UPDATE to previous complaint – Reference Number: [XXX] VIN: [XXX]a [XXX] UPDATE to my previous the federal safety agency complaint regarding sudden unintended acceleration in my Tesla Model Y (VIN: [XXX] ) I previ[XXX]sudden acceleration incident on [XXX], at [XXX] 4 parking garage ramp. Tesla has now provided the Vehicle Data Report and EDR data (Case # [XXX]). The data shows accelerator pedal position increasing to 100%, with brake input occurring late. However, I am 100% certain that I did not press the accelerator pedal at any time. I have a clean driving record of over 27 years. This discrepancy between the logged data and actual driver input strongly suggests a potential safety defect in the accelerator pedal sensor system (both redundant sensors), drive-by-wire system, or brake override / Automatic Emergency Braking functionality. Attachments included with this update: Tesla Vehicle Data Report (VDR) Tesla EDR Report High-resolution photos of vehicle damage and airbag deployment I request that the federal safety agency review this additional technical information as part of their evaluation for a possible safety defect investigation. BTW, it is really difficult to contact Tesla to report such incidents. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2023 Tesla Model Y engine problems
20 complaints (2% of all complaints for this car). 4 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 20
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- crashes
- 4
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Tesla Model Y engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2023 Tesla Model Y engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2023 Tesla Model Y owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
On Saturday 16th Oct 2026 around 10 AM EST, while driving down the ramp from Parking Floor 2 to Parking Floor 1 in the JFK Terminal 4 Short Term Parking garage (John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York), the Tesla vehicle suddenly accelerated forward very fast on its own without any input on the accelerator pedal. Either I was not pressing the gas pedal at the time, or I was slowing pressing as the car was going down on ramp. The car surged ahead with significant force and struck a fence at the bottom/end of the ramp area. There were two passengers in the vehicle. No other vehicles were involved. The impact caused: My Tesla Model Y to sustain severe front-end damage and appear to be a total loss. Injuries to both passengers. Minor scratches on my hands. Sequence of Events: I was driving the vehicle at low speed down the ramp from Parking Level 2 to Level 1 in JFK Terminal 4 Short Term Parking. Without pressing the accelerator, the car unexpectedly accelerated. Braking did not prevent the impact. The vehicle came to a stop only after hitting the fence. Today, I have reported this as a sudden/unintended acceleration event to Tesla and requested a full vehicle data log review. I would like Tesla to investigate following. 1. Why the car suddenly accelerated on very speed? 2. Why the steering got locked when it happened? 3. Since it is the closed parking lot, why Tesla did not stop automatically before hitting fence? I have been driving for more than 27 years, I never had any accident, and I never got any tickets in last 27 years.
While driving on I-95 North in the fast lane at highway speed, my 2023 Tesla Model Y experienced a sudden loss of propulsion and displayed a warning indicating the vehicle was shutting down. The vehicle rapidly decelerated and would not respond to acceleration or drive engagement. Steering remained functional, which allowed me to maneuver the vehicle across lanes to the shoulder to avoid a potential collision. This required an emergency maneuver in active highway traffic with my family in the vehicle. A soft reset did not resolve the issue. After performing a hard reset, I was able to move the vehicle slowly off the roadway to a nearby location where it was later towed. This incident occurred without prior warning and created a significant safety hazard due to sudden loss of propulsion at highway speed.
On November 16, 2025, my Tesla Model Y experienced a complete and dangerous failure while driving. The touchscreen went totally blank and stopped responding. All essential driving information and safety functions were lost, including speedometer, gear selection, turn signals, HVAC/defrost, and vehicle controls. At the same time, the car made a continuous loud humming/buzzing sound and displayed a low coolant warning. This made the vehicle unsafe to operate because I could not see my speed, cannot shift properly, and could not access any safety controls. This is the second time my vehicle has experienced a critical malfunction. The first major incident occurred on July 28, 2025. A complaint has been filed with the federal safety agency under tracking number 11676662. Both failures involved sudden loss of essential functions, raising serious concerns about electrical, cooling system, or display system defects. I am reporting this because it is a serious safety risk and could lead to vehicle loss of control, inability to signal, or inability to see speed or gear position. The problem has been reported to Tesla and is pending evaluation at a Tesla service center. Warning messages and symptoms appeared at the moment of failure with no prior signs.
1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Response: All 3 times has been with a faulty inverter 2)How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Response: Safety was a HUGE concern. The Tesla model Y has stalled and completely shut down while driving through traffic and at speed. The complete failure did not allow any coasting to try and get out of harms way. 3) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Response: All 3 times this issue has occurred were all serviced by Tesla directly and has always been a faulty inverter. 4) Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Response: Yes, all 3 times the car failed the car was assessed by Tesla's service station Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? 5) Yes, the first 2 times the warning appeared there was only a matter of seconds before the car completely stopped in the middle of traffic. This last time there was a warning stating the car will not restart if stopped.
This vehicle radiator protection is defective where rocks are able to hit the radiator and at some point the Tesla notified me that the radiator had leaked and it is safe to continue driving. I continue to drive and monitor the radiator level as I waited for a scheduled appointment. When I brought my vehicle to the appointment, they said that because I drove the vehicle while the radiator fluid leaked I damaged certain components that now I would be responsible to replace. Believe not only Tesla‘s vehicle notification was misleading, they have defective protection for the radiator and all model Y vehicles if not all Teslas have the same issue.
While Driving, the system prompt electrical system failure. pull to the road side. within 20 or so seconds, the car lost power. About 10 minutes or so later, the whole car (emergency light, door, trunk etc lost power too. Consider the car lost driving power in seconds, then lost emergency light can be highly dangerous to all parties. Before the failure, the car shows "front motor is disabled, power is reduced, OK to drive" This OK to drive turns out not OK to drive, misleading. Now the car is fixed (yet to pickup), reason Front drive unit and pyro fuse were replaced (new car, but with refurnished part).
Vehicle: Tesla Model Y Blue Purchased in Oct’ 23 Tesla setting: Regenerative braking (single pedal driving) Issue: Brake Pedal/Acceleration Pedal Malfunction I was pulling my car out from the parking lot to pick up my mom, from the hospital entrance. I just turned right and had to take an immediate left to leave out of the parking lot. The Tesla was driving at approximately 5 miles an hour at that point. I lifted my foot from the gas pedal for the car to stop with its regenerative braking. However, instead of coming to a stop, the Tesla started rapidly accelerating, with my foot not even on the pedal. When I slammed the brakes, the car was unresponsive and continued accelerating. I started honking madly to warn people that I had no control over the car I was driving. The vehicle continued accelerating over 100-150 meters in 4-5 seconds and banged a parked car (Lexus SUV) at the end of the parking lot. It continued accelerating while pushing Lexus over the curb, destroying road sign poles and landscaping shrubs; crossing the street, and the middle curb. At the end of the street was a tree and a ditch. Lexus couldn’t move any further and Tesla stopped. All airbags deployed. One of the emergency response detection systems called 911 immediately. The first thing the police asked me was if I pressed the emergency brake. I said the car doesn’t have one. I can’t even turn off the vehicle while it is moving. The parking button takes care of it. I used to love my Tesla but I can’t trust it anymore. What I want from them at this time is: Investigate all the incidents thoroughly instead of blaming these as a user error. a) Think about adding the redundancy system. Something mechanical where the driver reacts within a couple of seconds. Software bugs are hard and sometimes it is impossible to find the root cause. Logs may not contain everything that you need to debug the problem. Consider it as a P0 issue. b) Compensate for the damage and property loss.
Charging system has become defective over last month. Two weeks ago, gave error that charging cover was open when it wasn't. Couldn't get it to charge for a while. Eventually, it worked. Yesterday, would not charge at all on any charger. Being towed to service center tomorrow.
On [XXX], I was at [XXX] waiting for green light, as soon as the light changed. I hit the drive but the car suddenly lost control and speed up and I couldn’t stop. I try my best not to hit any people or any cars and ended up hitting the board on the right. I never smoke or drink alcohol. never did any drugs, I didn’t hold phone. It was absolutely an uncontrollable incident very unfortunate but totally out my control I wish this never have happened as I have good driving record. Thank you, your honor ! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Questions about the 2023 Tesla Model Y engine
Does the 2023 Tesla Model Y have engine problems?
Owners have filed 20 complaints about the engine of the 2023 Tesla Model Y, 2% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2023 Tesla Model Y engine problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2023 Tesla Model Y engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Tesla Model Y have bad engine?
The Tesla Model Y model years with the most engine complaints are 2023 (20 complaints), 2021 (14 complaints) and 2022 (11 complaints).
Other 2023 Tesla Model Y problems
Driver assistance 549Steering 219Acceleration 168Brakes 156Suspension 137Electrical 127Visibility 64Wheels 52Airbags 41Seat belts 36Body 32Transmission 29Lights 22Seats 13Fuel system 10Tires 8Locks 4
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