2021 Tesla Model Y brake problems
182 of the 1,080 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Tesla Model Y name the brakes (NHTSA’s “Service Brakes” heading — the hydraulic brakes, ABS and brake assist). Filed under the same heading: 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the brakes
Source: NHTSA complaint database18 of the 182 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 10 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2021: 15 · 2022: 117 · 2023: 30 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 3
Half of the 14 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the brake problem between 1,000 and 8,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
1,080 complaints in all about the 2021 Tesla Model Y, 3 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Service Brakes” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Tesla Model Y brake problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the brakes. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
While on a 475 mile road trip, my vehicles emergency brake system was activated while using cruise control on more than one occasion with no visible hazard ahead of me. This caused my car to brake at speeds upward of 70 miles per hour on two lanes highways, leaving me to fear that any car behind me could easily rear end me and harm me or…
The full self-driving mode in my tesla does not react correctly to speed limit changes in small towns. I will be driving with the FSD at 65 MPH when I get to a small town and the speed limit changes to 45 and then down to 25 for residential area the cars speed does not decrease quickly enough to be at the correct speed limit by the time…
Multiple times on highway car “phantom breaks” when there are no obstacles/cars in front of me. I noticed that the car seems to regularly do this at certain places the highway. For example, on one stretch I’ve had it happen multiple times going under a specific bridge when I’m in cruise control.
My wife and I purchased our Tesla model Y back in February 2021. We picked it up back in May 2021. The selling point for us was how it drove in the winter since we live in central WI. When we test drove the car in a snow snow at the highland park dealer.
The contact owns a 2021 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would brake independently without warning. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be inspected. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure.
What is on file about the brakes
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 21V387000 HighMay 25, 2021 · 5,974 vehicles
- Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Model 3 and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles. The brake caliper bolts may be loose, allowing the brake caliper to separate and contact the wheel rim.
Other systems with a record on the 2021 Tesla Model Y
Source: the same files- automatic emergency braking problems 846 complaints
- cruise control problems 161 complaints
- electrical problems 149 complaints
- steering problems 93 complaints
- lane-keeping problems 93 complaints
- suspension problems 77 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre brake problems common on the 2021 Tesla Model Y?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 182 owner complaints naming the brakes on this model year (17% of everything owners filed about it), and 1 recall is filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the brakes on the 2021 Tesla Model Y?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 21V387000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do brake problems show up on the 2021 Tesla Model Y?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 2,500 miles; half of them between 1,000 and 8,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Service Brakes" heading cover?
The hydraulic brakes, ABS and brake assist. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.