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EnginePart report

2021 Tesla Model Y Engine Problems

Complaints
14about this part
Share
1%of 1,093 total for the year
Median mileage
900miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 14 complaints about the engine of the 2021 Tesla Model Y, 1% of the 1,093 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 900 miles. 1 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.

“The car stopped suddenly in the middle of the street. By the grace of G-d, this happened on a quiet street because we decided to take a detour and could have instead been on the freeway! We were with our 3 young children (all in carseats). We could not restart the car after it stopped, and there was no warning it was going to stop. We were not using autopilot.”

NHTSA complaint #11497320, filed 2022-12

“I am filing this complaint regarding a high-voltage battery defect in my 2021 Tesla Model Y. The vehicle has been diagnosed by Tesla Service, and both the technician and service advisor confirmed that the high-voltage battery has an internal short. This is a critical failure involving the primary energy/storage system of the vehicle. Despite acknowledging the internal failure, Tesla is denying warranty coverage for the battery replacement. …”

NHTSA complaint #11704000, filed 2025-12

“The main vehicle computer (MCU) failed. The problem first appeared in May 2024 with intermittent rear camera malfunctions. It has since worsened. Most recently (08/28/25), the center display went completely black and the vehicle became inoperable — I could not start or move it. This left me stranded in a dangerous neighborhood late at night and required the car to be towed. When the display fails, I lose access to the rear camera, climate controls (including defrost), and turn signal indicators. …”

NHTSA complaint #11684568, filed 2025-09

“I parked my Tesla vehicle in a friend’s driveway. When I returned and opened the driver’s door, I entered the vehicle and attempted to put it into Drive. At that point, the vehicle display went completely blank and the vehicle became inoperable. I then attempted to open the door from inside the vehicle, but the door would not open and I was unable to exit the car. I was effectively locked inside the vehicle. I contacted Tesla customer support and remained on the call for approximately 1.5 hours before receiving assistance. …”

NHTSA complaint #11710416, filed 2026-01

“On, June 24th and July 15th my vehicle experienced multiple errors while driving. Indicator lights stated the following: stability control disabled, dash cam disabled, traction control disabled, regenerative braking disabled, emergency braking disabled. On July 15th the front motor was disabled, causing the vehicle to not have enough power to continue up the mountain. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway, and started rolling backwards. After I was able to turn the vehicle around, the brakes were grinding, and did not stop the vehicle. …”

NHTSA complaint #11533151, filed 2023-07

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202620%
202511%
202482%
2023202%
2022111%
2021141%
202010%

Other parts of the 2021 Tesla Model Y

Forward collision avoidance
582 complaints
Brakes
181 complaints
Vehicle speed control
162 complaints
Electrical system
152 complaints
Other or unknown
143 complaints
Steering
95 complaints
Suspension
80 complaints
Lane departure
77 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
52 complaints
Body and structure
34 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
33 complaints
Seat belts
27 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2021 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