2021 TESLA MODEL Y Complaints

On August 27, 2026, the 12V/low-voltage battery in my Tesla completely failed without any prior low-voltage warning displayed on the screen or sent to the mobile app. After placing my infant/toddler in their car seat in the rear and closing the door, the vehicle's electronic systems shut down entirely. The electronic door handles and key access became completely inoperative from the outside, locking my child inside the vehicle with no way for me to open the doors or retrieve them. The manual override releases are inaccessible to a young child buckled in a car seat, and the vehicle provided zero advance warning that the low-voltage battery was at critical failure. This severe design flaw creates an immediate, life-threatening entrapment hazard.

I own a 2021 Tesla Model Y with an HW3 car computer. At approximately 54,000 miles, the vehicle developed intermittent failures of the cameras, GPS/navigation, and cruise control. On two occasions during the same routine drive, about 40 minutes into the trip, the GPS, cameras, and cruise control abruptly stopped functioning at approximately the same location. The first occurrence was about July 7, 2026 at 9:15 AM and the second August 7, 2026 at about 3:15 PM. I made the same trip once between these events without a failure. I had also previously experienced a frightening incident while driving northbound on I-280 approaching the lane division for 19th Avenue in San Francisco using Autopilot. Where my lane widened and a new lane began, the vehicle abruptly attempted to follow the new lane to the right. I had to intervene firmly with the steering wheel to maintain control. I do not know whether this event was related to the later diagnosed computer failure, but report it because of its possible safety significance. Tesla serviced the vehicle in Sunnyvale on August 16, 2026 at 54,565 miles. Tesla's invoice states: “Technician addressed the intermittent loss of GPS, cameras, and cruise control. The car computer had board-side failures and was replaced.” Tesla replaced the HW3 computer with a Hardware 3.2 computer, part 1775000-S0-L. Tesla also found corrosion at the 12V input and replaced the 12V battery. My concern is that the HW3 computer failure was intermittent and simultaneously affected cameras, GPS/navigation, and cruise control. The vehicle operated normally between failures, so a driver could not know when the problem might recur. I ask NHTSA to determine whether similar HW3 computer failures are occurring in other 2021 Model Y vehicles.

Component Failed: Electronic Power Steering (EPAS) system / Steering Rack. The vehicle is currently displaying the active safety alert code: UI_a020 ("Steering assist reduced / disabled"). The vehicle is available for inspection. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of primary power steering assist creates a severe safety hazard, requiring extreme physical effort to steer the vehicle. This increases the risk of a crash during sudden maneuvers or at low speeds. Confirmation & Warning Lamps: The UI_a020 warning message is actively displayed on the vehicle's touchscreen. Tesla service has remotely acknowledged the alert code and required a diagnostic fee approval via the mobile app. Inspection Status: The vehicle has not yet been physically inspected. Due to severe service backlogs, the earliest available appointment Tesla could provide is more than a month away, on September 30th. I am forced to either park the vehicle or drive it with a known, I think there's active steering system fault until that date.

In May 2025, my 2021 Tesla Model Y, with approximately 50,600 miles, developed a squeaking/groaning noise from the front suspension, especially while turning. I brought the vehicle to a Tesla Service Center because of the noise. Tesla inspected and road-tested the vehicle and confirmed the squeaking/groaning from the front suspension. According to the Tesla service invoice, the noise was caused by worn front suspension components. Tesla replaced both front lower lateral links, both front lower compliance links, and both front upper control arms. Tesla also replaced the associated lateral-link bolts/hardware and performed a four-wheel alignment. There were no warning lights or dashboard messages that I recall. The suspension noise was the symptom that caused me to seek service. The problem was confirmed by Tesla during its inspection and road test. I paid for the repair myself. I am reporting this because I recently learned that NHTSA is investigating front lower lateral-link failures in 2021–2023 Tesla Model Y vehicles under Preliminary Evaluation PE26006. My vehicle is within the model years under investigation, and Tesla replaced both of my front lower lateral links after confirming my front suspension symptoms. I do not know whether my lateral links would have eventually detached if they had not been replaced. The original components were removed by Tesla during the repair and are not available for inspection.

SAFETY DEFECT REPORT: UNMAPPED RECALL EXPANSION / COMPONENT COMMONALITY My 2021 Tesla Model Y experienced a sudden, dangerous loss of electronic power-assisted steering (EPAS) while driving, instantly displaying the alert: "Steering assist reduced / Steering may require increased effort."An official diagnosis by Tesla Service (Estimate #3000-009-0038060635, attached) confirmed a catastrophic failure of the steering gear assembly, requiring a full replacement of the unit. The specific component listed for replacement is STEERING GEAR - LEFT HAND DRIVE, Part Number: 1188832-00-B. This is the identical engineering architecture and part family (1188832) targeted in NHTSA Safety Recall 25V092 for an overvoltage breakdown of the internal EPAS printed circuit board. While my vehicle falls outside the current 2023 model year production window defined by Tesla for 25V092, it uses the exact same component architecture and suffered the exact same failure mode. This represents a clear pattern of failure and component commonality expanding into earlier model years (2021). I am submitting my official itemized Tesla repair estimate of $3,072.50 as physical documentation. I request that the NHTSA review this component match and investigate an expansion of Recall 25V092 to protect other owners of earlier model years from this sudden loss of steering control.

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the suspension on the undercarriage of the vehicle was separating from the vehicle. The contact stated that a year prior to the failure, the half shaft used to attach the wheel to the vehicle subframe was fractured and was falling off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the battery was very heavy and was possibly the cause of the failure. The vehicle was being repaired out of pocket. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,811.

On XXX, while driving southbound on XXX from [XXX] toward [XXX], my vehicle’s center display (MCU) crashed and rebooted at highway speed, leaving me with no screen for approximately 5–10 minutes. Sequence of events: 1.Earlier in the drive, while using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14 Lite, the vehicle exhibited phantom braking and speed oscillation (repeatedly cycling between approximately 73, 70, and 72 mph without cause). I disengaged FSD and switched to standard Autopilot. 2.During this portion of the drive, three alert codes appeared: UI_a111, APP_w207, and DI_a175 (the latter twice). 3.I stopped to Supercharge in [XXX] at 1:17 PM (33-minute session ending approximately 1:50 PM), then resumed driving on XXX [XXX]. 4.Shortly after resuming the drive, at approximately 1:53 PM, I tapped on one of the displayed alerts on the touchscreen to view details. The screen opened an in-car help/browser page, then the entire MCU crashed and went dark. 5.The display remained black for approximately 5–10 minutes while I was traveling at highway speed. During this time I had NO speedometer, NO navigation/GPS, NO touch controls, and NO visibility into vehicle alerts or state. In a Tesla Model Y, the center display is the ONLY instrument display — there is no separate gauge cluster. 6.The MCU eventually rebooted on its own and the display returned. The incident time is corroborated by a text message my wife sent me from inside the vehicle at 1:53 PM at my request, specifically to create a contemporaneous timestamped record. Safety concern: A driver-initiated tap on a safety alert — an action the interface invites — triggered a total display failure at highway speed. Loss of the sole speedometer and all vehicle status information while traveling at approximately 70+ mph is an unreasonable safety risk. This occurred on the same drive as continued phantom braking and speed oscillation events previously reported in ODI #XXX, o INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Component: Suspension: Front — lower lateral and compliance link assemblies; missing and backed-out lateral-link-to-subframe fasteners; torn bushings Beginning in XXX, the vehicle produced a reproducible knocking noise from the front end when reversing and turning at parking-lot speeds, with no dashboard warnings. Tesla Service ([XXX], invoice XXX) verified the noise and documented on the invoice that the cause was: 1. A front left lateral-link-to-subframe mounting bolt MISSING entirely; 2. A second lateral-link fastener significantly backed out; 3. Torn bushings in both front lower compliance links. The technician replaced both front lower lateral link assemblies and both front lower compliance link assemblies with new hardware (invoice line items: XXX lateral links; XXX and XXX compliance links). Total customer cost for the suspension work: $1,539, out of warranty; goodwill and defect coverage were denied in writing as "wear and tear." A structural fastener missing entirely from a primary front suspension link is not ordinary wear. It is the precursor condition to the lateral-link separation investigated under PE26006, which covers this vehicle by year and model. With one bolt absent and the second backed out at under 30,000 miles, this vehicle was effectively one fastener away from the detachment event the investigation documents. The contemporaneous torn bushings in both compliance links reinforce premature component failure, not age-related degradation. No crash, fire, or injury occurred, and the vehicle remained drivable. However, the failure occurred without warning on a safety-critical steering and suspension load path. Evidence retained by owner and referenced in this complaint: -Pre-repair inspection photographs & post-repair invoice INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On 8/10/26, my Tesla experienced a complete low-voltage electrical failure while parked at my home. I owned the vehicle 34 days and put 1,054 miles on it after purchasing it directly from Tesla as a pre-owned vehicle. I entered the driver's seat, and closed the driver's door. The center touchscreen was completely black, the vehicle would not power on, and the Tesla mobile app could not control the vehicle. I attempted to exit the vehicle, but the electronic driver's-door release would not operate. My husband was outside the vehicle and was also unable to open the driver's door from the exterior. The outside temperature was approximately 80 degrees, and the interior of the vehicle became increasingly warmer. For several minutes, we attempted to open the driver's door, lower a window, or restore power without success. I had not been shown or instructed on the location or operation of the manual emergency door release when Tesla delivered the vehicle. I ultimately had to climb over the center console to the passenger side and push the passenger door open with both feet. Tesla Roadside Assistance was contacted and the vehicle was towed to the Tesla Service Center. Tesla's 8/12/2026 service record documents the concern as "Parked vehicle unable to power on" and states that the technician found the 12V battery inoperative. Tesla replaced the 12V lead-acid battery assembly. During the same service visit, Tesla also replaced the left-front door glass and upper trim. Tesla separately verified that the passenger-side window had come out of its track and scratched the trim and documented that the cause was a loose and improperly seated front-right door trim panel. I received no warning on the vehicle display or through the Tesla app before the low-voltage battery failed. My primary safety concern is that loss of low-voltage power disabled the normal electronic means of exiting the driver's door while I was inside the vehicle, with no advance warning.

The high-voltage battery failed unexpectedly shortly after the warranty expired (with only 9,000 miles past warranty). Tesla Service confirmed a main high-voltage battery defect and quoted a full battery replacement. A sudden high-voltage battery failure causes a complete loss of propulsion/power, creating a severe collision and safety hazard on public roads. There were no prior warnings until the system suddenly failed and rendered the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle is currently available for inspection. This appears to be a premature latent defect in 2021 model high-voltage battery packs.