2023 TESLA MODEL Y Complaints

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against Tesla, Inc. regarding multiple critical safety failures that occurred with my Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX] ) during a collision on Saturday, [XXX], while I was traveling eastbound on [XXX] from the [XXX] exit to the [XXX] exit in Pennsylvania. At approximately [XXX], I was driving in the left lane when a BMW SUV abruptly cut into my lane ahead of me, accelerated briefly, and then suddenly braked. I immediately applied the brakes multiple times in an effort to stop my car. Even though there was sufficient space to stop safely, the braking system failed to respond, resulting in a collision with the BMW in front of me. Despite my efforts to avoid the impact, the following dangerous and unacceptable failures occurred at the time of the accident: 1.Failure of Regenerative Braking / Deceleration: When I lifted my foot from the accelerator, the vehicle did not decelerate as expected under Tesla’s regenerative braking system. 2.Failure of Braking System: Despite pressing the brake pedal twice—including a heavy application—the braking system failed to prevent collision, contrary to Tesla’s advertised safety performance. 3.Failure of Collision-Avoidance Features: Critical safety systems—including Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and Obstacle-Aware Acceleration—did not engage to mitigate or prevent the impact. 4.Failure of Airbag Deployment: Despite the severity of the crash, none of the airbags deployed, exposing me to serious risk of injury and raising grave concerns about the integrity of the Model Y’s occupant protection systems. 5.Post-Collision Failure of Regenerative Braking: Following the accident, when I attempted to drive the vehicle, the regenerative braking system was completely non-functional, creating a continuing safety hazard and rendering the vehicle unsafe to operate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Summary of Complaint: My 2023 Tesla Model Y has had two roof glass failures in three months (two glass roof replacements). Both times, the glass cracked from small road debris while driving under normal city conditions. Safety Concern The roof glass appears unusually fragile and prone to cracking, raising concerns about whether it meets industry standards for impact resistance and occupant safety. The rapid failure rate (two roof glass panels in three months) suggests a potential design or materials defect rather than isolated incidents of road damage. If roof glass panels cannot withstand normal road debris, this presents a safety risk for drivers and passengers, as well as for other motorists if large shards detach while driving. The roof glass seems unusually fragile. Two failures in such a short time suggest a design or material defect. If the glass cannot withstand normal road debris, it may not meet durability or safety standards. There is also risk to occupants and other drivers if roof glass fails while in motion. Request: Please investigate whether the 2023 Tesla Model Y roof glass meets required safety standards, and whether this issue is affecting other owners.

The front driver’s side wheel came off of the axel while parking. Lug nuts/studs appear intact, suggesting a suspension component failure. This is a serious safety hazard that could have caused loss of control and injury.

This started at about 65000 miles in my 2023 Model Y. The rear camera first lost picture and I received a warning that it may be intermittent. It has progressed now to the point that autopilot, navigation, all cameras, cruise control, auto headlight, and auto wipers are all nonfunctional. The car does not know its location. All safety features such as lanekeeping, cross traffic alert, auto braking are disabled. The rearview camera no longer functions. Software updates no longer complete downloading. While there are numerous reports of computer short circuits in hardware 4 cars, the only solution I am offered is to have the computer replaced at my own cost of just under 3000 dollars. And that would be warranted only for one year or 12500 miles. Reviewing the submissions on the NHTSA website as well as searching online, this problem is not infrequent. I do not feel safe letting my wife or daughter drive the car. Certain 2024 and 2025 models with this problem have been recalled for new computers. This must be expanded to include 2023 models as well.

The shoulder straps will not stay. They are supposed to lock in place once you adjust it and buckle the child in, but unfortunately, they will play back-and-forth and they will not lock in place. It is the same problem that Nuna is having with other versions of their car seat. We followed all instructions for cleaning, all instructions for maintenance, we have contacted the manufacturer and are unsatisfied with their response. They will not tell us what they think is broken, they will not tell us how to potentially fix it, nor will they admit that there is a problem, even though we have shown them video evidence. Instead, they want us to re-purchase a replacement item for half price. This issue allows the child to climb out of the car seat because the straps will not restrain them. The child can simply push on the straps and climb out.

This is a complaint regarding intermittent camera blindness, driver assistance failure, and dismissed diagnostics on a 2023 Tesla Model Y. These issues have impacted critical safety systems including: •Pillar and rear-view cameras •Autopilot and Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) •Park assist and visualization systems Despite multiple service visits and clear documentation, Tesla has failed to diagnose or remedy the malfunction, attributing the issues to external weather factors despite my repeated statements that the problems occurred in clear conditions. The vehicle has also generated camera blocked/blinded alerts, even when the lenses were clean, and service technicians confirmed the B-pillar camera was blocked during 8.7% of the drive cycle — a serious figure given that Tesla’s driver-assist systems depend entirely on vision-based processing. The vehicle has shown alerts related to Automatic Emergency Braking being disabled, which Tesla attributed to a “false trigger.” Regardless, the vehicle may have operated without key crash-avoidance systems enabled at unknown times. I live near Santiago Canyon, a winding road I specifically raised concerns about in relation to Tesla’s camera-only system. A recent fatal crash in that same area involving a Tesla with severe post-collision fire damage has made this complaint more urgent. My concerns appear predictive and ignored. Timeline of Complaints •12/20/2023: Rear camera issues begin. •12/22/2023: Initial service request opened. •12/31/2023 – 1/4/2024: Repeated documentation of pillar camera blindness and system failures. Tesla dismisses as fogrelated. Invoice #3000S0008955083 issued (Irvine, CA). •1/4/2024: I confirm continued camera blindness after service. •1/5/2024: I formally tell Tesla I believe the issue is due to a software update and is broader than one sensor. •7/11/2024: New concerns about GPS failure and power trunk documented in invoice #3000S0010537222 (Lake Forest, CA).

The 2 bolts on the lower lateral control arm on the front driver side fell off as I was driving. This caused the front wheel to collapse into the wheel well. Two large bolts were on the ground. Car had to be lifted onto tow truck . The car is out of warranty but this is a manufacture defect for the bolts to just fall off. If I had been on the freeway, there would have been a major collision. Luckily I was on a residential street. Tesla needs to do a recall. I looked up this issue and many Tesla owners have the same experience. Please help

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 2 MPH, in a parking lot, the message for an alignment was displayed for several seconds before the front driver’s side wheel separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The tow truck driver had difficulties placing the vehicle on the tow truck. Upon inspection, the contact found two loosened bolts had detached and fallen to the ground. The front suspension was also loose. The dealer confirmed that the bolts had detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V835000 (SUSPENSION). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 36,000.

When using the adaptive cruise control or “autopilot” feature on my Model Y, the vehicle will brake extremely hard without warning. This sudden, unnecessary braking is commonly referred to as phantom braking. The failure is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction poses a significant safety risk to myself and others, especially vehicles following behind, as it could lead to rear-end collisions. The issue is widespread, with many other drivers experiencing the same problem. The problem is easily reproducible on highways, particularly at certain intersections where no obstacle is present. The system will sometimes display a “curvature assist” prompt despite the road being straight, causing the vehicle to brake abruptly. I have not taken the vehicle to a dealer because the warranty has expired. The issue has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, nor has it been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. However, I reported it directly to Tesla and have received no response. No warning lamps or error messages appear before the failure, aside from the inaccurate “curvature assist” prompt. Cause: UNKNOWN.

Two days ago a warning popped up on the Tesla screen saying to schedule service for something the car had detected. It said the car could still be driven. I submitted a service request in the app, and in the meantime researched the error. Per Google, it said this was a potential issue with suspension / steering components that needed to be looked at. The next day, a Tesla technician called and asked what my appointment was for. I told him about the error and that I had found it said it was for a suspension or steering issue. He told me I was wrong, and that it was only for low tire pressure. The car did not have low tire pressure. He said the appointment wasn't needed, cancelled the appointment, and told me to drive 30-40 miles to clear the error. Literally 5 hours later, after my wife driving my kids down the freeway, when parking on the street in front go my house the car made a giant pop and the front left sank. We looked under the car and the front drivers side control arm had completely disconnected, popping straight down towards the road. More concerning, two bolts popped out, not broken, but just clearly loose and had finally unscrewed. You will see them on the ground in the pictures. If this had happened 5 minutes earlier while on the freeway I don't want to even think about what might have happened. These cars should be recalled, this is super dangerous. Not to mention the fact that Tesla explicitly canceled my appointment for this and told me not to bring the car in.