There are 9 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2020 Tesla Model Yin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Was driving in rain, had windshield wipers on, suddenly windshield wipers stopped working; could not see through windshield because of the rain; almost had collision before being able to move to the side of the road to safety. Cost $255 to have windshield wipers repaired.
Component or System Failure: The HVAC system, specifically the compressor and supermanifold, failed on my 2020 Tesla Model Y. Tesla retained the replaced components during service, so they are not available for inspection. Safety Risk: This failure caused a loss of cabin heating and prevented proper windshield/window defrosting during cold weather, severely impairing visibility and creating unsafe driving conditions. Critically, this system also regulates battery heating. Without it, battery performance in cold temperatures can be compromised, reducing driving range, impairing charging capability, and risking vehicle operability in freezing conditions. Problem Confirmation: Tesla service technicians diagnosed and confirmed failure of the compressor and supermanifold. Full replacement was required to restore proper HVAC and battery heating functions. Inspections Conducted: The vehicle was inspected by Tesla service both before and after the failure. Prior to my ownership, the vehicle had been brought in by a family member (prior owner) for HVAC performance concerns. HVAC issues reappeared around 28,000 miles, but I was unable to immediately schedule repairs due to the Tesla Service Center being approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes away and personal scheduling constraints. The vehicle was finally repaired on April 24, 2025, at 38,511 miles. Warning Indicators: Before the failure, HVAC symptoms included inconsistent heating, occasional HVAC warnings, and degraded cold weather performance. Additional Context: I was required to pay $2,992.89 for the repair out of pocket, as the vehicle was just outside of warranty. Due to this failure, I drove for an extended time without reliable cabin heat, defrosting, or proper battery heating in winter conditions, exposing me to serious safety risks. Tesla has acknowledged HVAC component contamination issues in official service bulletins, suggesting a known systemic problem.
Heat and A/C. VCFront_a447 code Can't defrost windshield / can't drive in the cold
When reversing, the backup camera does not display realtime video. It will display footage that is paused or behind. The pedestrian warning sound occasionally does not "load" when backing up. This has lead to near miss collisions when reversing and has put pedestrians at risk of not hearing the vehicle in motion, whilst being unable to see realtime footage below the rear tailgate. When the car is left in a parking lot or driveway for several hours, the camera will not "load" completely and leads to this condition. It cannot be reproduced unless the car has been sitting for several hours, as most driving events begin. The vehicle was inspected on 4/25/2023 by the manufacturer and have stated the vehicle is operating as expected. The symptoms cannot be captured by an image, only video.
Upon driving the vehicle, there is a wavy distortion when viewing out of the windshield from the drivers side that can cause dizziness (amongst other symptoms) to a motion sensitive driver. The distortion itself is at eye level when the seat is adjusted to our drivers, 5'3" and 5'5". In order to reduce (not eliminate) the amount of impairment, the seats need to be adjusted lower or higher than recommended and could cause a different safety issue with the vehicle. This can also be a risk to any riders in the car if the driver of the vehicle suffers any negative effects of motion sickness. Cold sweats, dizziness, light headed-ness, and vomiting are symptoms that I personally experience if this visual experience happens for a duration of time (30-60mins). An appointment with Tesla has been scheduled to troubleshoot at this time, but there is no public statement from Tesla about the infraction. There are, however, a number of drivers of the same vehicle, complain about the same issue on public Tesla forums. Because this is a glass/windshield issue, there are no associated warnings or messages when it occurred.
Blind spot camera is unusable at night due to bleed through of light from turn signal.
Dear NHTSA, Starting with version 2021.44.25 (also known as the "V11 Holiday Update" colloquially), Tesla removed all windshield and rear window defrost controls from the user interface of the Tesla Models Y and 3. While driving during any precipitation or storm conditions, including in the presence of snow and ice, drivers cannot quickly or easily activate any window de-ice or defrost functions without taking their eyes off the road navigating multiple levels deep into the menus on the in-car tablet. Similarly, Tesla removed the seat heater controls, placing them behind menus on the in-car tablet interface. Neither the windshield/rear window de-ice/defrost controls nor the seat heater functions are available to be placed in the limited number of driver-customizable "slots" now available in the bottom center of the display. Therefore, drivers cannot restore these critical controls to the driver-facing controls and are forced to navigate into menus to select them. Please investigate soonest.
Windshield cracked from midway of windshield to the bottom. I have heard of/seen a significant number of similar cracks on Tesla Model Y.
Backup camera appeared in on screen window as usual when I put the car in reverse to back into my parking spot. The camera looked clear and trajectory lines moved appropriately when I turned the steering wheel. However, main backup view in center of screen did not update as I moved the vehicle backward, it remained on a static, still frame of video. I reversed into a low fence post that I knew was behind me somewhere but could not be seen when looking out the rear window or using any of the mirrors. I usually look to the backup camera to show me where this post is and help back up close to it. There is a large blind spot behind this model of car that is well covered by the camera, but now that is has happened to me I have found many reports of the issue happening to others. Video of issue: https://youtu.be/CC_0JKObpIk
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026