2020 Tesla Model Y Visibility Problems

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.

NHTSA ID

11714932

Incident

Jan 8, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11672036

Incident

Jul 7, 2025

I have a Tesla Model Y and a Model 3. Both of them 2020 year purchased. The miles on Model Y is 96K and 43K respectively. In Feb 2025, my Model Y windshield had cracked and I had made a Tesla Insurance claim and paid the 500$ deductible and got it replaced. Now, in May 1st week, the same Model Y's windshield is cracked. When I take to Tesla service center, they say that its because of an external impact and so, they can't consider a warranty claim and I have to make another payment for this. That's the first thing. Now, with my Model 3, there is a crack developing on the rear windshield. I understand from Tesla that it has to be replaced too. I had a chat with Safelite auto glass company technician and he said that Tesla's glasses are too thin to accmmodate sensors and thats why this is happening repeatedly.

NHTSA ID

11659331

Incident

May 1, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11657285

Incident

Apr 11, 2025

Heat and A/C. VCFront_a447 code Can't defrost windshield / can't drive in the cold

NHTSA ID

11642358

Incident

Jan 30, 2025

Tesla has automatic windshield wipers that are supposed to engage at various wiper speeds when rain is detected. The system does not activate soon enough or at an appropriate speed. Example: In rain situations on a highway when passing a large truck, the amount of spray on the windshield will completely occlude visibility at critical moments. Also if driving through a neighborhood in a drizzle, when kids are walking to school, the wipers do not adjust properly occluding visibility at critical moment’s. Potential solution : In both cases above the Tesla cameras detect the truck and the pedestrians, this data should be used to increase wiper activation and frequency. Tesla also collects user input data from drivers and perhaps collecting data when drivers activate their wipers compared to what the cameras are seeing will help adjust the wiper activation algorithm.

NHTSA ID

11607888

Incident

Aug 9, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11527838

Incident

Jun 17, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11518859

Incident

Mar 9, 2023

A recent software change removed the automatic activation of headlights with wipers. Headlights on with wipers is the law in most states and a common sense practice. However, with the removal of the automatic activation, you are forced to tap into several sub menus on the touchscreen in order to manually activate the head lights, all while driving in less than ideal conditions.

NHTSA ID

11476490

Incident

Dec 1, 2021

Windshield cracked from midway of windshield to the bottom. I have heard of/seen a significant number of similar cracks on Tesla Model Y.

NHTSA ID

11471308

Incident

Nov 9, 2021

Touch screen in the car does not work. Completely unresponsive. This have I cannot have anything in the car - a/c, use safety features like update auto pilot speed, etc. Issues persists even after vehicle was left idle.

NHTSA ID

11466007

Incident

May 24, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11464863

Incident

May 13, 2022

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.

NHTSA ID

11457940

Incident

Jan 11, 2022

Blind spot camera is unusable at night due to bleed through of light from turn signal.

NHTSA ID

11454340

Incident

Feb 1, 2022

Tesla recently release their version 11 user interface. This update took a lot of safety features and put them behind menus. Windshield wipers, defrosters, seat warmers were all easily accessible in the previous version. Now they are wall hidden behind menus. If you need one of these features while driving, you get distracted while trying to find it which is dangerous. But these features are necessary to use while driving.

NHTSA ID

11447440

Incident

Jan 14, 2022

In a recent software update, my Model Y’s backup camera has essentially become inoperable. Sometimes the backup camera does not display, or if it does the video feed lags significantly from real time making it unreliable and dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11447120

Incident

Jan 2, 2022

Turn signal causes excessive glare effect on the side repeater cameras during nighttime use. Driver is unable to view blind spot camera feed properly when engaging in a lane change.

NHTSA ID

11445730

Incident

Dec 29, 2021

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

NHTSA ID

11427120

Incident

Jul 16, 2021