Page 8 of 22 · complaints 351–400 of 1,096

2021 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 2021 record →

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 5, 2023MD

I was driving on 270 North from Washington to Frederick at around 70 MPH on cruise control. There were no cars in front of me. Then, all of a sudden, my Tesla Y braked hard (phantom braking) for no reason, to around 40 MPH, I panicked and had to override the cruise control to continue driving. There was a red car behind me; fortunately, he wasn't tailgating so he swerved in time to avoid crashing into the rear of my car. This is unacceptable!

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 4, 2023MD

While driving on highway, my Tesla all of a sudden accelerated unintentionally and violently swiveled, not letting me take control of the steering wheel. My car spun 180 degrees and I had to drive to the grass on the side to stop the car. Autopilot was not on, cruise control was not on, I was driving normally. My entire family was in the car and they witnessed the situation. This was extremely scary and could have caused injuries or even death. This is the second time it happened to my Tesla (similar situation, my wife was driving that time).

SteeringCrash1 injured
Filed Aug 2, 2023NC

On July 19th around 6:45pm, I was driving on the left most lane of I-95S in VA towards NC near Exit 41 at 70mph. The care suddenly steered hard left towards the median. I tried to steer it back but the steering wheel was locked and would not let me steer back. The brakes would also not work and the car drove into the guardrail and spun180 degree and hit the guardrail again and spun180 and did that one more time and stopped facing the oncoming traffic. The impact tore the entire front left-wheel assembly off my Tesla, sending it more than 250 yards forward. Damaging the left side of the car front to back but the airbags did not deploy neither did the seatbelts locked. Fortunately, the entire cabin was intact and I walked away without any external injuries.

SteeringFire
Filed Aug 2, 2023TX

Dear Tesla Customer Support, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my extreme concern and disappointment regarding a serious malfunction I experienced with my Tesla vehicle, Model Y, on 08/01/2023. The incident has left me deeply troubled and has raised significant questions about the safety and reliability of your vehicles. On the aforementioned date, while I was driving my Model Y, I noticed an unusual burning smell coming from the vehicle. Shortly after, the cruise control system began to malfunction erratically, leading to a loss of control over the vehicle's speed. In a matter of seconds, the display and all lights on the dashboard went dark, leaving me unable to monitor crucial information such as speed, battery level, and vehicle warnings. Worse yet, the electronic power steering suddenly failed, causing an immediate stiffening of the steering wheel and making it incredibly difficult to control the vehicle. As a result, my car veered into a curb, causing damage to the wheels and suspension and fire. I cannot stress enough how distressing this situation was. Not only did it put my safety and the safety of others at risk, but it also raises questions about the reliability and effectiveness of the various systems within the vehicle. I have always trusted Tesla's commitment to innovation and cutting-edge technology, but this incident has shattered my confidence in the vehicle's reliability. I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to investigat

Seats
Filed Aug 2, 2023CT

Front passenger safety restraint system fault intermittently appears and disappears. Might be defect of manufacture of harness squezed. Lots of users are complaining about said and manufacture wants $500 to repair what seems to be a recall. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/front-passenger-safety-restraint-system-fault.161485/page-5#post-7714894

Electrical System
Filed Aug 1, 2023AZ

The 12V in the Tesla died without any warning. I put my 2 year old child in his car seat directly behind the driver's seat. I closed his door and went directly to the drivers door and could not get it to open. I tried the app multiple times including refreshing the app and restarting my phone. I also tried using the keycard to unlock the doors. I tried using my spouse's app which also didn't work. Nothing worked and my son was trapped in the car in 100+ degree weather for over 15 minutes. My husband had to pry the front passenger door open so that we can could get him out and in doing so caused the window to crack. When contacting Tesla, they sent out a tow truck to get it to the service center. They fixed the problem and told us there was a manual latch for the front and rear seats, but there was no way our two year old would have been able to pull the latch, let alone reach it. There is also no manual latch on the exterior of the car that we could have used.

Unknown or OtherCrash1 killed
Filed Aug 1, 2023CA

My mother was involved in a fatal crash on August 30, 2022. We believe there was something unusual that occurred with the Tesla Model Y as it was on a quiet residential street and the car seems to have accelerated suddenly and she hit a pole. We are still waiting on the California Highway Patrol report.

Service Brakes
Filed Aug 1, 2023NM

Phantom Braking. When there are refractions on the road seen in my lane in bright sunshine. Also in a 2-lane highway with oncoming vehicles that have lots of chrome also in bright sunshine. Never happens at night or when cruise control not enabled.

Steering
Filed Aug 1, 2023FL

I encountered the issue where my car would lose all power steering and the following warning would present itself in 3 different errors "power steering reduced". The typical fix I came up with to resolve the issue was to put the car in park, exit the vehicle and then open a.nd initiate the vehicle with the physical key. The problem was first noticed in April of 2023 and an initial review of the vehicle by Tesla was done on May 9th after the vehicle encountered this issue while I was at a traffic stop. Issue was not resolved as it returned 2 weeks later which prompted me to send it back to Tesla on June 11th. Vehicle was kept for 14 days. As of August 1, 2023 the issue has not returned

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 1, 2023IL

I was on the highway with cruise set to 80. With no vehicles anywhere near in front of me, the car brakes hard and the cruise was set to 50. I was able to gain control by hitting the accelerator but slowed down quickly from the phantom breaking.

Steering
Filed Aug 1, 2023WA

The steering wheel locked up for 3 seconds. I returned the vehicle to Tesla and they said they replaced the control arms. I suspect the bearings in the steering control arms seized. I suspect the steering control arms are not robust enough to handle the weight of vehicle.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Jul 30, 2023CA

Approximately 11:26 am on Thursday July 27, and approximately 110 miles east of Gallup, New Mexico, I experienced when driving a 2021 Tesla Model Y, a series of extreme phantom braking events. One phantom braking event resulted in an extreme braking and the car gave a loud alarm signal. This happened while passing two rather closely spaced semi-trailer trucks that were in the right lane of the interstate highway 40 roadway going westbound. Both trucks were traveling without making any unusual movements. They were steadily traveling between 70 and 80 mph. There was a large SUV following our vehicle. This event resulted in an extremely hazardous condition. A high-speed rear-end collision was imminent. I, as the driver of the Model Y, immediately accelerated and steered over to the left-lane shoulder. No collision occurred and I was able to pass the two trucks and return to the right lane. Clearly, this behavior of the Model Y is extremely hazardous and must be corrected. It is my recollection that I had disengaged the auto steer mode prior to passing the two trucks and then reengaged the auto steer after passing the two trucks and moving to the right lane. I have experienced this behavior before as I have been driving the vehicle for the past two years of my three-year lease. Strangely it always occurs, it seems when driving on rural interstate, such as this case. Fortunately, these experiences helped me to instantly respond by accelerating and moving onto the left lane shoulde

Power Train
Filed Jul 28, 2023NJ

Battery is not able to charge . The message shows need services Bring the car to Tesla service center , they told us the battery need to be replaced. They did not tell us what caused the battery to die. The car has about 30000 miles on it . Daily driving to work. Don’t understand why the battery dies so fast . Does anyone report the same problem on 2021 Tesla model Y ?

Seat Belts
Filed Jul 27, 2023NC

•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The ‘Front Passenger Safety Restraint System’ had some unknown ‘fault’ and the car gave a prompt that service was required. This occurred: 6/2022 5/2023 8/2023 •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Passengers in my vehicle had a ‘Safety Restraint System. that the vehicle communicated to them was ‘faulty.’ Presumably this put them at mortal risk should the car get into a collision. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, on 6/2022, 5, 2023, and 8/2023 my vehicle was taken to Tesla Store located at 9140 E Independence Blvd, Matthews, NC 28105. It has yet to receive a permanent fix. •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, on 6/2022, 5, 2023, and 8/2023 my vehicle was taken to Tesla Store located at 9140 E Independence Blvd, Matthews, NC 28105. It has yet to receive a permanent fix. •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The ‘Front Passenger Safety Restraint System’ had some unknown ‘fault’ and the car gave a prompt that service was required. This occurred: 6/2022 5/2023 8/2023

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Jul 26, 2023TX

Sudden braking for no reason when driving with cruise engaged. several occurrence at different times. very dangerous. may be hit in rear

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

Computer will suddenly error out and cruise control, AEB, forward collision warnings, and lane keep assist are not available. A warning "cruise control unavailable" shows if you attempt to engage autopilot or FSD. No forward collision warnings, no auto slowing down. Not docked for close following. No visualizations made. Not resolved with soft or hard reboot. Sometimes will randomly will allow to re-engage, other times I have to park the car and let it go to sleep without charging or sentry mode for things to reset. I've driven many, multiple times including for 1.5-2hour segments with a frozen visualization and no AEB or cruise control or FSD. Speed independent, weather independent. Time of day independent.

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 19, 2023CA

On, June 24th and July 15th my vehicle experienced multiple errors while driving. Indicator lights stated the following: stability control disabled, dash cam disabled, traction control disabled, regenerative braking disabled, emergency braking disabled. On July 15th the front motor was disabled, causing the vehicle to not have enough power to continue up the mountain. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway, and started rolling backwards. After I was able to turn the vehicle around, the brakes were grinding, and did not stop the vehicle. There as a smell of burnt rubber, and the brake pedal started “ popping” and moving back and forth on its’ own. The engine failure has occurred twice, and all of other errors have occurred 4 times since June 2023. I made an appointment with the Tesla service center and they cancelled my appointment, for no reason. After the July 15th incident, I took the vehicle into the service center myself. These issues are intermittent, which is very dangerous. The car will experience these errors, and then operate as normal. Tesla told me that they thought this entire thing was “ strange” and that they have never heard of this issue. All logs on the vehicle show these errors, and I have a witness. Tesla has not updated me with the status of my repair, or even a diagnosis. I am terrified to drive this vehicle.

Seat Belts
Filed Jul 19, 2023CA

On 7/18/2023 - my car reported the following: Replace Occupant Classification System (OCS) of Front Passenger Seat. In essence the seat sensor on the car malfunctioned and needed to be replaced. Tesla charged me $466.29 to replace this and said that this was not under warranty, even though this was a safety issue on their part.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Jul 18, 2023CA

My family and I were driving from San Diego to Arizona on Interstate 8. I was utilizing autopilot (adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assistance) and 4 different times the car slammed on the brakes from approximately 75 mph to 60 mph. We were driving on a bright, sunny, extremely hot day (116 degrees). Luckily there were no cars behind us or we could have been rear-ended. It's also noteworthy, there were no cars/vehicles in front of us or objects in the road when the phantom braking occurred. I now no longer feel safe using autopilot on our Model Y. No warning messages appeared and no additional information was provided by the car. We have used autopilot on several other road trips and never experienced this issue.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jul 17, 202342,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated at high speed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact desperately depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle came to a to stop. The dealer was contact, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Electrical System
Filed Jul 10, 2023CA

Yesterday morning I opened the car and put my dogs in the back seat. I closed the door. I then tried to open the driver’s door but the car became unresponsive. I tried to release the charging cable connected to my home charger. The car did not respond via bluetooth or mobile or access card key. The car was completely dead with my dogs inside. I live in Palm Springs. It was 90 degrees and sunny outside. I called Tesla roadside. Towing was dispatched. Eventually the passenger doors opened and I got the dogs out. My car was towed away. Dead. Nobody at Tesla seems to see how dangerous this situation was. It could have been a baby locked inside the car. Tesla has no culture or attitude of taking this seriously or seeing this as a potentially life threatening issue. It’s shocking to me how everyone I spoke with at Tesla saw this as just another glitch or customer trouble ticket. The severity of this issue was completely lost on every Tesla employee I encountered. Tesla must be held accountable. According to the tow truck driver this happens frequently. People are often stranded in extreme heat due to this 12v battery failure. This issue MUST be investigated and Tesla should be forced to respond.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 9, 2023FL

1.What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? After closing the passenger side door, The 12v battery that controls the Tesla cabin died without any prior warning or car notification that it needed to be replaced, as a result the car instantly powered down , disabling the a/c, windows and door locks and we were unable to open the doors to access the car. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? At the time of the event no, just our personal belongings were trapped inside the car but as a parent of a small child I usually put my child in her car seat first and close the door then get in my seat, if this had occurred with my child being in the car , my only option would be to smash in the window to get her out as the car has no back up system to open the car doors if the 12v battery dies. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes , the tesla had to be towed to the service center we’re they had to run system test and replace the 12v battery. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes by Tesla , they ran test and determined that the 12v battery was the issue. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warnings or notifications were given prior , teslas are suppose to receive a notification to ale

Structure › Body
Filed Jul 9, 2023PA

When driving at highway speeds (55 MPH and above), the driver's side rearview mirror vibrates, making it difficult to see and identify back automobiles. This is a safety hazard when exiting the highway or merging the lines when the outside weather is raining/dark/snowing.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed Jul 6, 2023MA

I was driving the speed limit with the adaptive cruise control engaged on I-95 in Maine with no one in front of to the sides of me. All of a sudden without warning my car brakes on the middle of the highway. I regained control right after and did not use the adaptive cruise control for the rest of the drive.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 26, 2023NC

Phantom braking in autopilot. Traveling at 75mph with traffic behind, fortunately the car behind was not following closely. No warning message beforehand, just happened very suddenly with no obstructions in sight. Weather was clear and sunny, no traffic in front. Two minutes later, the car completely ignored a deer standing on the hard shoulder!

Electrical SystemCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 22, 202340,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle hydroplaned shortly after he merged into another lane. The contact stated that he left his foot off the throttle in an effort to not lose control of the vehicle; however, the vehicle's automated regenerative braking feature engaged and the vehicle drifted at a 90-degree angle. In an attempt to avoid hitting another vehicle, the contact hit a concrete barrier. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact suffered neck pain and a gash to his right arm but did not seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Jun 20, 2023CA

I was driving my car when suddenly it started losing power while I was driving 70 - 80mph, and I noticed two messages on the screen: "power limited, schedule service" and "power reduced” and then my car would no longer drive above 50 - 55mph and the heat in the car was reduced . Concerned about the issue, I promptly contacted Tesla to have my vehicle serviced. However, to my surprise, after performing a diagnosis, they insisted that there was nothing wrong with the car. The component I believe failed is the heating pump, which is still installed in the vehicle. My safety was put at risk because I was on a highway with the speed limit was 75mph, and if other people were not paying attention they may have crashed into me due to me suddenly slowing down and also things could of turned fatal if someone were to be stranded in the middle of nowhere without a working heater when it is 0° outside. The issue was confirmed by the manufacturer as a “ engineering issue” that would be addressed with a software update.

Lane Departure › Assist
Filed Jun 19, 2023MA

“Full self driving” (Tesla’s beta feature) swerved erratically when used on highway with bike rack attached to tow hitch loaded with 4 bikes. The screen intermittently showed a car following closely (which wasn’t there) and likely swerved to try and get away from it. This caused the car to move onto adjacent lanes risking bumping into other cars in those lanes

Steering
Filed Jun 16, 2023CA

On. 12 June 2023 between 6-7 pm the steering wheel jammed off in the Mountain house shopping plaza . I could not move the steering wheel as it was very hard to move it . Next day on 13 June 2023 around 7-9 pm in Modesto downtown the steering wheel jammed again while I was turning left on the light . This is very scary as the vehicle could not be tunrned at all.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 16, 2023CO

We have recently experienced a significant and concerning increase in incidents of phantom braking and have thus far been unable to receive an adequate response from Tesla. We have had at least six instances of this occurring today, 16-Jun-2023 in the first 6-7 hours of our cross-country drive, and I’ve shared these time stamps with Tesla service. This is because we experienced this same thing 2-3 times on another long drive in November of 2022, and Tesla service told us at the time they couldn’t do anything about it unless we had time stamps because otherwise, it’s too many pages of code to sort through and beyond that, you have to notify them within 12 days of the incident or they can’t look into it at all (which is what happened with me- although I had to chase them to even get a response). They also said it was a “known issue” but were unsure about a planned remedy. I took screenshots of that conversation with Tesla service and have attached to this submission in the event that’s helpful. We are still pending a response from Tesla service for the multiple incidents today. Interestingly, we had taken this car on multiple lengthy drives in all types of conditions prior to Nov 2022, but never experienced this issue previously. It certainly seems to be increasing in frequency and intensity (I know my n=1 for my sample size here makes this somewhat anecdotal, but it’s terrifying regardless) and it seems like only a matter of time until tragedy strikes.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Jun 16, 2023TX

Countless times, at high legal speed, with adaptive cruise control enabled, on a straight blemish-free level highway with perfect visibility, sudden automatic deceleration was experienced-- several times every hour over 11 hours of driving. I have video recordings.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed Jun 14, 2023KS

Repeated "phantom braking" caused by shadows from clouds, pavement coloration changes, billboards some distance from the highway, large advisory signs, and even pieces of blown-out truck tires on the shoulder produce sudden deceleration of over 30 mph in just seconds from the automatic emergency braking system on my 2021 Model Y Performance. This mostly occurs on interstate highways or secondary highways when the vehicle is in cruise control or auto steer with cruise control mode. A recent trip of several thousand miles produced over 20 cases of phantom braking. The windshield area in front of my forward facing cameras is always kept clean. HAZARD: It has created the risk of rear-end collisions, or stimulated road rage from following drivers.

Electrical System › Adas › Autonomous/Self Driving › Software
Filed Jun 14, 202327,777 milesWA

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle attempted to turn left onto a side street while the Autonomous Self Driving feature was engaged. The contact stated that the vehicle began the left turn from the right side of the roadway and went across two lanes and into the opposite traffic lane headed in the other direction. The contact stated that the failure with the Autonomous Self Driving feature occurred several times previously at the same part of the roadway. The contact stated that the turn signal had been engaged only briefly, and no warning lights were illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the Autonomous Self Driving software version was "Full Self-Drive Beta 11.4.2 (2023.7.10 a 165AF53442E). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 27,777.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 5, 2023CA

While driving eastbound on the CA60 freeway and merging onto the Interstate 10 freeway, on a clear sunny day and on a dry road, without another vehicle beside the car, with the 'autopilot' (not full version) engaged, the car suddenly initiated an uncommanded acceleration which required the driver to aggressively depress the brake pedal to stop the acceleration and to disengage the automated driving feature. This sudden acceleration brought the vehicle dangerously close to another vehicle traveling in front before it could be stopped. Witnesses were in the car when this incident occurred.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 5, 2023CA

While driving northbound on the CA111 freeway along an elevated ramp leading to the Interstate 10 freeway, in the evening after sunset, and on a dry road, without another vehicle beside the car, with the 'autopilot' (not full version) engaged, the car suddenly initiated an uncommanded acceleration which required the driver to aggressively depress the brake pedal to stop the acceleration and to disengage the automated driving feature. This sudden acceleration placed the driver and occupants at risk to the car traveling around an elevated tight curve with a ramp speed limit that the car exceeded. Witnesses were in the car when this incident occurred.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 2, 2023CA

While driving at speed (75-80 mph) on Interstate 90 and 80 (different days) auto aggressively applied brakes. No other autos, trucks or obstructions were anywhere close to the car. There was no forewarning the problem was going occur. All occurred in daylight from morning until mid afternoon. I recognize this as phantom braking. Tesla refuses to look at the car because I did not have the exact time the problems occurred, messages from 6/2/23. I am of the opinion if this was Elon's car they would look at it.

Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Jun 1, 2023GA

Tesla full self driving drove off highway curb and dropped 10 feet down, vehicle was total loss, airbags popped. There was a car trying to change to Tesla lane, Tesla overacted and took over control, and driver was unable to take back the control while in full self driving mode, no warning sign whatsoever during the accident, Tesla just drove off high way curb by itself. No collision between Tesla and other car. As experienced driver for over 30 years, I have never had accidents at fault, never made such silly mistake to drive off high way.

Seat Belts
Filed May 30, 2023CA

Rear seat belts do not latch. the male portion of the seatbelt will be able to go in fully, but there's no click or latch to prevent it from coming back out. this is a huge safety issue, but Tesla has refused to service it. there are no warning lamps or messages.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed May 29, 2023NM

For last several months my 2021 Tesla Y is experiencing phantom braking while using cruise control. Happens about once every 50 miles on the highway and occurs on straight roads with no traffic in front or behind and no road hazards. Braking is sudden and hard and represents a significant hazard . Thanks

Service Brakes
Filed May 28, 2023WA

On a trip from Spokane to Seattle on 5/27/2023, while traveling at 72mph on I-90, we experienced “phantom braking”. This resulted in the vehicle rapidly decelerating based on its detection of something in front of the car to avoid a collision. This occurred 3 times on the trip, and in no case was there anything for the vehicle to avoid. Weather was clear and road conditions were dry. Our biggest concern is that there could have been someone following directly behind, and would have certainly caused an accident if this were the case. The Tesla was in “autopilot”, which is the only mode we have experienced this. We experienced this last year on the same stretch of I-90, just east of Moses Lake to just west of George Washington.

SeatsCrash
Filed May 26, 2023MI

The drivers seat is not bolted down properly, it moves while driving. It makes it so that I don't feel in control of the vehicle and I may accelerate unintentionally as my foot is moved by the seat moving. I also fail to break as I need to as the seat moves back and my foot fails to engage on the brake. There are no warnings, and Tesla service is aware and maintains it is "under spec" I have attached a copy of their work order information

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed May 24, 202322,000 milesCO

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 55-65 MPH, the vehicle experienced "Phantom Braking". The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

Power TrainCrash
Filed May 24, 2023UT

My wife was driving in moderate rain on the freeway. We were going about 70mph which was the same speed as the rest of the cars. We were going around a gentle turn in the road. Then without warning, our car started to slowly spin around. My wife instantly and completely lost control. We spun almost 180 degrees, crashed into two other vehicles, and came to rest against the cement barrier. Luckily nobody was seriously hurt, but we totaled two vehicles and damaged another. If the spin had happened along a different section of road we frequently drive on, we would have slid into oncoming traffic and people could have been killed. I requested that Tesla send the full data logs of the accident. It shows that my wife released the accelerator pedal right when the spin started. In most cars, releasing the accelerator causes the car to gently slow down. But Teslas, on the other hand, do aggressive regenerative braking when the accelerator is released. So it was as if my wife had pressed the break. HERE IS THE PROBLEM: THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM APPLIES THE BREAKS TO THE REAR WHEELS ONLY. On dry pavement this is fine, but on a wet road, going around a turn, hitting only the rear breaks was enough to cause the back of our car to slide out from behind us. Here is more detail: 1. Our car was All Wheel Drive. But the Tesla has published that for increased efficiency, they don't actually use the front motor except during high acceleration. This means that most of the time the car is onl

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed May 23, 2023CA

Driving I-80 on May 9 between 2 - 4 pm going approx 70mph using autopilot. Sudden, unexpected, rapid deceleration causing back seat contents (suitcases & my dog) to fly forward. Nothing in front of me, no visual obstruction, weather clear and sunny. Luckily no one behind me. It felt like I had slammed on the brakes. I did get off highway shortly after to get dog out of where he lodged in back seat.Tesla rep via text messaging said I caused this by tapping accelerator & no need for inspection, but I do not recall doing that. I did receive a message/warning around the approx time I think this occurred stating “Driving visualization temporarily degraded” (I have screenshot.) They did send me the spreadsheet data of that day but I can’t decipher it.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed May 22, 2023NV

The problem I am writing about is not specific to my Tesla vehicle, but inherent to all Tesla's. I have read in the news about the issue concerning the full AutoPilot with drivers not paying attention figuring the vehicle will drive itself. Although, there is another inherent issue with vehicles without subscribing to AutoPilot while using the cruise control feature resulting in a problem referred to within the Tesla community as "phantom braking." While the cruise control is active and the driver is attentive with hands on the steering wheel, the vehicle intermittently jams on the brakes even though there are no obstacles in the road ahead. The driver and passengers are panicked requiring the driver to immediately respond by pressing the accelerator to avoid being rear-ended. My wife and I have experienced the issue on multiple occasions since owning our Tesla Y since September 2021. We have experienced the issue on clear days with perfect weather and a clean windshield. The road is clear with no vehicles in front of us on a divided highway traveling at highway speeds. We've also experienced the issue on a two-lane non-divided road with oncoming traffic in the other lane. Eventually, the problem becomes such an issue that we have to turn-off the cruise control to drive normally which defeats the reason why cruise control is desired. I had presented the issue with Tesla support, but I was basically blown off. Although, this issue is frequently commented by other Tesla owners

Steering
Filed May 20, 2023MI

The right tie rod suddenly disconnected when I turned the steering wheel. The tie rod did not look damaged. The car lost all steering control. Fortunately I was in my driveway when it occurred. The car has 24,000 miles and has never been in an accident. The car was towed to Tesla for repairs on 5/19/23

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed May 19, 2023CO

Over the past 2 weeks there have been multiple (5+ times in one day) instances of phantom breaking both using adaptive cruise control and autopilot. This often happens when approaching a bridge but also in areas where bridges are not present. Sometimes the sun may be towards the front of the car, sometimes not. Luckily no collisions, but the sudden breaking is a safety hazard and prevents the use of the car’s advanced features that are meant to reduce driver fatigue.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed May 15, 2023NV

Phantom Braking while driving interstate 15 on May 8, 2023 at 11:15 AM. No other cars were within a half mile in front or behind. Car went from 70mph with hard braking until I took control to regain speed. Had there been other vehicles behind me, it could have resulted in a rear end collision. Reported to Tesla today, May 15th, but told there is no fix. I have not used the Autopilot feature much at all, since most driving is short city trips. I do not intend to use this feature for safety concerns.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking
Filed May 14, 2023CA

I own a 2021 Tesla Model Y. I took possession of it on August 7, 2021, in Santa Barbara, Ca. Ever since, I have had thousands of instances of automatic emergency braking (phantom braking) episodes while using cruise control or autopilot. On January 26, 2022, I had 47 documented episodes, in just two hours. The experiences of severe phantom braking have been terrifying. The car often slams on its brakes for no apparent reason, many times on a four lane highway, or on a freeway with no cars or obstacles. I worry about getting rear-ended, which could end in severe injury or death. It has been in for repair five times, and the technicians are animate that a software update is coming very soon to resolve this problem (they've been promising that since a few weeks after taking possession of the Tesla). I expected the problem to be resolved by now. It hasn't. The AEB continues today. Can you please force Tesla to fix this problem immediately? It is very dangerous. Please provide a response identifying actions you are taking to resolve this very important safety matter.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control
Filed May 5, 2023MA

For the FSD beta, it does not currently parse and respect road signage such as “No Turn on Red” and “Detour”. This constitutes a material safety risk and also a moving violation.

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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.

Full record for the 2021 Tesla Model Y → · Every Model Y year → · How the figures are calculated →