2026 Tesla Model Y Problems

I am filing a safety complaint about the lane departure avoidance system in my 2026 Tesla Model Y (VIN [XXX]) software version 2026.26.6.5, purchased XXX, odometer [mileage]). The system makes abrupt, forceful steering corrections during normal driving. I have to resist these unexpected steering inputs repeatedly, and this has caused growing pain in my left hand, including carpal tunnel symptoms. The system cannot be fully disabled. Even when I turn it off, it turns itself back on every time the car is restarted, so I cannot prevent these interventions. I believe steering force that the driver cannot reliably turn off creates a risk of loss of control, particularly in traffic or on narrow roads. I reported this to Tesla on XXX, and Tesla stated that nothing can be done. I ask that NHTSA review this complaint and evaluate whether this system's steering force and its inability to stay disabled are a safety-related defect. I can provide further information or medical documentation on request. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Tesla Supervised Full Self Driving sped Southbound into a school speed zone. Flashing speed zone yellow lights required speed of 20 mph. Tesla continued at 49-50 mph. Driver intervention was required to slow down to 20 mph. There has been one other incident reported for this Tesla in the same school zone operating Northbound last week.

While I was driving on the highway in rainy weather, my electric vehicle suddenly made a very loud blast or popping sound and immediately stopped working. The vehicle lost power, and all electrical functions became inoperative while I was in the middle of the highway. This created a serious safety hazard because I was unable to continue driving or operate the vehicle normally. There was no visible damage to the exterior of the vehicle. The tires were intact and appeared to be in normal condition, with no tire damage or other external damage that could explain the sudden loss of power. The vehicle stopped unexpectedly while driving in wet conditions, without any apparent external impact or physical damage.

Every time the driver takes over from Full Self-Driving (Supervised), a mandatory "Why did you intervene?" feedback dialog appears on the center touchscreen. The dialog cannot be dismissed: it does not time out, and the driver must either tap one of the on-screen options (Preference / Discomfort / Navigation / Critical) or record a voice note using the steering-wheel microphone button before it goes away. This forces the driver to look at and interact with the touchscreen immediately after a takeover, exactly when full attention should be on the road. Earlier software versions dismissed this prompt automatically after a few seconds; recent updates made it mandatory and it even blocked other screen controls. It is a driver-distraction safety hazard caused by the UI design. The prompt appears on every single FSD disengagement, i.e. daily. Software version 2026.26.6.5.

I am filing a safety complaint about the lane departure avoidance system in my 2026 Tesla Model Y (VIN [XXX]) software version 2026.26.6.5, purchased XXX, odometer [mileage]). The system makes abrupt, forceful steering corrections during normal driving. I have to resist these unexpected steering inputs repeatedly, and this has caused growing pain in my left hand, including carpal tunnel symptoms. The system cannot be fully disabled. Even when I turn it off, it turns itself back on every time the car is restarted, so I cannot prevent these interventions. I believe steering force that the driver cannot reliably turn off creates a risk of loss of control, particularly in traffic or on narrow roads. I reported this to Tesla on XXX, and Tesla stated that nothing can be done. I ask that NHTSA review this complaint and evaluate whether this system's steering force and its inability to stay disabled are a safety-related defect. I can provide further information or medical documentation on request. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My Tesla Model Y FSD (Full Self Driving mode) malfunctioned when it unintentionally accelerated and swerved dangerously to avoid what it concluded as potential collision with a merging truck. By the time the driver intervened the vehicle had made contact with road barricades damaging both passenger side front and back door and tire fenders. No warnings were issued. - Component or system failed or malfunctioned - Full Self Driving (FSD) - Safety - FSD malfunctioned causing a crash

Tesla was in FSD and had the latest software update installed on 8/6/28 which included the new FSD version released. On 8/7/28 on the way to work that my wife takes every time she goes to work the FSD ran over a large pot hole which it had never done before on the previous FSD version. The car started having rattling of the steering wheel and a rattling noise from over the rear driver wheel area. The next available Tesla service appointment was on 8/27 but we walked in and Tesla offered to do an alignment and found that the driver front and rear rims were bent from the pothole and we had to be pay close to 1800$. Thereafter, the rattling over the rear wheel well is louder but Tesla has not accommodated us with an earlier service appointment and refused to make any accommodations for the FSD update resulting in this damage.

Fore Link Snapped

Safety Complaint and Incident Report: Severe Injury Caused by Unprotected Sharp Metal Edge. I am writing to formally lodge a safety complaint regarding a serious design/manufacturing hazard on my Tesla vehicle. While washing the vehicle and wiping down the area near the liftgate/trunk strut, my finger was severely cut by an exposed, unshielded metal sheet edge. This area is extremely sharp and lacks any protective trim, warning labels, or factory finishing, presenting an unacceptable safety hazard during routine vehicle care. This poses a severe risk of injury to any owner or user. I am submitting this formal complaint to document the safety defect and request that Tesla address this manufacturing oversight immediately to prevent further injuries to consumers.

Using FSD- supervised the car hit the garage door opening denting the car while backing up to park in my garage

Water entusion in the tail light bar. After time causes corrosion of the circuit board on the turn rear turn signal making it inoperable. tesla doesn't have an open document nor a recall. Was quoted over $1300 to replace the assembly. I did a teardown of the root cause. Glue sealing the through hole for the clip that holds the badge of the car on the rear didn't adhere. Water entered the assembly and dripped onto the circuit board, over time corrosion occurred. My rear left turn signal went out on a car that just turned a year. I have documented the location of the fault with pictures

Screen provides alert that "center brake light condition deteceted". Shows up as VCRIGHT_a487. Tesla has said it is a software condition that will be fixed in an update, yet several updates later, the condition persists with no fix in sight. This error has appeared since the time of new vehicle delivery in early May 2026 to the present.

Water entusion in the tail light bar. After time causes corrosion of the circuit board on the turn rear turn signal making it inoperable. tesla doesn't have an open document nor a recall. Was quoted over $1300 to replace the assembly. I did a teardown of the root cause. Glue sealing the through hole for the clip that holds the badge of the car on the rear didn't adhere. Water entered the assembly and dripped onto the circuit board, over time corrosion occurred. My rear left turn signal went out on a car that just turned a year. I have documented the location of the fault with pictures

Ever since our 2026 Tesla Model Y was purchased in June 2026, we routinely receive a "Center Brake Light Condition Detected" error message. We have brought the vehicle in for service, and have been advised that the issue is not hardware-related and will be fixed through a "future software update". We have been waiting nearly 3 months for a remedy but Tesla Service has been unable to provide a status report on the remedy. A number of other Tesla owners have commented on Reddit that they have the same issue with their vehicles.

I am reporting a recurring and unresolved electrical/safety issue with my new Tesla Model Y. The issue has occurred 5 times within the past 4 weeks and affects multiple systems simultaneously. When the issue occurs: * The air conditioning stops working completely. * The driver-side front and rear windows cannot be rolled down or up. * The driver seat adjustment may not function properly. The problem appears intermittently. It may disappear temporarily and then return hours or days later. Tesla service has inspected the vehicle multiple times, but the issue continues to recur. This creates a significant safety concern because: * The driver window may not function during rain or emergencies. * The AC may fail during extremely hot weather. * The driver seat may not adjust properly, potentially affecting safe vehicle operation and driver visibility. * The intermittent nature of the failure makes the vehicle unpredictable and unreliable to operate safely. The issue has not been permanently resolved despite repeated service visits. I am concerned there may be a broader electrical or control system defect affecting vehicle safety.

The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the trunk release button was removed. The contact stated that the manufacturer no longer produced vehicles with a trunk release. The contact was concerned that a child might become trapped in the trunk. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

Inner barrel of factory OEM rear passenger wheel developed circumferential crack with no known impact. On 09/17/2026 I discovered a crack running along the inner lip/barrel of the factory rear passenger wheel on my 2026 Tesla Model Y with approximately 21,000 miles. The vehicle is 5 months old from new. There was no pothole strike, curb hit, or accident that I am aware of. The tire (Continental ProContact RX) shows no sidewall bulge, cut, pinch, or blister, and the outer wheel face shows no curb damage. The crack was found during visual inspection. The wheel was never repaired, refinished, or modified from factory condition. Tesla Service inspected and denied warranty coverage, stating a small bend was observed near the crack and attributing it to road hazard. No corresponding tire damage was documented. Repair quote provided was $846 for wheel replacement. This is a safety concern because a cracked wheel barrel can cause sudden air loss or wheel failure at highway speed, leading to loss of vehicle control. I have retained photos of the cracked wheel. Searching online, this seems to be a common issue with Tesla's as it is discussed in many blogs and social media websites.

Tesla was in FSD and had the latest software update installed on 8/6/28 which included the new FSD version released. On 8/7/28 on the way to work that my wife takes every time she goes to work the FSD ran over a large pot hole which it had never done before on the previous FSD version. The car started having rattling of the steering wheel and a rattling noise from over the rear driver wheel area. The next available Tesla service appointment was on 8/27 but we walked in and Tesla offered to do an alignment and found that the driver front and rear rims were bent from the pothole and we had to be pay close to 1800$. Thereafter, the rattling over the rear wheel well is louder but Tesla has not accommodated us with an earlier service appointment and refused to make any accommodations for the FSD update resulting in this damage.

I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the forward-facing cameras on my Tesla Model Y. The vehicle relies on these cameras for critical driver-assistance functions, including Tesla’s FSD system. However, the camera area is prone to accumulating dust, dirt, moisture, and other contamination during normal driving. When this happens, camera performance can be degraded and driver-assistance functions can become restricted or unavailable. More importantly, the current design makes proper cleaning unnecessarily difficult. To access and clean the camera area properly, the camera cover/housing must be removed. This is not a reasonable or practical routine-maintenance procedure for a component that is essential to the vehicle’s safety systems. It creates a recurring risk that camera contamination will remain uncorrected. This appears to be a design issue, not normal vehicle maintenance. A safety-critical camera system should be designed to remain reasonably protected from contamination and allow the owner to clean the camera area easily without disassembling the camera enclosure. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this design constitutes a safety defect and whether Tesla should provide a permanent design solution or recall/service campaign for affected vehicles. I can provide photographs and documentation showing the contamination and the cleaning procedure required.

June 30, I was driving an highway, PA 376 during a rain storm, FSD 60 MPH 4-5 PM. The rain was heavy, vehicles in front of me flashing their emergency lights, I attempted several times to slow down, Acceleration Modes, towards me. Vehicle would not slow down, heavy rain and puddles blurred my vision, thinking I would rear end the vehicle in front of me. Traffic was light due to the rain, FSD needs better software to slow down during weather conditions.

The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. While the vehicle was parked and attempting to shift into drive(D), the brake pedal was depressed, and the driver attempted to select the gear, but the gear display icon appeared semi-transparent. The driver was able to select the intended gear after several attempts; however, upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle unintentionally accelerated at a higher speed and struck a tree. The air bags did not deploy. No injuries were reported, and a Police report was not filed. No warning light was illuminated before or after the crash. Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode was not activated during the failure. The vehicle was driven to a collision repair center to repair the damage. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and requested assistance retrieving data from the Event Data Recorder (EDR); however, no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the unintended acceleration. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

I am reporting multiple safety-related failures with my Tesla Model Y, purchased December 18, 2025. Within four months of ownership, the vehicle has experienced escalating issues: On April 19, 2026, while driving approximately 70 mph on a freeway in heavy rain, the vehicle suddenly lost power and decelerated to approximately 20 mph. Multiple safety systems became unavailable simultaneously, including automatic emergency braking, traction control, stability control, and vehicle hold. I was able to pull to the side of the road, but the vehicle would not restart and required towing. This created a dangerous situation and significantly compromised my ability to safely control the vehicle. On April 9, 2026, a rear seatbelt unlatched under braking while in use. This is a serious safety concern, as the passenger was not properly restrained and had to brace themselves. On February 10, 2026, the vehicle experienced repeated software failures causing lockouts. In one incident, I was locked out while my [XXX] child was inside the vehicle. On January 2, 2026, the vehicle required service for a cracked window shortly after delivery. The vehicle has been taken in for service multiple times, and although repairs were performed, new and increasingly serious failures have continued to occur. I am concerned about the safety of operating this vehicle, particularly due to the loss of power at highway speed and failure of safety systems. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Hello, I am requesting assistance with an unresolved noise issue coming from the rear seat belt area of my Tesla. I have been experiencing this noise for quite some time. I brought the vehicle to a Tesla Service Center in April, and at that time, the advisor advised me that they did not yet have a solution for the issue. I was told that because the concern involved the seat belt area, they needed to be careful with the repair and that I would be contacted once a proper solution was identified. I never received that follow-up. I am now being told that the noise is “normal,” which is unacceptable. This is a brand-new vehicle, and I paid a significant amount of money for it. I should not have to accept an ongoing noise that appears to be related to a manufacturing or assembly issue, especially after I was previously told that the concern was not normal and that Tesla would work toward a repair. I am requesting that this matter be formally escalated to management and reviewed again. I would like: A documented case number Review by a Service Manager or Regional Tesla representative Another inspection and road test of the vehicle The rear seat belt noise documented clearly on the repair order A clear explanation of the repair plan or next steps Please assist me in getting this issue resolved as soon as possible. I would appreciate a prompt response and confirmation of who will be handling the escalation. Thank you.

Driver’s seatbelt: This issue occurred twice. The first time, the car was parked; when I attempted to pull the seatbelt, it would not extend and instead locked in place. The second time occurred after I summoned the car. Again, I was unable to pull the seatbelt out. Because the vehicle was stopped in the middle of the street, I had to drive without wearing a seatbelt, which felt very unsafe. Middle rear seatbelt: This occurred once. I was initially able to fasten the seatbelt, but when I tried to pull the strap down to loosen it because it was too tight, it retracted and locked. I was unable to extend it again, leaving the belt tight against my neck. This also felt very unsafe. I brought the car to Tesla twice, but they were unable to identify the issue. I showed them a video demonstrating the seatbelt remaining locked while I attempted to pull it, as well as footage showing that I was driving without a seatbelt. No warning lights appeared during any of these incidents.

I was driving the car inside the parking garage of the UCLA Medical Plaza in Westwood at around 3:10pm on XXX, looking for an appropriate parking spot. When entering the second basement floor and turning the steering wheel right, to follow the road, the steering wheel was unresponsive and the car felt as if in neutral gear. As the car was on a downward slope, it went straight into the car parked in front. It happened so fast, but it seemed as if the brakes were ineffective. The air bags on the sides were deployed. On the front, the airbag in the steering wheel came out but did not inflate. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On [XXX] 1512PM. Drive on [XXX] with auto pilot driving. Seen on construction and hit some object driver side by front bumper , fender, Side mirror,Door and Wheel. Couldn't avoid crash by control handle. There is none of airbag action. All deployed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving my 2026 Tesla Model Y in June 2026, the vehicle suddenly applied steering input on its own and began swerving left and right even though there were no obstacles in the road. I was driving on a straight section of roadway, centered in my lane, when the steering wheel started moving by itself as if the lane keeping system and steering were confused. I had to fight the wheel in both directions to keep the car from veering toward the curb and toward the adjacent lane. It felt like struggling against another person at the wheel. Fortunately there were no vehicles directly beside me at that moment, so I was able to avoid a collision, but this behavior could easily cause an accident for a typical driver. This incident is part of an ongoing pattern of safety issues with this vehicle. Since late 2025, I have experienced multiple events where the car fails to respond to the accelerator after shifting into Drive and behaves as if it is in neutral until I shift back to Park and then into Drive again including a complete loss of propulsion while driving in moderate traffic. Tesla has already performed recall repairs on the battery/battery contactors and multiple diagnostic visits for intermittent loss of propulsion and steering concerns, but the problems continue. I am filing this complaint because I believe there is a serious defect involving the steering, propulsion system, and lane keeping driver assist systems that could cause loss of control and a crash.

On XXX at approximately 9:30am, my 2026 Tesla Model Y suddenly accelerated without driver input while parking at The Center at [XXX], [XXX]. Vehicle surged forward unexpectedly. I immediately applied brakes. No warning messages appeared before or during the incident. Vehicle struck parking lot curb. Police responded and vehicle was towed. Physical evidence including tire drag marks and vehicle debris remain at scene. Requesting full EDR data log preservation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

A day or two prior I had received an alert that my coolant was low and to get service on my vehicle. Through the Tesla app I was unable to orginally schedule until July but I kept looking and an opening opened up on June 20th. I was on my way to that appointment from New Bern (the nearest service center is 120 miles from my house). I was avoiding highways, driving early AM, and driving at or below the speed limit to try to avoid the car from overheating. The car is pretty much brand new with just over 10k miles. I was only an hour in and had just left Kinston when I got a warning to pull over and then another alert a few moments later as I was trying to get off the parkway that the rear motor was shutting down and I began to lose speed rapidly. I stopped the car which proceeded to make a ton of noise and called roadside assistance. I had never experienced this type of noise before and was worried about combustion. Tesla was excellent at responding, towing, and the car is currently being repaired under warranty but I wanted to report the incident as it is a 2026 model with only 10k miles on it and has not been in an accident. This should not be happening to a brand new car. The latest repair report shows the rear drive inverter inlet hose and the supermanifold coolant pumps required replacing.

I was driving in full self driving mode on my Tesla model Y. The car stopped at the left turn stoplight as it does normally. And then while the light was still red and the cross traffic was green (traffic flowing), the Tesla released the brake, accelerating into the intersection. I stomped on the brake and kept the car from fully entering the intersection, then continue home without using Full Self Driving mode any further. If I hadn’t intervened, the Tesla would have caused an accident, injury, or even death.

The front driver-side OEM Hankook tire (size: 235/55R18) on my 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard Range developed a severe 2-inch structural split/crack along the tire shoulder/sidewall under normal daily commuting on paved roads. There was no road hazard or curb impact. This sudden structural failure caused immediate, complete air pressure loss, creating a severe safety risk on the road. The failure was confirmed by an independent local tire repair technician, who inspected the tire and declared it irreparable, forcing an immediate out-of-pocket replacement. No prior warning lights or symptoms appeared before the incident. Photos of the defect, tire size, and DOT code are available upon request.

Owned car for only a week with 470 miles on odometer. At appromately 10am CST on June 26 while on an exit ramp the tire sidewall failed catastrophically causing extraneous damage to fender well liner and molding. Car was stopped immediately as emergency services police and towbtruck were called. Weather was clear and there was np obstructions on the road. There was also no indication of low tire pressure until the failure happened. All tires were at the recommended 42 PSI per Tesla vehicle data. The failure was a complete total circumferential separation of the inner bead /sidewall from the rest of the tire. All tires were replaced by owner with Michelins due to lack of trust in the manufacturing quality of the pirelli tires. Tesla and Pirelli are not acknowledging any responsibility for this failure. This is a major safety related incident which could have caused a lot more damage if the car was traveling at a higher rate of speed. On an exit ramp the speed was not more than 45 mph.