Tesla Model Y review – Reliability & safety

The Tesla Model Y itself hasn’t featured in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, but the closely-related Model 3 has, coming in an impressive second place in the 2024 edition. Owners love its smooth powertrain, for which it came in first place, as well as its safety tech and low running costs. These should also translate to the Model Y. 

Reliability is less impressive, however – while as a brand Tesla came in second place, a whopping 37.9% of Tesla owners have reported an issue with their car in the first year of ownership. Build quality is also a low point and one of the areas where buyers are least impressed.

Safety

The Tesla Model Y’s safety was put to the test by Euro NCAP in 2022 and it scored an impressive 97% for adult occupant protection and a near-perfect 98% in the Safety Assist category. 

The Model Y also gets basic Autopilot semi-autonomous driver aids as standard, so it's covered in numerous sensors and cameras that can help the driver avoid collisions and take over some driving tasks on well-marked roads. These sensors also make life easier when parking and manoeuvring, while its cameras provide clear images and even a ‘Sentry’ mode that acts like CCTV while the car is parked.

Some of the few optional extras for the Y include Enhanced Autopilot (costing in excess of £3,000) that provides navigation whilst using Autopilot and Auto Lane Change functionality, while automatic parking and the ability to ‘Summon’ your vehicle are listed as ‘Upcoming’ features. Full Self-Driving Capability is even pricier at close to £7,000, but it only adds the ability to stop at traffic lights currently, with the ability to drive on city streets also listed as a future feature, so for most drivers, we’d hold off for now.