2026 Tesla Model Y Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe unexpected behavior from the driver-assistance software — Full Self-Driving, Autopilot and cruise control — including wrong-lane decisions, running lights or closed lanes, sharp steering corrections, and failures to slow or stop in situations the driver expected the system to handle. A second, separate group of complaints covers hardware and build items such as wind wander and alignment, steering or suspension noise, glass that cracks without impact, and missing front-trunk releases. Because the vehicle is new, mileage on complaints is mostly low, and many reports involve software updated shortly before the event.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Full Self-Driving and Autopilot misjudgments

   • 192 complaints (45%)
   • median 5,000 mi at 0.8 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 68 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $6,805 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle making wrong driving decisions while Full Self-Driving or Autopilot is engaged: turning at an intersection with a red arrow still showing, steering toward a closed express lane or road-closure barricades, choosing the wrong lane, entering gate arms or low barriers, and picking paths that the driver has to override. Several report that these events happened without a collision warning or braking, and that the driver had to grab the wheel or brake to avoid or after an impact. Some say the problem appeared after a software update, and that service visits did not resolve it. Reported across a wide mileage range, from cars with a few hundred miles to over 20,000 miles, in clear weather and in rain.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask which FSD and Autopilot software version is installed and whether a supervised mode is currently enabled, and try the assist features on roads you actually drive. Note that a service bulletin describes a front camera water-ingress issue that can cause camera alerts; have the camera area checked.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Using FSD, my Tesla was at a stoplight (first car) in a dedicated left turn lane with a red left-turn arrow. After cross traffic went by, the Tesla began to proceed through the intersection even though the red arrow was still on. I slammed on the brakes. Watching the dashcam video later, I counted it was about 10 seconds after the Tesla began to run the red light before the light actually changed to a green arrow.”

   NHTSA complaint #11692905, filed 2025-10

   “On 8/29/2026 my 2026 Model Y was on FSD (Supervised) v14.3.8 (software 2026.26.6.5). Daylight, clear weather, dry road. My eyes were on the road and I received no attention alerts. While in an open lane, FSD signaled and abruptly changed lanes into a closed express lane entrance blocked by lowered gate arms with reflectors and a flag. The lane change and impact happened too fast to react. There was no collision warning or alert and no braking. It hit the first arm without slowing. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11768656, filed 2026-10
2. 2
   Lane departure

   Sharp or unexpected steering corrections

   Mentioned in 9 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the steering wheel being pulled or jerked abruptly — sometimes by lane departure avoidance while they were driving manually and still inside their lane, and sometimes by lane assist or the self-driving features. Some say the intervention was strong enough to turn the car sharply at highway speed, and others describe the wheel not returning to center or continuing to receive automated pressure with the assistance features turned off. Drivers also report frequent false lane alerts that they cannot switch off permanently, since the feature switches back on at each start. Mostly described on cars within the first few hundred to a few thousand miles, often on highways and at speeds above 40 mph.

   What to check: Drive at highway speed and see how the lane-keeping and lane-departure features behave, and ask whether they can be turned off and how they reset at startup. Check that the car tracks straight with the assist features off.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Yesterday on October 1st I was driving car recently last few days my car usually go more right side but I thought this may be due to keep in lane car feature or something so I didn’t bother much but yesterday when I was driving at around 11:13 am I didn’t know I reciived notifications in car about 1.automatic vehicle hold disabled 2.tracking control disabled 3. Stability control disabled 4.break pedal regenerative breaking unavailable 5.lane departure avoidance feature unavailable 6. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11690906, filed 2025-10

   “I owned the vehicle less than a month, using full supervised drive, FSD. Today 6/22/2025 1:45 PM almost had an accident. The vehicle was in the right made a left turn crossing a yellow line, then made a turn in a white line, in front of the vehicle behind me. I took control of the vehicle to proceed in the correct lane. On another occasion it made a right turn, corrected itself to the left lane as it should have done. I am hearing impaired, focus on the road, cannot look at the screen monitor while driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11668493, filed 2025-06
3. 3
   Forward collision avoidance

   Brakes slow to respond or pedal feels ineffective

   • 74 complaints (17%)
   • median 5,000 mi at 0.5 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 40 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Multiple complaints describe the brake pedal not stopping the vehicle as expected — at a traffic light, in a parking spot, on a slope, or while the driver tried to disengage an automated mode. In some of these reports the vehicle continued on and struck another vehicle, a curb, a bench or a wall, and in a few the automatic emergency braking did engage and stopped the car. Owners also describe the forward collision warning not sounding before an impact, and one report notes a delay before the brake lights came on. Reported at low speeds in parking and light traffic as well as on the open road, mostly on vehicles with under 10,000 miles.

   What to check: Test brake pedal feel and stopping at low speed on a test drive, and ask whether the brake system has been inspected at a service visit. Note that brake-light timing has been reported, so check the lights work promptly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Our 2026 Tesla Model Y could not stop at a traffic light and rear ended the vehicle in front of it. Pumping the brake peddle had no effect. The incident did show up in the vehicles app. The front end was damaged (hood, drivers side fender and bumper). I contacted a Tesla representative and was instructed to make an appointment at a collision repair center to have the body work done prior to having the brake system diagnosed. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle at this time. I feel that Tesla should bear the cost for the collision repairs.”

   NHTSA complaint #11688226, filed 2025-09

   “Rear-end collision. My Tesla impacted the rear of another vehicle at approximately 15–18 mph. No forward collision warning observed. Owner-provided data shows AEB status as SNA. Impact is such that the car is totaled.”

   NHTSA complaint #11717825, filed 2026-02
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Cracked glass with no apparent impact

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   A few owners describe the glass shattering without any sign of a strike — one at highway speed from the passenger-side glass and another involving the windshield after a collision with a gate arm — and report that the dealer declined to cover the repair. Other structure-related reports cover the missing front-trunk emergency release, which owners describe as a departure from earlier model years, and a rear subframe found fractured at a dealer visit after a recurring noise from the rear wheel. Reported from a few thousand miles up to roughly 17,000 miles, including at highway speed.

   Recall 26V315000

   What to check: Inspect the windshield and side glass closely for cracks or chips and ask about any prior glass repairs. Open the front trunk and confirm whether an emergency release is present, and listen for rear-end noises on the test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Forward storage compartment (FRUNK) is in violation of FMVSS 401. There is no emergency release, neither manual or automatic, installed on this vehicle. Previous year models of this vehicle have an illuminated release button that complies with this regulation. Enclosed in images is an example of previous year models versus what is found in my vehicle”

   NHTSA complaint #11731248, filed 2026-04

   “Per Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 401 an emergency release in any enclosed trunk compartment large enough to hold a person (generally defined as having a volume of at least 1.2 cubic meters or similar dimensions that could pose an entrapment risk). My 2026 Tesla Model Y DOES NOT have an emergency release in the front trunk (frunk) area and it appears Tesla Model Y’s manufactured after on and or after September 2025 no longer have this included. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11703654, filed 2025-12
5. 5
   Suspension

   Highway instability and wind wander

   • 82 complaints (19%)
   • median 4,900 mi at 0.0 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 13 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe the car being pushed sideways on the highway by wind gusts or by passing large vehicles, to the point that lane assist steps in to keep it in its lane. Several say an alignment was performed at a service visit and helped only slightly, and that the dealer later described the behavior as normal for the vehicle. A separate but related complaint describes vibration and a pull to the right at speed that the dealer could not diagnose. Reported across low mileage, including cars with under 500 miles and up to about 13,000 miles, mostly at highway speeds.

   Recall 26V558000

   What to check: Ask for alignment and wheel-balance records, and drive the car on the highway with crosswind or passing traffic to see how it tracks. A recall covers front suspension lateral link fasteners that may not have been tightened; confirm it has been performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Obviously Tesla accepts the very serious problem that it is presenting in the vast majority of Model Y juniper 2026 specifically in the RWD line, they are making deliveries of these vehicles without having gone through a rigorous quality control that determines that the noise actually exists and that over time they could affect too many components of the suspension and end up compromising the stability of the vehicle, violating road safety issues, it is something unprecedented and absurd that they do not even take the task of checking the …”

   NHTSA complaint #11702619, filed 2025-12

   “The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving and exceeding 70 MPH, the vehicle drifted to the right. The contact stated that the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 10.”

   NHTSA complaint #11686667, filed 2025-09, 10 miles

Buying note. Much of what owners report here involves the driving-assistance software rather than mechanical wear, so confirm which software version is installed and how the assist features behave on your own test drive. Also ask for records showing the open safety recalls for this year have been completed, particularly the front suspension fastener and electrical items.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.