There are 11 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2026 Tesla Model Yin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, while other vehicles were driving beside the vehicle, or when the wind was blowing, the vehicle unexpectedly moved to the left or right. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle operated as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was operating as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken back to a different dealer, and the dealer stated that the vehicle was operating as designed. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
On April 11 2026, I was involved in a serious accident involving my 2026 Tesla Model Y. At the time of the incident, I was returning home from my daughter’s event in downtown and had just entered my residential driveway. As I approached the driveway, I applied the brakes and slowed the vehicle. While momentarily stationary or near-stationary, I spoke to my wife, who was seated in the front passenger seat, advising her to secure the food she was holding due to the uneven surface of the driveway. Upon removing my foot from the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated without any input . The vehicle proceeded forward and collided with my garage door. Notably, no collision warning alerts were issued, and no automatic emergency braking system engaged prior to or during the impact. Following the initial collision with garage door, the vehicle failed to stop and instead continued to accelerate into the garage, striking a refrigerator. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the refrigerator and caused extensive structural harm to the property, affecting the garage, adjacent living space, floors, and interior walls. The severity of the collision triggered deployment of the front airbags. At the time, my wife was seated in the front passenger seat, and my [XXX] daughter, along with her friend, was seated in the rear of the vehicle. Emergency services were called, I have forehead bruises and a burn on my hand from airbag deployment. My wife is advised physiotherapy for severe back pain and my daughter has since experienced ongoing emotional distress, nightmares.I am dealing with car and home claims issues for damages I am seeking a formal investigation into the cause of this incident, specifically addressing: 1)The unexpected and unintended acceleration of the vehicle 2)The failure of the vehicle to stop after the initial collision with the garage door 3)The absence of forward collision warnings and failure of automatic emergency braking . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Forward storage compartment (FRUNK) is in violation of FMVSS 401. There is no emergency release, neither manual or automatic, installed on this vehicle. Previous year models of this vehicle have an illuminated release button that complies with this regulation. Enclosed in images is an example of previous year models versus what is found in my vehicle
Timeline of events: Day 1 – Delivery March 13, 2026 • Drove about 10 miles after delivery. • The driver-side window suddenly rolled fully down by itself while I was driving. • Returned immediately to the Tesla service center. They said they cleaned the window and recalibrated it. Later the same day • Drove another 10 miles. • The window dropped fully again while driving. • Returned to the service center a second time. • I was told a mechanical part would be replaced, but never provided documentation. Day 2 – Today, March 14, 2026 • Left home to go to the store. • Within about 5 minutes of driving, the window dropped fully again and would not close at all. • The wind noise was extremely loud and the vehicle was very difficult to operate safely. I contacted the service center and was told they cannot provide proof of the part replacement from yesterday. When I called another Tesla service location, the earliest appointment available to even investigate the issue is March 31, 2026, despite the fact that the vehicle is essentially undrivable.
The contact owns a 2026 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a loud pop coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact noticed that the glass on the passenger’s side had shattered, and glass had fallen inside the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and noticed that there was no impact on the glass to cause it to shatter. The contact returned to the residence and parked the vehicle. The dealer was called, and the dealer stated that the repair was not covered under recall or warranty. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who confirmed that the failure was not caused by an impact and informed the contact that the parts were expected to be ordered and should arrive within a week for the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000.
The forward trunk also known as the Frunk does not have the legally required interior release. I have children. I train them how to use a trunk emergency release. This car does not have one for the Forward trunk. This is a serious safety hazard.
The front trunk (frunk) on my 2026 Tesla Model Y Juniper lacks both internal lighting and an emergency safety release mechanism. This design flaw creates an unnecessary and severe safety risk, as a small adult or child could easily become trapped in the frunk with no way to signal for help or escape. In low-light conditions—such as at night or in a garage without adequate illumination—the absence of a light would exacerbate disorientation and panic for anyone trapped. Without an internal release latch or glow-in-the-dark handle (standard in many vehicle trunks to prevent entrapment deaths), this could lead to a life-threatening suffocation or injury situation, especially if the frunk is accidentally closed on a person during loading/unloading. I discovered this issue while inspecting the frunk during routine cleaning and noticed that my four-year-old sat very comfortably inside the frunk listening to music while I cleaned the car. No incident has occurred yet, but the potential for harm is clear and warrants immediate investigation, as it violates basic entrapment-prevention standards observed in rear trunks and other vehicles. This defect compromises occupant safety and should be addressed through a recall or a retrofit that includes an illuminated emergency release. Please investigate similar complaints for this model year.
Incident Date: December 11, 2025 Vehicle: 2026 Tesla Model Y Location: DFW Airport, Irving, TX System: Full Self-Driving (Autopilot / FSD) Description: On December 11, 2025, my 2026 Tesla Model Y was operating under Full Self-Driving while exiting an airport when the vehicle struck a gate arm, causing property damage and windshield/body damage. No injuries occurred, but the collision happened while the FSD system was actively controlling the vehicle. Following the collision, I requested the vehicle operational and FSD engagement data from Tesla for the incident timeframe. Tesla provided a CSV dataset; however, the FSD engagement and autonomy decision-layer data were almost entirely missing, despite the vehicle being in motion and presumably under FSD control. On follow-up requests, Tesla stated they are unable to provide additional autonomy data and that “Tesla does not collect all your vehicle data,” despite marketing the system as Full Self-Driving and collecting extensive telemetry. This raises a safety concern because: 1.A collision occurred during FSD operation. 2.Tesla is not providing complete autonomy data for safety assessment. 3.There appears to be no transparency into FSD decision-making, object detection, or control authority at the time of impact. 4.Owners, insurers, and potentially regulators cannot review how FSD behaved during a safety-related event. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA is aware that: (1) A collision occurred under FSD control, and (2) Tesla refused complete operational autonomy logs for evaluation.
I am reporting a significant safety defect on my 2026 Tesla Model Y (delivered in October 2025). The vehicle is missing the lighted interior emergency release button inside the front trunk (frunk). Upon inspection, not only is the button missing (replaced by a blank plastic panel), but the necessary wiring harness to support a release mechanism is also absent. This appears to be a deliberate design change that violates FMVSS No. 401, which requires an interior release mechanism to prevent entrapment. A child or small adult could potentially be trapped in this compartment with no way to exit from the inside, creating a life-threatening entrapment risk.
On June 6, 2025, at 5:30 PM MST, I was scheduled to take delivery of a Tesla Model Y at Tesla’s Aurora, CO Delivery Center. Upon inspection, I found visible rear paint damage. Tesla staff verbally acknowledged the defect but refused to provide any written documentation of the issue or the repair plan. I declined delivery due to the defect and the lack of formal repair documentation. I was then told by Tesla staff that if I refused a second delivery — even if the issue remained — I would forfeit my $250 deposit. This was framed as non-refundable and used to pressure acceptance. I also attempted to trade in my leased vehicle (financed by Santander Consumer USA). Tesla and Santander gave me conflicting information about the lease structure, trade-in value, and ownership responsibilities. No formal documentation was offered to clarify. I contacted Tesla’s lease return department, requested written confirmation of the defect, and later filed complaints with the BBB and the Colorado Attorney General. I am seeking CFPB support to investigate Tesla’s and Santander’s leasing practices, use of deposit threats, and lack of transparency in trade-in and vehicle condition handling.
The Hood paint thickness looks too thin and painting quality so bad. As soon as it got the stone chip, it makes the body metal part exposed to the air. This defect has hazard of corrosion the Hood metal and it makes that metal get brittle. When the driver get the accident after corrosion, it makes passenger in death or severe danger.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026