2022 Tesla Model X Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the yoke steering controls and the loss of power steering assistance, which several describe as coming on suddenly with a "steering assist reduced" message and heavy effort at the wheel. Rear tire wear, seats and child-restraint fitment, and repeated forward-collision or cruise-control braking events also come up. Complaints arrive across a wide mileage range, from vehicles barely past delivery to those well over 30,000 miles.

1. 1
   Steering

   Yoke controls: horn, turn-signal and gear buttons hard to

   • 36 complaints (28%)
   • typically at 2.2 yrs old
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe hunting for the horn button on the yoke instead of pressing the center of the wheel, and say the turn-signal buttons sometimes do not respond to a press. Some report that the on-screen gear slider does not engage on the first attempt, leaving the car in the wrong direction of travel. A few say the yoke was replaced one or more times for the signal-button problem and that it returned later. Reported across the sample regardless of mileage, with several complaints filed within the first year of ownership.

   Recall 23V743000

   What to check: Sit in the car and practice the horn, turn signals and gear selection before buying, and try the turn signals several times. Ask whether the steering wheel or yoke has been replaced, and under which campaign.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Tesla has moved the horn button to be a small touch area within the steering wheel that can be used with the thumb in the right location. I was making a left turn, and a car ran the red light, I was trying to hit the horn and was not able to locate it with my thumb in time. The horn needs to be either made bigger or moved back to the center under the airbag, like all other cars.”

   NHTSA complaint #11515398, filed 2023-04

   “Steering wheel left and right signals are hard to control while driving. Narrowly escaped accident because I have to look at steering wheel to press signal button. I am not sure how this signal cleared safety concerns. It happened several times , I stop looking at road and find signal to press it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11540873, filed 2023-08
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Unexpected braking or acceleration behavior with

   • 37 complaints (29%)
   • median 19,323 mi at 1.5 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the car braking on its own under overpasses or when a vehicle crosses well ahead while Autopilot or adaptive cruise is engaged. A few report unintended acceleration while parking or maneuvering at low speed, and others describe hesitation or a stop while driving with driver-assist active. Complaints mention warnings such as autopilot unavailable appearing alongside these events. Reported at various mileages, including a car with about 1,600 miles, and often on highways or in parking lots.

   Recall 23V838000Recall 23V085000Recall 22V037000

   What to check: Ask which driver-assist software version the car is running and whether the Autosteer and FSD-related campaigns have been applied; test adaptive cruise on a highway stretch and watch for phantom braking.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Two times in last 3 weeks while our Tesla Model X Long Range attempted to emergency or phantom stop while cruising at 65 MPH. Both instances occurred when there was a car crossing the highway well in advance (approx 50-75 yards) of our vehicle position. First instance we were utilizing Auto Pilot, second instance was while using Adaptive Cruise Control.”

   NHTSA complaint #11464691, filed 2022-05

   “Several times, while traveling north on the I15 express lanes in Rancho Bernardo, CA, with the full self driving beta software engaged, the Tesla unexpectedly brakes when going under the overpass located at the George Cook Expressway exit. I must keep my foot over the accelerator pedal so that I can override the braking, if necessary. It appears to happen about 50% of the time.”

   NHTSA complaint #11506888, filed 2023-02
3. 3
   Steering

   Power steering assistance drops out (steering assist

   • 24 complaints (19%)
   • median 37,000 mi at 2.2 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Complaints describe a "steering assist reduced" warning followed by very heavy steering effort, sometimes on the highway and sometimes when turning at low speed. In some accounts the problem clears after shutting the car off and restarting, and in others it returns the same day or after a short drive. Owners report the dealer cleaned a connector or, in one case, quoted a substantial repair cost. Reported from low mileage up to roughly 37,000 miles, sometimes after 15 miles or about 30 minutes of driving.

   Recall 23V085000

   What to check: Ask for the service history for any steering-assist warnings or steering-column/connector repairs, and test the steering feel after a longer test drive when the car is warm.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As I was attempting to merge onto Interstate 75, I noticed that steering became unexpectedly difficult. Consequently, I decided not to enter the highway. I then crossed the highway and pulled into a parking lot, where I turned off the vehicle. Upon restarting the vehicle, the issue seemed to have resolved itself.”

   NHTSA complaint #11669976, filed 2025-06

   “The steering wheel locks periodically and I have to get out and re enter my car. On long drives it works pretty fine and does not do this much on highways only once but in hotter weathers it seems to be much much worse. This happened once before the warranty but I did not think much of it. In one instance the steering wheel was so tight that it hurt my wrist while getting off the road”

   NHTSA complaint #11740539, filed 2026-05
4. 4
   Air bags

   Seat, seat belt and child-restraint problems

   • 13 complaints (10%)
   • median 5,500 mi at 1.1 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2025

   Owners describe a passenger restraint system fault message that appears and disappears, sometimes when the passenger seat is moved, and one report of a rear seat belt that was slow to release a child. Others describe difficulty attaching a forward-facing car seat tether over the fixed second-row headrest, and a third-row seat without tether anchors. Dealers are reported to have replaced or repaired a seat harness in some cases. Reported at low mileage, including vehicles with a few thousand miles, and on newly delivered cars.

   Recall 25V172000Recall 24V967000Recall 22V843000Recall 22V233000Recall 23V488000

   What to check: Check for any restraint-system warning with the passenger seat empty and occupied, try the seat belts in every row, and bring your own child seat to test the tether attachment.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car was parked on street and when I go inside the car and try to start car first on my tesla screen show alert 7 error after that couple minutes the front passenger airbag is deployed for nor reason I want to let you know the car it’s not involved any accidents or any impact”

   NHTSA complaint #11574797, filed 2024-02

   “Trying to secure a backless child safety booster seat which has latch tether devices. The Tesla model X 2022 3rd row does not have the latch tether bars. I believe the brand of seat is GoFit Chicco. My 7 year old granddaughter was only restrained with the shoulder lap belt. During a forced rapid deceleration emergency stop she was choked by the seatbelt when the booster seat slid off the seat during rapid deceleration. She was not injured other than a red mark, sorry no photos, and was significantly traumatized from the incident. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11484970, filed 2022-09
5. 5
   Suspension

   Uneven rear tire wear

   • 11 complaints (9%)
   • typically at 3.5 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners report that the inner edges of the rear tires wear through quickly, in some cases down to the cords, even when tread elsewhere still looks usable. Some say alignment was checked and found within specification, and that multiple sets of rear tires were replaced in a short period. One complaint ties the wear to suspected play in the rear suspension linkage. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 36,000 miles, with several sets of rear tires replaced in that span.

   What to check: Look at the inner edge of both rear tires, not just the visible outer tread, and ask for an alignment printout and rear tire replacement history.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I continue to experience accelerated severe rear tire wear since my original purchase of this car new in February 2022 on both rear tires (275/45R20). The car has had the alignment specifications confirmed by Tesla. Yet I have had to replace two sets of rear tires in less than 36,000 miles due to the inside edge of both tires being worn through the rubber and into the steel cords of the tires. This last set of tires went ~14,000 miles and still had 5/32 tread depth remaining across all treads. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11572794, filed 2024-02

   “Suspension Design and Negative Camber: Rear tires have huge inner wear when wires are visible after few thousands miles. Changed tires 3 times already within 14k miles. Current miles is 18,200, but 1st time it happened in Aug 2022 when miles were 4200.”

   NHTSA complaint #11663063, filed 2025-05

Buying note. Budget time for a thorough test drive covering the yoke controls, steering feel at highway speed, and driver-assist behavior, and check the inner edges of the rear tires. Ask the seller for the full service history and confirm which open recalls or service bulletins have been completed for the vehicle.

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.