Page 2 of 6 · complaints 51–100 of 283

2020 Tesla Model Y complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2020 record →

SteeringCrash
Filed Sep 9, 2024CA

While driving on the freeway was unable to steer. It has happens multiple times. Once on the freeway while I was trying to exit, I suddenly couldn’t steer. Another time, I was merging when again I could not move the steering wheel. The third time was when I was in the middle of making a left turn. All these situations were incredibly dangerous.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 4, 202477,334 milesTN

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V554000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Electrical System); however, the contact stated that the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a System Software Update Issue. The contact was informed that the dealer was not responsible to cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate mileage was 77,334. Parts distribution disconnect.

Lane Departure › Assist
Filed Aug 28, 2024VA

I have Tesla’s FSD software that consistently tries to enter closed highway ramps where the flags, lights and barriers are clearly marked as “do not enter”. I have reported this to Tesla a dozen times with no improvement or response. I’m sure there will be retaliation for this but I am sick and tired of swerving to avoid a fatal collision. Too many other safety issues with FSD to document.

Air BagsCrash
Filed Aug 27, 202468,000 milesNY

The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH in rainy weather, the vehicle inadvertently spun in circles, and he lost control of the vehicle. The contact took his foot off the accelerator pedal. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle crashed into an embankment and then spun twice before inadvertently driving into the forest and coming to a complete stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact and his father, who was a passenger, were uninjured. There was no medical attention received. The vehicle was first towed to the tow yard, and then the insurance company had it towed to the salvage yard, where it was deemed totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to contact the local dealer for the computer data. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Suspension
Filed Aug 19, 2024CA

Brought the vehicle in for tire replacement and alignment on 08/15/2024. Right front tire was wearing on the outside. Tesla service technician found bolt had backed out and jammed on rear subframe. This caused vehicle to pull to the right and presented a potential safety issue. The bolt secures a link between the wheel assembly and subframe. Tesla service center claims that I must have had an accident or hit a pothole etc. The vehicle has not been involved in any accident or hard bumps. I suspect this is an assembly issue . A properly installed bolt would not come loose.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 12, 2024NC

Tesla has automatic windshield wipers that are supposed to engage at various wiper speeds when rain is detected. The system does not activate soon enough or at an appropriate speed. Example: In rain situations on a highway when passing a large truck, the amount of spray on the windshield will completely occlude visibility at critical moments. Also if driving through a neighborhood in a drizzle, when kids are walking to school, the wipers do not adjust properly occluding visibility at critical moment’s. Potential solution : In both cases above the Tesla cameras detect the truck and the pedestrians, this data should be used to increase wiper activation and frequency. Tesla also collects user input data from drivers and perhaps collecting data when drivers activate their wipers compared to what the cameras are seeing will help adjust the wiper activation algorithm.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 6, 202476,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed low speed, the vehicle suddenly shut off and failed restart. The vehicle was towed to Tesla service center, where it was diagnosed that the front and rear electric motors were inoperable due to a faulty main wiring harness that became unsecured and damaged. The motors and the wiring harness were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000.

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Jul 29, 2024VA

In Summon Mode, autonomous driving, our car collided with another stationary parked car

Air Bags
Filed Jul 21, 2024TX

I have been getting "RCM2_a626" error for "front passenger safety restraint system fault. It comes and goes. Apparently it is a common issues among tesla owners. When I first filled for the error they quoted $2000 for replacing front passenger seat. The error went away so I canceled the appointment. Then it came back in a random fashion and getting more frequent. This time, in addition to replacing the front passanger seat cushion, "they're retrofitting "SBR in OCS Equipped Front Passenger Seat." I'm not sure what that means. If this is a common issue, there must be something to do with manufacturer QC.

Steering
Filed Jun 21, 2024NV

When driving over 45 miles approximately the steering becomes sticky and hard to move. Feels like a bump in the rack and pinion and then it jerks which would cause a car to hit other vehicles or be out of control.

Air BagsCrash2 injured
Filed Jun 19, 2024WA

We were in a head-on collision (not our fault) in April. The police determined the combined speed of the crash impact to be 60-65 miles per hour. The 2020 Tesla Y did not deploy its airbags. And as far as we can determine, the accident was not automatically recorded by the Tesla as it should have been. Because the airbags did not deploy, I sustained a fracture to my sternum that traverses over to my collarbone. We both have TBIs and other injuries. With that kind of an impact, one would expect an airbag to protect oneself, yet it did not. There were no warning lights/messages/etc from our vehicle. We are asking that you please look into this safety matter. (Especially since you are part of the push to have us own electric cars, they need to be safe for us). I do not know how much longer the Tesla will be available to inspect.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 13, 2024MD

When I went to my local garage to have a wheel rotation and wheel alignment done, they discovered that my rear driver side break hose was leaking. They also discovered that the rear passenger side break hose was showing similar wear/damage. I had the car towed to Tesla repair center because the replacement parts were backordered for the local garage. At the Tesla repair center, I asked if this was a potential build quality issue or something else, which they couldn't answer. Besides tire related items, like new tires and wheel alignment, all my other servicing was done thru Tesla. They noticed that they had done some half-shaft lubrication work that would have required them to disassemble the breaks. Of course they are not going to speculate or admit wrong doing. Therefore, in my mind, the issue was either original build quality from the factory or maybe the Tesla service mechanic not properly reassembling the breaks during one of the service visits. Just incase this was a factory build issue, I wanted to put in this incident so it can be counted towards any tally that NHTSA maybe keeping.

SteeringCrash
Filed May 21, 2024IL

Tesla Model Y 2022 lost steering control April 20, 2024 Vehicles - Model Y While backing out of indoor parking garage Steering wheel locked up! Before I could hit the brake the car collided with the cement wall in the garage. Causing some damage to right side. I tried a system reset, no luck. Called Tesla they had me go into diag mode and try a few things with no success. They sent a tow trunk and took to car to the Tesla Highland Park then to the Collision center – they could not unlock the steering wheel and called in people from the FTS (Field Technical Support) team to look at it. Very UNSAFE, it could have been much worse. I do not trust the car anymore!

Suspension
Filed May 11, 2024CA

Front suspension issues with lots of creaking and noise when accelerating and decelerating as well as turning. Tesla had previously greased my upper control arms but this issue is now back, worse than ever

Electrical System
Filed May 5, 2024CA

I ordered a used Tesla Model Y (VIN [XXX] ) on [XXX]. At the time of purchase, the car had 31,540 miles and was picked up from the Stockton, CA location on [XXX]. Since then, the car has performed pretty well, however I’ve recently experienced a slew of issues with the dashcam function of the vehicle. I’ve taken the vehicle into Tesla Service on two separate occasions, however they were unable to fix the problem and now I’m hesitant to drive the vehicle. One of the primary reasons I chose a Tesla Model Y was for the safety and security of having a car with a built-in dashcam and now that works infrequently. I’ve taken the vehicle into Tesla twice for this issue and they have been unable to fix nor offer a solution for this issue. I now get several alerts a night about the dash cam not working while the vehicle is parked and not in operation and other issues are coming up including the mirrors not re-aligning and the screen of the vehicle not operating upon first getting into the car in the morning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SuspensionCrash1 injured
Filed Apr 26, 2024CA

While driving on the freeway the autopilot kept turning on, I would immediately turn the autopilot off. The autopilot came on and turned my steering wheel to the left into the highway barrier, thus causing me to take a corrective action. The weather on the freeway way wet and traffic was moderate. The monitor displayed autopilot, which I turned off many during my trip as I am not comfortable with autopilot . I have an insurance claim as there was extensive damage to my car.

Seat Belts
Filed Apr 25, 2024NJ

Rear seat seatbelt (behind driver) doesn't latch

Air Bags
Filed Apr 14, 2024PA

Rcm2_a636 Front passenger safety restraint system fault

Air Bags
Filed Mar 27, 2024CA

I am writing to file a complaint against Tesla, Inc. for refusing to repair recurring suspension issues that were supposedly addressed through previous recalls. As an owner of a 2020 Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX] ), I have experienced numerous problems related to the vehicle's suspension system, steering, and safety restraints, which I believe pose serious safety risks. My vehicle has undergone multiple repairs at Tesla service centers for issues such as squeaking noises when turning, vehicle shutdowns while driving, steering difficulties, and excessive tire wear. Many of these problems are related to the vehicle's suspension system, which has been the subject of several recalls by Tesla in recent years, including recalls [XXX],[XXX], [XXX], and [XXX]. Despite these recalls supposedly addressing the suspension issues, my vehicle continues to experience problems. Most recently, on [XXX], I brought my vehicle to a Tesla service center for a loud and distinct sound coming from the steering system. The service center diagnosed the issue and recommended repairs to the front half shaft assembly, front damper assembly, and front lower lateral links, with a total estimated cost of $3,670. These issues should be covered under warranty and are directly related to the previous suspension recalls. However, Tesla has refused to cover the repairs under warranty. Furthermore, I have experienced recurring issues with the front passenger safety restraint system, which required a retrofit of the O

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Mar 6, 2024CA

On July 26 2023, FSD, camera and navigation were working fine untill i was told to update software in my car. Then the next day everything stop working. I could not use navigation, crusie control, FSD, and all cameras. So, I brought in service to check but they could not fix the issue and want to replace car computer which i have to pay for the issue i did not cause. This is unresponsible that i got it from them. I am not sure if this manufacter defect or firmware issue that cause it. But this is not something that i have ability to cause it. Now with this safey recall i could not update software since there is no option for to do so.

Wheels
Filed Mar 5, 2024CA

When I picked up my Tesla Y from a body shop I was informed that my two front tires were worn down, to the core, on the inside rim of the tire. It was as though they were aligned wrong. I was strongly encouraged to drive straight to a tire shop for new tires. At the tire shop two representatives confirmed it would be too dangerous to drive on my existing tires as they were very badly worn. I immediately bought 4 new tires and went to have them aligned. The alignment shop was unable to align the tires due to a worn out knuckle bushing.

Service Brakes
Filed Mar 2, 2024NY

Tesla Model Y, loses control in snow and fish tails, making it unsafe. This has happened multiple time in winter and even in heavy rain. I follow standard recommendations for winter/snow driving, if you skid, ease off acceleration, and do not brake to avoid skidding. If we do this, the regenerative brakes kick in and brakes the car, causing the skid. Have had several narrow escapes in highways and even in regular roads. I hope Tesla will can give an option to turn of the regenerative braking for winter driving. Thanks

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Feb 29, 2024MD

I am writing to formally file a complaint against Tesla, Inc. concerning a significant issue that has arisen following a software update issued to Model Y and Model 3 vehicles in early December. I am a Tesla Model Y owner, and following this update, I have experienced complete failure of critical vehicle systems including cameras, navigation, lane departure warnings, auto braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, windshield wipers, self-driving features, and car location data. The malfunction of these essential features not only compromises the safety and functionality of the vehicle but also indicates a severe underlying problem with the vehicle's computer system. The cost to replace the affected computer in my vehicle amounted to $2,400. However, upon reviewing discussions on Tesla forums, I have discovered that this is not an isolated incident; numerous other owners are facing similar failures, with some repair bills exceeding $3,000. Given the widespread nature of these issues and their chronological association with the December software update, there appears to be a high correlation between the update and the catastrophic failure of the vehicle computers. The financial burden of these repairs has unjustly fallen on consumers, although it is my belief that Tesla should be held accountable for these failures, given the direct link to their software update. I urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate this matter thoro

Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Feb 20, 202445,000 milesMD

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH with the Auto Pilot activated, the driver attempted to steer into the left lane to avoid a collision. The vehicle suddenly began to fishtail causing the driver to lose control of the steering and crash into the concrete median. During the crash, the vehicle was destroyed. The air bags did not deploy and the driver sustained a head contusion and later received medical treatment. No police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to the home. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the incident. The contact later received a recall notice for the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V838000(Electrical System). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 45,000.

Unknown or Other
Filed Feb 15, 2024AZ

I can’t use the full self drive capability without the car malfunctioning or slamming on the brakes. I paid extra for a service that not only doesn’t work but makes the car unsafe to drive. They’ve continually tried OTA updates and nothing can fix it. They need to recall this car and reimburse.

Air BagsCrash
Filed Feb 12, 2024MN

Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault​, error message appeared. Tesla is asking for ~$1500 to fix a sensor that would prevent air bag from deploying. Seems like a safety issue that should be addressed. The message appears whenever there is someone/some thing in front passenger seat. Tesla has inspected. I believe it happened after a minor accident in a parking lot, but Tesla and the repair shop can not prove that it did, so insurance will not correlate to the accident.

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator PedalCrash3 injured
Filed Feb 5, 202414,000 milesCA

The contact owned a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while reversing at low speed from his driveway, the accelerator pedal inadvertently depressed into the floorboard, resulting in sudden unintended acceleration. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The vehicle struck two other parked vehicles in another driveway before crashing into a residence. The residents were not injured. The contact sustained a fractured neck, and shoulder pain from his seat belt, and head pain from striking the steering wheel. The contact's front passenger sustained a bruised shoulder, and the rear passenger, who was laying down on the rear seats, rolled over during impact and hit the rear seats, sustaining back and leg pain. The contact and his passengers were transported by ambulance to the hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that after reviewing the event data recorder (EDR), the data showed that the contact had his foot depressed on the accelerator pedal during the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

Suspension
Filed Jan 30, 2024TX

This is a 2020 Tesla model Y. At 55k miles, 3.5 years of ownership I was alerted by my tire dealer about broken bushings and control arms in both front tires. They mentioned that they see these early failures often in I have a 2020 Tesla model Y. I am a careful, risk averse driver who has used the car just on roads for daily commute. No extraordinary forces or events on the suspensions happened. At the service center, I was informed that this would be due to my driving and that it is not a Tesla quality issue. In the end, all bushings, all 4 front lower control arms and associated compliance links had to be replaced. Given the history of Tesla's suspensions and their failures I do feel that this is a significant quality and a potential safety threat to US customers. There were no warnings or alarms that have alerted me to this problem.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Jan 24, 2024TX

Failure of all cameras, gps, and lane keeping system. It is available for inspection. It occurred after software update was pushed to the car. Tesla service has seen the vehicle and says that the internal computer has a fault and needs to be replaced. Yet, oddly enough, there are a lot of identical failures reported in Tesla owner forums. Around the same time as my failure in mid-December 2023. No prior indication of computer failure occurred. And the computer is still operational for items not related to the cameras and GPS. Safety concerns: The rear windshield has limited visibility, which is not an issue when the cameras are functioning. The safety notification when changing lanes does not work without the cameras and sensors. The lane keeping and adaptive cruise control do not work without the cameras and sensors. Tesla should investigate if a software update they sent over the air created the problem with cameras and lane keeping assist.

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Jan 20, 2024GA

Unexplained SUDDEN acceleration. At Kroger parking lot. I was at complete stop, then lightly stepped on accelerator to start moving and car suddenly, rapidly accelerated causing me to hit STOP sign. Unexplained acceleration! Fortunately no one was standing in front of the car. Caused some damage to the right, front area of the car.

Electrical SystemCrash
Filed Jan 16, 202440,000 milesTN

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V838000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact was driving at an undisclosed mph up a driveway with autopilot on, the contact engaged autosteer by veering to the left before the vehicle crashed into the mailbox. There were no injuries and no police report. The lane departure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the Tesla Collision Center to be diagnosed. The technician stated the following components failed, steering, the land departure warning, and the avoidance warning, however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Steering
Filed Jan 4, 2024FL

All the cameras in the vehicle are inoperable which causes autopilot not to work. The lane assist feature of the vehicle has stopped working. Driver has to constantly adjust to keep the vehicle from veering into traffic. The navigational system in the vehicle does not work. These safety issues require Tesla's immediate attention as this may lead to a fatal accident.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency BrakingCrash
Filed Jan 2, 2024MD

The incident happened on October 23, 2023 at 3:02 PM. The car is being parked between two vehicles and the car triggered automatic emergency breaking, after the emergency breaking there were error on screen about “Automatic Emergency Breaking Unavailable, ABS disabled and Automatic vehicles hold disabled”. After seeing this error on screen the car did sudden uncontrolled acceleration which caused it to crash in to buildings. I have contacted Tesla to investigate this issue, provided error message and vedio recordings of the incident. After two months investigation, I have been told they did not find issue in the car and can’t go any further details to explain error on screen, sudden emergency stop and sudden acceleration on the car. The car has been deemed total by the insurance company. I would like to share my data with you so proper investigation can be done and prevent similar situation in future.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Warnings
Filed Jan 1, 2024NC

I had FSD engaged and the Tesla MY was navigating to my sister’s house in Falmouth, MA. My brother was in the passenger seat and witnessed the incident. The MY stopped on a road to wait to make an easy left turn onto another road. There was a vehicle in front of us waiting to make this same left turn. Another vehicle approached at high speed (my estimate is 60 mph) in the opposing lane. With the vehicle in front of me still waiting to turn, my Tesla abruptly pulled left and moved into the opposing lane about 10 feet before I managed to apply the brakes hard. The vehicle in the opposing lane swerved hard to their right to avoid a possible collision and continued on without stopping. It was overcast but not dark out. This is the worst I’ve seen during the past 3.5 years of driving this Tesla MY with FSD. Current FSD Beta version is v11.4.8.1.

Suspension
Filed Dec 27, 2023VA

This year I was charged $650 to replace both upper control arms, lower suspension links that I now find out was a known quality problem with Tesla. No recalls were issued despite this being a safety concern for drivers since it affects steering. I read that Tesla told service employees to tell customers that they had "abused" their car and that was the reason for the failure. I drive on perfect roads and without any load in the car, so clearly I didn't abuse it. It began with a Creaking sound when making a sharp turn or parking from steering or front suspension They replaced: Replaced LH Front Upper Control Arm. Replaced RH Front Upper Control Arm. Replaced LH compliance Lower Front Suspension Link. Replaced RH Aft Lower Front Suspension Link. NOTE: I tried two different browsers buy your site has a bug that won't allow uploads of documents, so I could not include the receipt. When one clicks on "upload files" the button disappears, and it won't let you upload.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Dec 27, 2023CA

This pertains to the new NHTSA recall 23V-838 that forces Tesla to issue an OTA update changing the use of autosteer and attention notifications. Prior to the new update, I would use autopilot to assist me while I change the climate controls or radio station. After the update, this would instantly notify me that I was not “paying attention” which I am. Eventually it would disable my ability to use auto steer. Large all screen in put makes it difficult for me to adjust basic amenities in the car such as climate controls and radio. Since the new update, I felt that my in ability to use autosteer to assist me has made this operation significantly less safe. Not being able to safely make inputs to the car infotainment has made it riskier. Being all screen, there is no tactile feedback to know where my controls are without looking at the screen. In addition, I feel that the additional more frequent notifications has become more of a distraction as I take my eyes off the road to look at the screen to see what issues I am running into. There needs to be a balance between constant notification and ability to control basic infotainment feature.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Dec 25, 2023TX

ChatGPT Subject: Safety Concerns Regarding Recent Tesla Autopilot Changes (Campaign #23V-838) Dear NHTSA, I am writing to express my concerns regarding the recent required changes to Tesla's autopilot system under Campaign #23V-838. While I understand the importance of updates for safety, it appears that these modifications have had an adverse impact on the vehicle's safety and increased the potential dangers of driving. I urge the NHTSA to thoroughly investigate and address these issues to ensure the continued safety of Tesla vehicles on the road. Your prompt attention to this matter is crucial for the well-being of Tesla drivers and the public at large.

Air Bags
Filed Oct 8, 2023MA

Front Passenger safety restraint system fault. This is 3rd time this system warning has come up. The previous 2 fixes were under warrantee (the last one was Feb 2023), the new one is not and estimated at $1100 fix.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Oct 3, 2023CO

I was driving with cruise control on and the car violently hit the brakes when there was no one in front of us. We have noticed this is more common when cresting a hill. This happens at least once every time we are on a road trip. This needs to be addressed. We know we are not the only person having these issues with the Tesla and the “phantom braking”

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Sep 28, 2023CA

Driving on Highway 80, west of Elko, NV. No obstructions on the road, no cars within 5 miles, no animals or birds on the highway. The vehicle aggressively brakes. It did this 4 times with the assisted driving engaged and 1 with cruise control engaged.

Service Brakes
Filed Sep 25, 2023NJ

We’re getting errors for traction control, reduced traction, control, disabled automatic emergency, braking is unavailable, ABS disabled. This is a manufactures defect, and Tesla is requiring us to pay.

Electrical System
Filed Sep 21, 2023CA

Vehicle has 51,126 mi as of this writing. When new (June 2020) 250 miles of freeway range was typical in typical California weather for an efficiency rating of 280 Wh/mi for 100% to 1% state of charge (SoC). This was tested repeatedly, numerous times, on multiple road trips. At ~12K miles into ownership, OEM tires were swapped as they were dangerously useless in rain and snow. Repeated calculations confirmed ~10% range loss. This meant that average Wh/mi consumption went from about ~280 Wh/mi to about ~308 Wh/mi, for a real world freeway range reduction to about 227 from say 250 (again 100% to 1% SoC). This was expected and accepted. Last 2 years were spent in New England during which freeway range started to drop precipitously, reaching a low of 166 miles (100% to 1% state of charge; about 420 Wh/mi) at freezing temperatures; verified across two identical road trips. Cold weather range was expected, but in retrospect, this was far too much of a drop. Now back in California, range has dropped even further and settled at about ~150 miles -- or an abysmal 450 Wh/mi -- i.e., a 40% drop from the OEM tires, and a 34% drop from the new tires. All charging stats (and Tesla's remote tests) show the battery is at full capacity (69 kWh is a 1% to 100% recharge and the battery is rated at 70 kWh). Tesla claims no faults, and assign blame to driver (high freeway speeds; Sentry Mode; climate control; etc). Tesla now threatening -- as indicated in recent class action lawsuit -- to charge $

Seat Belts
Filed Sep 11, 2023MD

Passenger rear seat seatbelt stopped working abruptly. Buckle will not click to secure.

Steering
Filed Sep 5, 2023VA

Was driving on the interstate and a notification that “Steering assist reduced” came on the screen. About 10 minutes later my steering wheel became extremely hard to turn. I almost crashed going thru the tunnel! For the next many days I never had issues and thought it was a technical problem, because you would think if power steering is not working it wouldn’t magically work again 5 minutes later when you turn the car on. I had service done to fix something else in the car and had them take a look. There is an issue with the steering rack and want me to pay 3k to fix. My car only has 54k miles on it. So I’ve done some googling and found that I am not the first and won’t be the last to have this issue! It’s funny that Tesla service knew immediately what was wrong but at the same time didn’t know why it would happen. Sounds like it’s not my problem and I shouldn’t be paying 3k for it. Especially if brand new cars are also having the same issue. Today it did the exact same thing but then magically works again after I power off the car. It’s been about a week since the first incident.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Sep 3, 2023NM

On a round trip from Albuquerque, NM to Tucson, AZ, we experienced 8-10 instances of phantom braking in our 2020 Tesla Long-Range Model Y. The occurrences happened when the car was in adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance. Highway speed was typically 75 MPH, weather was sunny, and roads were clear. Overall, an unnerving experience!

Electrical System
Filed Sep 1, 2023CA

Tesla completely shut down and my wife got locked inside with windows closed. Windows will not roll down. She called me and I asked for help with roadside assistance. They showed the manual door open latch. I called the tow truck and heard that this is a common incident. Tesla service center diagnosed it as a complete failure of 12V battery. There was absolutely no warning of the problem. This’s a really unsafe situation and needs to have a warning system for 12v battery failure.

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 30, 2023OR

While driving in cruise control mode, not auto steer, and with no vehicle in or obvious obstruction in front, the brakes will be applied without warning (phantom braking). It has happened multiple time in the years of ownership. It has happened once or twice with a vehicle following resulting in near rear-end collision. In one case this resulted in the follower reacting with "road rage," passing with horns blaring and braking in front of my vehicle. I have this recent incident on video as it just requires me to honk the horn and the last 5-10 minutes of driving is recorded.

Steering
Filed Aug 21, 2023CA

I purchased our Tesla model Y 3 years ago. I intentionally disabled and did not subscribe to any autonomous driving features because I don’t trust them. I disabled all aspects of auto pilot functions. Despite this, my car still will automatically swerve at random times, slam on the brakes randomly with no reason to break, etc. It is terrifying when this happens unexpectedly and infuriating that I have disabled all these features, but it still does this. This is most common when I put it in cruise control. Rarely these will happen when, for example you cross a double yellow line, but most of the time they happen when nothing has occurred to prompt them. I believe this is an unsafe feature, and needs to be investigated. Unfortunately, with Tesla they have no customer service so there’s nobody that I can report this to.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Aug 15, 2023OR

While driving with autopilot at 65mph, a vehicle 500 yards in front of me was turning left. My car suddenly braked to avoid it.

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Aug 13, 2023VA

While I was parking the car at a parking spot for a doctor's appointment, it accelerated by itself and drove over the parking spot front bump and drove a short downhill covered with grass. Then it drove across a street and stopped by hitting an SUV parked. During the whole process, I tried to stop it by braking it, but failed. While it slides down, I gave up controlling the car.

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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