Transmission complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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 car is 4 months old (a 2026 Tesla y i bought new recently) - a rear hit my left tire with left axel brook not survive the crash it is any engineering problem with tesla manufactory this never happen this damage in my life time when i am rear ending how I report to tesl also i have clam with my insurance allstate under clam number 0840045827
The battery coolant started leaking when we connected the car to a supercharger. After charging a low coolant warning came up on the screen, but the message read "OK to drive". Started driving home when more alerts came up "Power reduced" and "Speed limited to 68 mph" but still showed "OK to drive". About 30 miles later the screen abruptly shut down on the freeway. Was able to pull over to a stop on the shoulder and call a tow truck. Screen never came back up even after attempting to restart, car is now at the service center. There is a pump that has continued running for over 2 days without stopping. The interior lights turn on and off every 30 seconds. There has been no damage from road debris or anything else to this car. The vehicle only had ~350 miles on it, and we only had it for 3 days before it malfunctioned. …
Unintented Accelaration May 15th, 2025 - at about 2 pm the car was being parked in a small local shopping area parking lot by my wife. as she was pulling into the lot, the car suddenly accelarated and surged forward and she had to slam on the brakes to avoid any collision and getting out of control. after about 30 minutes, as she was pulling out of the parking in reverse, a similar experience, the car accelerated/surged backwards and she again had to slam the brakes to avoid any collision with other cars. this time, she also felt a loud thud under the rear portion of the car, no damage noticed. have sent a note to tesla service for it to be evaluated
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while pulling into the driveway, the vehicle accelerated at high-speed causing the vehicle to strike a wall at the contact resident. The contact stated the brake assist did not activate. The vehicle had major front-end damages. The contact's resident wall was damaged. Both the contact's wife who was driving and the passenger suffered concussion and whiplash. The contact's wife suffered neck injuries but neither the driver nor the passenger sought medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a repair center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the vehicle data. The failure mileage was 3,746.
COMPONENT/SYSTEM THAT FAILED: The service brakes failed to stop the vehicle. While reverse-parking at low (parking) speed, I applied the brake pedal and the vehicle did not stop as expected, resulting in contact with an object and vehicle damage. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request; it has been preserved and driven only minimally since the event. HOW SAFETY WAS PUT AT RISK: The brakes failed with no warning. Had a person been behind the vehicle, the failure to stop could have caused injury. This is the only vehicle for a family with three children who are regularly transported in it, and I no longer feel safe driving them. REPRODUCED/CONFIRMED BY A DEALER OR SERVICE CENTER: Not yet. INSPECTED BY MANUFACTURER/POLICE/INSURANCE/OTHERS: The insurer opened and then denied the claim and stated that no vehicle telemetry/data was available to preserve. …
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and jerked. The contact stated that after shifting into reverse(R), the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The vehicle was shifted to park(P) and then into drive(D) several times, and the vehicle accelerated. The contact stated that approximately 20 minutes later, while exiting the highway and approaching a red light, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle was stopped and the hold feature was engaged and the icon showed up on the dashboard, but the vehicle rolled backward and struck another vehicle. The vehicle was then shifted to park(P), and after speaking with the other driver, the vehicle was moved to the closest parking lot. The Police were called, but a report was not filed. …
The contact's wife owned a 2022 Tesla Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, his wife shifted the gear shifter into drive(D), and the vehicle independently accelerated. The Autonomous feature was not engaged. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed, and the front center of the vehicle crashed into a pile of cinder blocks, drove through a gate, and crashed into a dumpster, where it came to a stop. As a result of the impact, the front driver's side tire detached, and the dumpster was damaged. The contact stated that another person helped remove the driver from the vehicle due to the front driver door being unable to open. The air bags deployed as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was deemed a total loss. A police report was filed. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Tesla Model Y years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2021 (32), 2023 (29), 2022 (17), 2026 (9) and 2020 (6) model years. Transmission complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2021.
Is there a recall for Tesla Model Y transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for any Tesla Model Y model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Tesla Model Y transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 7,000 miles; 91% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (1 mentions), followed by the axle assembly › axle shaft (1).
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.