Tesla Model Y Years to Avoid: No Year Stands Out
- Years to avoid
- No year stands out Every ranked year drew 148 to 976 complaints, under twice the 744.5 complaints of a typical Model Y year.
- Best years
- No year stands out Only the 2020 drew under three quarters of the 744.5 complaints of a typical Model Y year, but it drew under a quarter of the complaints of the year after, usually a sign that few were sold.
Based on owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, not adjusted for sales. The 2024 to 2026 models are too new to judge. See every year ranked
Every model year since 2019 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 138 MPGe combined, arrived in 2026.
Model Y problems by year, ranked by owner complaints
How the years are ranked
Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.
A typical Model Y year drew 744.5 complaints in its first three years: the median of its ranked years. Years to avoid drew at least twice that, and at least 50. Best years are up to three years with the fewest complaints, each under three quarters of a typical year (744.5), with no open NHTSA investigation and no do-not-drive or park-outside recall that covers all versions; the 2020 is never picked, as its first three years fell in the pandemic. How the verdict works.
| Model year | First 3 years | All complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
Most described: phantom braking or false collision alerts |
976 | 1,198 | 17 |
Most described: phantom braking or false collision alerts |
795 | 1,100 | 23 |
Most described: phantom braking or false collision alerts |
694 | 880 | 20 |
Most described: phantom braking or false collision alerts |
148 | 286 | 24 |
Compare other models' worst years in the worst model years guide.
Year by year
| Model year | Best rating | Recalls | Complaints | Crash test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2026 |
138 MPGe Electric |
8 | 452 | |
2025 |
125 MPGe Electric |
3 | 115 | |
2024 |
120 MPGe Electric |
5 | 339 | |
2023 |
123 MPGe Electric |
17 | 1,198 | |
2022 |
129 MPGe Electric |
20 | 880 | |
2021 |
129 MPGe Electric |
23 | 1,100 | |
2020 |
121 MPGe Electric |
24 | 286 | |
2019 |
– | 3 | 0 | Not rated |
Owner complaints by model year
All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.
2023: 1,198 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 286 |
| 2021 | 1,100 |
| 2022 | 880 |
| 2023 | 1,198 |
| 2024 | 339 |
| 2025 | 115 |
| 2026 | 452 |
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version in each model year. Electric: 120 to 138 MPGe (every year from 2020 to 2026); highest in 2026.
2026: electric 138 MPGeTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Best electric version |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 121 |
| 2021 | 129 |
| 2022 | 129 |
| 2023 | 123 |
| 2024 | 120 |
| 2025 | 125 |
| 2026 | 138 |
Every Model Y year's ratings in one table
Questions
Which Tesla Model Y years should you avoid?
No Tesla Model Y year stands out enough to avoid: none drew twice the 744.5 owner complaints of a typical Model Y year or more in its first three years. Counts ranged from 148 to 976. Complaints can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, so whatever the year, check its open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Tesla fixes safety recalls for free, often with an over-the-air software update.
What are the best Tesla Model Y years?
No year stands out as best. Only the 2020 drew under three quarters of the 744.5 complaints of a typical Model Y year, but it drew under a quarter of the complaints of the year after, usually a sign that few were sold. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.
Which Tesla Model Y years have the most problems?
Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2023 (976) drew the most, then the 2021 (795). Owners of the 2023 most often describe phantom braking or false collision alerts.
Which Tesla Model Y years have the most recalls?
The 2020 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (24), then the 2021 (23). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2019 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.
What are the most common Tesla Model Y problems?
In the 4,370 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2019 to 2026 models, owners most often describe phantom braking or false collision alerts (693 complaints, most of them for the 2021 and 2022); suspension part problems (166 complaints, most of them for the 2021 and 2023); and power steering problems or locked steering (159 complaints, most of them for the 2021 and 2023). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.
Which Tesla Model Y year has the best efficiency?
The best EPA efficiency rating is 138 MPGe combined, first reached in 2026.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
- NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.