Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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. …
My vehicle experienced multiple safety system malfunctions before a minor collision occurred. While driving, the car displayed warnings indicating that traction control had been disabled, followed immediately by a warning that the automatic vehicle hold/brake hold was disabled. These failures happened before any impact. At the same time, the vehicle's cameras were not functioning correctly, and the vehicle did not provide any forward collision warning. The automatic emergency braking system also did not activate. Because these systems failed, the vehicle did not warn, slow down, or brake to avoid a collision. After the collision, the vehicle showed several additional safety system failures. These included automatic emergency braking unavailable, and repeated safety restraint system faults affecting both the front left and front right restraint systems. …
The contact was an attorney calling on behalf of the owner of a 2025 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the owner was driving on a neighborhood street at an unknown speed with Autopilot engaged when vehicle control was lost. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a traffic light pole where it came to a stop and caught on fire. The owner was unable to exit the vehicle and was pronounced deceased on the scene. The origin of the fire was the lithium battery. The location of the fire was under the front end of the engine compartment where the battery was stored. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed currently in the possession of the Police Department pending the cause of the crash. The vehicle was destroyed. The light pole was damaged. It was unknown if the air bags were deployed. …
The contact owned a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact's daughter was driving at approximately 30 MPH when the vehicle had independently accelerated. The contact said that her daughter drove through an intersection and crashed into another vehicle. The contact's vehicle crashed into the other vehicle's driver's left front door. The contact stated that her vehicle's front end was crushed, and the other vehicle's driver's side door, driver's side rear wheel, and tailgate were damaged. The contact stated that both vehicles had to be towed. The contact stated that the air bags had deployed in her vehicle. The contact stated she drove her daughter to the hospital. The daughter only had pain in her neck and shoulders; there were no cuts or abrasions. The police arrived and issued an incident report. …
The contact owns a 2024 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at 22 MPH in full self-driving mode, the vehicle inadvertently crashed into the rear driver's side of a parked vehicle on the shoulder lane. No warning light was illuminated. The other vehicle was unoccupied. The contact's front passenger side sustained damage. The contact stated that the automatic emergency braking system activated moments before the crash, but it was too late to prevent the collision. The air bags did not deploy. The contact suffered from cervical strain and rib contusion and received medical attention for the injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop and was not deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while his wife was driving in a parking lot, the vehicle independently accelerated as she depressed the brake pedal. The contact's wife crashed into another parked vehicle due to the failure. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact's wife experienced mental trauma due to the accident but did not need medical attention. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with a safety feature known as "Sentry Mode", which recorded the movements of the vehicle. The contact stated that the feature recorded the movements except for the failure and the collision. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla service center where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the contact was not provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that a software update (2025.44.25.5) was performed on the vehicle, which was for a temporary free self-driving mode. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated sideways and crashed into the highway's concrete retaining wall. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where he was treated bruised left knee, cracked ribs, and several other bruises to various parts of his body. No property damage was reported. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene to an independent mechanic, where it was deemed a total loss. Neither the manufacturer nor the service center had been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,500.
Related recalls (9)
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.
Electrical system
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Model 3, Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The computer circuit board may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image.
Remedy: Tesla released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Tesla will also identify any vehicles that experienced a circuit board failure, or stress that may lead to a circuit board failure, and replace the…
Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights.
Remedy: Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
Show 4 more recalls
Electrical system › ADAS › Driver monitoring › Software
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy.
Remedy: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2023 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. The pyrotechnic battery disconnect may be defective.
Remedy: Tesla Service will replace the pyrotechnic battery disconnect, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 18, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
Electrical system › Software
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Model Y, Model X, Model S, and 2017-2022 Model 3 vehicles. The Boombox function allows sounds to be played through an external speaker while the vehicle is in motion, which may obscure the Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds.
Remedy: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will disable the Boombox functionality when the vehicle is in Drive, Neutral and Reverse modes, including Summon and Smart Summon, free of charge.
Electrical system › Software
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. A software error may cause a valve in the heat pump to open unintentionally and trap the refrigerant inside the evaporator, resulting in decreased defrosting performance.
Remedy: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.
NHTSA investigations
Autopilot & First Responder Scenes
On August 13, 2021, NHTSA?s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE21-020) to assess the performance of Tesla?s Autopilot system (a system characterized by Tesla as an SAE Level 2 driving automation system designed to support and assist the driver in performing the driving task) available in Tesla vehicles.
Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening a Recall Query to assess the remedy adequacy of Recall 23V838. On December 12, 2023, Tesla filed a Defect Information Report (Recall 23V838) applicable to all Tesla models produced and equipped with any version of its Autopilot system, which Tesla described as an SAE Level 2 (L2) Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).
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
On October 17, 2024, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24031) of Tesla's Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) to assess: the ability of the FSD system to detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions; whether any other FSD crashes had occurred under degraded roadway visibility conditions that are…
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Tesla Model Y years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2021 (152), 2023 (124), 2022 (120), 2024 (62) and 2026 (57) model years. Electrical complaints make up 14% of all complaints for the 2021.
Is there a recall for Tesla Model Y electrical problems?
Yes — 9 recalls, including 25V-690 (fuses, relays, contacts, and shunts, Oct 10, 2025); 25V-658 (wiring, Oct 1, 2025); 25V-490 (horn, Jul 28, 2025). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Tesla Model Y electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 11,000 miles; 90% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the adas › autonomous/self driving (58 mentions), followed by the 12v/24v/48v battery (15).
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.