Electric cars · model years 2021 to 2023
Volkswagen ID.4 vs Tesla Model Y: problems and reliability
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Model Y looks better on 3 and the ID.4 on 2, with 2 too close to call.
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026
Scorecard
| Measure, 2021 to 2023 | ID.4 | Model Y |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints that report a crash | 10% | 11% |
| Complaints that report a fire | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Complaints that report an injury | 4.3% | 3.6% |
| Median miles when problems are reported | 15,000 | 17,000 |
| Recall campaigns per model year | 7.7 | 10.7 |
| Do-not-drive recalls | 0 | 0 |
| NHTSA investigations | 2 | 17 |
The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.
What owners complain about
The system ID.4 owners complain about most is electrical; for the Model Y it is collision avoidance. Complaints citing electrical make up 50% of all ID.4 complaints, against 12% on the Model Y. The Model Y leans the other way on collision avoidance: 50% of its complaints, against 15% for the ID.4.
Volkswagen ID.4Tesla Model Y
Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
The most reported problems
The most reported problem on the ID.4 is infotainment problems (27% of its complaints). On the Model Y it is driver assist problems (29% of its complaints), against 5.5% on the ID.4.
| Problem | ID.4 | Model Y |
|---|---|---|
| Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails | 27% 250most in 2023 · 12k mi | 9.0% 279most in 2023 · 25k mi |
| Adaptive cruise or lane keeping misbehaves | 5.5% 51 | 29% 887most in 2021 · 5k mi |
| Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) | 3.2% 30 | 26% 813most in 2021 · 4k mi |
| Brakes grind, pulse or wear early | 9.5% 88most in 2023 · 12k mi | 15% 467most in 2021 · 8k mi |
| Forward collision warning goes off or the camera drops out | 5.3% 49most in 2023 | 8.7% 271most in 2021 |
| Battery dies or the car will not start | 9.4% 87most in 2023 · 19k mi | 3.1% 96most in 2021 · 46k mi |
| Engine stalls or loses power while driving | 7.1% 66most in 2023 · 10k mi | 1.8% 5728k mi |
| Suspension noise, struts or alignment | 0.6% 6 | 7.6% 236most in 2023 · 34k mi |
Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.
When problems start
ID.4 owners report problems earlier. Half the ID.4 complaints that give a mileage come before 15,000 miles; for the Model Y the halfway point is 17,000. 87% of ID.4 reports and 81% of Model Y reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.
Volkswagen ID.4Tesla Model Y
Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 147 for the ID.4 and 384 for the Model Y.
Worst and best years
The 2023 ID.4 draws 2.8 times the complaints of a typical ID.4 year for its age. The 2023 Model Y draws 1.7 times the complaints of a typical Model Y year for its age.
Volkswagen ID.4Tesla Model Y
Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.
Recalls and investigations
The Model Y draws more recalls: 10.7 campaigns per model year against 7.7 for the ID.4. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.
Volkswagen ID.4
23 recall campaigns and 2 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: electrical (7), backup camera (5) and structure (3).
- 24V-344 (backup camera) covers 3 model years
- 24V-651 (structure) covers 3 model years
Investigations
- RQ24010: Inadvertent door opening (closed)
- DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds (closed, led to a recall)
Tesla Model Y
32 recall campaigns and 17 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: electrical (8), collision avoidance (4) and backup camera (4).
- 22V-844 (exterior lighting) covers 3 model years
- 23V-085 (steering) covers 3 model years
Investigations
- PE26006: Lower lateral link detachment (open)
- EA26002: Fsd collisions in reduced roadway visibility conditions (open)
- PE25012: Traffic safety violations while full self driving ("fsd") is engaged (open)
Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Crashes, fires and injuries
Crashes turn up in about the same share of complaints on both (10% and 11%). Fire reports: 9 for the ID.4 and 18 for the Model Y. Complaints on file report 0 deaths in the ID.4 and 108 in the Model Y for these model years.
Volkswagen ID.4Tesla Model Y
Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.
Questions
Is the Volkswagen ID.4 or the Tesla Model Y more reliable?
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Model Y looks better on 3 and the ID.4 on 2, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the ID.4 has 925 complaints and the Model Y 3,102 for model years 2021 to 2023, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.
Which has more recalls, the ID.4 or the Model Y?
The ID.4 has 23 recall campaigns and the Model Y 32 across model years 2021 to 2023. The Model Y draws more recalls: 10.7 campaigns per model year against 7.7 for the ID.4.
What are the most common problems on the ID.4 and the Model Y?
The most reported problem on the ID.4 is infotainment problems (27% of its complaints). On the Model Y it is driver assist problems (29% of its complaints), against 5.5% on the ID.4.
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