2022 Tesla Model S Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the car braking on its own while traffic-aware cruise control or Autopilot is engaged, and about the steering yoke — especially the small, hard-to-find horn button and the button-based turn signals. Many complaints are filed within the first few thousand miles, and a further recurring theme is rapid wear on the inner edge of the rear tires. A number of reports describe electrical faults in which the car shuts down or loses functions.

1. 1
   Forward collision avoidance

   Sudden braking with cruise control or Autopilot

   • 24 complaints (17%)
   • median 2,236 mi at 1.0 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the car braking hard for no visible reason while traffic-aware cruise control or Autopilot is engaged, sometimes repeatedly on the same trip. Several say the stop was severe enough that a following driver had to brake sharply, and some report an alert appearing on screen. According to the complaints, dealers generally did not diagnose or repair the behavior, and some owners stopped using the feature. Reports span a wide mileage range, from around 2,000 miles to over 50,000 miles, and appear on clear, dry roads as well as in poor weather.

   Recall 23V085000Recall 22V037000Recall 23V838000

   What to check: Ask whether the car is on current software and whether any service visit addressed unexpected braking. A test drive with cruise control on a highway, if conditions allow, will show how the system behaves.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “We had the adaptive cruise control, turned on and the car braked violently on I 90 in Washington state heading east. The brakes slammed on so hard that the tires screeched. We were in the fast lane and it was fortunate that no one was directly behind us or there would’ve been a serious accident. It happened again about 5 miles later, but not as violently.”

   NHTSA complaint #11509551, filed 2023-02

   “I was driving my Model S from Oregon to Texas, 14-16 Sep. The car was new, picked up on 31 Aug. I had the car in Autopilot when I was on the highway on the drive to Texas. In the first two days I had four incidents of phantom braking at highway speeds, as high as 80 mph. There was not a lot of traffic those first two days and the conditions were dry so there was little risk to others and the car stayed straight during the braking. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11485633, filed 2022-09
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering yoke horn and turn signal controls

   • 38 complaints (27%)
   • typically at 1.3 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners report that the horn is a small button on the yoke rather than the center pad, and that it is difficult to locate in an emergency. They also describe the button-based turn signals as hard to find without looking down, and say the glossy yoke surface and weak indicator lights can make the buttons hard to see in sun glare. Complaints describe missed horn use in near-miss situations and difficulty signalling lane changes. Reported across a wide range of mileages, often within the first year of ownership.

   Recall 23V743000Recall 25V172000

   What to check: Sit in the car and try the horn and turn signals, including with the wheel turned, to judge whether the layout suits you. Ask whether the steering wheel or yoke was ever replaced, since a recall concerns incorrect air bag fitting after a swap.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Horn is not located in the center where it can be found in the event of an emergency. Instead it is in tiny non-tactile button on the right side. Have had incidents in which I almost got into an accident and needed the horn to alert the other vehicle of an impending collision. In each instance I was not able to locate the horn in a timely manner.”

   NHTSA complaint #11571328, filed 2024-02

   “A driver moving at highway speeds began to change lanes while I was next to him. I tried to honk the horn (which, on my yoke, is a small, haptic feedback touch screen of sorts) to warn him. The horn did not sound, either because it did not respond or because I missed the tiny, physically undistinguished area of yoke that serves as the horn activator.”

   NHTSA complaint #11482822, filed 2022-09
3. 3
   Suspension

   Rear tires wearing through on the inner edge

   • 18 complaints (13%)
   • median 10,000 mi at 1.0 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe the inside shoulder of the rear tires wearing down to the cords while the rest of the tread still looks serviceable, which owners say is not visible without removing the wheel or raising the car. Several mention losing air pressure, repeated tire replacement, or a blowout. Owners link the pattern to alignment or suspension geometry, and some say the dealer documented the wear without identifying a cause. Often noticed between roughly 8,000 and 30,000 miles, and recurring on subsequent sets of tires.

   What to check: Have the rear tires inspected from underneath, not just at the outer face, and ask for a recent alignment report. Check tire pressures and whether the rear tires have been replaced more than once.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Complaint Category: Tires / Suspension Summary of Issue: I am reporting a recurring and deceptive safety defect involving extreme inner-edge tire wear on my Tesla Model S. On three separate occasions, my rear tires have worn down to the metal structural cords exclusively on the innermost shoulder, while the remaining 90% of the tread appeared in excellent, near-new condition. Safety Hazard: This defect creates a high risk of catastrophic blowout at highway speeds. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11710217, filed 2026-01

   “In the time of 2 years of ownership of this vehicle, I have had a blown out tire happen 3 separate times with these particular tires, whether it has been the rear left side or rear right side, leaving me stranded on the street.”

   NHTSA complaint #11563549, filed 2024-01
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults and unexpected shutdowns

   • 11 complaints (8%)
   • median 24,250 mi at 1.9 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe messages telling them to pull over and exit, multiple error warnings on the highway, or the car shutting down on its own after charging or while parked. Some reports mention a battery pack replacement quoted after a water-damage diagnosis, and others describe reduced power and climate faults. Complaints describe the car being towed or left undriveable until service diagnosed it. Reported from under 1,500 miles up to around 50,000 miles, in some cases shortly after fast charging or after the car sat unused.

   Recall 22V296000Recall 23V862000Recall 24V554000Recall 26V2830006 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for the service history covering module, battery and software work, and check whether the flood-port and high-voltage battery bulletins were performed. Note any warning messages that appear during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving my car. 10s of error messages while on the Highway. Error messages were quite scary to the effect of “please pull over immediately and exit the vehicle” I ignored it the first time. Second time it occurred took a picture because tesla could not find the error the first time. Both times occur after super charging.”

   NHTSA complaint #11463670, filed 2022-05

   “This message appeared this morning on my brand 18 day old new 2022 Tesla S I was driving from my home in Santa Monica to LAX, drove about 3 blocks when this message appeared. VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN - pull over safely I turned around and did not quite make it home in my residential area. I did find a parking space and took an UBER to the airport. The car turned itself off. I feel fortunate this did not happen on a freeway for the obvious safety reasons.”

   NHTSA complaint #11474642, filed 2022-07
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Hood, doors or seat belt releasing unexpectedly

   • 11 complaints (8%)
   • median 400 mi at 0.3 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   A few owners report the hood opening by itself while driving, which blocks the view, and one reports a rear door opening while in motion. Others describe the driver's seat belt unlatching without the release being pressed, and one reports the belt reminder chime failing to sound. Complaints describe inspections at service, with some saying the issue was not resolved. Reported at low mileages, in some cases within the first few hundred miles of ownership.

   Recall 24V554000Recall 23V488000Recall 24V376000Recall 22V045000

   What to check: Check that the hood latches firmly with no play, that all doors close and latch cleanly, and that the seat belt buckles latch and hold. Ask whether the hood latch and seat belt recalls were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The hood/frunk open by itself. I was driving at around 25 MPH when hood/frunk suddenly opened. This is a serious saftey issue luckily I was able to avoid an accident as I could not see with the hood obstructing view. Vehicle will be taken to Tesla for inspection. No warning lamps or indications Also seems as if there is no secondary latch.”

   NHTSA complaint #11509924, filed 2023-03

   “1. When I was driving, the left rear door suddenly opened by itself. 2. It would cause car accident, injures and even death. 3. I haven't go to the service center yet, because it's very hard to make a timely appointment with Tesla. 4. No. 5. No.”

   NHTSA complaint #11501698, filed 2023-01

Buying note. Owners' reports for this model year centre on driver-assistance behaviour, yoke controls and hidden rear-tire wear, so a thorough test drive and an under-car tire inspection matter more than cosmetics. Ask for the full service history, confirm open recalls were completed, and check that the software is up to date.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.