NHTSA lists 8 safety recalls and 452 owner complaints for the 2026 Tesla Model Y. It has 2 open investigations that name this model year, not counting audit queries.
Recalled components: electrical system, body structure, equipment, seats, and 2 more. Most-reported area: forward collision avoidance (133 complaints, 29%).
Too new to rank against other Model Y years
The 2026 Model Y has not had three full years of owner complaints yet.
No Model Y year stands out enough to avoid. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated
8 safety recalls for the 2026 Tesla Model Y
Grouped by the part recalled, largest group first, newest first within each part. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for what is wrong, the fix and the full notice.
Electrical system 3 recalls
propulsion system · fuses, relays, contacts, and shunts
Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The battery pack contactors may fail, causing a loss of drive power.
Fix: Tesla Service will replace the battery pack contactors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-16-005.
12,963 vehicles.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2025 Model 3 and 2026 Model Y vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Tesla campaign SB-25-16-005.
Risk: Reverse lights that fail to illuminate reduce visibility and may not alert pedestrians or other drivers that the vehicle is backing up, increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The reverse lights may fail to illuminate while the vehicle is in reverse, due to a defect in the wiring. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Fix: Tesla Service will replace the reverse lights and reverse facia harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 26, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-17-011.
Fails federal standard 108 (lighting) · 260 vehicles.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Components: Electrical system: wiring; Exterior lighting: back up lights. Tesla campaign SB-25-17-011.
Risk: An inoperable horn may prevent the driver from alerting other drivers as needed, increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The ring terminal of the horn ground wire may be improperly secured, allowing the circuit to open and preventing the horn from sounding.
Fix: Tesla service will replace the steering wheel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were be mailed September 23, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-17-009.
6 vehicles.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Tesla campaign SB-25-17-009.
Risk: A noncompliant vehicle may have reduced occupant protections, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The vehicles were originally built for a foreign market and do not have knee air bags, may not be equipped with certain interior safety countermeasures, and may not have been tested for bumper impact resistance procedures. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers, 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact," and Part 581, "Bumper Standards."
Fix: Tesla will repurchase noncompliant vehicles currently registered in the United States, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752 or [email protected]. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-26-00-004.
Fails federal standard 201 (interior impact protection) · 15 vehicles.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y and 2024 Model 3 vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Components: Air bags: knee bolster; Body structure: body, bumpers. Tesla campaign SB-26-00-004.
Risk: Missing weight information provided by the label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The certification label may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 C.F.R. Part 567, "Certification."
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and install a certification label as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 17, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-26-19-002.
Fails federal standard 567 · 14,575 vehicles.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Model Y vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Tesla campaign SB-26-19-002.
Risk: The seat may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The fasteners attaching the seat back to the seat bottom may have been improperly tightened.
Fix: Tesla Service Centers will inspect and tighten or replace the seat assembly fasteners as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-13-003.
48 vehicles.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Tesla campaign SB-25-13-003.
Risk: A lateral link separation could shift the wheel alignment, causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
One or more front suspension lateral link fasteners may not have been properly tightened, allowing the lateral link to loosen or separate from the sub-frame.
Fix: Tesla Service will tighten or replace the fasteners and check wheel the alignment, free of charge. In addition, Tesla Service will replace any related parts that may have been damaged as necessary. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 30, 2026. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-26-31-004.
19 vehicles.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Components: Suspension: critical fasteners; Suspension: front. Tesla campaign SB-26-31-004.
Risk: The inability to clean the windshield reduces the driver’s visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The hose connector may block the windshield washer nozzles, preventing washer fluid from reaching the windshield. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
Fix: Tesla service will inspect and replace the wiper arm elbow connector as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 25, 2025. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-25-20-001.
Fails federal standard 104 (windshield wipers) · 172 vehicles.
Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2026 Model Y vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Tesla campaign SB-25-17-006.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 3 investigations that name the 2026 Tesla Model Y, not counting audit queries; 2 are still open. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
FSD collisions in reduced roadway visibility conditions
Engineering analysis EA26002Open since Mar 18, 2026
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Tesla’s Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Component: Electrical system (ADAS).
Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged
Preliminary evaluation PE25012Open since Oct 7, 2025
The Office of Defects Investigation (“ODI”) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute traffic safety… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Component: Electrical system (ADAS).
Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts
Preliminary evaluation PE24033Closed Apr 3, 2026 (opened Jan 6, 2025)
On January 6, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation 24003 (PE24033) to investigate Actually Smart Summon (Summon) sessions resulting in crashes during active sessions.
NHTSA listing: MODEL Y. Component: Electrical system (ADAS, autonomous/self driving).
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 452 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Model Y. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Shaking, shuddering or vibration15 · 3%
Unintended acceleration or surging15 · 3%
Phantom braking or false collision alerts13 · 3%
Power steering problems or locked steering13 · 3%
Driver-assist errors or blocked-sensor messages10 · 2%
Most named: adaptive cruise control (71); automatic emergency braking (61)
Electrical system65 · 14%
Most named: adas, autonomous/self driving (16); adas (4) · Median 5,900 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Lane departure systems55 · 12%
Most named: assist (39); warning (17)
Steering55 · 12%
Speed control37 · 8%
Body structure34 · 8%
Most named: body (31)
Backover prevention and rearview camera32 · 7%
Most named: warnings (31); rearview system braking (3)
Unknown or other147 · 33%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Tesla Model Y recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2026 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Model Y drew the most (976).
Owner complaints
2026: 452 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Tesla Model Y
Model year
Complaints
2019
0
2020
286
2021
1,100
2022
880
2023
1,198
2024
339
2025
115
2026
452
Safety recalls
2026: 8 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Tesla Model Y
Model year
Recalls
2019
3
2020
24
2021
23
2022
20
2023
17
2024
5
2025
3
2026
8
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: forward collision avoidance (133), electrical system (65), lane departure systems (55). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2026 Tesla Model Y safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2026 Tesla Model Y earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2026 Tesla Model Y?
Yes. NHTSA has 2 open investigations that name the 2026 Tesla Model Y, not counting audit queries: FSD collisions in reduced roadway visibility conditions (EA26002, opened Mar 18, 2026) and traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged (PE25012, opened Oct 7, 2025). It has closed 1 other. An investigation is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
How do I check if my Model Y has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Tesla fixes safety recalls for free, often with an over-the-air software update.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: MODEL Y.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.