Tesla Model Y years to avoid
Tesla Model Y years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2021 (1,100 complaints, led by forward collision avoidance at 583 and the brakes at 177) and the 2022 (880, led by forward collision avoidance at 497 and speed control at 140) drew the most of the 2020–2025 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. Before buying a used Model Y, run its VIN: the $14.99 original ClearVIN PDF shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file.
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The 2021 (1,100) and 2022 (880) drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA of the 2020–2025 Tesla Model Y model years on record, as of November 10, 2026.
2020 and 2023 drew far fewer complaints than the years around them; nothing in this collection shows them filed under another name, so their counts are read as low, not as missing.
NHTSA’s recall records also list 2019 under this name, a year with no complaint whose campaigns all reach later model years too; it is left out, so the table starts with 2020.
Fewest complaints: not named. Fewer than three of the Tesla Model Y model years from 2020 to 2020 with at least 50 complaints on file, a quarter of the median year’s 200 remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Half of the 371 NHTSA owner complaints on the Tesla Model Y that list mileage came after 5,900 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will a Tesla Model Y last? →
Tesla Model Y complaints and recalls by model year, 2020–2025
This table lists the 6 Tesla Model Y model years NHTSA holds records for between 2020 and 2025, collected from NHTSA’s complaints and recalls APIs on November 10, 2026. Each owner complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, and a complaint can name more than one component; recall campaigns are counted once per model year, by campaign number. Across these years NHTSA lists 36 distinct recall campaigns, the newest filed Aug 5, 2026.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Most-reported components | Recall campaigns | Newest recall filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Model Y | 286 · low next to the years around it | forward collision avoidance (109), brakes (37), speed control (37) | 24 | Aug 5, 2026 |
| 2021 Model Y | 1,100 · most | forward collision avoidance (583), brakes (177), speed control (163) | 23 | Aug 5, 2026 |
| 2022 Model Y | 880 · most | forward collision avoidance (497), speed control (140), brakes (131) | 20 | Aug 5, 2026 |
| 2023 Model Y | 95 · low next to the years around it | suspension (29), steering (23) | 17 | Aug 5, 2026 |
| 2024 Model Y | 46 | forward collision avoidance (15), electrical system (12) | 5 | Jan 7, 2025 |
| 2025 Model Y | 114 | forward collision avoidance (50), lane-departure systems (23), electrical system (21) | 3 | May 19, 2026 |
Tesla Model Y by model year: mileage, problems and recalls
Each page below covers one model year in NHTSA’s complaints file of November 11, 2026: the mileage when owners reported problems, the most-reported components and the recall campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list. That file is a separate collection from the table above and goes back to the 1981 model year, so its counts can differ and it holds years the table does not.
How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse vehicle. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road, so older and best-selling years collect more.
- The comparison is between years of the Tesla Model Y only. It says nothing about how the Model Y compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. NHTSA’s VIN lookup checks open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result does not prove the vehicle’s complete recall or repair history; ask for dated repair documentation.
- NHTSA files some years under body or cab names (for example ACCESS CAB or CREW CAB). This collection asked for the names NHTSA lists, and a year far below its neighbours also under the common cab and body names. Such a year is marked as possibly filed under another name only when NHTSA’s records show it split across names or holding recalls and no complaint; otherwise its count is read as low.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and API documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Tesla Model Y year-by-year questions
Which Tesla Model Y years should I avoid?
Tesla Model Y years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2021 (1,100 complaints, led by forward collision avoidance at 583 and the brakes at 177) and the 2022 (880, led by forward collision avoidance at 497 and speed control at 140) drew the most of the 2020–2025 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. 2020 and 2023 drew far fewer complaints than the years around them; nothing in this collection shows them filed under another name, so their counts are read as low, not as missing. NHTSA’s recall records also list 2019 under this name, a year with no complaint whose campaigns all reach later model years too; it is left out, so the table starts with 2020.
What are the best Tesla Model Y years?
Complaint counts do not show which model year is best; the closest they come is which years drew the fewest complaints. This page names none: fewer than three of the Tesla Model Y model years from 2020 to 2020 with at least 50 complaints on file, a quarter of the median year’s 200 remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Do complaint counts mean the Model Y is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model, which is what this page does, not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Model Y before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. It reports open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result is not a complete recall or repair history; ask the seller or manufacturer for dated repair documentation. For the vehicle's own past, the original ClearVIN PDF from VIN Lookup shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file for that VIN.