2023 Tesla Model Y Electrical System Problems

My 2023 Tesla Model Y suddenly became inaccessible via key card and phone key with no prior warning. The tow operator successfully jump-started the vehicle with a 12V jump and it powered on — suggesting a 12V battery failure, not an HV system failure. Tesla diagnosed water ingress in the HV battery pack and HV harness, citing an isolation resistance fault and open flood port. Their conclusion escalated from "water ingress" to "vehicle submerged," with an $11,000 battery replacement recommended and warranty denied. I am disputing this. The vehicle has never been submerged or exposed to flooding. The only physical evidence provided was clean water droplets on a single HV connector — no waterline staining, no sediment, no debris, no pin corrosion. No ingress pathway (seal, gasket, or breach point) was identified. The flood port mechanism was not explained and may activate from pressure changes or seal failure — not exclusively submersion. The vehicle powering on after a 12V jump is inconsistent with catastrophic HV failure from submersion. I believe this may represent a manufacturing defect in the HV battery pack sealing system allowing moisture intrusion under normal conditions. Tesla has classified this as owner-caused damage without sufficient physical evidence. If similar cases exist across 2023 Model Y vehicles, a systemic defect may be present. Safety risk: sudden, complete vehicle shutdown with no warning — potential loss of propulsion while driving. Vehicle is currently at Tesla Service, undisassembled, and available for inspection.

The front trunk (frunk) actuator failed due to an under voltage condition. During repair, Tesla technicians also found corrosion in the wiring harness connectors. The vehicle has been garaged its entire life and has never been exposed to harsh environmental conditions. Tesla's own service documentation specifies that underwood and underbody connectors should be protected with anti-corrosion grease during assembly. Premature corrosion on a grade vehicle at 78,000 miles suggests a manufacturing defect in either the harness materials or the factory assembly process. Repair cost $860.20, partially offset by a $200 goodwill credit. A non-functional frunk also represents a potential safety concern as the hood latch mechanism is part of vehicle safety systems.

I was driving home with Tesla FSD engaged, and my right turn was approaching. Since the Tesla did not activate the right turn signal on its own, I turned on right indicator manually while FSD was still engaged. But FSD changed the lane to the left and accelerated, and rear-ended the vehicle in front of me.

The vehicle display flashed red and then the vehicle turned off completely while in traffic with no ability to change gear, operate the electronic door releases, or turn the hazards on. Safety was put at risk because insufficient notice of failure was given so it was impossible to get out of traffic, the vehicle could not be put in neutral so could not be pushed out of traffic, further the hazard lights could not be turned on so I had to stand in traffic waiving people around the vehicle. Because the electronic door releases didn't work, the doors could not be opened from the outside, had a front window not been open, it would have been easy to trap our child in the car. The dealer confirmed that the failure took place from vehicle logs but was unable to reproduce the problem. The dealer/manufacturer inspected the vehicle. Prior to this happening the vehicle showed warnings that power was reduced and vehicle may not restart about 20 minutes prior to the event, but the warnings disappeared after a minute. Even though Tesla confirmed the failure, they refused to diagnose the problem or fix it so the vehicle remains dangerous.

The contact owned a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that a software update (2025.44.25.5) was performed on the vehicle, which was for a temporary free self-driving mode. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated sideways and crashed into the highway's concrete retaining wall. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where he was treated bruised left knee, cracked ribs, and several other bruises to various parts of his body. No property damage was reported. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene to an independent mechanic, where it was deemed a total loss. Neither the manufacturer nor the service center had been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,500.

On November 16, 2025, my Tesla Model Y experienced a complete and dangerous failure while driving. The touchscreen went totally blank and stopped responding. All essential driving information and safety functions were lost, including speedometer, gear selection, turn signals, HVAC/defrost, and vehicle controls. At the same time, the car made a continuous loud humming/buzzing sound and displayed a low coolant warning. This made the vehicle unsafe to operate because I could not see my speed, cannot shift properly, and could not access any safety controls. This is the second time my vehicle has experienced a critical malfunction. The first major incident occurred on July 28, 2025. A complaint has been filed with the NHTSA under tracking number 11676662. Both failures involved sudden loss of essential functions, raising serious concerns about electrical, cooling system, or display system defects. I am reporting this because it is a serious safety risk and could lead to vehicle loss of control, inability to signal, or inability to see speed or gear position. The problem has been reported to Tesla and is pending evaluation at a Tesla service center. Warning messages and symptoms appeared at the moment of failure with no prior signs.

First cold day of the year and the heater stopped working. With the heater not available the windshield couldn’t be cleared it would always fog and cover the windshield blocking the view infront of the vehicle. Next couple days it was even cooler and the windshield was frozen with no way of heating and clearing the view. Yes the issue was reproduced by the service center upon taking the vehicle there once the vehicle was a little warm. Tesla service center mentioned there was an internal fault in the compressor which they can’t be clear so have to replace a compressor, exv valve, pressure temperature sensors and coolant. Vehicle was parked when I tried to turn the heat on in the morning it would just blow cool air. No warning before the failure. Once the compressor faulted it would give a warning “vcfront_a447” cabin climate control system requires service. And just blow cold air everytime the vehicle is started. If turning on heat from the phone app or inside the cabin it would blows cold air for about 10 mins then it will show the warning lamp.

RE: VIN [XXX] Battery problem Car is less than 3 years old. Suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. Only had about 5 seconds or so to react and the car stuttered and shut down. Could not move it or drive it all. Dashboard was still working but it would not move and flashing red in the console. Very scary and frustrating experience. Fortunately, I was on a city and not on a highway. The car had an error: "Pull to the side" which was very short of an alert response. I tow the car to Tesla center and was told that more than likely main battery issue with the inverter or similar. The Service center does confirm the inverter has been reset but they cannot find anything wrong with it. I do not think it is safe to drive as incident could happen again with the battery/inverter. This has happened to many other cars Tesla had. Thanks, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The vehicle went into Turtle mode and there was a warning sign that power was reduced. The car eventually stopped moving on the highway seconds later. The warning time was minimal and I was on a two lane highway when the car stopped in one of the lanes during rush hour. This is the third time I have had this warning since February 2025 and I started leasing the vehicle December 2024. The first time, the service replaced the accelerator pedal. The second time, the rear motor. This third time, they are saying it's the accelerator pedal again. Each time there is no warning or signs that there is an issue and it is unacceptable for a vehicle that is only one year old.

The tesla computer freezes. Sudden there is no information from the car, no miles per hour, no navigation, no side view cameras. I can drive the car but that's is all. Since the navigation is entirely dependent on the computer I can't tell where I am going. It has happened more than 30+ times in the car.

The car computer (HW3) in my 2023 Tesla Model Y failed without warning while I was traveling from Maryland to New Jersey. When I attempted to drive the car, the main screen was completely black and unresponsive, meaning I could not see or control any essential functions—no speed display, gear indicator, or system feedback. The vehicle was not drivable. Acceleration was extremely delayed (took more than 10 seconds to start moving from stop) when attempting to move, and the car felt like it could stop at any moment without warning. I had no way to safely monitor or control the vehicle’s basic operation. This created a serious safety risk—not only was I unable to access the gear or speed, but the vehicle was in a condition where it could shut down suddenly at any time due to the computer failure. This left me stranded while away from home and could have resulted in dangerous situations if I had been on the road when it failed. Tesla Service inspected the vehicle and confirmed the issue was an internal fault in the car computer (HW3), diagnosed by their senior technician. They provided a repair estimate of approximately $3,000. No police, insurance, or other third parties have inspected the vehicle. There were no warning messages, alerts, or symptoms before the failure occurred. It happened suddenly and completely at around 59,000 miles—just 9,000 miles past the basic warranty limit. The failed computer is being fixed by Tesla service center in Paramus, NJ location.

We experienced an extremely dangerous and life threatening situation with Tesla Y model on [XXX] around [XXX] and would like to report to NHTSA. We were driving on [XXX] going towards Nashua and my TESLA-Y car when the steering wheel froze and I got message that front camera was not working. When I tried to steer the car in the lane, the car suddenly braked and took two 360 degree spins (turns) on the highway with cars streaming at high speed around us. We went from the left lane to the right most lane after two 360 degree spins and ended in the right lane. Luckily, no other autos hit us and I was able to take control of the car and pull over in the right lane. The incident is recorded int the Tesla's harddrive which we can make this available to you. the car started working normally so we drove back home. We have had minor control incidents with the lane assist and auto pilot systems of this car in 2023 and 2024. We have complained and showed the problem to Tesla dealer in Watertown, MA. However they said there is nothing wrong with the car. We request you to investigate this incident with Tesla and find out the cause for the car to take this dangerous breaking and spinning incident on a highway. Thanks, [XXX] and [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle had a open window during rain storm. Interior got wet. Next day the vehicle was left to dry out. Vehicle caught on fire and engulfed in flames in the backseat. Nobody was harmed fire was contained by the Frisco Fire Department. Vehicle was then towed away.

On Memorial Day weekend, my car was parked outside, and apparently back passenger window was left open, which caused the backseat area of the car to be soaked in water. We noticed that in the morning, and parked the car inside the garage, and kept the door and windows open so it could dry quickly. However, a few hours later, around 4:30 pm, the car caught fire while parked in the garage. We called 911 right away and quickly using two fire extinguishers, quickly put out the fire. The Frisco Fire Department opened up the investigation, and I believe they concluded the cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit due to water or battery-related issues. The fire incident occurred inside the garage, which could have potentially burned the entire house. However, due to the brave actions of my [XXX] , we put the fire out, but he ended up in the hospital due to severe smoke inhalation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with the full self-driving system activated, the message "System Malfunction - Take Over Immediately" was displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable diagnose the vehicle or duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,000.

This is my 5th complaint and involves, again, the key card. This is the used key card the El Paso Tesla Dealer was kind enough to give me, and help me program, when one of the original key cards, less than a year old, stopped working. (Tesla wanted me to pay $45 for 2 new key cards) The used key card stopped functioning so I planned to call Tesla and have them "reprogram it"...something that must be done while I am in the car. I went on a last-minute trip and took my spare, barely-used key card. I also had my phone but didn't realize I'd not re-downloaded the Tesla app when I recently troubleshot my phone. Later in the day I parked at CIty of Rocks State Park in NM, still without connectivity, and locked the car with the "good" key card. Then I misplaced the key card! I called one of my 2 backup drivers and asked her to unlock and start my car for me. Her App did not allow her to do so, even though it showed the location of my car at City of Rocks...it said "move closer to the car". (She lives in CA). I had to get a ride to Wifi, download the Tesla App, and when I tried using it to unlock the car, it said "you must be closer to the car". When I got to the car, I was able to unlock and start it using the phone key. After arriving home, I used my App to get Roadside assistance and asked for a phone call when they texted to confirm my location. I explained that I didn't need service, just needed help re-programing my defective card. (I had since found the good card!) The woman on the other end was helpful but it was difficult for her also. We ended up removing the defective key from my profile, though it required a lot of work and also required the "good" key card. I have to call Tesla on Monday (it was Sunday) to get the card re-programmed. Had my difficulty been in a high-traffic or unsafe area I would have been in trouble. The "backup" drivers on my App are there for emergency access to my car, supposedly from any location.

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that on two occasions while stopped in self-driving mode, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated into oncoming traffic. The brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle stopped after driving a foot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

Tesla remotely disabled my vehicle twice (February 28, 2025, and March 6, 2025) without prior notice, legal justification, or a court order. February 28, 2025 – Tesla Disabled My Vehicle for 3 Days My Tesla Model Y was remotely locked without warning, leaving me stranded and unable to use my vehicle. Tesla refused to provide a reason or reinstate access for three days. March 6, 2025 – Tesla Disabled My Vehicle Again & Attempted Repossession Tesla again remotely disabled my vehicle, then sent a tow truck for repossession without legal notice. I called the police, who confirmed Tesla had no legal repossession order. Tesla refused to restore access, forcing me into a coerced “voluntary surrender.” How This Posed a Safety Risk I was stranded in public locations without notice or transportation alternatives. Had the vehicle been in motion, this could have caused a road hazard. Tesla’s lack of due process denied me the chance to dispute the action before losing my vehicle. Confirmed by Law Enforcement & Tesla’s Own Records Police intervened on March 6, 2025, and confirmed Tesla had no valid repossession order. Tesla has refused to provide written documentation or a legal explanation for these actions. Regulatory Concerns Tesla’s unilateral ability to disable vehicles raises serious consumer safety issues: What prevents Tesla from disabling vehicles arbitrarily? What legal safeguards exist to protect owners from unjustified manufacturer lockouts? Should federal law restrict Tesla from disabling vehicles without court approval? Request for Investigation Tesla’s remote disabling practice endangers consumers and should be urgently investigated by NHTSA to determine if federal safeguards are needed.

The Main Display went completely dark and Required Rebooting of the Car when attempting to move the car from the PARKED state to DRIVE state. This was the second occurence of this issue.

Driving Incident with Auto High Beam: I was driving on the freeway early in the morning with the auto high beam feature activated. However, due to heavy fog, I wanted to turn it off. I asked my passenger to help me find the option on the screen. Unfortunately, she clicked the wrong button, which completely turned off all the lights while we were driving. This caused a moment of panic, and I had to slam the brakes, realizing I had veered off the road. Thankfully, there was no one behind us. While it was an oversight on my passenger’s part, I can’t help but wonder: shouldn’t there be a warning or a disabled button while driving, especially in the dark? I’m not sure if this qualifies as a safety issue, but it certainly felt life-threatening at the moment. Had there been another vehicle behind us or if we had hit a divider, the situation could have been much worse. Suggestion for Improvement: To enhance safety, I suggest implementing a feature that disables the off button in light controls while the vehicle is in motion, especially in low-visibility conditions. Additionally, a clear warning message could pop up if a driver attempts to adjust the lighting settings while driving, ensuring that safety remains the top priority.