AI Damage2020 Tesla Model Y: common problems
Owners of the 2020 Tesla Model Y filed 283 complaints with NHTSA, most often about forward collision avoidance and service brakes. The maker issued 104 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 283
- involving a crash
- 48
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 104
What fails most often
- 1 Forward collision avoidance 38% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 4 Lane departure 11% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 9% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 6% of all complaints
- Forward collision avoidance: 108 complaints (38% of all), 15 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 37 complaints (13% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Vehicle speed control: 37 complaints (13% of all), 13 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Lane departure: 32 complaints (11% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 31 complaints (11% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- electric
- automatic, 1-speed
Drive: AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 283 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 108 | 15 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 37 | 7 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 37 | 13 | 0 |
| Lane departure | 32 | 4 | 0 |
| Suspension | 31 | 4 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 28 | 3 | 9 |
| Steering | 26 | 5 | 5 |
| Visibility | 18 | 2 | 2 |
| Air bags | 17 | 9 | 8 |
| Structure | 14 | 6 | 11 |
| Seat belts | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Seats | 7 | 0 | 6 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle crashed into an embankment and then spun twice before inadvertently driving into the forest and coming to a complete stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact and his father, who was a passenger, were uninjured.
Because the airbags did not deploy, I sustained a fracture to my sternum that traverses over to my collarbone. We both have TBIs and other injuries. With that kind of an impact, one would expect an airbag to protect oneself, yet it did not. There were no warning lights/messages/etc from our vehicle.
Tesla Model Y 2022 lost steering control April 20, 2024 Vehicles - Model Y While backing out of indoor parking garage Steering wheel locked up! Before I could hit the brake the car collided with the cement wall in the garage. Causing some damage to right side. I tried a system reset, no luck.
The air bags did not deploy and the driver sustained a head contusion and later received medical treatment. No police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to the home. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the incident.
The contact stated that while reversing at low speed from his driveway, the accelerator pedal inadvertently depressed into the floorboard, resulting in sudden unintended acceleration. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately.
The lane departure warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the Tesla Collision Center to be diagnosed. The technician stated the following components failed, steering, the land departure warning, and the avoidance warning, however, the vehicle was not repaired.
The car is being parked between two vehicles and the car triggered automatic emergency breaking, after the emergency breaking there were error on screen about “Automatic Emergency Breaking Unavailable, ABS disabled and Automatic vehicles hold disabled”.
The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact's vehicle crashed into the vehicle's front end that had already been parked, the vehicle was not occupied. The contact stated that she depressed the brake with force.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 221 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Model Y has 49 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 283, above average.
What to check before buying
- Forward collision avoidance. Radar and camera: calibration after bumper or windshield replacement.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Lane departure. Windshield camera: calibration after windshield replacement.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- On some Model Y vehicles built before February 28, 2026, the design of the HVAC inlet duct may lead to…
On some Model Y vehicles built before February 28, 2026, the design of the HVAC inlet duct may lead to water ingress into the air filter and/or vehicle interior. If the vehicle is brought into Service for cabin air…
- A firmware diagnosis feature is being introduced on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that monitors wheel…
A firmware diagnosis feature is being introduced on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that monitors wheel alignment over time. This feature detects changes in wheel alignment that may be related to incorrect tire pressures…
- On certain Model Y vehicles, the LH and/or RH rear primary body seals might cause wind noise in the cabin
- Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies
Instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on…
- Tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies
Instead, all available owner?s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on…
- When certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles receive a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) in…
When certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles receive a different Occupant Classification System (OCS) in their front passenger seats during vehicle servicing, they may require safety vent type front passenger airbags to…
- Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may be equipped with refrigerant pressure/temperature (P/T) sensors…
Certain Model 3 and Model Y vehicles may be equipped with refrigerant pressure/temperature (P/T) sensors in the heat pump that can fault over time.
- Owner's Manual
- Owner's Manual
- On some Model Y vehicles, water may have leaked inside the rear trunk area through the liftgate assembly
- On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by…
On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the Occupant Classification System (OCS) signal might be affected by electrical interference in the seat electrical harness, causing the airbag indicator to display on the…
- On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the steering wheel cover material may separate from the steering…
On some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, the steering wheel cover material may separate from the steering wheel at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock position (Figures 1 and 2). NOTE: The material separation of the steering…
NHTSA lists 104 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Tesla Model Y?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: forward collision avoidance, service brakes, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 283. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping (12%), brakes on its own (phantom braking) (10%), infotainment or screen glitches (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 Tesla Model Y?
NHTSA lists 104 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2020 Tesla Model Y from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2020 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.