assisting with this investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering system malfunction and failure: I have a brand new Tesla Model Y for less than 3 months. Two months after I have the vehicle, the steering rack had an internal fault. The steering rack was replaced at the Tesla authorized repair shop. Eighteen days after that repair. I was involved in a car accident. The reason was because my car had veered to the right on its own while driving on a city street. I then turned the steering wheel to the left, but the car did not turn to the left. My car then hit another vehicle that was parked on the right side of the street. The front of my vehicle was totally damaged on the right side. The entire left side of the other parked vehicle was also totally damaged. I was NOT on cruise control. I was NOT on self- driving mode.
