Tesla‘s Model Y compact SUV has rapidly become its most popular vehicle. As the automaker‘s lowest-priced and most practical offering yet, the Model Y combines reasonable Range with ample seating and cargo space. However, the company‘s impressive sales haven‘t protected it from a growing list of owner complaints ranging from glitchy electronics to suspension flaws.
So how serious are the most common issues plaguing Tesla‘s most affordable vehicle? Consumer advocate groups and federal safety regulators have voiced concerns over defects causing potential hazards on public roads. Let‘s explore the nine areas generating the greatest dissatisfaction among early Model Y adopters. Examining some through an engineering lens provides perspective on the design and production origins, as Tesla aims getting things right as volumes ramp up.
1. Steering Wheel Detachments Create Deadly Risk
Perhaps most alarming are multiple documented cases of the Model Y‘s steering wheel detaching at high speeds. In January 2023, one Wisconsin owner posted a viral video showing how his Model Y‘s wheel separated completely while traveling down the highway with his family.
- "We were driving down the interstate about 60 miles an hour when it happened. The steering wheel just came completely detached in my hands. We were lucky there was no one directly behind us or it could‘ve been much worse. Still one of the scariest moments I‘ve ever experienced while driving," remarked owner Nathaniel Gil.
Tesla initially blamed him and refused warranty coverage. However, further analysis revealed service technicians had failed installing the clockspring bolt securing the wheel during prior repairs. Its absence allowed the friction fit with steering column to separate with steering force at speed. Nearly losing control, he managed guiding the loose wheel using the exposed steering rack to reach the road shoulder safely.
While extreme, his incident wasn‘t isolated but rather echoed a nearly identical complaint in 2021 prompting an NHTSA defect investigation of 765,000 Model Y and Model 3 vehicles.
Steering Wheel Separation NHTSA Complaints
| Model | Complaints Filed |
|---|---|
| Model 3 | 6 |
| Model Y | 3 |
Tesla uses an intermediate clockspring component to pass information like horn actuation and scroll wheel signals between the stationary column and moving wheel. If technicians skip the bolt fastening it during repairs or assembly, road forces can then overpower the friction fit with steering rack gear, popping the wheel off.
While not widespread statistically, clearly the safety implications prove devastating should it occur, especially at higher speeds. Tesla quality control must implement redundant inspections verifying proper torque on fasteners securing critical driver controls before delivery. Dealerships must instill similar diligence following any steering repairs.
2. Central Touchscreen Failures Cripple Key Functions
Rather than instrument clusters used by every automaker, Tesla Model Y drivers monitor speed, range, and other critical information on the central touchscreen display. So when that touchscreen blacks out randomly, owners lose access to many essential functions modern cars take for granted.
JD Power 2022 U.S. Tech Experience Study
| Model | Problems per 100 Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Model Y | 239 |
| Audi e-tron | 175 |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 162 |
| Industry Average | 160 |
Owners most frequently cite the multimedia screen freezing and resetting without notice. The widely reported behavior varies from momentary blanking to system reboots exceeding 30 seconds. Either scenario proves distracting and dangerous if occurring amid complicated driving.
While a small backup display behind the steering wheel continues showing speed, drivers lose access to windshield wipers, lamps, climate settings, side camera views when changing lanes, navigation, and more. The tremendous reliance Tesla places on one touchscreen makes any failures extremely disruptive.
Hardware and software both play roles in the seemingly random incidents. Tesla has upgraded the actual computer driving the main display, transitioning from the older MCU2 media controller to a faster MCU3 version with expanded memory to run more demanding software. But larger screens will always carry reliability risks relative to redundant physical switches.
Reboots also generate heat which can deform nearby adhesives, allowing cosmetic yellowing visible to drivers over time. The touchscreen remains mission-critical to Model Y functionality for better or worse. Owners can try manually rebooting the touchscreen using steering wheel buttons when glitches occur, but improved components and programming are still needed long-term.
3. Phantom Braking Stays Difficult to Correct
Sudden unintended braking remains among the top complaints from Tesla owners, referred to colloquially as "phantom braking." Model Y vehicles sporadically trigger hard automated braking for no discernable reason – with no obstacle or event detected.
The false braking incidents largely occur while using Autopilot driver assistance features. But numerous owners report the alarming behavior even driving manually. Typically lasting less than a second, the unexpected decelerations confuse drivers behind as brake lights illuminate without cause.
NHTSA Investigations into Tesla Phantom Braking
| Model | Open Investigations |
|---|---|
| Model Y | 2 |
| Model 3 | 4 |
| Model S | 1 |
| Model X | 1 |
Over 100 combined phantom braking complaints have cited either the Model 3 or Model Y sedans over past 3 years regarding NHTSA. The underlying trigger involves errors in the vehicles‘ automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems misinterpreting visual data from surround cameras and radar sensors. The software then incorrectly determines an emergency stop is required despite no actual hazard.
Tesla has recalibrated the braking algorithms via over-the-air updates to "more gracefully slow down" by the company‘s description when false triggers occur. But engineers cannot program for every real-world edge case a camera system might encounter. And more conservative trigger thresholds raise risks of collisions if actual obstructions appear.
For now, phantom braking remains an irritant owners must tolerate. Tesla continues refining the decision-making logic and machine learning functions. But even the best AEB systems from other luxury brands exhibit occasional false activations inherent to camera sensor limitations. This proves especially true for flawed data inputs like fading lane markings. Tests by Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) confirm Teslas brake unnecessarily most among AEB-equipped vehicles.
4. Taut Suspension Sacrifices Comfort
The Model Y shares much with the smaller Model 3 sedan underneath, including sport-tuned suspension aiming more for nimble handling than compliant ride quality over imperfect pavement. Lower than a traditional SUV, the Model Y floats more akin to a jacked-up sports car or wagon.
Many owners cite ride discomfort compared with rivals like Volkswagen‘s ID.4, Kia‘s EV6, or even Ford‘s Mustang Mach-E. Equipped with 20-inch wheels common on Performance models, the Model Y impacts harshly over road cracks and expansion joints. Little sidewall from the low-profile tires isolates the chassis either.
2023 Tesla Model Y Wheel Options
| Size | Type | Range (mi) |
|---|---|---|
| 19" | Gemini | 330 |
| 20" | Induction | 318 |
| 21" | Überturbine | 300 |
Lowering tire pressures slightly improves compliance marginally according to owners. But wrapping wheels with more rubber better isolates imperfections. The optional 19-inch Gemini wheels increase underside clearance while aiding comfort over poor roads – at the expense of sportier grip and aesthetics.
Beyond rubber, Tesla prioritizes agility engineers praise through twisty canyon routes and uncongested highways. Air suspensions on the Model S and X help transform those vehicles from taut to supple depending on conditions and speeds. But Model 3 and Y models lack such adaptability currently with fixed, performance-oriented dampers. Significant comfort concessions exist for drivers traveling daily over harsh, decaying infrastructure.
5. Production Quality Issues Persist
Tesla continues working to optimize and standardize manufacturing worldwide for the Model Y between facilities in Fremont, California; Austin, Texas; Berlin Germany and Shanghai, China. But the rapid production ramp has exposed quality issues in metal fabrication, body sealing, paint applications, and general component assembly traditional automakers conquered long ago.
JD Power‘s 2022 Initial Quality Study examined the first 90 days of problems reported by owners across all manufacturers. The research placed Tesla Models Y and 3 among the lowest-ranked in multiple categories:
JD Power 2022 U.S. Initial Quality Study (Problems per 100 Vehicles)
| Model | Overall | Paint/Body | Infotainment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model Y | 258 | 212 | 81 |
| Model 3 | 231 | 174 | 75 |
| Premium Compact SUV Avg | 156 | 96 | 27 |
On the positive, Tesla reacts rapidly to defects using its over-the-air update abilities unique among manufacturers. Continued refinements across its global factories aim reducing variances in production techniques that yield these quality gaps today. But sharing DNA with existing Models S, 3, X also carries disadvantages when problems occur across model lines.
6. Minimalist Interior Challenging for New Owners
Instead of buttons and knobs scattered across the cabin, a spartan Model Y interior puts nearly all controls onto the large touchscreen. It exemplifies Tesla‘s unique user experience, but proves intimidating initially to customers accustomed to tactile switchgear for audio, climate, seats, suspension, and more.
Features buried within submenus create distractions accessing simple tasks while driving. Voice commands also cannot access and change as many functions as more mature interfaces like Amazon‘s Alexa or Google voice technologies. Even steering wheel toggles for volume, media or cruise prove frustrating without touch or visual feedback. Drivers accustomed to physical controls remain frustrated longer adjusting to the radical format.
The absence of wired Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connections also forces reliance on Tesla‘s native apps for navigation, music and phone communication. Their seamless integration appeals to technophiles, but others accustomed to Mirror modes from their smartphone projections argue needless complexity.
Tesla believes the spartan layout focuses attention on the road over playing with controls and satisfies drivers over time. But expect a orientation period unlike any vehicle on the road. What seems intuitive and simple to some translates to a steep learning curve for less technologically adept motorists.
7. Supercharger Congestion Creeping Up
Part the magic formula of Tesla ownership includes unlimited free access to its proprietary Supercharger high speed charging network spanning North America. But as the Tesla fleet balloons, once dependably open stations face increasing congestion and wait times – chipping away at the convenience factor during holiday road trips and dense urban areas.
Tesla does not disclose specific utilization rates for its over 40,000 global Superchargers. But leading third-party research firm PlugShare reported average wait times at U.S. Supercharger sites on Thanksgiving weekend reached over 17 minutes before a stall became available. While most trips won‘t land during extreme peak demand, the occasions that do leave owners annoyed by traffic jams comparable to old gas stations.
The heightened utilization partially stems from Tesla opening its network to non-Tesla electric vehicles in a pilot program during late 2021. Third-party vehicles require adapters to connect and get billed by the kilowatt-hour instead of unlimited free charging reserved for Tesla owners Only. But their presence contributes to crowding previously exclusive infrastructure.
Congestion should alleviate as Tesla targets 3-fold expansion of Superchargers globally by 2023. But certain holiday peaks already create availability crunches from Tesla traffic alone. For potential owners expecting guaranteed vacant charging almost anywhere, the reality lags during busier times as early adopters overwhelm current capacity.
8. Quality Issues Trickle Down From Model 3
To efficiently develop across multiple product lines, Tesla strategically shares certain engineering and parts across Model S, 3, X and Y vehicle lines where appropriate. But that commonality causes problems associated with one model often affecting related variants. Overall vehicle quality and component flaws migrate across the lineup.
Moisture ingress affecting rear taillight lenses on the Model 3 afflicts the Model Y as well, causing internal fogging that impairs light output plus allows corrosion over time. Engineers traced the identical issues to suppliers using common light housings across both vehicles to save costs through economies of scale.
Owners also report shared suspension creaks and rattles due to production tolerance gaps on control arms and subframes. Similarly, ventilation actuators originating from the same HVAC system suppliers on the Model 3 and Model Y stick and chatter with identical frequencies. While some flaws trace to vendors, others originate on Tesla‘s own assembly lines reflecting process immaturity during rapid expansion.
On one hand, extensive parts sharing and fewer unique components ultimately benefits costs. But on the other hand, inheriting vulnerabilities from older products delays escaping program defects into next generations. With the Model Y launching worldwide across all markets, achieving reliability targets independent of past vehicles is imperative moving forward.
9. Parts Scarcity Keeping Inventories Low
As the cheapest and hottest selling Tesla outselling the Model 3, the Model Y confronts order backlogs between 6-9 months currently for buyers in certain regions and configurations. Compounding frustrations, delivery timelines often get pushed arbitrarily during order phases as supply chain instability and logistics shuffle regional inventories.
Tesla Model Y Production Figures
| Year | Produced | Delivered |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ~250,000 | 304,000 |
| 2022 | ~620,000 | ~500,000 |
Tesla struggles keeping factories fed as chip deficits, materials shortages, shipping turmoil, and labor unpredictability roil all industries. But lacking inventory also forces Tesla adjusting prices and features at times to balance demand. Recent Model Y price hikes add almost $6,000 over the past year, rising from $59,990 to $65,990 for the AWD Long Range today.
Buyers also witness certain features disappear without notice as production streamlining becomes necessary to fulfill orders. Losing adjustable lumbar settings, mobile charging cables, and paint hues all frustrate customers expecting locked-in configurations from the time deposits are made months earlier.
Ultimately as both Austin and Berlin megafactories add capacity, analysts expect supply catching demand during 2023. But multi-month queues seem guaranteed well into the coming year for the star player consumers desire most in Tesla‘s electrified future.
Outlook – Continuous Improvements Underway
Colossal complexity exists developing and globally scaling production of an all-new vehicle architecture free of predecessors‘ institutional knowledge. As the digital leader lacking a century of archives, Tesla‘s iterative process remains a work-in-process with the Model Y.
Using agility as an asset, the company issues over-the-air updates improving aspects weekly along with designing out defects from manufacturing lines in real-time. Compared with multi-year factory tooling lead times faced by legacy automakers, Tesla‘s software-centric business model should ultimately manifest benefits.
Early adopters serve critical roles identifying areas needing refinement in the field. While some issues prove deeply rooted in architecture, the majority appear soluble through diligent engineering efforts over successive model years. And Model Y already outshines mass-market alternatives for performance, range, and cutting-edge technology at reasonable prices.
Given Tesla‘s continual evolution, predicting today‘s complaints extrapolating years forward seems premature. The company‘s passionate fandom and outspoken CEO drive accountability improving ownership experiences over time. Prospective buyers uneasy with potential pioneers‘ pitfalls find no shortage of capable electric SUV alternatives until reports emerge the Model Y has continued maturing.
