Common Problems That Can Happen With The Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling vehicle around the globe last year, and in 2024, it's estimated to currently sit in the top five in the United States behind behemoths like the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado. Thanks in part to the starting price being the relatively approachable $31,490, this electric crossover alternative to Tesla's Model X SUV has found its audience.
While the Model Y is a popular vehicle, it isn't a perfect one. In fact, if you look over at places like Consumer Reports, you will find customer complaints about a variety of issues with the vehicle. Since it hit the market in 2020, only the 2021 model year gets an overall reliability score of over 50 on a scale of 1 to 100, according to the reviews publication. Over the years, the Tesla Model Y has also racked up more than two dozen recalls that have impacted different elements of the vehicle's functionality and safety.
Here, we will run down some complaints customers have been having with the Model Y in case you're deciding whether to purchase one.
A series of recalls
It's not uncommon for a vehicle to be recalled for some kind of issue. It could be triggered by a wide range of issues from problems with the car's brakes to problems with the key for the car. If a new model year brings along a new version of that vehicle, the automaker may have fixed the problem that caused a recall on the previous year but failed to see that a new, different problem would arise in this year's model that requires a recall. So, the Tesla Model Y getting recalls may not be unusual, but in its short lifespan, the vehicle has seen so many recalls that it was labeled the most recalled car in the US last year, according to Quartz.
Already in 2024, there has been a recall issued due to the font sizes for the warning errors on the control center being too small for many people to read. Beyond that, there have been recalls related to the forward collision avoidance feature being disabled without any warning or reason, rearview images not appearing on the control center when reversing, and a loose fastener for the steering wheel that could cause it to come off. For some of these recalls, Tesla can remedy them through over-the-air software updates that require no manual maintenance, but some, like the steering wheel problem, definitely need a specialist.
Criticism of build quality
Outside of recalls, the biggest complaint with the Tesla Model Y from Consumer Reports is how it is built. The three biggest and most consistent places that the Model Y has had trouble are with noises and leaks, the vehicle's body hardware, and the paint and trim. For the 2023 model year — the most recent with recorded scores for these elements — the latter two of those received a 1 out of 5, with the noises and leaks rating coming in at the not much better 2 out of 5. The only time across any model year where one of these got above a 2 rating was the paint and trim on the 2021 model, which just managed a 3 out of 5.
The most common complaint with the body hardware is with the doors, and the issues came from both the passenger doors and the trunk. There are also complaints of misalignments between the fender and the right front passenger door, the alignment of the rear doors and trunk being off, and several instances of there being noticeable gaps despite closed doors. Other issues range from bent windshield wipers upon delivery to side-view mirrors that don't retract properly. Luckily, many of these reports say Tesla service workers were able to resolve these issues, but you would expect something like a door being flush when you close it to be handled before you ever get the car.
You'll feel and hear the bumps
One of the benefits — you might assume — of an electric vehicle is that its electric motor allows the car to be about as close to silent as it can get while driving. While that is true, that silence can be something of a double-edged sword. In the customer reviews from Consumer Reports, as well as the publication's own road testing, the silence of the motor makes the noises of everything else amplify. As a result, passengers reported rattling of so many different parts of the car, including the doors, windows, and interior plastic trimmings. These noises are especially pronounced on bumpier terrains.
The actual feel of traversing these bumpier pathways isn't particularly great either. The road report indicates that people in the car will most likely feel every imperfection on the road that there is to be felt. This is due to a rather stiff suspension, and if this is a car that aims for comfort, that is not the kind of thing you want to be reading. The trade off with this suspension is that it feels more like a sports car than an SUV when you drive it, which may or may not be the feeling you desire.
Other poor ratings
There are two other areas where the Tesla Model Y performs rather poorly. The lesser of the two is with its headlight performance. While the high beam setting for these LED headlights works perfectly fine, it appears the low beams don't project their light very far onto the road. Depending on the streetlight situation around you, this could cause major safety issues.
Lastly, there is a rather large complaint that the Model Y is far too reliant on the central touch screen console. While it is fine to check your rear view camera, change what music you are listening to, or follow a navigational map, the touch screen does much more in a Tesla. In the Model Y, the touch screen manages everything from positioning of your sideview mirrors and steering wheel to opening your glovebox. You also need to look over to this screen to check your speedometer, rather than just quickly glancing down in front of you. It may be nice to have a car loaded with a bunch of technological features, but constantly referring to a screen while you are driving can be dangerous, whether that screen is your phone or mounted to your dashboard. This is why Consumer Reports has given the Model Y a 1 out of 5 score for usability in its road report.