2023 Tesla Model Y Performance AWD

### Summary: Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA) from a stationary position. ### Vehicle Configuration: 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD. Battery Type: NMC. ### Incident Details: On April 19, 2026, at approximately 10:00 a.m., the vehicle was stationary on a flat surface at 6722 Vista Del Mar Ave, San Diego. I was in the driver's seat with the vehicle "On" but stopped, conversing with two witnesses. My feet were completely clear of both the accelerator and brake pedals. ### The Event: Without driver input, the vehicle suddenly and forcefully accelerated forward. I immediately slammed the service brake with full force. The vehicle traveled approximately 20 feet before the brakes brought the car to a halt. ### Evidence & Gaps: Two eyewitnesses confirmed the vehicle moved autonomously without pedal interaction. A manufacturer data report was requested, but it showed a specific data gap for the exact seconds of the acceleration event, despite providing second-by-second logs for the rest of the day.

Parked into driveway. Placed car into park. In doing so, car suddenly rapidly accelerated into reverse until I slammed on the breaks. My son was behind the car grabbing something out of the trunk at the time. I could have ran him over if I wasn’t there to slam on the breaks!!! Car was NOT placed into reverse and accelerator was NOT pushed.

The FSD has been failing more often. Yesterday we took a one00 mile trip and the car twice tried to veer into the side cement barrier, more times than I can count. It breaks hard while we were driving over 55 miles an hour. And two times it weirded left over the double line into oncoming traffic lane.

On the evening of April 8th 2026, my wife was driving our 2023 Tesla Model Y home in San Francisco, CA when she noticed unusual noise coming from the front left wheel area. The vehicle was otherwise functioning normally aside from the noise. The following morning, I inspected the vehicle and found a large hex bolt (Class 10.9 grade) on the ground directly beneath the car. The front left wheel was binding and the vehicle was completely undrivable — the wheel felt stuck and made grinding/scraping noises when attempting to move. Based on the bolt size, grade, and location, this appears to be a front suspension lateral link fastener that detached from the subframe. This is the same defect described in NHTSA recalls 21V-835, 22V-895, and 23V-235, involving under-torqued or improperly secured front suspension fasteners on Tesla Model Y vehicles. The vehicle had 28,482 miles at the time of the incident. There was no prior collision, impact, or road hazard event. No warning or alert appeared on the Tesla touchscreen at any point. The vehicle displayed no diagnostic message despite having a compromised suspension component.

Vehicle: 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range Complaint: I am reporting a serious safety issue involving a vehicle sold by Tim Dahle Nissan Murray in Murray, Utah. Approximately three weeks ago, I purchased a 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range from this dealership. After purchase, I discovered that the rear seat belts were not functioning. I have evidence indicating that the dealership was aware of this defect prior to the sale. This is a critical safety issue, as seat belts are required safety equipment under federal motor vehicle safety standards. The vehicle should not have been sold in this condition. Additionally, the vehicle had an issue with the right rear wheel/tire losing air. When I returned to the dealership, they failed to properly inspect or repair the issue. Instead, they reduced the air pressure in the other tires to match the leaking tire, rather than addressing the defect. After leaving the dealership, the tire again lost air. Upon inspection by another service provider, the wheel rim was found to be bent. When the tire was inflated to proper pressure, it began leaking air immediately. This created an unsafe driving condition, as the vehicle could not maintain proper tire pressure. I was forced to have the vehicle repaired by Tesla at my own expense ($1,390). The combination of non-functioning seat belts and an unsafe wheel condition placed my family, including my newborn child, at significant risk. I am requesting that this matter be investigated as the dealership knowingly sold a vehicle with defective safety equipment and failed to properly address additional safety-related issues. Also a police report was filed but I do not know how to get ahold of that it was filed with the Murray police department

I was parking my vehicle in my driveway, turning left to park in front of my garage and heard a loud pop. I got out, looked underneath the car and didnt see anything unusual. I later investigated by moving the vehicle and noticed my steering wheel was turning without any driver input, and heard the tires scrubbing more than normal. I got out of the vehicle and noticed my tires were not aligned, having one tire pointing to the left, and the other tire pointing straight. Then I noticed a large bolt on the ground. I called Tesla and they told me my car was 2000 miles out of warranty and would have to pay for towing and the repair. I feel the steering should still be covered under warranty.

Incident Date，March 07, 2026] Current Mileage, 31625 miles ​ I am reporting a catastrophic structural failure of a safety-critical suspension component on my Tesla Model Y. ​Upon inspection, I discovered that one of the bolts securing the driver-side lower control arm has completely detached and fallen off. A second bolt is approximately 50% loose. This has caused a significant safety hazard, as the control arm is no longer properly secured to the subframe, leading to a high risk of total steering loss and wheel detachment while driving. ​Furthermore, when I contacted Tesla Service, they demonstrated extreme negligence by instructing me to drive the vehicle in this lethal condition to their service center. They also initially refused to cover the towing and repair costs, claiming it was not a factory defect despite the clear evidence of fastener failure (improper torque or thread locker application during manufacturing). ​This is a clear manufacturing defect that poses an immediate threat to the driver, passengers, and other road users. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this batch of Model Y vehicles for suspension fastener integrity issues to prevent potential fatal accidents.

This is my 10th report; it relates to 2 issues I have reported before 1. The "phantom breaking" on cruise control that I have reported a few times previously has apparently been fixed on a software update, but we were not notified. I went in to Santa Fe Tesla where I took delivery of my vehicle and got into a discussion about my disappointments with this car, specifically the tires (see #2). I mentioned my past problems, including the phantom breaking. The man was dismissive and a bit defensive and asked if I'd made an appointment. I said I'd been told several times they hadn't figured out a software fix (and even Tesla employees were simply refraining from using cruise control, which is what I did). He said they "fixed it a while ago" and he's not had complaints since then. I tried cruise control on my 45 minute freeway drive and indeed, the problem did not occur. Interesting that they knew it was an ongoing problem, didn't deal with it, and didn't announce when they finally did fix it. I do not yet know if it is an ongoing safety problem for me but I'm planning to gradually increase my use of cruise control, since most of my driving is high-speed freeway driving. 2. I asked about getting warranty rebate for my original tires that have failed at 38K miles. He said I would have to pursue that through the distributor (American Tire?) and that he'd only had 2-3 customers ever do that. He said most customers just pay for better tires. He offered to sell me another Continental tire in the $400 range and implied that I could find tires through a tire store. I went to Discount tire who can get me a rebate on only 1 of the 4 tires because it's down to 4/32" tread. The other 3 can't be warrantied until they reach 4/32"...and I've already hydroplaned/slid on the freeway in a sleet storm with wet roads. The company knowingly provides inadequate tires and does not stand behind them. This is an unacceptable safety risk and a moral outrage.

Catastrophic Axle Failure, I was driving out from my driveway when this happened. Just the day before my wife was driving on the highway, and I was driving with my two boys. I have video of the complete failure of the left driver's side axle. The vehicle was towed by the dealer and is at the dealer as we speak. There has been no inspection by the police or insurance representative. We had reported it to Tesla at our last appointment but they said they could not recreate the noise.

Rear seat belt latch won't latch. This becomes a problem because dirt and debris fall into the seat belt latch since the seat belts latches are lower than the seat cushions. Child eats something with crumbs and the crumbs fall into the seat belt latch. Over time these build up to the point the seat belt won't click in.

On February 23, 2026, I was driving my 2023 Tesla Model Y under normal city conditions. While parallel parking at very low speed, I suddenly heard a loud metallic bang from the driver’s side of the vehicle. Immediately afterward, the vehicle lost mobility and the steering wheel became unresponsive and would not turn. I exited the vehicle and observed a detached metal suspension component and a bolt on the ground underneath the driver’s side. The vehicle was not drivable and required towing. I contacted Tesla Roadside Assistance through the Tesla app, and the vehicle was towed to Tesla Service Center in Coral Gables, Florida. At the time of the incident, there had been no collision, no impact with a pothole, curb, or road debris, and no prior warning signs or noises indicating a developing issue. The failure occurred suddenly during a low-speed maneuver. Tesla Service initially indicated that the vehicle was under warranty and that repairs would be covered if no external impact was found. However, after inspection, Tesla attributed the failure to an alleged “external impact” and declined warranty coverage, providing an estimate of approximately $4,000. After involving my insurance company, the vehicle was inspected by a Tesla-certified repair facility, which found significantly more extensive damage to the suspension system, estimating repairs at approximately $11,000. This incident represents a sudden and complete failure of suspension components resulting in immediate loss of steering control. Such a failure poses a serious safety risk, particularly if it were to occur at higher speeds, as it could lead to loss of vehicle control and a crash. I am reporting this issue as a potential safety defect involving suspension component separation and steering loss in a 2023 Tesla Model Y.

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver's side seat belt retractor unit detached. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,581.

Client was severely injured (traumatic brain injury, fractured skull bone and ankle with ongoing cognitve and physical symptoms, probably permanent) as a pedestrian when crossing Rt 28 in Chatham, MA. He was struck by a 2023 Tesla Model Y in reduced roadway visibility conditions due to sun/shade conditions. The auto braking system failed to activate in time to avoid the collision. This appears to be directly related to NHTSA investigation PE24031.

We were driving on the freeway when my son started screaming to a point we had to get over and stop to check what was going on. His arm got stuck in the forward facing belt path and he couldn’t get it out. I had to get him completely unbuckled in order to take him out of the seat sideways as otherwise I would have pulled the arm out at the shoulder.

My wife was driving our Tesla Model Y when she suddenly became very lightheaded, headache and had trouble breathing. She also noticed a strong chemical smell coming from inside the cabin. She rolled down the windows and the smell started going away immediately and she began to feel better. She felt it was unsafe to continue driving so she pulled over and we had the car towed to a Tesla service center. Tesla inspected the vehicle and confirmed there was an unpleasant smell coming from the air conditioning system. They cleaned the evaporator with foam cleaner and replaced the cabin air and HEPA filters. They told us there were no leaks and considered the issue resolved. We do not believe this fully explains what happened. A dirty evaporator or old cabin filter does not cause someone to become lightheaded and struggle to breathe while driving. The chemical smell and physical symptoms our wife experienced point to something more serious that was never identified. The HVAC system and evaporator are available for further inspection. No warning lights appeared before or during the incident. Safety risk: The driver became lightheaded and had difficulty breathing while operating the vehicle, making it unsafe to drive and requiring the vehicle to be towed.

I am reporting two severe 'phantom braking' incidents involving my Tesla vehicle while driving without autopilot. In both instances, the vehicle initiated hard emergency braking on a high-speed roadway with no obstacles, pedestrians, or vehicles in my path. This sudden, uncommanded deceleration created an immediate risk of a rear-end collision from following traffic. Incident 1: November 2025 at approximately [XXX]. I was traveling at 30 mph on [XXX]. The car suddenly braked to 0 mph. Weather was sunny, and the road was straight. There were several vehicles following behind me. Incident 2: [XXX], at approximately [XXX]. Location: [XXX], Honolulu. The vehicle decelerated from 10mph to 0 mph without warning. In both cases, the car stopped suddenly and was placed in Park. I had to put the car in drive to resume driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

like many have mentioned, the control arm bolt came off or broke. [XXX] / [XXX] / [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

PLAINTIFF: [XXX] [XXX] Phone: [XXX] ] Email: [XXX] ] VS. DEFENDANT(S): 1. [XXX] 2. King Bodyshop [XXX] Phone: [If known] STATEMENT OF CLAIM (File in Duplicate Plus One For Each Defendant) The Plaintiff sues the Defendant(s) for money owed Plaintiff by Defendant(s); and which is past due and unpaid; for: ☐ Work done and materials furnished by Defendant to Plaintiff (or check “Other” below). ☐ Other (Explain): Breach of contract for incomplete auto body repairs. Additional facts: Plaintiff. On or about December 12, 2024 you dropped off the vehicle, Year 2023 Model Y performance VIN [XXX] to Defendant King Bodyshop (operated/owned by [XXX] ) for body repairs pursuant to an agreement/estimate. Plaintiff paid $24.500 amount paid] for the repairs. Defendant agreed to complete the repairs properly but not only failed to do so, but charged over $9000 to fix the problem and damages, still leaving the vehicle with unresolved safety restraint system issues, including active alerts: • RCM2_a203: Safety restraint system issue – Service is required • RCM2_a095: Front left safety restraint system issue – Service is required Despite repeated requests over several months (October 2025] to present), Defendant has not completed the repairs, fixed the faults, or refunded the payment. This constitutes a breach of contract and/or negligent/incomplete workmanship under Florida law (including the Motor Vehicle Repair Act). As a result, Plaintiff has incurred damages including: • Eon paid $24500 amount and [XXX] paid additional $9000 to shop] (refund demanded) • $Tesla estimate to fix the current problems is another 2900 cost from other shop quotes to complete/fix] (additional repair costs) • $[any rental INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Safety complaint: intermittent uncommanded rear-seat folding while driving; rear (3rd-row) seat belt anchorage integrity. Issue 1 — 2nd-row right seat: Since the purchase, the right-most rear passenger seat in the 2nd row intermittently activates its seat-folding motor while the vehicle is moving. In each event, a passenger was seated in that seat with the seatbelt fastened. The motor engages (audible whirring), and the seat attempts to fold fully forward; the passenger’s body prevents a complete fold, so the seat partially collapses while occupied. This has never occurred when the seat is unoccupied. The most recent documented event times provided to the manufacturer for electronic log review (CST): • Fri Jan 23: 7:40 AM; 7:41 AM • Mon Feb 2: 7:26 AM; 7:29 AM; 7:53 AM; 7:54 AM The manufacturer requested these exact times to check vehicle logs, but reported they could not find evidence in the logs and could not reproduce the issue during service/test drive. Issue 2 — 3rd-row seat belts: During a service visit on Feb 3, 2026, the manufacturer found that the 3rd-row seat belt anchors were not secured to the vehicle (documented as a safety concern) and performed a repair/adjustment to secure the left 3rd-row seat belt, then validated its operation afterward. The manufacturer had also previously documented (March 17, 2025) that the 3rd-row seat belts were not properly mounted and were unsafe/operational for passengers, but took no action in March 2025. No crash, fire, or known injuries to date. Request to NHTSA: Please log and review this as a potential safety defect involving (1) uncommanded activation of a rear seat-folding mechanism resulting in partial seat collapse while the seat is occupied and the vehicle is moving, and (2) rear (3rd-row) seat belt anchorage/installation integrity, based on recurring real-world events and manufacturer service documentation.

I am requesting an urgent review of the airbag non-deployment for my 2023 Tesla Model Y involved in a front-impact collision on [Jan 19th 2026]. Because the vehicle has been declared a total loss and may be released to salvage at any time, I urgently request that Tesla preserve and review the vehicle’s crash data (EDR/SRS) and confirm whether the restraint system performed as designed.

While making a left turn at normal turning speed, the steering system became unresponsive. The steering wheel was able to move; however, there was no corresponding movement of the front tires/wheels. The front wheels appeared to remain stuck at approximately a 45-degree left position and did not return toward the straight-ahead position despite steering input. It is also possible that the steering wheel itself became locked or partially locked during this event. As a result, the vehicle could not be corrected and collided with the median and a pillar. The collision caused the airbags to deploy and resulted in severe front-end damage, with an estimated repair cost exceeding $40,000. This steering failure occurred without warning and resulted in a sudden loss of vehicle control, creating a serious safety hazard to the occupants and surrounding traffic. The vehicle was subsequently declared a total loss.

The front lower lateral links or control arm that is used to steer the wheels has bolts that dropped on the ground causing loss of steering to the car. This happened when parking the car at home and luckily not on the highway or street during faster speeds.

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH in light rain, the vehicle suddenly braked and causing the vehicle to lose control. The contact stated that the vehicle was on cruise control and auto drive assist. The contact stated that the vehicle veered to the left, crossed two lanes of traffic, and crashed into the highway divider wall. The contact stated that there were no warning lights. The contact stated that the left front end had crashed first, and then the driver's door and left front fender had crashed into the dividing wall. The contact stated that the driver's front air bag had deployed and burst; there was a large tear starting from the top of the air bag all the way to the steering wheel. The contact stated that he had burns on his hands due to the air bag explosion, bruises on his chest, and right arm. The contact stated that the police and emergency services arrived. A police report was filed. The contact stated that he was transported to the hospital, and the vehicle was towed to a manufacturer's collision center. The contact stated that the manufacturer's collision center downloaded the collision information from the vehicle's main frame and shared the accident report with the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

I have a 2023 Tesla Y. The Curvature Assist function has nearly caused a half dozen rear end collisions. When in cruise control, it kicks in on (1) highways, near exits when I'm not taking the exit (2) regular roads with no curve or intersection, (3) regular roads with departure lanes that I'm not using. The car behind me only see's a sudden brake light with slow down until I press on the accelerator. Please have Tesla install a disable function for Curvature Assist.

While driving approximately 5–10 mph and making a right turn on a local street, the vehicle suddenly produced a metallic pulling sound followed by a loud impact. The vehicle abruptly stopped and became undrivable. Upon exiting the vehicle, the left front wheel was visibly displaced from normal alignment and appeared to have shifted rearward into the wheel well. No collision, curb strike, pothole, or road debris was involved. The vehicle had exhibited a wire-tugging or metallic noise during turning in the days prior. The failure occurred without warning and resulted in a sudden loss of vehicle control at low speed. The vehicle was towed to Tesla, where the left front control arm was found to be disconnected/broken. Tesla has not yet provided a determination and is attempting to route the vehicle to a collision center despite no evidence of impact. This appears to be a suspension component failure that could have resulted in a serious accident at higher speeds. Safety Impact: Loss of steering control, risk of crash, inability to drive vehicle.

While traveling at highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly veered to the right without driver input. The Autopilot/FSD system was not engaged. It all happened in a matter of seconds. There was no system failure message on the screen. The vehicle airborne and hit a tree. All side airbag were deployed. Was able to open the door and walk away without any major injuries. Software update: 2025.44.25.5

All in the same day: 1) Odd sound from behind the pedal area of driver side front quarter (sounded like a styrofoam cooler top rubbing against the cooler is the best way to describe - faint though). 2)BANG when in a parking garage turning full right but still able to control without difficulty. Made it home without incident. 3)Later that day, just after getting off of I4 in Orlando I pulled into grocery parking lot and parked. When I returned to my car I again turned right and a loud BANG and the car jerked to a sudden halt. I was able to back into a parking spot but there were 2 large screws in the driving land and the left wheel was toed slightly to the left. Ultimately it was detached when we tried to tow it we had to remove tire and put on a device to allow us to move it. Per Tesla “I have updated that estimate! The vehicle has very heavy damage, and this is the start. Once we replace these components their (sic) could be more damage, and it also could potentially need to go to a body shop!” Thankfully this didn’t happen at speed with my daughter in the car on I4! This is unsafe and a simple internet search revealed it is not an uncommon parts failure at this mileage! This is dangerous. All of this at just 54,000 miles. (4k out of warranty)

While operating my Tesla Model Y in a commercial parking lot at a T-intersection controlled by a stop sign, the vehicle unexpectedly and automatically accelerated without driver intent. The incident occurred during a low-speed maneuver. Upon the unexpected acceleration, I immediately attempted to regain control by applying the brake pedal repeatedly and firmly. Despite clear manual brake application, the vehicle did not decelerate as expected and continued to move forward. I also attempted to stop the vehicle by pressing the Park button, but this action did not stop the vehicle. The vehicle continued uncontrollably for approximately 150+ yards, traveling over curbs, striking a fence, and ultimately colliding with the garage structure of a residential home. Throughout this sequence, the vehicle remained unresponsive to braking and stop inputs. Vehicle data later confirmed that brake pedal application was detected prior to impact, yet braking response was insufficient to prevent continued motion. At the time of the event, the vehicle recorded system fault states, and collision avoidance systems did not activate. Despite significant structural impact and property damage, airbags did not deploy. The incident raises serious safety concerns regarding: •Brake-by-wire system execution during fault conditions •Pedal input arbitration between accelerator and brake •Failure of collision avoidance systems to intervene •Failure of restraint systems to deploy during a severe impact •Vehicle behavior when control systems are in a fault state This event occurred without warning and despite appropriate driver response. Based on vehicle data and system behavior, this appears to be a system-level failure rather than driver error.

I was driving on the highway at around 70mph, switched lanes and the steering wheel randomly locked up. Gladly, I was aware of the situation and avoided a HUGE car crash but the steering started to work a few seconds later. I am very nervous to drive the car now.

I am reporting a recurring safety defect involving the Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system on my pre-owned 2023 Tesla Model Y Dual Motor Long Range (VIN: [XXX] ), equipped with Tesla Hardware 3. Component/System: Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software and driver-assistance control system. The vehicle remains in my possession and is available for inspection upon request. Description: From the time of purchase (approximate mileage ~66,549), the FSD system repeatedly exhibited unsafe behavior during normal operation on public roads, including straddling two lanes, drifting toward lane markers, stopping at green lights or within intersections, hesitating mid-intersection, and failing to complete routine turns. These behaviors required frequent human intervention and made the system unsafe to use. Safety Risk: The behavior created a risk of collision with other vehicles and posed a danger to occupants and other road users, particularly when stopping unexpectedly at green lights or hesitating in intersections. Confirmation/Inspection: The issue was reported multiple times to Tesla Service and escalated internally. Tesla inspected the vehicle and confirmed in writing that the FSD behaviors were “behavioral” and not resolvable by hardware replacement at that time, with no known fix or timeline. Warnings: No warning lamps or fault messages were displayed prior to or during the incidents. Despite these issues, Tesla continued to advertise the vehicle as FSD-capable and accepted payment for the FSD subscription. I provided Tesla formal written notice via certified mail, delivered November 26, 2025, with no response within the stated timeframe. Although a recent software update has temporarily improved behavior, the defect existed at purchase and persisted through multiple service interactions. Additional documentation, service records, and communications are available upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am writing to file a complaint regarding a safety issue with my 2023 Model Y Performance Tesla vehicle. The steering wheel's faux leather covering is peeling and bubbling, causing the material to come off while driving. This poses a significant hazard as it compromises my grip and creates a distraction, potentially leading to loss of control. Additionally, Tesla does NOT want to repair this, even though I’m still under warranty.

When driving on slippery surfaces, if I release the accelerator pedal—even slightly—the vehicle automatically activates regenerative braking to recapture energy. On ice, this sudden deceleration mimics applying the brakes, which can cause an immediate loss of traction and control. This happened to me recently while driving in snowy and icy conditions. As soon as I eased off the accelerator, the car engaged regenerative braking, the wheels lost grip, and the vehicle began to slide, similar to what would happen if hard braking were applied on ice. I momentarily lost control of the car, creating a serious safety hazard. This behavior is not intuitive and can surprise drivers, particularly in winter climates. Unless regenerative braking is manually adjusted or turned off—something not every driver knows to do—the system can unintentionally put the vehicle into a skid. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue. A software modification or warning may be needed so drivers are not placed at risk due to unexpected regenerative braking on slippery surfaces. Thank you for your attention to this safety concern.

My Model Y experienced a sudden steering assist failure while driving. The wheel became extremely stiff/locked even though Autosteer was off. Multiple thermal system faults appeared: VCRIGHT_a271_THSSensorFault, VCRIGHT_a257_THSMIA, GTW_w043_THSVersionMismatch, and HVACSystemNotNominal This was very scary as I was driving and had no control of steering wheel because it locked.