2023 TESLA MODEL Y Complaints

I am reporting a recurring safety defect involving the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system on my pre-owned 2023 Tesla Model Y Dual Motor Long Range (VIN: [XXX] ), equipped with Tesla Hardware 3. Component/System: Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software and driver-assistance control system. The vehicle remains in my possession and is available for inspection upon request. Description: From the time of purchase (approximate mileage ~66,549), the FSD system repeatedly exhibited unsafe behavior during normal operation on public roads, including straddling two lanes, drifting toward lane markers, stopping at green lights or within intersections, hesitating mid-intersection, and failing to complete routine turns. These behaviors required frequent human intervention and made the system unsafe to use. Safety Risk: The behavior created a risk of collision with other vehicles and posed a danger to occupants and other road users, particularly when stopping unexpectedly at green lights or hesitating in intersections. Confirmation/Inspection: The issue was reported multiple times to Tesla Service and escalated internally. Tesla inspected the vehicle and confirmed in writing that the FSD behaviors were “behavioral” and not resolvable by hardware replacement at that time, with no known fix or timeline. Warnings: No warning lamps or fault messages were displayed prior to or during the incidents. Despite these issues, Tesla continued to advertise the vehicle as FSD-capable and accepted payment for the FSD subscription. I provided Tesla formal written notice via certified mail, delivered November 26, 2025, with no response within the stated timeframe. Although a recent software update has temporarily improved behavior, the defect existed at purchase and persisted through multiple service interactions. Additional documentation, service records, and communications are available upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am writing to file a complaint regarding a safety issue with my 2023 Model Y Performance Tesla vehicle. The steering wheel's faux leather covering is peeling and bubbling, causing the material to come off while driving. This poses a significant hazard as it compromises my grip and creates a distraction, potentially leading to loss of control. Additionally, Tesla does NOT want to repair this, even though I’m still under warranty.

I was driving 2023 Tesla Model -Y (VIN [XXX] ) with the latest FSD software with FSD and navigation on. As I approached a stoplight it was unclear whether the car would make the appropriate turn at the intersection, so I pushed up on the right stalk to disengage FSD and inadvertently touched the brake pedal before FSD had disengaged in response to the stalk movement. Touching the brake apparently disengaged FSD, so when I pushed up on the stalk it put the car in reverse. There was no visual or audible warning (or at least none that I saw or heard), and when I stepped on the accelerator the car went in reverse. Fortunately, I did not hit the car behind me. It seems to me that the sequence of events I described could happen often and there should be some sort of audible or visual warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Rear AC fails or does not turn on reliably, even with proper settings and a child in the back seat. • I live in Texas; inside temps can rapidly become dangerous, and a child’s body heats several times faster than an adult’s, increasing the risk of heatstroke. • The vehicle is under warranty, yet the defect remains unresolved and directly affects the safety of a restrained toddler who cannot move to cooler air

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a right turn, the driver’s side control arm detached from the vehicle, and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The control arm was dragged for several minutes before the vehicle came to a stop. The contact pulled over to the side of the road while on a hill. The contact called the Police to assist with traffic control. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the Tesla Service Center, where it was confirmed that the driver’s side front lower lateral link assembly had detached. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. Several days later, the contact was informed that the half-shaft assembly had also failed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,350.

While backing out of a parking stall, the bolts securing the front right lower control arm fell off. One of the bolts rolled under the car and the other bolt was still in the control arm. This vehicle has never been off road, or in an accident. It was towed to the dealership for repairs. It terrifies me to consider what would have happened to me or my family had the bolts fallen off driving at freeway speeds. "Tesla Technician Notes: The customer reported that the lower front control arm fell off, which was verified by inspection showing extensive damage to the suspension, subframe, and front drive unit. The issue was caused by both bolts falling out of the right front lower lateral link. To address this, technicians replaced the front lower lateral and compliance links, steering rack, RF spring and damper assembly, subframe, drive unit, RF halfshaft, RF wheel arch liner, stabilizer bar links, and aero shield, and performed a four-wheel alignment check and adjust. The repair was validated by ensuring all components were securely reattached and functioning properly."

When driving on slippery surfaces, if I release the accelerator pedal—even slightly—the vehicle automatically activates regenerative braking to recapture energy. On ice, this sudden deceleration mimics applying the brakes, which can cause an immediate loss of traction and control. This happened to me recently while driving in snowy and icy conditions. As soon as I eased off the accelerator, the car engaged regenerative braking, the wheels lost grip, and the vehicle began to slide, similar to what would happen if hard braking were applied on ice. I momentarily lost control of the car, creating a serious safety hazard. This behavior is not intuitive and can surprise drivers, particularly in winter climates. Unless regenerative braking is manually adjusted or turned off—something not every driver knows to do—the system can unintentionally put the vehicle into a skid. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue. A software modification or warning may be needed so drivers are not placed at risk due to unexpected regenerative braking on slippery surfaces. Thank you for your attention to this safety concern.

My Model Y experienced a sudden steering assist failure while driving. The wheel became extremely stiff/locked even though Autosteer was off. Multiple thermal system faults appeared: VCRIGHT_a271_THSSensorFault, VCRIGHT_a257_THSMIA, GTW_w043_THSVersionMismatch, and HVACSystemNotNominal This was very scary as I was driving and had no control of steering wheel because it locked.

Concern: Passenger Side Front Wheel Trim - Fitment issue upon making right turns somewhere from passenger side front suspension area making loud noise started today around 5:30 to 6pm and wheel alignment is error started is showing on screen. Repair Notes: Technician inspected and road tested the vehicle, verifying a loud noise from the passenger side front suspension area during right turns, as reported by the customer. The issue was caused by loose bolts on the lower lateral link on the left side. The technician replaced the front lower lateral link assembly, along with the necessary bolts and nuts, and performed a four-wheel alignment check and adjustment. After the repair, the technician confirmed the noise was resolved and the vehicle's alignment error was no longer displayed.

Currently on the newest Tesla Full Self Driving software v14.1.4, it is phantom breaking as well as phantom swearing out of nowhere. It is swerving and using the breaks so hard it actually affects the steering wheel and self disengages it's self (without the big-loud safety alert to immediately take over control), it just does the soft disengage audio notification, like if you wanted to cancel FSD yourself. The serious problem is that the car does not stop like it should, instead it just continues it seems like it just neutrally rolls on its own drive and twice in the last week it would swerve directly into oncoming traffic. It is not supposed to be doing this at all, especially now that the "hands off" approval is enacted. I drive about 450 miles a week and this has happened about twice a week for the last two weeks. Thank god i was paying attention all four times, but I am so worried this is going to kill someone. I have tried to call TESLA but they purposely don't staff their phones and no one answers.