2020 Tesla Model Y Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 14about this part
- Share
- 5%of 283 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 990miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 14 complaints about the body and structure of the 2020 Tesla Model Y, 5% of the 283 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 990 miles. 6 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was in a parking garage next to my work and was parking between two cars, I was coming to a complete stop when my car suddenly accelerated and hit the pillar on the left side. It was only a few seconds and I applied the brakes and put the car on park. This is a brand new car with less than 500 miles on it. I felt that the car suddenly accelerated when I was completely stopping. Later, I found out that this has been reported with other Tesla vehicles in a parking garage similar to my situation. …”
NHTSA complaint #11385350, filed 2020-12, 480 miles“October 8 2020, 5:00pm. Heavy traffic on I-5 north at anaheim, ca near harbor blvd/ball rd exit. I had just changed lanes to the right in preparation to take the exit. Due to heavy traffic, my speed was approximately 10 MPH. Immediately after settling to the new lane, toyota rav4 in front of me brakes aggressively. I was about 6 ft from this car, and immediately pressed my Tesla y brake pedal hard in an attempt to avoid collision. But, my Tesla y would not stop. The wheels did not lock into full braking. …”
NHTSA complaint #11363598, filed 2020-10, 1,500 miles“Rear passenger doors do not have an easily accessible/marked interior emergency manual latch release. In the event that power is lost to the vehicle, one must remove a mat in the door pocket, pry open a cover, and pull an unlabeled cable to release the door latch. This is also the case in at least the Tesla model 3, don't know about x and s. The front doors have a separate handle above the window control on the armrest for manual emergency release, but this is not present on the rear doors. …”
NHTSA complaint #11414109, filed 2021-04, 5,500 miles“While driving on the freeway the autopilot kept turning on, I would immediately turn the autopilot off. The autopilot came on and turned my steering wheel to the left into the highway barrier, thus causing me to take a corrective action. The weather on the freeway way wet and traffic was moderate. The monitor displayed autopilot, which I turned off many during my trip as I am not comfortable with autopilot . I have an insurance claim as there was extensive damage to my car.”
NHTSA complaint #11585534, filed 2024-04“The rear trunk smashed my fingers. I pressed the open button on the rear trunk and heard it unlatch. I stuck my hand under the trunk to try to help it open up. The trunk quickly reached, smashing my fingers. I was able to press the open button again and lift the trunk up. The could break someone’s fingers off completely, especially a small child. A warning is 100% necessary. I thought it was unlatched and would open since I heard it unlatch and it looked as if it was opening, albeit very slowly.”
NHTSA complaint #11686034, filed 2025-09Related service bulletins
- 11009771Oct 25, 2024On certain Model Y vehicles, the LH and/or RH rear primary body seals might cause wind noise in the cabin.
- 10247838Nov 22, 2023On some Model Y vehicles, water may have leaked inside the rear trunk area through the liftgate assembly.
- 10243082Aug 2, 2023Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.
- 10240953Jun 16, 2023Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.
- 10240946Jun 8, 2023Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may need a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) installed in the front passenger seat before servicing its subcomponents.
- 10235970Apr 27, 2023On some Model Y vehicles, water may have leaked inside the rear trunk area through the liftgate assembly.
- 10235967Apr 17, 2023On some Model Y vehicles, water may have leaked inside the rear trunk area through the liftgate assembly.
- 10235963Apr 5, 2023On some Model Y vehicles, water may have leaked inside the rear trunk area through the liftgate assembly.
- 10194275Apr 23, 2021Some Model Y vehicles equipped with auto-dimming door mirror glass have difficulty adjusting the LH door mirror to extreme vertical angles.
- 10189009Feb 4, 2021The grounding path conductivity for some Model Y front body controller modules might cause the vehicle touchscreen to display an erroneous ?Hood latch sensor requires service?…
Body and structure: other model years
Other parts of the 2020 Tesla Model Y
108 complaintsOther or unknown
58 complaintsBrakes
37 complaintsVehicle speed control
37 complaintsLane departure
32 complaintsSuspension
31 complaintsElectrical system
28 complaintsSteering
26 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
18 complaintsAir bags
17 complaintsSeat belts
12 complaintsWheels
12 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2020 Tesla Model Y
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology