Tesla Model Y Common Faults: Problems And Solutions
The Model Y is Tesla’s best-selling electric vehicle, offering plenty of space, great ride quality, and great four-wheel drive making it an all-rounder. But like any vehicle, it is not without its problems, so here is a detailed list of common Tesla Model failures .
This Car is a compact version of the Model 3, since they share the same mechanics and 75% of its components, so the failures of this will be similar to those of the Model 3. So we have investigated a bit to get to the bottom these complaints and find the best solutions.
Common failures of the Tesla Model Y
The Model Y is one of the Tesla vehicles that has attracted the most public attention, due to its compact size and its degree of security when parking it in places where there is little security, since it has a sentry or sentinel mode that send alarm command through your mobile phone.
This car has also received good reviews for its large space, since it can carry 7 people inside, and its technology allows easy driving. But just like other vehicles, this one can also fail and present problems.
1. Tesla Model Y screen keeps turning off
The Model Y’s large touch screen is one of its main selling points. It’s more than just an infotainment screen, controlling virtually every vehicle setting and function.
If the screen turns off, it could be due to any of the following reasons:
- hardware defect
- Foul of the system
- Software failure
In many cases, you will not be able to access certain functions and features of the vehicle for a period of time until the system is reset. You may also run into weird computer or electronic issues if the screen fails.
Here are some things you can try if your Model Y’s screen turns off, freezes, or restarts on its own:
1- Restart the car
If the display turns off on its own or becomes completely unresponsive, you should attempt to restart the Model Y’s computer systems by pressing and holding both scroll wheels on the steering wheel until the display turns off completely or until the display returns. Tesla logo.
- Resetting Model Y should not affect driving electronics and can be done while driving.
- But it’s better if you can stop earlier or wait to stop at a traffic light.
2- Close all applications
Random reboots, system crashes, and other software glitches can also be caused by apps like the browser, YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify.
If restarting the system does not fix the issue, try closing any apps that are still running after the restart and see if the issue persists.
You can also try uninstalling or updating your apps to make sure it’s not a random software bug or incompatibility issue.
3- Check the 12 volt battery
The Model Y’s MCU, or Multimedia Control Unit, is powered by the car’s 12-volt battery. If there is not enough voltage, either because the battery is bad or bad, the MCU may randomly reset itself.
You can go to any auto parts store or a mechanic to check the condition of the battery and replace it if necessary.
4- Disconnect all USB devices
The Model Y computer may randomly crash if it encounters corrupted files stored on USB drives or if you connect an incompatible USB device.
Disconnect anything connected to the USB ports on Model Y to see if the touchscreen continues to turn off randomly.
2. Tesla Model Y won’t charge
Charging issues can really hurt the Model Y ownership experience. If you can’t charge the battery reliably, you won’t be able to drive it much until you find a permanent solution, and long-distance travel is often out of the question.
Charging problems can be due to any of the following causes:
- Damaged charging port or plug
- Problems with the charger power supply
- Defective hardware or software in the vehicle itself
When the vehicle has charging issues, the Tesla logo does not turn green after connecting a charging cable. A notification should also appear on the screen stating that the vehicle cannot charge.
On newer Model Ys, you may just have to push the charging connector or plug in a bit harder because the charging port is still a bit tight. And make sure there are no foreign objects stuck in the charging socket or car charging port.
If these initial troubleshooting steps don’t work, here are a few more things you can try:
1- Check the electrical circuit of the charger
The first thing you should do is check if the charger works correctly; Try using another charger to see if that resolves the issue. The outlet must also be properly grounded for the Tesla charger to work.
Check if the same charging issues occur when connected to a SuperCharger or mobile charger/wall adapter.
This will help you isolate the problem, as Tesla Superchargers and other DC fast chargers use a different charging circuit than a mobile charger/wall charger uses.
If you are able to charge successfully using the SuperCharger but are having trouble at home with your charger plugged into the wall, there may be a problem with the electrical circuit you are connecting it to. It may not be designed to provide the amount of current or amps that the charger draws.
A quick solution is to reduce the current consumption of the vehicle while charging. To do this, click the minus sign (-) where it says ” Charging current ” on the touch screen. This will slow down the charging speed, but will at least allow you to recharge the vehicle’s battery until it is full.
You may eventually want to have your wiring checked by an electrician if it can’t handle the demands of the Tesla’s wall charger.
2- Disable mobile access
Some Tesla owners have been able to resolve their charging issues by turning off the ” Allow mobile access ” option in the Security settings. This option allows you to send command to the car using your phone, as well as receive OTA system and application updates via the Internet. Turning it off ensures that the car does not receive any remote request to stop charging.
Normally turning this setting on and off clears up any errors and everything goes back to normal as if nothing ever happened.
If the problem persists, try uninstalling the Tesla app and any other apps on your phone that may be sending a stop command to the car, such as monitoring apps.
If all else fails, it’s best to take your Model Y to a local service center so they can check to see if there is anything in the car that needs to be fixed or replaced.
3. Tesla Model Y alarm goes off
The Model Y alarm can easily be triggered by unexpected noises like loud vehicles and electrical storms.
It can even be activated by sound and vibrations from your heating and air conditioning system.
Since Sentry Mode is based on vision, it can also be triggered by rain, snow, flashing lights, or just random people, animals, and objects, resulting in plenty of notifications being sent to your phone even when nothing has come close to your phone. vehicle.
Here are a few things you can try if your Model Y’s alarm keeps going off on its own for no apparent reason.
1- Disable Sentry mode (sentry)
If you don’t want false alarms going off when the car is in the garage and constantly waking you and your neighbours, you can deactivate Sentry mode when the car is parked at home, at work or anywhere else where it is stored, as long as you’re sure it’s parked in a safe place.
Model Y uses GPS to know exactly where it is, so you should automatically disable Sentry Mode if you’ve set it to exclude certain locations.
You can also disable the alarm , which is a separate setting from Sentry mode, if you want to find out which system is actually causing the problem.
2- Restart the system
A system reset or hard reset can clear any software bugs that may be causing false positives with the alarm and/or sentinel mode.
To perform a hard reset on Model Y, press the brake pedal while holding down both jog buttons on the steering wheel until the touchscreen turns black and then back on.
3- Check for bugs/insects
False alarms can also be caused by bugs and insects that are trapped inside the cabin.
If none of the steps above have resolved your alarm problem, try leaving the doors and trunk open for 10 to 20 minutes to allow the bugs to escape.
A thorough vacuum can also get rid of any bug that hides in the corners of the car.
Other foreign objects, such as expanding plastic water bottles, have also been known to trigger false alarms in Teslas. So it’s a good idea to clean the cabin and see if that helps improve the situation.
4- Put the car in dog or camp mode
If you leave people in the car and walk away with your phone or key card, Model Y will automatically go into alarm/sentry mode.
Any movement or noise inside the vehicle will inadvertently activate the alarm even if it is still running. Just activate Dog Mode or Camp Mode and you won’t have to worry about alarms going off.
5- 12V battery depletion
If the car’s 12V battery is starting to run low, it may be the cause of the alarm going off randomly.
You can always check battery life with a voltmeter, measuring the voltage across the battery terminals. If it is below 11 V, it is the cause of the false positives and you will have to change it. If you are not technically savvy, take it to a local mechanic and have them check it for you.
4. Tesla Model Y won’t start
Like all Teslas, the Model Y uses a key card or connected phone instead of a regular key or fob. As long as you have your card or phone with you, you can get in and start driving the vehicle simply by stepping on the brake and selecting Drive or Reverse.
If you encounter an error message or notification that prevents you from driving your Model Y, here are some things you can try.
1- Place the key card in the center console
Sometimes Model Y will ask you to tap the key card before letting you drive, even though you were able to unlock the car with your phone. If you have the key card with you, place it in the center console so that you can start the car again.
2- Reiniciar Bluetooth y Tesla App
If you don’t have your access card and you can’t drive the vehicle, try turning your phone’s Bluetooth off and on so that the Tesla app can re-establish a connection with the vehicle.
It also helps if you force close the Tesla app and launch it again once you’ve reset your phone’s Bluetooth. If the car is still having trouble recognizing the phone, restarting the phone might help.
3- Remove and re-add the phone key
If you still have problems after restarting Bluetooth and the phone, you can try removing the phone as a registered key in the vehicle lock settings and adding it again.
People who have tried this also recommend removing all other phones that have been paired with the car to clear any glitches.
5. Tesla Model Y won’t turn on
Some Model Y owners have encountered the problem of their vehicle seemingly not starting at all. In most cases, it’s just the touch screen that won’t turn on, but the car can still be driven normally.
This is still pretty problematic, since all of the vehicle’s controls are on the touchscreen and you don’t even have a traditional dashboard to let you know what the vehicle is doing.
Here are some solutions that might resolve the issue:
1- Restart the system
The first thing you should try is to restart the Model Y’s computer. The screen may be off because it has encountered a bug or error that has caused the system to hang.
Restarting the car by holding down the two scroll buttons on the steering wheel for 10 to 15 seconds might be able to quickly resolve the issue.
People have reported that it sometimes takes multiple reboots to get the screen back on, so if it doesn’t work the first time, it might do the trick a second or third time.
2- Update the software
Some Model Y owners have been able to fix their blank touchscreen issues by downloading the latest software update for their cars. The car’s software may have some corrupted or buggy system files, and an update might be able to repair or restore the software.
You can update Model Y without using the touch screen, through the Tesla app on your phone.
A notification should appear on the home screen of the app if a new update is available. You just have to proceed with the download and wait for it to finish.
3- Disconnect USB devices and close all applications
It is also possible that the screen does not turn on because USB devices or applications that consume high memory or CPU, such as the browser, are causing the system to crash.
Try unplugging all your USB devices and closing all apps to see if the issue recurs after a couple of days. This will help you further isolate the problem.
If none of these steps resolve the issue, book an appointment with your nearest service center so they can check for a hardware issue.
6. Tesla Model Y won’t connect to WiFi
Model Y will sometimes have difficulty connecting to WiFi connections, even if other devices, such as your phone, can connect to the same WiFi signal without issue.
This is a fairly common problem, but here are some quick fixes you can try.
1- Connect to a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal
Modern routers can broadcast both a 2.4GHz and a 5GHz signal. 5GHz WiFi is faster, but it also has limited range and is more prone to connection issues when going through walls.
If the car automatically connects to a 5GHz signal but doesn’t get a good connection, click Wi-Fi settings and “Forget network”.
You can then force it to connect to the more stable 2.4GHz connection, since it no longer has the password for the 5GHz signal.
3- Add a wireless repeater or park closer to the router
The Model Y WiFi antenna is in the right side mirror. If you can’t connect to a WiFi signal, try moving the car WiFi antenna closer to the router or WiFi repeater so that it can get a more stable connection.
If the router is quite far from the vehicle, extending your WiFi range using a repeater can also be a good solution.
4- Use your phone as an access point
If you can’t download an update because of WiFi issues, you can always use your phone as a mobile hotspot and let the car download updates using your mobile data.
This is the quickest fix and won’t require additional equipment purchases or extensive troubleshooting.
7. Tesla Model Y won’t update
If your Model Y is still using an older software version and isn’t automatically downloading an update on its own, here are a couple of things you can try.
1- Connect to a stable WiFi connection
Although Model Y can connect to LTE signals to provide various Internet services, it can only download software updates over WiFi.
Once you’re connected via WiFi and you’re sure it’s connected to the Internet, it will eventually download the update on its own. Sometimes it may seem like it’s not downloading at all, but it will eventually finish after waiting an hour or two.
If you don’t have access to a WiFi signal, you can always use your phone as a mobile hotspot and download updates using your cellular data.
2- Wait a couple of weeks
If you just got your Model Y, it usually takes a few weeks for software updates to reach new vehicles.
Some owners have reported that they had to wait 5-6 weeks before finally receiving their first update.
Updates are also shipped over the air in waves or batches. Even if a new software update is available, it doesn’t mean that everyone will get it at the same time.
3- Set the Software Update Preference as Advanced
If you want to receive the latest software updates as soon as they are available, go to the Software settings on the touch screen controls and select “Advanced” instead of “Standard”. This will allow you to get the latest updates faster.
If your Model Y’s software hasn’t been updated in months and it’s still running a really old version, you can submit a service request to see if Tesla can manually push the update to your vehicle.
8. The Tesla Model Y won’t wake up
Model Y should automatically wake up whenever:
- Swipe your key card on the B-pillar
- Approach the vehicle with a paired phone key.
- Push down on the door handle slightly.
- connect a charger
It will also “wake the car” if you send commands to it through the Tesla app on your phone, even when you’re far away.
When the car is left alone for a long period of time, it automatically goes into “deep sleep” mode. Once in this mode, it may take a little longer to wake up.
If you’re having trouble waking up your car, here are a couple of steps to fix the problem.
1- Make sure there is an LTE signal
In order for the car to receive command, it needs to have a decent LTE signal.
If it’s in a parking lot or somewhere with very poor coverage, you won’t be able to interact with the car using your phone unless you’re nearby and can connect via Bluetooth.
If you leave a place with poor coverage, it usually takes a couple of minutes for the car to fully wake up from its deep sleep state and reconnect to everything.
2- Restart the car and the application
If you’re having trouble waking up the car, try restarting the car’s computer by holding down both jog wheels on the steering wheel.
This should eliminate any software glitches that might be causing the problem. You can also try turning your phone’s Bluetooth off and on again, as well as restarting the app to refresh its connection to the vehicle.
If all else fails, you may need to take your Model Y to the nearest service center so they can check for hardware defects.
9. Tesla Model Y won’t unlock
If you’re using your phone as a key, your Model Y should automatically unlock the doors when you approach using just the Bluetooth connection, even if the Tesla app isn’t running.
However, this doesn’t always work as intended, so here are some solutions.
1- Keep the Tesla app in the background
Many Model Y owners have reported that keeping the Tesla app running makes the phone key feature work more consistently.
You can also check if the Tesla app location setting on your phone is set to “always” so that it will always run even if you quit the app.
If the app is running in the background and the car still doesn’t unlock automatically, try unlocking the car from the app itself.
Turning your phone’s Bluetooth off and back on will also refresh the vehicle’s connection to your phone.
2- Remove and re-pair the phone key
If your phone key is constantly giving you trouble, it’s a good idea to unplug it from the car and plug it back in to fix any issues.
Other people have also reported that removing all other paired phone keys makes the system work more consistently once your primary phone is paired again.
You can also try restarting the car completely and see if that solves the problem. Although, sometimes a software update increases the frequency of these unlocking issues, but it will eventually be fixed after another update.
To avoid being locked out of the car completely due to phone or software issues, it’s always a good idea to keep your key card handy, especially if you’re going on a long drive.