2021 Tesla Model Y Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 177 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2021 Tesla Model Y, 16% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 1,850 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (47% of reports).
- 177service brakes complaints
- 1,850median miles at failure
- 17mention a crash
- 9mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 88%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Cruise control: mentioned in 83 of 177 complaints (47%)
- Phantom braking: mentioned in 48 of 177 complaints (27%)
- Rear ended: mentioned in 17 of 177 complaints (10%)
- Auto pilot: mentioned in 13 of 177 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 10 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 177 complaints, 17 mention a crash, 9 an injury.
Tesla Model Y service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Model Y | 26 | 6% | 4,900 |
| 2025 Model Y | 15 | 14% | 7,213 |
| 2024 Model Y | 25 | 8% | 26,000 |
| 2023 Model Y | 151 | 13% | 6,180 |
| 2022 Model Y | 131 | 15% | 21,222 |
| 2021 Model Y | 177 | 16% | 1,850 |
| 2020 Model Y | 36 | 13% | 3,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes, hydraulic:critical fasteners; service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
Problem: 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.
Risk: Contact with the rim may cause a loss of tire pressure, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service will inspect and tighten, or replace the caliper bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 23, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service online by visiting www.tesla.com/support/contact or by calling 1-877-79-TESLA (or 1-877-798-3752). Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-33-002.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Phantom brake incident today,5/26/26. Traveling 35mph, brakes slammed on for no apparent reason. Seatbelt tightened and my head launched forward. Neck is very strained.
I was entering the on-ramp to [XXX] , from [XXX] , to merge onto the freeway east bound towards [XXX] , when my Tesla suddenly lost all power, the brakes did not work and the power steering completely failed making it feel like it was locked up. I was traveling approximately 40-50 mph at the time…
When driving with cruise control engaged the car randomly brakes and shows a "curvature assist " indication. The car quickly slows from 55 to 35 with no warning. This primary happens on a straight road, not a curve. I am concerned about the traffic behind me.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2021 Tesla Model Ys have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 177 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2021 Tesla Model Y (16% of the 1,089 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Tesla Model Y service brakes?
Yes: 1 safety recall list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 1,850 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2021 Tesla Model Y?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 83 of 177 complaints, followed by “phantom braking” (48).
Other 2021 Tesla Model Y problems
See all 2021 Tesla Model Y problems or service brakes problems across all Model Y years.