Most common 2026 Tesla Model Y problems
Share of the 411 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Tesla Model Y complaints by model year
Best Model Y years: 2025, 2024. Years to avoid: 2021, 2022, 2023. Compare all years →
2026 Tesla Model Y recalls (8)
Suspension › Front
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y vehicles. One or more front suspension lateral link fasteners may not have been properly tightened, allowing the lateral link to loosen or separate from the sub-frame.
Remedy: Tesla Service will tighten or replace the fasteners and check wheel the alignment, free of charge. In addition, Tesla Service will replace any related parts that may have been damaged as necessary.
Air bags › Knee bolster
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y and 2024 Model 3 vehicles. The vehicles were originally built for a foreign market and do not have knee air bags, may not be equipped with certain interior safety countermeasures, and may not have been tested for bumper impact resistance procedures.
Remedy: Tesla will repurchase noncompliant vehicles currently registered in the United States, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 5, 2026.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Model Y vehicles. The certification label may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 C.F.R. Part 567, "Certification."
Remedy: Tesla Service will inspect and install a certification label as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Fuses, relays, contacts, and shunts
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2025 Model 3 and 2026 Model Y vehicles. The battery pack contactors may fail, causing a loss of drive power.
Remedy: Tesla Service will replace the battery pack contactors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Electrical system › Wiring
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y vehicles. The reverse lights may fail to illuminate while the vehicle is in reverse, due to a defect in the wiring. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and…
Remedy: Tesla Service will replace the reverse lights and reverse facia harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 26, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Electrical system › Horn
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y vehicles. The ring terminal of the horn ground wire may be improperly secured, allowing the circuit to open and preventing the horn from sounding.
Remedy: Tesla service will replace the steering wheel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were be mailed September 23, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Show 2 more recalls
Seats › Critical fasteners
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. The fasteners attaching the seat back to the seat bottom may have been improperly tightened.
Remedy: Tesla Service Centers will inspect and tighten or replace the seat assembly fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2025.
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Linkages
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y vehicles. The hose connector may block the windshield washer nozzles, preventing washer fluid from reaching the windshield. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 104, "Windshield Wiping and…
Remedy: Tesla service will inspect and replace the wiper arm elbow connector as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 25, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2026 Tesla Model Y:
Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged
The Office of Defects Investigation ("ODI") is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute tra c safety violations. This investigation concerns versions of FSD that Tesla has labeled as "FSD (Supervised)" and "FSD (Beta)." Tesla characterizes FSD as an SAE Level 2 partial automation system requiring a…
Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.
On January 6, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation 24003 (PE24033) to investigate Actually Smart Summon (Summon) sessions resulting in crashes during active sessions. According to Tesla, Summon is a short-distance SAE Level 2 system, controlled by the user from a cell phone within a certain distance and intended for use in parking lots and on private property.
FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Tesla's Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the system's ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time to respond.
Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements
The Office of Defects Investigation ("ODI") has identified numerous incident reports submitted by Tesla, Inc. ("Tesla") in response to Standing General Order 2021-01 (the "SGO"), in which the reported crashes occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports.
What 2026 Tesla Model Y owners say
Driver assistance all 157 →
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the Full Self Driving Mode activated, the vehicle struck the garage wall, damaging the rear passenger's side door. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated that the dealer had previously provided mobile service to replace the camera and that a second dealer, Tesla White Plains (250 Tarrytown Rd, White Plains, NY 10607), had performed a hard reset on the vehicle due to phantom braking; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was made aware of the failure but canceled an upcoming appointment and informed the contact that there was no failure found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,001.
On November 4, 2025, I believe my New Tesla (only 2 month old) had just updated to a new software version. That morning, when I tried to start the car to drive to Walgreens Pharmacy, the vehicle did not start - the screen was locked. I pressed the brake pedal several times, but there was no response. Then I pressed the accelerator and the brake again, and the car finally started. I believe i turned on the Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode as usual. The car backed out of my garage and moved only about ten houses down our street when I suddenly felt it was out of control, and within seconds, it hit a stationary vehicle on our street. I did not hear Forward Collision Warning or feel the Automatic Braking system engage. The tesla report told me that the collision warning failure and the Safety systems are affected, and the passage side (front right) tire shows 0 psi) . …
Electrical system all 57 →
The contact owned a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 16 MPH with the self-driving feature activated the vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign. Seconds later the contact's daughter attempted to disengage the self-driving feature and then depressed the brake pedal to stop from entering a right-turn-only minor road stop-controlled intersection. However, the front passenger's side of the vehicle was struck by another vehicle, before striking another vehicle. The contact stated that the air bags on the passenger's side of the vehicle deployed. The contact's daughter sustained minor leg injuries. Medical attention was not needed, and the contact was not sure whether occupants of the other vehicle required medical attention. A Police report was filed. …
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. …
Steering all 50 →
Description of Incident: While operating the vehicle with FSD engaged, the system was traveling at the posted speed limit of 25 mph. Without warning, it suddenly made a sharp left turn onto the sidewalk and accelerated during the maneuver. A pole on the left side struck the vehicle, damaging the driver-side mirror, scratching and denting the body, and leaving the left rear door unable to open properly. This was the third time FSD had been used since purchasing the car less than 24 hours prior. The system did not allow manual override of the wheel at the time of the incident. After the impact, once the vehicle returned to the road, it came to a stop and FSD disengaged on its own. Notes: No pedestrians or other vehicles were in the immediate area, preventing further harm. No system warnings or alerts were issued before or during the incident. …
On the morning of October 1, 2026, at approximately 9:30 AM, I was driving my 2026 Tesla Model Y forward out of my townhouse garage with FSD (Supervised) engaged. Immediately upon exiting, the vehicle steered toward a pillar located right at the garage door and struck it with the left side mirror, breaking off the entire lower mirror cover and leaving the mirror assembly crooked. There was no time to react or intervene - the impact occurred the instant the car cleared the garage. This happened the morning after a software update was installed. No injuries; damage is limited to the left exterior mirror. Tesla classified it as "external damage" (customer pay) with a $1,027.50 repair estimate. I am reporting this because the vehicle made an uncommanded steering maneuver toward a fixed obstacle in a low-speed residential setting with no opportunity for driver intervention.
2026 Tesla Model Y engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | Single-speed | RWD | 148 / 129 / 138 MPGe | 321 mi |
| Electric | Single-speed | AWD | 133 / 120 / 127 MPGe | 294 mi |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2026 Tesla Model Y a good car?
Based on 411 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2026 Model Y rates avoid: 6.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Model Y at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2026 Tesla Model Y?
The driver assistance — 157 complaints, 38% of all complaints for this model year, most often about adaptive cruise control. Next are the electrical system (57) and steering (50).
How many recalls does the 2026 Tesla Model Y have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2026 Tesla Model Y, the most recent from August 31, 2026 (front). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Tesla Model Y?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025 and 2024. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2021, 2022 and 2023. See the full Tesla Model Y years comparison.
At what mileage do 2026 Tesla Model Y problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 5,000 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.