You are considering jumping on the EV bandwagon and have been tempted by the incredible popularity of the Tesla Model Y compact SUV. Over 200,000 units sold in under 2 years – impressive stats for sure. But as America‘s best-selling electric crossover, the Model Y also faces intense scrutiny from early adopters willing to tolerate a few flaws in their eagerness to embrace the future.
However, the flaws reported by Model Y owners seem more than just minor bugs. They indicate some deficiencies in Tesla’s execution as it struggles to balance quality with breakneck scaling of production volumes to meet demand.
Let‘s look at the 9 most serious complaints plaguing the landmark EV:
1. Detaching Steering Columns
In a terrifying near-miss in January 2023, a Model Y driver lost control of his steering wheel while traveling at high speed on a California freeway. Viral video showed the wheel hanging dangerously in front of the driver as he managed to brake the vehicle to a stop using just tire friction against the road.
Investigations revealed an assembly line oversight led to the absence of a critical bolt fastening the steering column to the wheel. While Tesla claims this to be an isolated incident traced to supply chain issues, it prompted the auto safety regulator NHTSA to open an official defect investigation into potential suspension problems.
- NHTSA has documented 750 consumer complaints involving unexpected braking by Tesla vehicles over the last 9 months.
- Recalls over steering components are taken very seriously in the auto industry. The recent Toyota Tundra pickup truck recall over a similar issue lead to the replacement of over 240,000 potentially affected vehicles in late 2022.
Tesla‘s response to the owner absolving them of responsibility raises questions regarding accountability. Reliability and assurance of safety should be non-negotiable, especially in vehicles packing sophisticated autonomy features positioned as superiorly safe alternatives to human drivers.
Tesla‘s Quality Control Challenges
- J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Initial Quality study ranks Tesla 27 out of 32 brands
- Tesla‘s manufacturing precision rated as Average compared to luxury car Segment average of Among the Best
2. Phantom Braking Complaints Piling Up
Model Y drivers have reported multiple instances of unintended, abrupt braking triggered by the vehicle‘s sensors misreading overhead signs and bridges as obstacles. This phantom braking usually occurs on highways under Autopilot.
While Tesla has tweaked the triggering algorithms, complaints persist in new 2022 and 2023 cars as per user forums. NHTSA is investigating these issues seriously given the grave risks of high-speed rear-end collisions.
Mercedes faced similar issues with their Drive Pilot system leading to extensive re-engineering efforts. Consumer tolerance for half-baked autonomy tech remains low given the passenger safety implications.
107 complaints for phantom braking issues logged with NHTSA over last 3 years
Tesla‘s Self-Driving Claims Questioned
Despite tall claims of full self-driving capabilities even surpassing humans, Tesla‘s ADAS systems seem prone to more basic flaws. Sudden braking triggered by harmless overpasses and shadows underline the challenges of sensor degradation in real-world scenarios.
While fans eagerly sign up to test unfinished beta self-driving software, Tesla must exercise greater responsibility and restraint in pushing immature automation. Lives are at stake if we treat public roads as live test environments without safeguards.
3. Problematic Touchscreens
The slick touchscreen is the centerpiece of Tesla‘s radical reimagination of automotive interfaces. But when this gigantic iPad starts freezing or rebooting randomly while driving, owners are often left stranded without access to vital functions like speed display, climate controls and maps.
Consumer Reports surveys show an alarming 15% failure rate over the lifetime of Tesla models, often needing multiple service visits to rectify. While hardware upgrades in the refreshed MCU3 media controller have improved reliability since 2021 cars, even new 2023 Model Y‘s see occasional blank screens according to forums.
1 in 7 Tesla touchscreens fail suggests Consumer Reports survey
Considering the touchscreen governs pretty much all secondary controls not directly reachable from the steering wheel, uptime and redundancy need to match aircraft-grade systems, not consumer electronics. Updates alone cannot substitute thorough qualification testing of mission-critical hardware.
4. Shoddily Built Interiors
From uneven panel alignment to loose coat hooks and rattling trims, owners report several build quality issues plaguing the Model Y interiors. For a vehicle starting at over $65,000, the indifference to fit & finish falls well short of luxury standards.
Uneven gaps between body panels reflect poorly on build precision
While Tesla‘s focus on technology innovations and performance is admirable, sweating the basics of well-crafted assembly represents a blind spot. Rival EV startups like Rivian and Lucid showcase interiors closer to premium German benchmarks.
Inconsistent quality also suggests challenges in standardizing build processes across factories racing to maximize volumes. Speed to market can reward early movers, but not sustainable without mastery of precision fundamentals.
5. Charging System Gremlins
As the vital lifeline for any EV, charging systems need to be absolutely dependable in the Model Y. But owners report problems ranging from glitchy latch mechanisms to high-voltage battery calibration errors detecting false faults and refusing to charge.
Diagnosing charging faults remains a tricky exercise even for service technicians specially trained on Tesla’s proprietary systems. Compared to the CCS charging standard adopted widely across models, Tesla’s Supercharger network offers convenience but also the risk of vendor lock-in if reliability suffers.
Surveys by Consumer Reports found Tesla models scored worse than average on charging equipment reliability versus competitors:
| EV Model | Charging Equipment Reliability |
|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 2/5 |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 5/5 |
| Porsche Taycan | 5/5 |
Proprietary charging interfaces pioneered by Tesla paved the way for wider EV adoption. But robustness now needs to match up to the capabilities and convenience promised.
6. Bumpy And Noisy Ride Quality
The Model Y‘s sporty, responsive driving dynamics impress but seem to sacrifice ride quality comfort expected from a practical 7-seater SUV. Owners complain of excess road noise and jarring bumps unable to overcome the firmer, performance-biased suspension tuning.
- Consumer Reports survey shows only 54% owners satisfied with ride quality on the Tesla Model Y.
- Equivalent competitor models like the Ford Mustang Mach E and Audi E-Tron score over 80% satisfaction on ride comfort.
The 21-inch wheels may endow curbside presence for the Model Y but sacrifice compliance to battle imperfect tarmac compared to the 19" options. Lower profile tires also suffer more impacts from potholes and speed bumps.
Ultimately the inherently sporting rear-wheel-drive architecture places some limits adapting to a tall, 7-seat crossover SUV role unless Tesla softens the suspension setup.
7. Steep Learning Curve
Tesla vehicles force a radical rethink dropping conventional buttons and knobs for an all-touchscreen user experience. But customers used to tactile muscle memory for decades find the transition frustrating.
Learning to navigate nested touch menus proves challenging for new owners unfamiliar with smartphone UX paradigms. Voice commands help but display significant lag and inaccuracies.
The stark, sparse Model Y interior looks slick but expects owners to be beta testers for disruptive changes unlike iterative steps by legacy automakers respecting user familiarity. Customization options are also very limited compared to luxury brands tailoring bespoke interiors.
8. Rear Cargo Accessibility Issues
While cargo capacity seems plentiful on paper, owners report the Model Y‘s sweeping coupe-like roofline severely restricts rear access through the tailgate. Loading bulky cargo becomes a contortionist exercise without a flat load floor.
Compromised rear visibility from the oddly perched back window is another ergonomic compromise hampering functionality. Driving aids like surround cameras help but hardly match direct sightlines stymied by the giant glass roof.
Upscale crossover rivals like the Volvo XC40 Recharge, Audi E-Tron and BMW iX3 offer more practical luggage areas and better all-round visibility. Form forced to follow function rather than the reverse.
The Tesla Model Y sets benchmarks in EV performance, range and next-gen user interfaces. But early adopter tolerance for glitches seems tested by issues touching reliability and safety.
As a pioneer, Tesla deserves leeway but cannot keep playing the outlier card indefinitely as competition catches up. The scalability crisis it faces currently offers critical lessons in sustainable manufacturing quality for the industry at large.
Rather than chasing even loftier autonomous visions and new model distractions, Tesla’s leadership needs to walk the talk first delivering the fundamentals expected from a professional carmaker before aiming sky-high. Because gravity awaits those who fail to build on solid ground.
