NHTSA Complaint #11694446 — 2026 TESLA MODEL Y

Took delivery of a Tesla Model Y 2026 Juniper (not stated VIN #) in September 2025. This vehicle includes the mandated illumintated Emergency Release Button in the Front Trunk ("Frunk"). Then took delivery of a Tesla Model Y 2026 Juniper (VIN [XXX] ) in October 2025. This vehicle does NOT include any illuminated Emergency Release Button in the Front Trunk ("Frunk"). I visited the Tesla Service Center the day after I took delivery of the second vehicle, and spoke to the Service Technician, and then the General Manager for that location. Both were unaware that Tesla removed the illuminated Emergency Release Button in the Tesla Model Y 2026 Juniper. We opened several other Tesla Model Y 2026 Juniper Frunks, and none of the new ones in the lot had the button. However, we found one Demo Car that was from an older batch that had the button. I made a service appointment for this issue (and other issues I was having with the vehicle) and left. The General Manager then did some research and when I called back a couple days later he said that in Tesla's system, he was allowed to re-order a replacement Frunk panel WITH the illuminated Emergency Release Button for my first Model Y 2026 (delivered in Sep. 2025). But for my second Model Y 2026 (delivered a few days earlier in Oct. 2025), he could only order the Frunk panel WITHOUT the illuminated Emergency Release Button. In the meantime, I removed the Frunk panels from both of my vehicles to see if there were any differences in the wiring. And sure enough, in my first Model Y (Sep. 2025) there were wires and a connector coming off the power harness to the powered Frunk latch, that connected to the illuminated Emergency Release Button. In my second Model Y (Oct. 2025) these wires & connector is missing (since there isn't any illuminated Emergency Release Button to connect to). This tells me that this removal was an intentional design change by Tesla, which may violate 49 CFR § 571.401 and FMVSS 401. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT