2023 Tesla MODEL Y problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
1,146 owner complaints analyzed
17 distinct recall campaigns
5,401 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2023 model year. Data snapshot: . 80 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 301 of 1,146 complaints (26.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 383 | 33.4% |
| Steering behavior | 234 | 20.4% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 54 | 4.7% |
| Engine operation | 13 | 1.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 4 | 0.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 301 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 233 |
| Steering | 207 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 163 |
| Service Brakes | 149 |
| Unknown Or Other | 144 |
| Suspension | 121 |
| Electrical System | 98 |
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 301; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 233; Steering: 207; Vehicle Speed Control: 163; Service Brakes: 149; Unknown Or Other: 144; Suspension: 121; Electrical System: 98
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 60 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 14 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 5 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 60; 25,000 to 49,999: 14; 50,000 to 74,999: 5; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (60). 1,066 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 544 |
| 2024 | 262 |
| 2025 | 161 |
| 2026 | 170 |
2022: 9; 2023: 544; 2024: 262; 2025: 161; 2026: 170
Pattern summary
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 383 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 234 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 54 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11494322 · 2022-11-20 (November 20, 2022)
When my vehicle is on cruise control it suddenly brakes for no apparent reason. On a road trip, it has happened suddenly and many times during the trip. It’s quite scary and dangerous.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11494322 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11494341 · 2022-11-21 (November 21, 2022)
1. brake system 2. after vehicle slowly pull up to the curb, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, while the brake was applied, it jump the curb in a shopping center and hit the post outside of a restaurant 3. it was a brand new vehicle just got delivered one day before, ~10 miles on odometer 4. no warning of any kind prior
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11494341 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11504846 · 2023-02-01 (February 1, 2023)
I bought this car on January 24, 2023, I was driving with my family on Route 1 South in Woodbridge, NJ and all the sudden steering wheel fall January 29, 2023 . Was lucky there was no car behind and able to pull on divider. https://twitter.com/preneh24/status/1619889507133976580?s=48&t=-diw7ET9CNnRr31mHffyfw
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11504846 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11510599 · 2023-03-07 (March 7, 2023)
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while at a stop with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that she rear-ended the vehicle in front as she turned the steering wheel to the left and landed in a ditch. No air bags deployed. The contact stated that she and her front-seat passenger sustained no injuries however the other vehicle driver was seen by the EMTs on the scene. A police report was filed. The vehicle was t…
Owner-reported narrative. 473 miles reported. Look up ODI 11510599 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11510798 · 2023-03-08 (March 8, 2023)
After just 250 miles on the car and just after one month of the purchase, my wife along with my 4 years old daughter was driving to get my 7 years old son from the school when it suddenly stopped on the road with displaying errors on the screen as follows, the car battery was sufficiently charged, later from the inspecting what it appeared that the "rear drive unit" of the car got screwed up. Warning and error messages were: "Acceleration and top speed reduced" "Power Reduced" There was a huge school traffic jammed behind the car, luckily oth…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11510798 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11519538 · 2023-04-28 (April 28, 2023)
While driving down the road in traffic, several errors started appearing on the Tesla screen, and the vehicle lost power brakes and steering, rendering it impossible to drive safely. The complete set of car systems that were disabled all at once was: stability control disabled traction control disabled automatic vehicle hold disabled lane departure avoidance unavailable ABS disabled steering assist reduced (no power steering) regenerative braking features temporarily limited automatic emergency braking disabled The car is only weeks old. We h…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11519538 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11528498 · 2023-06-23 (June 23, 2023)
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, a message that the vehicle was shutting down was displayed and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that a wiring harness clip was not clipped correctly. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicl…
Owner-reported narrative. 41 miles reported. Look up ODI 11528498 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11535749 · 2023-08-01 (August 1, 2023)
The car completely stalled on the freeway. Giving less than 20 secs of warning that the vechicle will shut down. I got over from the fast lane to middle lane and car shut down. I had to call 911 and tow truck. I towed it to tesla and they said the rear unit failed… car was just purchased new a few months before this.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11535749 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11509294 · 2023-02-27 (February 27, 2023)
Driving 70mph on the highway, car abruptly clunked and three warning messages appeared. APP_W009 Automatic Emergency Braking is disabled; DIF_A062 Power reduced; and BMS_a170 Acceleration and top speed recuded. Car immediately dropped to 40mph and gave me enough time to exit the freeway to the shoulder. After putting in park, the car would no longer shift into any gear. Soft reset and full reset, exiting and re-entering the car didn't fix the issue. Tow required. Failure of rear motor (inverter) was cited in the service center. Seems to be a …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11509294 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11535230 · 2023-07-29 (July 29, 2023)
Location: car wash tunnel Symptom: ghost braking/shifting While in car wash mode and neutral, Tesla shifted inexplicably from neutral to park, causing Tesla to be rear-ended by the car behind in the car wash tunnel. My passengers and I could have been injured. Tesla engineers completed a technical review of the safety incident but refused to provide the full report instead directed me to consult lawyers. On the day of the service appointment, they did not even inspect my vehicle but instead told me to request vehicle data online. It turned o…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11535230 at NHTSA ↗