Cars and Drivers
I Almost Bought a Tesla Model Y, But These 20 Factors Scared Me Off
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When you think about the Tesla Model Y and it being among the best-selling cars in the world, your first thought is that it must be a fantastic car. In many ways, this is true, at least on paper, as it has a large infotainment experience, self-driving, long-range, and has a price that seemingly keeps falling.
The Tesla Model Y is the world’s best-selling electric vehicle. Prices have fluctuated too often for Model Y owners to purchase confidently. Range anxiety is a big reason affecting potential Tesla Model Y sales. Retiring early is possible, and may be easier than you think. Click here now to see if you’re ahead, or behind. (Sponsor)
Key Points
However, when you pull back the curtain a little, you realize that not all these reasons hold as much water as you might think. Tesla’s range numbers are only accurate in ideal conditions, full self-driving costs a fortune, and its price fluctuates almost weekly, which begs the question of what other reasons might exist to skip the Tesla Model Y altogether.
Many people hesitate to buy a Tesla Model Y simply because they don’t want to support CEO Elon Musk. This is a subjective opinion, but as Elon has become more involved in politics, it has scared off potential buyers.
Some people pass up a Tesla Model Y purchase for reasons that remain pretty disappointing, such as it is a target for intentional damage in a parking lot. There are plenty of online stories of people indicating their Tesla Model Y was keyed or kicked by a random individual for no reason.
Some beautifully designed electric vehicles are on the market, but the Tesla Model Y isn’t one of them. If you value looks with your next vehicle purchase, picking up the Tesla Model Y is a major mistake. Instead, look at something like the Ford Mach-E if you want the same size but better looks.
You can argue that the Tesla Model Y got rid of parking sensors in favor of Tesla Vision, but there is little argument to say the latter works better. Not having parking sensors is a huge miss for the Model Y and needs to make a return to the vehicle as soon as possible.
This one is frustrating as it should be a standard feature like a rear camera. However, not having blind spot detection on the Tesla Model Y seems like a safety miss that should have been rectified.
Given the number of accidents related to Full Self-Driving and general concerns around EVs, you tend to get stuck with higher insurance premiums. Alternatively, buying a new gas-powered car often drops insurance prices due to a lower risk of mechanical issues.
Buying a new or used vehicle is an art form, and while almost nobody loves spending a whole afternoon at a car dealer, it’s what you do to get the best price. The notion that buying a Tesla Model Y is one price without any room for negotiation is enough to scare off many potential buyers.
There’s a large argument going around right now about how good (or not good) a Tesla Model Y is in cold weather. The significant factor seems to be that you can see a substantial drop in the overall range, which can be incredibly frustrating for owners.
When you buy an EV, you expect certain creature comforts like ventilated or heated seats. This is primarily a standard feature these days but still not available in the Tesla Model Y, which should come standard.
There is something to be said about how great it is to control a Tesla Model Y through a touchscreen. However, there is a concern about being too reliant on the touchscreen, which can distract drivers even when doing something as simple as turning on windshield wipers.
While you won’t have the cool factor of driving a Kia EV6, you get superior materials and more attention to detail. It’s far less likely to see a Hyundai or Kia EV with misaligned panels or a bad paint job.
If you need to make any out-of-warranty repairs to your Tesla Model Y, prepare to pay through the roof. This is especially true if you need to replace a battery, which can cost five figures.
Should the time come when your Tesla Model Y needs service, you’re very limited in where you can go. Unlike major car manufacturers like Ford or Chevrolet, Tesla’s smaller service footprint leads to long repair wait times, regardless of warranty coverage.
There is something to be said about owning and driving an electric vehicle around town. However, if you love road trips, purchasing a Tesla Model Y can lead to range anxiety, where the entire trip has to be planned around charging.
There is no question that Tesla has done good work in building out its Supercharger network. However, these chargers are still not common enough to ease the long wait times you can find in busy areas or locations at rest stops.
While the Tesla Model Y has long promised Full Self-Driving, not only does the feature still feel very much like a beta product (and it is), but it also costs a fortune. While you can pay a more reasonable monthly subscription in some cases, spending upwards of $8,000 or $9,000 for FSD is, in a word, crazy.
Build quality issues with Tesla Model Y vehicles won’t surprise anyone who has even had a remote thought about purchasing a vehicle. Uneven panel gaps are among the biggest complaints, but it doesn’t stop there, as subpar paintwork can frustrate anyone possessing a new Model Y.
A glance at the Tesla subreddit on Reddit will show a long list of buyers frustrated with build quality issues. Using plastics and subpar materials indicates that Tesla has not put as much care into building its vehicles as other, more established manufacturers.
The good news is that the Tesla Model Y is among the lowest prices it has ever seen these days. This is especially true with the EV rebate still in effect in 2025. However, if you buy a Tesla Model Y today, the price could change tomorrow, which creates price uncertainty for customers and has already been hurting its resale value.
One of the biggest red flags around owning a Tesla is the lack of customization options. With Tesla, you can only choose from a few colors, one or two tire choices, and maybe a tow package, depending on your model. There are almost zero interior options, a far cry from other vehicle manufacturers today.
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