Tesla Model Y body problems

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I brought the vehicle to a Tesla Service Center for a front suspension noise. During the alignment portion of that repair, the technician found a crack in the left side of the rear subframe casting, the structural member that locates the rear suspension links and supports the rear drive unit. The subframe required full replacement. There was no impact event. The vehicle has never struck a curb, pothole, or object, and Tesla's own written finding confirmed there was no evidence of any side impact. Tesla attributed the crack to stress transmitted from failed front lower control arm bushings, which were replaced at the same visit. The front lower lateral links and their subframe fasteners were also replaced during this repair. The Tesla technician stated he had not seen this subframe crack so severely at this mileage, and that he normally sees this failure only on vehicles over 100,000 miles, or vehicles that have hit severe potholes or fallen off steep curbs, none of which applies here. A rear subframe cracking under normal driving loads at 68,000 miles is a structural failure with safety implications. The subframe controls rear wheel alignment and retains the drive unit. Progressive or sudden failure could cause loss of alignment, instability, or loss of vehicle control. I am reporting this so NHTSA can determine whether premature rear subframe cracking, potentially linked to front suspension link failure, represents a defect trend on these vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11763484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Child entered our vehicle and was UNABLE to exit/open his door (driver's side passenger door) from inside. The child locks were not enabled. The door would also NOT open from the outside. When entering service mode, a VCLEFT_a187latchReleaseFailedR error was present. I looked up on Tesla service how to manual release the door. It states to use a fingernail or flat tool to open the plastic flap in the pocket of the door handle. I was unable to open with a my fingernail and using a small screwdriver took me multiple attempts. It then took me multiple attempts (~5) of pulling the release cable for the latch to unlock. I believe I finally got it to unlock while holding the electronic latch while pulling --this is not mentioned in the service manual (unsure if this step is missing or it just was extremely stuck/luck that it finally unlatched when I did this). Once the latch was released, this error and all history of it was not even logged in the service alerts section. Made a service appointment, however, first available is not for >20 days. I also have a video of us trying to open the door multiple times but I can not upload it here.

NHTSA complaint #11760729 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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Tailgate doesn’t close. Electric hydraulic arm on driver side is too strong forcing misalignment of tailgate. Tesla will not repair under warranty.

NHTSA complaint #11759724 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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On August 26, 2026, I sustained a significant injury when the door of my Tesla closed while my thumb was in the door area. The door caught my thumb and forcibly lifted/tore off most of my thumbnail, causing immediate bleeding and leaving the nail bed exposed. I am reporting this because I am concerned about the safety of the vehicle’s door closing mechanism and its ability to prevent this type of injury when a hand or finger is obstructing the door. The force of the closing door was sufficient to cause substantial physical injury rather than a minor pinch. There were no warning messages or alerts before the incident that I was aware of. At this time, I do not know whether the door, sensors, or closing mechanism malfunctioned or whether they were operating as designed. The cause is UNKNOWN and has not yet been confirmed by Tesla or an independent service center. The vehicle and door are available for inspection upon request. I am also reporting the incident to Tesla and requesting that Tesla inspect the door and related components and preserve/review any available vehicle diagnostic or event data associated with the incident. The injury has been photographed and documented. I am concerned that the same door behavior could cause serious injury to another occupant, particularly if a child’s hand or fingers were caught in the door.

NHTSA complaint #11759824 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the suspension on the undercarriage of the vehicle was separating from the vehicle. The contact stated that a year prior to the failure, the half shaft used to attach the wheel to the vehicle subframe was fractured and was falling off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the battery was very heavy and was possibly the cause of the failure. The vehicle was being repaired out of pocket. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,811.

NHTSA complaint #11757712 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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The rear lift gate will not close. Defective hinges and electrical strut causing miss alignment and inability to close.

NHTSA complaint #11755986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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My 2021 Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX]) experienced a serious safety malfunction during a 12V low‑voltage failure. When the vehicle displayed the 12V alert, it became non‑functional. Upon entering, no systems were operating. When I pressed the brake pedal, the interior lights flashed and both front windows began moving up and down automatically without any input. This uncommanded movement caused both windows to shatter violently inside the cabin. The glass broke along the lower section of the window, consistent with internal mechanical stress caused by the window motor cycling during a fault. This was not external impact. I have photos documenting the breakage pattern. This is a safety defect. Automatic window movement during electrical failure poses a risk of injury. Additionally, even if a customer closes a door with the window raised, the glass should not shatter. Tesla vehicles are designed with automatic window indexing and motor resistance protection. The system should adjust the window position to prevent breakage. The fact that the glass shattered indicates a failure of Tesla’s safety logic and window indexing system. Tesla denied responsibility and claimed “misuse,” but could not provide system logs to support this claim. Tesla also stated customers must ensure windows are lowered before closing doors, but this requirement does not exist anywhere in Tesla’s manual. Tesla’s explanation does not address the automatic window movement that caused the breakage. This malfunction presents a clear safety hazard: unexpected window movement, glass shattering inside the cabin, and risk of injury to occupants. I request NHTSA investigate Tesla’s window indexing behavior during 12V failures, the failure of safety protections, and the risk of glass breakage caused by system‑initiated movement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11753908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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My car was parked in a residential neighborhood and when I was driving home on the evening of July 4th I noticed the windshield had a small line in it. The next day during daylight hours I went to inspect it further and concluded that the hood made contact with the windshield on both sides and there were two distinct impact areas that matched perfectly with small paint damage on the hood. I made an appointment with Tesla and waited about two weeks to get in, and they summized that this is not a defective part issue and that a wind so powerful came along, lifted the hood up, overpowered the gas struts, broke the windshield and closed itself perfectly. They denied any responsibility and refused to cover it under their manufacturers warranty. This is Tesla of Wilmington, DE

NHTSA complaint #11753846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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While driving through normal rain with ordinary standing water on the roadway (NOT flood conditions), the rear bumper fascia detached from my Tesla Model Y. There was no impact, no collision, and no debris strike - there are no impact marks or scratches on the bumper. The fascia was pulled off by water drag, tearing a welded body mount bracket from the vehicle structure and damaging the underbody shield. This is a road safety hazard: a detached bumper fascia can drag on the roadway, separate completely, and become a large road obstacle for vehicles behind me. Tesla documented this exact failure mode in Service Bulletin SB-20-12-003 (rear fascia detachment when driving through standing water, with damage to harnesses and body fasteners/mounts), yet the defect persists in Model Y vehicles. Notably, another Tesla directly next to mine suffered the identical bumper detachment in the same rainfall at the same time - two identical failures in identical ordinary weather conditions, indicating a systemic design defect rather than driver error. Tesla Service denied warranty coverage, characterizing normal rain as 'flood water.'

NHTSA complaint #11752663 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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On July 10, 2026, my 2024 Tesla Model Y (approx. 22,440 miles) lost all power (main/12V battery) while parked next to a Supercharger stall on Level 3 of the Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino parking garage, Maricopa, AZ. Ambient temperature was approximately 110F. My dog and cat were inside the vehicle. With the vehicle powered off, the key card, Tesla app, and interior door releases did not function, leaving no way to open the doors from outside or inside. Unable to find or access a working manual door release in time, we broke the rear quarter glass and damaged a door to physically extract the pets before they suffered heat-related harm. Maricopa Police Department and Ak-Chin Fire Department responded to the scene. This represents a serious safety defect: a loss of vehicle power should not eliminate all means of entry/egress, particularly when children or pets could be trapped in extreme heat. The vehicle, damaged door, and glass are available for inspection. Photos of the incident are available.

NHTSA complaint #11750529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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I purchased a used 2023 Tesla Model Y from Tesla in Austin, Texas. Upon and after delivery I discovered the following safety defects that were not disclosed to me prior to purchase: the front left door is completely off its hinges and scratching, the rear right door does not shut properly, the passenger side window is not seating correctly in its track, the front left tire is damaged, and both wheel rims have visible chipping and damage. Tesla's own delivery managers documented all of this in their system at the time of delivery. I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle. I have escalated to Tesla executive leadership and filed complaints with the BBB and Texas Attorney General.

NHTSA complaint #11749760 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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On Saturday, [XXX] at around [XXX] going west on [XXX] toward [XXX] stopped at the intersection of [XXX]. While driving my 2022 Tesla Model Y, Performance, I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green and I began accelerating normally through the intersection, both passenger-side doors unexpectedly unlatched at the same time. The windows on both passenger doors lowered slightly, and the vehicle displayed a warning indicating the doors were open and to drive carefully. This created an immediate safety hazard, as the doors opened while the vehicle was in motion without any intentional action from the occupants(there were 0 occupants there). This is the second time this exact issue has occurred under similar circumstances, with the previous incident also happening as I accelerated from a red light. The vehicle should not allow multiple doors to unlatch while driving. I have reported the issue to Tesla for inspection and request that this incident be documented and investigated as a potential safety defect. I was going less that 10 mph when this occurred. Thankfully, my toddler was not sitting in the back seat and there were no passengers in the car. No injuries. No crash. *Unable to upload any photos/screenshots at the moment, but can email or link a drive when need be. This website doesn't support any uploads at the moment. I'm on a Mac using Google Chrome. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11747051 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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We just got our new Model Y today (6/21/2026) at Tesla Dealer in Plano. And I noticed the fabric liner in the center console/storage area is shedding fine fibers. The fibers adhere to skin and clothing and continue to release during normal vehicle usage. These fibers can inadvertently inhaled and I am concern that this issue might cause health hazard to me and my family whenever we are using the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11745524 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.