NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2024 Tesla Model Y. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
While driving to work, using FSD, the autopilot steered me into the path of an overtaking vehicle moving at about 20 mph faster than my vehicle. By quickly taking over steering and speed control, I was able to avoid a collision. A couple miles further down the road, the car could not decide on which exit lane to use, and weaved between two possibilities, probably alarming and angering drivers behind me. Again, I had to take over control. Taking over speed and steering control was necessary two more times in my 25 minute trip, most of it on well-marked multi-lane highways. Of the four incidents, only one would have resulted in a serious high speed collision, had I not taken over very quickly. Having coached robotics competitions, and piloted aircraft with autopilot, it is my opinion that the FSD (SUPERVISED) software is at alpha stage in development (not yet up to beta stage, at which it could be safely released only to select skilled drivers, with suitable disclaimers and warnings) . At delivery, no introduction to the car's controls is provided, so customers are on their own regarding finding out, by trial and error and the occasional potentially lethal collision, how to safely drive the vehicle with FSD engaged. The manufacturer should be required to instruct all customers on the very high level of vigilance required to operate with FSD engaged.
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the rain, the auto windshield wipers failed to function as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30.
While using Autopilot or Beta self-driving - when a Minimum Speed Limit sign is detected on [XXX] in Georgia, the system usually reduces to the speed of the vehicle to posted minimum speed (40 miles an hour) instead of maintaining current speed limit. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that after downloading the software, upon engaging the Auto Pilot, and driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a curb. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 1,024.
The low beam left headlight (matrix LED) has had a dark spot in the drivers view since the vehicle was purchased in new in March 2024. This dark spot limits visibility at night and I feel is a serious safety issue. It has almost caused me to hit a pedestrian on more than one occasion. I raised this issue with Tesla service immediately after taking delivery of the vehicle. It's still not fixed. I've had (4) completed service appointments and they have failed to fix it. Their last response was "this is how the matrix LED lights function." If so, it should definitely be recalled. I did tell them I'm filing this report and they told me they would try to replace the left headlight. Sadly that's what it takes for a replacement. I've shared videos, pictures and had the service writer at Tesla confirm the dark spot is large enough to be concerning. A person walking or on a bike can easily fit into the size of the dark spot. There are pictures on the internet from others complaining about this issue as well. Just did a Google search and saw multiple postings for this exact issue. My guess is they have a bad batch of headlights or design flaw and they are in denial it's a major enough issue to simply replace them with good ones. I'm hoping others reported this issue.
The headlamp design of the 2024 Tesla Model Y creates a shadow (or shadows) that cannot be adjusted away. These shadows could be a contributing factor if an accident were to occur. Tesla Service has stated there is nothing more they can do regarding adjustment. Initially, there were two shadows. The user-friendly headlamp adjustment on the touchscreen allows only up-down adjustment after the system self-calibrates. Tesla Service manually adjusted the physical headlamps but did not resolve the shadows. This adjustment merely relocated the shadows while creating an additional horizontal shadow. I believe the reflector design of the headlamp is the issue. This is my third Tesla, and prior models did not have this issue. It is best to see video examples, but this form does not allow the file type and I suspect YouTube links would be blocked/removed. Please Advise.
Electrical system had 7 alerts/warning scroll on screen. Said vehicle was going to shut down. Regenerative braking system failed. Pulled car into a parking spot. Vehicle would not go into park so I could not take foot off of brake. Started to shift between park and neutral randomly. Was told by Tesla to reboot car. Did this three times, but nothing changed. Tesla dealership reproduced and confirmed. There were no warnings or messages before the incident.
Unknown. Drove car in front of garage. Car came to a full stop. About to put car into reverse from drive in order to back into the garage, when car suddenly accelerated forward. Turned wheel sharply to the left in order avoid hitting neighbors fences. Vehicle traveled in an arch and collided with a tree next to an fence and stopped.
We purchased a 2024 Tesla Model Y approximately one month ago. We have experienced multiple occurrences (10-15) when Traffic Adaptive Cruise Control was engaged. Our car suddenly braked for no apparent reason. Last night, while traveling at 65 mph, on a four lane major highway, it happened again, nearly causing a rear end collision. We are hesitant to use cruise control because this feature (T.A.C.C.) is built into cruise, no way to separate it. After researching online, we discovered this is not a new or unusual event and has been reported by hundreds if not thousands of Tesla owners, dating back at least 3-4 years (if not longer). There are no warnings prior to the event. The car suddenly slams on brakes in what seems to be a “panic stop.” We understand a record of these occurrences are recorded and available from Tesla at your request. We have registered a complaint with Tesla as well.
Car decelerated drastically to a low speed when driving on the highway using cruise control.
Incident Date: February 12, 2024, at 1:00 PM Location: [XXX] Vehicle Model: Tesla Model 3 VIN: [Insert VIN of the Vehicle] License Plate: [Insert License Plate Number] Description of the Incident: On [XXX], while driving westbound on [XXX] at a speed of 35 MPH, [XXX] experienced a sudden and dangerous malfunction of the Tesla Model 3. Despite the driver's best efforts to maintain control, the vehicle autonomously shifted from the innermost lane to the outermost lane, jumped over the concrete sidewalk, and fell into a trench. Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved, preventing what could have been a fatal accident. The police report filed with the Suwanee, GA police department documents the incident, and the car was subsequently towed to a body shop, where it was declared totaled. It is essential to note that the auto-drive feature was disabled, and no subscription to the self-driving feature had been purchased or renewed. This raises serious concerns about a potential malfunction in Tesla’s system, and it is imperative that this issue is thoroughly investigated. Attempts to Resolve: Since the incident, numerous attempts have been made to contact Tesla for a root cause investigation and resolution, but Tesla has failed to provide any substantive response or investigation. Below is a history of our efforts: 1. March 3, 2024: Incident claim submitted during a call with Raquel. No claim number received. 2. March 14, 2024: Called Tesla Customer Service and spoke with Anthony. Case was assigned to Duluth, GA service center, but no case number was provided. 3. April 15, 2024: Spoke with Christian, and later with manager Andrew. An email was received with reference ID [XXX], but no further communication or action has been taken. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Unintentional acceleration
Vehicle warning icons are blocked by the drivers right arm. In some driving positions, the current vehicle speed is also blocked. Recommend shifting the icons toward the center of the monitor.
Automatic Wipers are unreliable, they turn on when no rain is present and they fail to come on when rain is present. Additionally the manual wiper controls are unsafe to use while driving and are not easy to adjust, resulting in a significant distraction while operating a vehicle in the rain. The vehicle also lacks manual Intermittent wipers, unless left in auto which barely works.
The contact owned a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while shifting the vehicle into drive (D), the vehicle inadvertently accelerated. The contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle was gaining forward momentum. Additionally, the steering wheel would not turn right or left. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle gained speed and crashed through a chain link fence and drove into an alley. The contact stated that the air bags deployed. The contact stated that the vehicle then crashed into a building wall and finally stopped. The contact stated he had abrasions on both hands from the air bag. The contact stated he was treated by EMT on scene. The fire department and police were also at the scene. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and declared a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25.
When Adaptive cruise control is on random phantom braking occurs. It can be very severe and drops speeds of 20-30 miles within seconds. Occurs on highways and is random and occurs daily. ( multiple times in a day) Has been serviced 4 times and Tesla cleans the cameras and adjusts them. It has progressively gotten worse and Tesla said don't bring it in because they cannot fix it. They describe it as a software update.