On August 20th, 2025 at 2:50pm, my eight-month-old infant was trapped inside my Tesla Model Y for approximately 30 minutes due to a critical systems failure. The vehicle experienced an error with the 12V battery that rendered the doors, windows, and trunk completely inoperable, preventing any means of access or escape. My infant was flushed, diaphoretic, and crying while stuck in his car seat with an indoor temperature exceeding 104 degrees fahrenheit. Despite all attempts to override the system, the car remained locked, and the battery dead, and emergency services had to be contacted. Officers from the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, and Montecito Fire Department arrived on scene and, in order to rescue my baby, were forced to smash a window to gain entry. The police officer was advised by a Tesla representative to do so, as he confirmed there would be no way to override the system to open the doors. My baby was found screaming in a pool full of sweat and was carried to an ambulance, where the paramedic warned me of concerning vital signs and advised me to go to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to have his condition assessed and treated, if necessary. I have obtained a copy of the police report (Case No. XXX) and will provide it upon request. Tesla confirmed that this problem with the 12V battery is common, nonetheless we were made to pay for a new window and a battery replacement. There were no warning signs leading up to the shutdown and not notifying us of this system failure and the risk involved is complete negligence on behalf of Tesla.
2021 Tesla Model Y body complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 34 of 34, newest first, as owners wrote them.
On July 5, 2025, I entered my vehicle parked in my home garage and the door latched shut. Upon putting my foot on the brake. Center screen was blank (did not power on). I attempted to press the unlock button on the door and there was no sound from the motor to open the door. The door was still locked from the inside of the vehicle and I was locked inside. I waited around 5 minutes (after attempting to call my wife to try to let me out of car and tried the open the drivers door again by pressing the exit button. The door unlatched by normally the window rolls down partially to exit. This time the window did not move and I have to force the door open by pressing my shoulder hard against the interior door panel. I hear a popping sound from inside the door and the window would not roll up. I did not drive the vehicle fearing that the car would not start and my family could be trapped inside the car. I created an appointment for Tesla service for July 7, 2025 for the door locks and the driver's window that would not roll up completely and also would roll down but return to a 70% rolled up position automatically. I did received an error warning on the late evening of July 6, 2025 that the 12 volt battery voltage was low on the main center screen of my vehicle. I took the vehicle to Tesla service on July 7, 2025 and it was determined that the 12 volt auxiliary battery that was faulty and my window was repaired and recalibrated. I never saw an alert for the 12 volt auxiliary battery low voltage prior to when I was locked inside the car.
- Open rear passenger door and secured child in car seat. - Try to open driver side rear passenger door - which would not open. - Tried to open rear passenger door where child was in, and the door would not open. - Car was powered off and none of the doors opened. - After approximately 5 minutes, front passenger door opened, and child was removed form the car through the front door. - Requested roadside assistance with the diagnosis of 12V battery failure. - No warning that 12V battery was near end of life - Software updated the previous night.
On [XXX], the car was parked at my regular parking garage. The valet entered to the car to bring it down for pick up. After he entered, the power on the vehicle went out and the door would not open. He did not know about the manual door release. I walked up to see what the delay was and found him locked inside. The car was parked on an upper floor and the it was over 100 degrees in the car. We contacted 911 but eventually found the door release. Tesla was notified and towed the car several hours later. They jumped the car to get it open. It seems that the 12V battery had died without warning. Notes from Tesla Concern: Car won't power on/enter drive - Case MergedCustomer States : vehicle will not power on or drive Originating Phone Number : [XXX] IVR Context - No Results. Please check AutoDiag. | Repair Notes: Verified customer concern. Diagnosed and Found An internal short in the 12v battery: One or more of the six internal series cells has been bridged, resulting in five or less cells now being in series, reducing the voltage by at least 17%. This resulted in the e-fuse for the VCLEFT to trip and shut down the left side of the vehicle. Replaced 12V Battery. Proactively Perform 12v Disconnect procedures. Update vehicle software to the latest available firmware. Performed Validation Test Drive. Vehicle operating currently within Tesla Specifications. Verified Proper Operation. No further action is needed at this time. Correction: General Diagnosis Correction: Battery - 12V (Lead Acid) (Remove & Replace) - Remove and Replace INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle shut down and individual was locked in the car. Unable to release the doors. Incident occurred on June 23rd with a temp of 95 degrees and higher heat index. Individual was Stuck in the car in a parking garage with no one around to hear screams for help. Called home for assistance to come to the parking garage to help free them. Informed by online article about the Model Y 2021 model having other incidents of the same. We thought it was just a freak occurrence of our vehicle until reading about the probe. No warning indications that the auxiliary battery needed replacing that controls such functions. Tesla's Repair Notes: "The vehicle was unable to power on when parked, which was verified by the technician's inspection and the customer's report. The issue was caused by a failing 12V battery. The technician replaced the 12V battery to resolve the problem. After the replacement, all systems were checked and confirmed to be running properly"
In December 2023 I strapped my [XXX] son into his carseat in our Model Y and walked around to the front to get into the car as well. In those few seconds the 12v car battery died (I did not get any notification in my app) and I was unable to open any doors, so my infant son was trapped. We live in Florida and this was an 80 degree day. With no other recourse I was forced to call 911 to have my son removed from the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
[XXX] , my [XXX] son, was strapped in his car seat, wide-eyed and confused, as we sat trapped in our Tesla for thirty agonizing minutes. The battery had died without warning, leaving us locked inside our own garage. No power, no way to open the doors. I tried to keep [XXX] calm, singing his favorite songs, but my heart raced as I called for help. A tow truck finally arrived and jumped the car—not enough juice to start the engine, but just enough to unlock the doors. Freedom at last. Tesla’s response? No roadside service; they insisted the car be towed to their service center. Easier said than done—the tow truck couldn’t maneuver it out of the garage. Frustration mounted as I realized I’d have to miss work. Days later, I drove to the service center, where they replaced the battery. But the ordeal wasn’t over. The trim was damaged during the chaos, and now every drive is accompanied by relentless wind noise, a constant reminder of that day. [XXX] still talks about being “stuck in the car,” and I can’t help but feel let down by a system that left us stranded. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My steering is making loud noises and so is the suspension. It’s so loud it’s embarrassing to drive. The steering wheel also came apart because it wasn’t glued down properly and had air bubbles. I see recalls for cars but not my specific vin. Tesla says no wheel replacement for me and cost of replacing link assembly parts and bolts would cost me 2000$
•Unknown parts or system malfunctions; yes, an inspection can be issued •The car is parked very close to the house and continuously producing poisonous and harmful gas, battery liquid and glasses splattered more than 20ft away. •No, before the incident there was no issue observed. •No, but from the fire department report the cause of the fire was "failure of equipment". •No, there was no warnings from the app, or signs of malfunctions. the car functions normally.
The arm felt on the driver side while I’m driving. Also, there is issue with the camera and the screen electrical problem.
Car was summoned and turned a sharp right directly hitting the car parked next to it while pulling out. The location was the parking lot of [XXX] on [XXX] . I have a full video of this which shows the car pulling forward then taking a sharp right impacting the vehicle parked next to it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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The contact owns a Britax, Model number: e1a267, Model Type: Advocate, and was manufactured on December 20 2020. The car seat was being utilized in a 2021 Tesla Model y The contact stated that while she was washing the covers for the car seat, she noticed that the metal bar at the rear top of the car seat had rusted. The car seat had not been repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised that the rust was actually discoloration.
When driving at highway speeds (55 MPH and above), the driver's side rearview mirror vibrates, making it difficult to see and identify back automobiles. This is a safety hazard when exiting the highway or merging the lines when the outside weather is raining/dark/snowing.
Rear doors are stuck and locked shut, the known defect is on youtube with experts explaining this safety flaw where the door handles get stuck and locked and now TESLA REFUSING TO SERVICE.
The rear hatch can be opened while the car is in drive or reverse from a remote input from the app. On several occasion my hatch has opened from a remote input while in traffic while stopped at red lights. Tesla says this is normal behavior. So what is possible is someone can open the hatch from a remote input from anywhere without being able to see the car. My concern is when this has happened item could have fallen from my trunk into traffic resulting in damage or vehicles behind me. To close the hatch you must place the car in park first. Having a vehicle in park in traffic could result in a collision. You can not move the vehicle while the hatch is closing or it stops closing it takes several seconds to open or close the hatch and additional time to realize you must place the vehicle in park to close it. Remote input to operate the hatch should be disabled while the vehicle is in drive or reverse. The event has occurred on 4 occasions while driving the vehicle over the last year.
Rear undertray composite cover partially peeled off and began dragging on the road creating a driving hazard. This problem has been reported in online forums on many occasions.
The roof glass cracked with no impact and no accident. No chip or missing pieces of glass. Everything is in tack but has cracked
Unspecific event. I hope this report, without my having an incident myself is looked into enough to apply a standard across all manufacturers to make sure the public aren’t so unknowingly put at risk. All because of an ill thought through design. My vehicle has no easy access to exit rear seats if there is any kind of electrical failure. My rear passengers will not be able to exit the vehicle. Manual override of electronic door controls are hidden beneath door panels and trims. With no mechanical connection on the outer handle, even if the driver uses the front manual release, they cannot rescue rear passengers. The outside door handles are electronic ONLY. Imagine a fire like Vancouver happening, when a child is in a car seat or has less mobile passengers like seniors. Neither can be expected to climb to the front or out a side window to reach safety. No means to unlock doors or open doors makes this vehicle unsafe to carry passengers in the back, nevermind versions of my vehicle that have 7 seats and a third row, which will most certainly be carrying kids due to the available room. . This design flaw exists in Tesla Model 3’s also. I’m not sure of other vehicles or brands. Older vehicles with mechanical door controls still allow a door to be opened from outside if on fire or suffering an electrical problem. These back seats aren’t safe and for Model Y as an suv marketed to families, it’s only a matter of time til tragedy occurs.
The incident occurred after a rainstorm and there was some debris laid out across the road. We were travelling in the morning before sunrise at 20 mph and we felt a small branch or object hit the underside of our car. We took it out to drive again at noon time and it warned us that the coolant was low and that car may not start up once shut down. We towed it to tesla service center in Paramus NJ and they informed us of the condition. They informed us that the coolant pipe was punctured and the coolant spread onto the battery. They explained to us that the branch hit an area and caused the coolant to leak inside the battery and there is no plate to protect it at the underside of the car. They also informed us that there could have been a fire accident if we put it on charge after the underside collision. They also informed us that the coolant pipe was plastic. Despite this flaw in their design, they insist that they will not cover it since it was an external issue and have asked us to pay close to $16,000. Please help
Tesla delivered a car with a concerning mechanical defect on all four hinges of both rear/forward doors. There are deep gouges to the metal on all four hinges. They have no explanation as to why the metal that holds the doors I place has been damaged. Multiple calls to Tesla has resulted in them saying they will absolutely not look at the issues on the car until December 10th. They said that I can't even bring it in to a service center for safety inspection. I wanted to reject delivery and get a safer car but they said that I would then not receive a car for 4-6 months later. Meanwhile they had already accepted payment, so I would be on the hook for payments. I don't know if these.doors are safe, I'm looking for a Tesla to say whether the car is safe to drive or not, and find out what caused the damage. Tesla will only tell me that they will look at the car in December.
Sudden acceleration while stopped. Car was stopped in the driveway of my home while waiting for the garage door to open. Suddenly the car bolted forward, crashed through the rising garage door and then through the side of the garage and into the front steps of my home. The car is equiped with auto pilot, but it was not engaged. While reviewing other incidents of this type on your website, I noticed that other people mentioned their Tesla's having the autopilot feature but I saw no mention of the Model Y. Although extensive damage happened to the car and my home, no one was injured. However if this had happened while at a stop light or at a crosswalk someone could have been killed or injured. My Insurance Co. did not seem interested in investigating this event, haven't heard back from Tesla.
Parking my car when I pressed the brake and ready to engage park , car accelerated in high speed and drove to island and trying to control the wheel while my foot still on break to avoid hitting other cars on the parking lot , hit some curbs which cause the tire on the front passenger side came off completely with axle attached . This cause the car to stop and deployed air bag and caught on fire , that's when I immediately got out the car. The car mileage is 524 when it happened. Minor burn on my left arm from the fire and sore shoulder less than 24 hours.
The rear body panel in front of the rear wheels have paint issue being hit by debris coming from the front tires.
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