What breaks most · 2020 to 2026 model years
Tesla Model Y problems by year
Owners have filed 4,089 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Tesla Model Y across model years 2020 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2023 for forward collision system complaints, 2021 for forward collision system complaints and 2022 for forward collision system complaints. The quietest years are 2020 and 2024.
- Years to check closely: 2023, 2021, 2022
- Fewest complaints: 2020, 2024
- Complaints on file
- 40892020 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 20231144 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 54525 fires · 384 injuries · 109 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 8kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 100Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275 | 47 | 24 | Forward collision system (105) | |
| 1066 | 86 | 23 | Forward collision system (574) | |
| 854 | 87 | 20 | Forward collision system (491) | |
| 1144 | 151 | 17 | Forward collision system (471) | |
| 314 | 72 | 5 | Forward collision system (119) | |
| 96 | 30 | 3 | Forward collision system (45) | |
| 340 | 72 | 8 | Unknown or other (106) |
What fails on the 2023 Tesla Model Y
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 41% |
471 | 57 | Shop all forward collision system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 18% |
207 | 29 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 15% |
166 | 35 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
149 | 35 | Shop brakes parts for the 2023 Tesla Model Y |
| Unknown or other | 13% |
144 | 26 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 11% |
122 | 3 | Shop suspension parts for the 2023 Tesla Model Y |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 10% |
116 | 24 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Lane departure systemCamera sensors | 7% |
78 | 17 | Shop all lane departure system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Our car phantom brakes when traveling through shadows frequently and occasionally at random. This occurs at high speed as well as low speed.
-
Tesla model y is experiencing a front passenger airbag sensor failure (OCS) covered by factory bulletin SB-23-20-002 alongside TMPS and EAEB alerts. Tesla corporate resolutions is refusing to fix these safety system failures with out charging $1400 out-of-pocket, citing warranty expired.
-
Phantom braking event on highway. Going about 65 miles an hour. It slammed on the brakes. Car is on latest software. I have the video clip whet it shows me trying to get the car under control.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Tesla Model Y years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2023, 2021, 2022 carry the most filings on the Tesla Model Y. The 2023 alone has 1144 complaints, led by forward collision system.
What is the most common Tesla Model Y problem?
On the 2023 model year, the most-reported component is forward collision system with 471 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Tesla Model Y problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Tesla Model Y complaints that include mileage is about 8,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.