2023 Tesla Model Y problems & reliability
1,115 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Tesla Model Y, alongside 16 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
47 complaints report injuries (76 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2023 Tesla Model Y vehicles were involved in 22 fatal crashes with 19 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 466 | 42% |
| Steering | 199 | 18% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 165 | 15% |
| Service Brakes | 149 | 13% |
| Unknown OR Other | 141 | 13% |
| Suspension | 110 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 109 | 10% |
| Lane Departure | 77 | 7% |
| Visibility/wiper | 58 | 5% |
| Wheels | 47 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 7,000 miles (middle 50% between 3,000 and 25,000 miles), based on 69 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The control arms are defective on this vehicle for the second time. I began hearing a clunking sound when I would turned the vehicle in July 2026. When the sound got louder and sharp left turns felt less controlled, I took the vehicle to a local independent tire repair shop immediately. They told me the left control…”
Suspension · filed Aug 5, 2026
“Left lower control arm link failure. No collisions had occurred in the history of the vehicle, and small sounds were heard prior to failure, with the total failure sound being obvious. No system malfunction warnings were displayed.”
Suspension · filed Aug 4, 2026
“While parking my Tesla in my driveway, I suddenly lost the ability to steer the vehicle. After exiting the vehicle, I noticed that the front driver’s side wheel was locked. I looked underneath the vehicle and observed that components of the front suspension had collapsed. The vehicle could not be driven and required…”
Suspension · filed Aug 4, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Lower Lateral Link detachment
Preliminary Evaluation PE26006 · opened Jul 29, 2026 · open
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
Engineering Analysis EA26002 · opened Mar 18, 2026 · open
- Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged
Preliminary Evaluation PE25012 · opened Oct 7, 2025 · open
- Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements
Audit Query AQ25002 · opened Aug 20, 2025 · open
- Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.
Preliminary Evaluation PE24033 · opened Jan 6, 2025 · closed Apr 3, 2026
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
Preliminary Evaluation PE24031 · opened Oct 17, 2024 · closed Mar 18, 2026
- Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness
Recall Query RQ24009 · opened Apr 25, 2024 · open
- Loss of steering control
Engineering Analysis EA24001 · opened Feb 1, 2024 · closed Jun 25, 2026 · led to recall 25V092
Technical service bulletins
90 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2023 Tesla Model Y. The 10 most recent:
A firmware diagnosis feature is being introduced on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that monitors wheel alignment over time. This feature detects changes in wheel alignment that may be related to incorrect tire pressures…
SB-25-31-004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2025
On certain Model S, Model X and Model Y vehicles, the interior camera requires replacement to mitigate reduced driver attentiveness detection performance in low-light conditions.
SB-24-17-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 3, 2025
On some Model Y vehicles, the center high mounted stop light may cause interference with the power supply line for the High Voltage Controller (HVC), which can falsely trigger High Voltage Interlock Loop (HVIL) alerts…
SB-25-17-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2025
On certain Model S, Model X and Model Y vehicles, the interior camera requires replacement to mitigate reduced driver attentiveness detection performance in low-light conditions.
SB-24-17-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 16, 2025
On certain Model Y vehicles, the LH and/or RH rear primary body seals might cause wind noise in the cabin.
SB-24-11-006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4-1_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-4_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
fsd-12-5-3_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
2024.38_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle…
2024.26.9_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air · issued Sep 30, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2023 Tesla Model Y has 16 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2023 Tesla Model Y?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 7,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.