2020 Tesla Model Y Electrical System Problems

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Tesla Model Y. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 78,823, but after driving the vehicle from the dealer's lot, the contact discovered through the vehicle settings that the actual mileage was 80,810. The dealer was contacted, but no resolution was provided. The dealer then updated the advertised mileage on the website.            

Observed intermittent center display/infotainment computer (MCU) crashes/reboots where the center display becomes blank and then restarts. In recorded events, when reverse was selected during an MCU reboot interval, the rearview camera image did not display until the reboot completed. Recorded rear camera unavailability during reverse was approximately 10–17 seconds. MCU crash/reboot behavior was observed to be repeatable, including predictable occurrence while the vehicle was in the built-in Service Mode. After a factory reset, repeated/double boot behavior was also observed. Additional observations: - With the turn signal activated, light leakage was observed in the side repeater camera image (glare/bloom present in the camera view). - With each windshield wiper sweep, the forward camera image was observed to briefly flicker to a purple/green distorted state and then return to normal. - During driving, the on-screen message “Auto Lane Change unavailable” was observed. A separate rear camera symptom has also been observed: intermittent freezing/stale frames (image appears not to update). This rear camera freeze behavior has not yet been captured on video. These conditions have been documented by video/screenshots and reported to the manufacturer/service center for inspection/diagnosis. No crash or injury occurred. The vehicle is currently located at the manufacturer’s service center and is available for inspection upon request.

On [XXX], I identified a severe and unacceptable loss of driving range in my 2020 Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX] , mileage: 59,127 miles). The vehicle now shows only ~180 miles of range at 100% charge, compared to the original advertised 316 miles — representing a ~43% loss of range. This degradation is far outside normal industry standards for EV battery health. This loss of range significantly impacts vehicle safety, as trip planning becomes unreliable and there is a heightened risk of being stranded on highways or in unsafe locations without charging availability. This could endanger both myself and other drivers, especially in rural areas or during extreme weather conditions. The issue has been repeatedly reported to Tesla, but they have failed to provide a technical explanation, battery replacement, or corrective action. Tesla service claims it is “normal degradation,” despite the magnitude of loss and the vehicle’s mileage being well below expected battery life thresholds. No warning lamps appeared prior to the loss of range. The problem is ongoing and reproducible — the vehicle consistently charges to ~180 miles of estimated range. I believe the battery is defective or has been subject to software-imposed range limitation. I request that NHTSA investigate this matter as it may indicate a broader safety risk or a systemic defect in Tesla batteries that could affect other consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Problem: I purchased a 2020 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, EPA-certified at 316 miles. My vehicle consistently delivers only 120–150 miles per full charge, and just ~80 miles from the recommended daily 80% → 20% SOC window. This is less than half the advertised/certified range. I have meticulously logged trips since July 2025, recording start/end battery %, mileage, Wh/mi, and driving conditions. Even after following Tesla’s own efficiency guidance (Chill Mode, conservative HVAC, no Sentry Mode, no Cabin Overheat Protection, speeds at/below limits), the shortfall is repeatable. Company’s Response: Tesla repeatedly stated: No warranty action unless there is a system alert. My range loss is due to “short trips” or “driving habits.” They “cannot go off EPA numbers,” though Tesla advertises the EPA rating. To review my logs, I must pay $235/hour, while I cannot access my own internal vehicle data. On Aug 7, Tesla told me 33% SOC should equal their quoted range. In reality, I received only ~40 miles before needing to recharge. At my Aug 21 service visit, after 1.5 hours onsite, I was again told results were “normal,” despite my detailed logs showing otherwise. Why It Matters: EPA ratings are federally mandated certification numbers. Dismissing them as “not applicable” contradicts federal law and advertising practices. A consumer should not accept half the advertised range while being told it is “normal.” Charging $235/hour to access my usage data blocks validation of Tesla’s claims. What I Request: Investigation into whether Tesla is failing to deliver its EPA-certified range. Enforcement of Tesla’s 8-year/120,000-mile battery warranty, as my results suggest excessive degradation or defect. Requirement that Tesla provide consumers access to their own vehicle/battery data without fees. Written clarification of Tesla’s real-world range obligations under Arizona conditions. Evidence Available

​To whom it may concern, ​I would love some help with an issue I'm having with Tesla. I purchased my 2020 Model Y used from Tesla and the car was and is still under bumper-to-bumper warranty. I've had dozens of issues with the built-in dashcam and sentry modes that have stemmed from an update Tesla made, which has also resulted in my USB drives causing repeated errors. And while the USB drive error may not seem bad, it causes issues with the sentry mode and dashcam where they don't work and these features are some of the main reasons that I purchased the car, also making the car valuable to me and my family. Despite this, even though the car is still under warranty, Tesla Service​ in Sacramento is trying to charge me for my ninth service center visit for this same issue. Here's a list of my visits for this same (and related) issue: - 4/4/2024 - 4/19/2024 - 7/24/2024 - 10/25/2024 - 11/20/2024 - 12/18/2024 - 2/5/2025 - 3/6/2025 I have invoices for each, and again, each ​correlating visit ha​s been under warranty and now even though my car is still under warranty, Tesla is trying to charge me for attempting to fix this for my ninth visit for this same issue. C​an you please help me with this ongoing issue that Tesla is now trying to charge me for even though the car is under warranty?

The car locked my toddler inside his car seat because the 12v battery died died as soon as we put him in his seat and closed hid door. There was absolutely no warning before that battery had died, indicating that it was low. Because of the way a Model Y is designed, there is no mechanical way to open the door when the 12V battery dies. The toddler is incapable of manually unlocking the door from inside when the electrical button doesn’t work. This is a huge safety issue and can result in death of children if not resolved by Tesla

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V554000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Electrical System); however, the contact stated that the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a System Software Update Issue. The contact was informed that the dealer was not responsible to cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate mileage was 77,334. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed low speed, the vehicle suddenly shut off and failed restart. The vehicle was towed to Tesla service center, where it was diagnosed that the front and rear electric motors were inoperable due to a faulty main wiring harness that became unsecured and damaged. The motors and the wiring harness were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,000.

My 2020 Tesla Model Y Long Range/AWD vehicle has 46,000 miles and can no longer recharge its battery (engine) with an approved charger (L2) due to a commonly failed part inside the battery. This part is called PCS (Power Conversion System). This device attached to the Tesla battery is used to convert power from a charger which is AC (household alternating current) into DC (Direct Current) the battery can understand. This error appeared for the first time on [XXX] at [XXX]. This critical part has failed in thousands of Tesla vehicles, some multiple times easily verified by thousands of customer complaints online. The PCS is NOT a consumable part - such as a tire, wiper blades, brake pads, etc. There is nothing the vehicle Owner can do to prevent the PCS failure. The Cost to repair/replace the PCS part(s) is ~ $3,000 and may fail again after replacement. As required by Tesla, I scheduled a service appointment through their phone app, and received an estimate of ~$280.00 to repair my vehicle on June 26, 2025 at the Irvine, CA Tesla Service Center 2801 Barranca Pkwy. After diagnosis, I was informed the cost to fix/repair the PCS part in my vehicle so that I could charge and drive it, would be ~$3,000. The Manager Ryan Sutherland (949) 404-2989, further stated the repair would not be covered under my Vehicle Tesla Warranty (Tesla battery or drive unit warranty that does not expire until [XXX]). I tried to contact Tesla corporate for assistance at resolutions@tesla.com and did not receive a response but instead was contacted by service manager Ryan Sutherland via email confirming Tesla's warranty position. Tesla is essentially the only service/repair resource available for these vehicles. This repair is obviously due to a faulty/defective PCS or faulty design by Tesla affecting thousands of vehicles and should covered under my vehicle warranty so that it can be driven. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I ordered a used Tesla Model Y (VIN [XXX] ) on [XXX]. At the time of purchase, the car had 31,540 miles and was picked up from the Stockton, CA location on [XXX]. Since then, the car has performed pretty well, however I’ve recently experienced a slew of issues with the dashcam function of the vehicle. I’ve taken the vehicle into Tesla Service on two separate occasions, however they were unable to fix the problem and now I’m hesitant to drive the vehicle. One of the primary reasons I chose a Tesla Model Y was for the safety and security of having a car with a built-in dashcam and now that works infrequently.  I’ve taken the vehicle into Tesla twice for this issue and they have been unable to fix nor offer a solution for this issue. I now get several alerts a night about the dash cam not working while the vehicle is parked and not in operation and other issues are coming up including the mirrors not re-aligning and the screen of the vehicle not operating upon first getting into the car in the morning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model Y. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V838000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact was driving at an undisclosed mph up a driveway with autopilot on, the contact engaged autosteer by veering to the left before the vehicle crashed into the mailbox. There were no injuries and no police report. The lane departure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the Tesla Collision Center to be diagnosed. The technician stated the following components failed, steering, the land departure warning, and the avoidance warning, however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.  VIN tool confirms parts not available. 

Vehicle has 51,126 mi as of this writing. When new (June 2020) 250 miles of freeway range was typical in typical California weather for an efficiency rating of 280 Wh/mi for 100% to 1% state of charge (SoC). This was tested repeatedly, numerous times, on multiple road trips. At ~12K miles into ownership, OEM tires were swapped as they were dangerously useless in rain and snow. Repeated calculations confirmed ~10% range loss. This meant that average Wh/mi consumption went from about ~280 Wh/mi to about ~308 Wh/mi, for a real world freeway range reduction to about 227 from say 250 (again 100% to 1% SoC). This was expected and accepted. Last 2 years were spent in New England during which freeway range started to drop precipitously, reaching a low of 166 miles (100% to 1% state of charge; about 420 Wh/mi) at freezing temperatures; verified across two identical road trips. Cold weather range was expected, but in retrospect, this was far too much of a drop. Now back in California, range has dropped even further and settled at about ~150 miles -- or an abysmal 450 Wh/mi -- i.e., a 40% drop from the OEM tires, and a 34% drop from the new tires. All charging stats (and Tesla's remote tests) show the battery is at full capacity (69 kWh is a 1% to 100% recharge and the battery is rated at 70 kWh). Tesla claims no faults, and assign blame to driver (high freeway speeds; Sentry Mode; climate control; etc). Tesla now threatening -- as indicated in recent class action lawsuit -- to charge $275/hr if I continue to press the issue, even though I have explained rental Model Y vehicles have vastly better range. I have insisted on several options: (A) Pay for a loaner to test. - NO (B) I will rent another Model Y from Hertz and report back with data. - NO (C) Acknowledge the problem, I want to pay to fix it. - NO (D) Acknowledge the problem, but you don't know how to fix it. - NO It is clear I am now being strong-armed by their Diversion Team.

Tesla completely shut down and my wife got locked inside with windows closed. Windows will not roll down. She called me and I asked for help with roadside assistance. They showed the manual door open latch. I called the tow truck and heard that this is a common incident. Tesla service center diagnosed it as a complete failure of 12V battery. There was absolutely no warning of the problem. This’s a really unsafe situation and needs to have a warning system for 12v battery failure.

During phone calls, the system would start making sparking noises and stall the calls. While navigation was input parts of the screen would disappear. While backing up, the rear cameras would freeze and stall. The rear camera freezing had caused us to get into an accident, and caused us to have 4 near misses. When I was trying to download the latest software release, the software download froze and never downloaded. I started to drive to the Tesla dealership and as I was doing so, the screen picture of my vehicle disappeared along with the gear shift indicator, the surrounding cameras failed. Then when I put on my turn signal, the sound disappeared. Then eventually the indicator disappeared. The entire screen froze with no information, and then went black while I was driving to the Tesla dealership. The system was black and finally did a reboot after 4 minutes, all while I had no display of my speed. I took it into the dealership, and the checkin girl was concerned about the safety and gave me a loaner. The technician was not really concerned and said it was not able to replicate the issue and said there was no safety issue as you can still drive the car. This is not correct as you do not have the speed indication when your screen freezes or goes black. I sent them pictures as the screen kept doing one thing after the other in a matter on one drive from my home to the dealership in 15 minutes. This is similar to the other recalls that Tesla had to make on the model S and the Model X and some model Y's. This should have been taken care of under the current recalls for the infotainment system that the other models years were facing as it is giving the same issues on my model.

Tesla has not yet fixed the following defect for my vehicle: Sep 19,2022 Manufacturer Recall Number TBD NHTSA Recall Number22V702 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete

Four times in the last six weeks (three while driving) the car has lost all power. My screen either freezes or goes completely black so I have no speedometer, the blinkers do not work, I cannot control the windows or open the doors without the manual override. This usually lasts for 3-5 minutes, sometimes longer - and then the computer resets and everything reloads. Tesla is telling me it is a known issue and I have to wait until they figure out the firmware issue and get the next update. They were not at all concerned about the safety of the car and gave me no suggestions on how to continue to drive safely. The date entered below is the most recent occurrence

Heating / defrosting unit failed. While driving to work in 1 degree freezing weather my heating / defrosting unit would not provide a clear fog free windshield so i could safely see outside. Dealer has me scheduled for a date for repair but this is the second time this has happened. First time 9/2021 and now 1/2022. No inspection has happened yet. Warning message displayed saying that the climate control has failed.

While driving on a surface street, the vehicle stalled with very little time of warning for me to pull to the side of the road. The car came to a complete stop before I had a chance to completely pull over, leaving me in a vulnerable position. If this would have happened on the freeway I would have been definitely stranded in a potentially deadly situation. After calling Tesla Roadside Assistance a tow truck pulled the car to a Tesla service station. Tesla allegedly fixed the issue by replacing the Drive Inverter unit: ASY, DRIVE INV, 3DU, 810A, SIC, REAR(1079924-15-H), see document attached.

The system crashed and It said car was forward mode when the gear stock was stuck in reverse and I went ahead and banged behind car when removing car from parking instead of going forward .

WHILE TRAVELING ON NORTHBOUND US-101, THE INFOTAINMENT/DASHBOARD SCREEN FROZE. THE CLIMATE CONTROL SUDDENLY WENT FULL BLAST ON THE COLDEST SETTING, SPEEDOMETER STOPPED UPDATING, AND ALL INFOTAINMENT/DASHBOARD CONTROLS WERE UNRESPONSIVE. THE TURN SIGNALS APPEARED TO WORK, BUT STOPPED MAKING ITS CLICKING SOUND. I COULD ONLY TELL IT WORKED BY SEEING THE LIGHT REFLECTION FROM ROAD SIGNS. I WAS RESET THE SYSTEM BY PRESSING BOTH STEERING WHEEL BUTTONS FOR 10 SECONDS OR MORE AND THEN INFOTAINMENT SCREEN TURNED OFF. IT DID NOT RESTART UNTIL A COUPLE OF MILES LATER WHEN I EXITED THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND BRAKE NORMALLY THE WHOLE TIME.