Model record
Tesla Model Y Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Tesla Model Y model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2020 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 3, 20263,721 complaints6 model years
The Tesla Model Y years with the most owner complaints are 2023, 2021 and 2022. Owners named the adaptive cruise control most for 2023, 2021 and 2022.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
Almost all of the complaints fall on the first design, and they peak at 1,134 for 2023.
Tesla Model Y complaints by model year
Every Tesla Model Y model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2020 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2020Adaptive cruise control26%274
- 2021Adaptive cruise control38%1,059
- 2022Adaptive cruise control40%847
- 2023Adaptive cruise control26%1,134
- 2024Adaptive cruise control22%312
- 2025Adaptive cruise control27%95
Best Tesla Model Y years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints.
- 2020Adaptive cruise control · 24 recalls274
- 2021Adaptive cruise control · 23 recalls1,059
Most common Tesla Model Y problems
The systems owners named most across all 6 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- Adaptive cruise controlNamed most in 6 of 6 years1,209
- Automatic emergency brakingNever the top system in a year961
- Braking systemNever the top system in a year504
- Throttle and speed controlNever the top system in a year499
- Electrical systemNever the top system in a year278
Our guides for these problems
Tesla Model Y years to avoid by generation
Tesla calls the 2025 Model Y a redesigned version, so the years in the file fall into two groups. NHTSA's file has the Model Y from 2020 to 2025.
2020–2024
First design
2023 most complaints · adaptive cruise control
- 2020274
- 20211,059
- 2022847
- 20231,134
- 2024312
3,626 complaints · 5 model years
2025
Redesigned for 2025
2025 most complaints · adaptive cruise control
- 202595
95 complaints · 1 model year
Tesla Model Y recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 3, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2020Most often: electrical system24
- 2021Most often: electrical system23
- 2022Most often: electrical system20
- 2023Most often: steering17
- 2024Most often: electrical system5
- 2025Most often: tires3
Tesla Model Y crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2020Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2021Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2022Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2023Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2024Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2025Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 18 investigations into 16 problems that cover Tesla Model Y model years from 2020 to 2025. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the Tesla Model Y years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2023, 2021 and 2022. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Tesla Model Y?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2020 drew the fewest complaints: 274. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Tesla Model Y?
Across every year in the file, owners named the adaptive cruise control most, in 1,209 complaints, then the automatic emergency braking, in 961.
Which Tesla Model Y years have the most recalls?
2020, 2021 and 2022, with 24, 23 and 20 recall campaigns.
Model Y year pages
20231,134What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 3 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.