2021 Tesla Model Y: engine overheating

Filed Oct 29, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · CA

On XXX (4:59 PM and 5:47 PM) and XXX (7:49 AM), while driving, my 2021 Tesla Model Y (approx. 41,500 miles) displayed "Steering assist reduced" (UI_a020), each followed within about a minute by "Lane Departure Avoidance unavailable" (APP_w264). [Add if true: The steering felt noticeably heavier when the alert appeared.] The vehicle's 12V system tested healthy in Service Mode (13.32 V, DC-DC output normal). Tesla Service ([XXX]; service SV02F94980) diagnosed an Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) rack motor control error with limited power output from overheat or overload protection. On XXX, at 41,788 miles, Tesla replaced the steering gear (part 1188832-00-B), along with the front lower compliance and lateral links, and performed an alignment. I paid $4,522.27 out of pocket; Tesla declined goodwill. Losing power steering assist while driving is a safety hazard. The failed rack belongs to the same Mando-manufactured family (XXX) named in recall 25V‑092 and investigation EA24001, which covered only 2023 Model 3 and Model Y. the federal safety agency's complaint database shows a growing number of 2021 Model Y complaints describing the same UI_a020 alert and the same rack replacement, many filed in 2026. I ask the federal safety agency to evaluate whether the defect and remedy should extend to 2021 Model Y vehicles. Invoice attached. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 6, 2026 · CA

I have a Tesla model Y 2021 still under manufactures warranty. I received holes in radiator for cooling system from road debris ( small pebbles and dirt.). This put a hole in my radiator and Tesla stated at an [XXX] tesla service center the warranty does not cover road debris. I told them this is unreasonable because the design of the vents front of car are too big allowing small pebbles to hit the radiator. this is a design issue. Also I googled other Tesla owner"s having the same issue- YES- thousands of reports from individuals not from Tesla. Also, another issue the problem burned up 3 cooling system pumps and nerver recieved an alert of OVERHEATING stop car do not drive. THe alert was car will reduce some features BUT still safe to drive. Service Center was No help - just thats Tesla policy- BS. Now at this time on the new Tesla "s they are putting a mesh in front of radiator to protect from road debris. I searched for 3rd party grill for protection of my new radiator. Amazon has the s.s. grill that just pops in front of existing grill $35.oo. So Tesla knew they had problems long time ago and never recalled or repaired radiators for customers especially car under warranty. So in short Tesla did not fix a design issue - so third party designed grill to go over existing grill. Third party spent the time and money to design a Tesla design issue and they have sold thousands of them according to stores that sell the 3rd party grill. Also the software should of shut the car down before any damaged occured from overheating or at least said overheating alert! I am requesting that Tesla should have to make all customers whole for repairs on road debris on radiators and a recall to install the new type of grill over existing grill and update software to alert overheating. The radiator was inspected by Tesla service center and the 3 pumps. I still have the old parts in my possession after car was repaired. Tesla model Y INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(

Filed Sep 15, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · WA

On or about XXX my Tesla Model Y downloaded FSD version 14 Lite. One day after downloading the software, I used FSD and the new software caused the computer to overheat. This killed the car computer and made FSD, adaptive, cruise control, lane keep assist, reverse camera, and many other functions, including GPS and navigation inoperable. My car’s warranty expired in January of this year and Tesla will not cover the replacement car computer. There are hundreds of other complaints of this issue reported online on [XXX], Reddit, Facebook, etc. In the 2nd quarter Tesla Earnings Call, [XXX] declared that hardware 3 equipped Tesla vehicles would not be able to support autonomous driving with full self driving. He stated every hardware 3 vehicle will need to be updated with a hardware 4 computer and cameras. Since my hardware 3 computer failed, I requested the hardware 4 computer and cameras to be installed, but Tesla denied this service even though [XXX] said it was a requirement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed May 7, 2026 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · MI

The vehicle began experiencing repeated Autopilot/FSD failures while driving. Symptoms included sudden Autopilot disengagements, cruise control becoming unavailable, and loss of road visualization/navigation display functionality. The issue progressively worsened over time. The vehicle was first brought to Tesla service in 2025 for the same overheating-related concern. At that time, Tesla identified a coolant-related issue, topped off the coolant system, and returned the vehicle to service. However, the problem continued and gradually became more frequent and severe afterward. During the most recent service visit, Tesla diagnosed the HW3 Autopilot computer as overheating due to a heat transfer failure between the Autopilot board and cooling cold plate. Tesla stated that heat generated by the board could no longer be efficiently transferred to the coolant system, causing the Autopilot computer to overheat. Tesla further advised that continued operation without repair could eventually impact additional vehicle functions, including the center display screen shutting off due to overheating-related failures. Given the loss of driver-assistance functionality and potential impact to core vehicle systems, I am submitting this report so the issue is documented as a potential thermal management or hardware reliability concern involving the HW3 Autopilot computer system.

Filed Dec 11, 2025 · Driver assistance, Seat belts · CA

In early Nov 2025 my Tesla Model Y began intermittently showing warnings about the forward collision warning system and multiple sensors being offline. Tesla service replaced a faulty connector on Nov 3. On Nov 15, 2025, about two weeks later, the car had a sudden drivetrain failure while I was parking on a steep hill. I heard a loud bang from the front of the car and the vehicle immediately lost drive power and had to be towed. Tesla diagnosed a failed front motor inverter that blew the high-voltage pyrofuse and damaged the 12V battery; they replaced those parts. The vehicle is available for inspection and the repaired components and records are with Tesla. After that repair the car needed another visit for alignment and has continued to show worrying behavior: “VCFRONT offline/unable to contact VCFRONT” in the service menu, repeated “autopilot computer overheating” messages, intermittent loss or reduction of regenerative braking (braking feel changes unpredictably), a rear right seatbelt malfunction warning (later inspected and cleared by Tesla), and what appears to be significantly increased battery drain compared to before the inverter failure. This has now resulted in four service visits within about a month, all at Tesla service centers (no police, insurance, or independent shops involved). Tesla has confirmed the inverter/pyrofuse/12V failure and says the overheating was due to an air pocket in the cooling system, but the VCFRONT messages, inconsistent regen braking, and increased drain have not been fully resolved or clearly explained. I am concerned that a sudden loss of power, loss of regen, or failure of VCFRONT/autopilot systems could recur at speed or in traffic, creating a serious safety risk. Please note that I'm only able to view partially-complete paperwork from the latest service appointment in the Tesla app. I have requested this documentation from Tesla and will be able to provide all the service reports and communication as a follow-up.

Filed Sep 11, 2025 · Electrical · CO

After 4 years of ownership, the HV battery has failed. This has put the car at risk it stopped charging and without charging the car was no longer drivable. The battery was overheating the car was very hot the AC stopped working. This put the car at risk when drive the battery dropped significantly while driving. Yes we got it inspected they said that the battery is failing and needs to be replaced. I have a quote about the replacment parts. There was a message at the end that the battery was unable to charge.

Filed Jul 2, 2025 · Electrical · OR

Plugged a charger cord for a Garmin watch into the center console USBC right side port. Overnight the USBC port, while connected to the cord but not to the watch or any other device, overheated and melted. It burned the cords male connection into two pieces and melted plastic into the center console. The male end of the cord is now fused into the USBC port of the car. No messages/alerts on the car. Manufacturer inspected and invoiced $970.00 for parts and labor. From forums online this is not the first instance a similar situation has occurred. Assuming paper or another flammable substance was in the console, it would have caught fire

Filed Jun 26, 2024 · Electrical · 72,175 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated after placing the children in the vehicle, he was unable to enter the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle lost electric power while attempting to open the door with the key fob and with the phone App however, the door remained closed. The local Fire Department was contacted, and the contact was advised to break the window to remove the children from the vehicle. The contact broke the driver's side front window to remove the children as recommended by the Fire Department. The contact stated that the 12-volt battery had overheated; however, a report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the window was replaced, and the 12-volt battery was also replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,175.

Filed Aug 11, 2021 · Transmission · VA · fire

Backing out of garage, the driver began to smell acid and burnt electronics from the back of car. After driving back home from work the driver inspected the car. The back driver side door reeked of burnt electronics and the entire car had an acid smell. After consulting Tesla, the first Tesla maintenance worker noticed the entire inside of the door had melted and all electronics were fried. He claimed he had never seen this before. The second maintenance worker came with parts and determined the window module had overheated and caught fire. The fire melted many components inside the door. A brand new 2021 Tesla Model Y should not spontaneously catch fire. Especially if it is residing inside the garage of a house. After replacing all the components, Tesla deemed the car safe to drive. Yet, a couple days later they requested we bring the car in so that they could replace the computer that controls the left side of the car to do more research and find the 'root' cause of the fire. There were no warnings for the driver, nor was the driver using that window module. We have not driven the car since as we feel unsafe in the vehicle.

Filed May 14, 2021 · Brakes, Electrical · 2,500 miles · CA

My car wires got overheated because of failing cooling system , tesla refused to pull logs on my car, talk to tesla reps named fitzgerald who said I have failing cooling system ... But they refused to fix new car under warranty forcing me to pay extra for damages... Tesla manager mitch at agora center failed to provide me with video pics of rodent eating wires, even though I have cameras around my car 24/7 showing no rodent ever approached my car, but tesla manager refused to fix my car asap using warranty forcing me to drive unsafe car to another tesla service on monday in van nuys... And pay for damages out my own pocket...