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2022 Tesla Model Y Owner Complaints

Updated May 30, 20264 Critical Recalls
Ethan Miller

Complaint Summary

The 2022 Tesla Model Y has 1,443 reported complaints.

  • Top issues involve forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control and forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking.

Reliability Score

Reliability Score

3.1/ 10

Based on 1,443 complaints

Most Frequent Issues

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

328 22.7%

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

265 18.4%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

128 8.9%

SERVICE BRAKES

121 8.4%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

103 7.1%

Quick Insights

  • The top category is FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, accounting for 22.7% of all complaints.

  • Owners have reported issues across 57 distinct vehicle systems.

  • Note: Complaint data reflects owner reports and may not always indicate a verified defect. Compare with Recalls and TSBs for a complete picture.

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Complaint Summary

What owners keep reporting on the 2022 Tesla Model Y

The 2022 Tesla Model Y has 1,443 owner complaints in this dataset. FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL is the most common complaint category, representing about 23% of the reports shown here.

Most common complaint categories

The top complaint groups for the 2022 Tesla Model Y are FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL (328), FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING (265), VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (128).

Are these complaints a serious red flag?

Potentially. 318 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems like brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection.

What should buyers inspect on a used 2022 Tesla Model Y?

Start with the top complaint systems, compare them against the recall report, then inspect service records for evidence that those same areas were already repaired or monitored.

Read the full buyer guideRecall report and remedy notesMaintenance costs and intervals2021 Model Y complaints2023 Model Y complaints2020 Model Y complaints

Detailed Complaint Log

Showing 18 of 18 systems

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

83 Reports33% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

When using cruise control on normal two way traffic roads during the day or at night: the car will brake aggressively because of proper oncoming traffic from the other lane. The system has been very poorly designed such that it only works on wide separated highways and there is no way to switch off this feature. I have already had two near accidents where the vehicle behind me didn’t expect my car to slow down so quickly for no reason. This is extremely dangerous.

11/22/2021

While on cruise control the car brakes aggressively with oncoming traffic and when passing large vehicles on the highway. No way to disable this feature to use a standard cruise control. This seems to be a problem mostly with large vehicles on the road.

11/24/2021

81 more complaints are available in this category.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

66 Reports26% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

When using cruise control on normal two way traffic roads during the day or at night: the car will brake aggressively because of proper oncoming traffic from the other lane. The system has been very poorly designed such that it only works on wide separated highways and there is no way to switch off this feature. I have already had two near accidents where the vehicle behind me didn’t expect my car to slow down so quickly for no reason. This is extremely dangerous.

11/22/2021

While on cruise control the car brakes aggressively with oncoming traffic and when passing large vehicles on the highway. No way to disable this feature to use a standard cruise control. This seems to be a problem mostly with large vehicles on the road.

11/24/2021

64 more complaints are available in this category.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

29 Reports12% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

When using cruise control on normal two way traffic roads during the day or at night: the car will brake aggressively because of proper oncoming traffic from the other lane. The system has been very poorly designed such that it only works on wide separated highways and there is no way to switch off this feature. I have already had two near accidents where the vehicle behind me didn’t expect my car to slow down so quickly for no reason. This is extremely dangerous.

11/22/2021

While on cruise control the car brakes aggressively with oncoming traffic and when passing large vehicles on the highway. No way to disable this feature to use a standard cruise control. This seems to be a problem mostly with large vehicles on the road.

11/24/2021

27 more complaints are available in this category.

SERVICE BRAKES

25 Reports10% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

Adaptive Cruise Control was unusable without consistent phantom breaking issues. Brand new car driving home a few hours I encountered phantom breaking on 2 lane and 4 lane highways during the night and during the day. It was so consistent that I basically could not use the cruise control at all as it was unsafe to have the car randomly break when at highway speeds with nothing in front of me and vehicle behind me. There is no way to turn off and leave off the adaptive part that effects the breaking and simply use a set speed cruise control.

1/31/2022

The car brakes are applied when a truck traveling in opposite lane drives by when the cruise control is engaged. This has also occurred when there was discoloration on the road surface in my travel lane. Fortunately, no auto was following my vehicle or there would have been an accident.

2/2/2022

23 more complaints are available in this category.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

23 Reports9% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

Driving on two-lane highway, speed limit 55mph, with Tesla traffic aware cruise control enabled. Multiple instances of the car automatically applying heavy braking when cresting a hill or when a large vehicle oncoming. These incidents occurred when there was no traffic immediately ahead in my traveled lane. Luckily there wasn't a vehicle following me closely or I could've been hit from behind.

11/29/2021

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Answer: AutoPilot / TACC - over the first 800 miles I've used this car for, AutoPilot has not worked correctly in the day or night. There is a hesitation once every 5-10 miles. There is a forward collision warning without reason approximately every 20 miles, day or night. Upon request, the NHTSA may contact me and I will provide off-board videos of the claims within this complaint. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Answer: There is a sudden braking for no apparent reason. There is a good possibility of being rear ended when behind a Vision only Tesla. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The problem has occurred multiple times over the 700 mile ownership of the car. Tesla’s remote service team insists that “These are known limitations of autopilot in some conditions”. “Reviewing my vehicle it is not reporting any faults, all cameras are reporting calibrated and the pitch angles are within speciation.” A test drive to confirm these settings was offered and accepted. The test drive confirmed Tesla’s opinion that the car was fine. The car has received three software OTA updates since I’ve received the car and I have catalogued similar issues with every update. After having Tesla inspect the car, they returned it to me without confirming any changes. Issues persist after inspection. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The manufacturer has inspected the car and found no faults. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning lights, apart from Forward collision warnings that occurred at the time of use.

1/2/2022

21 more complaints are available in this category.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

6 Reports2% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

The side pillar cameras on the Tesla are not sealed and contain moisture. I live in Minnesota and this moisture will frost over in cold weather, thereby blocking these cameras and disengage autopilot while driving or make it unusable.

1/9/2022

Heat stop working in MN where the temperature are in the negative or single digit.

1/11/2022

4 more complaints are available in this category.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

2 Reports1% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

Passenger side b-pillar camera has condensation inside the glass and does not allow for it to opperate.

12/6/2021

The car is automatically braking when it sees an approaching vehicle in the oncoming lane (2 lane highway). It puts me at risk for being hit from behind due to unexpected braking. The car is also occasionally going into the left turn lane instead of staying straight when on auto drive mode and then quickly veering out of the lane.

2/18/2022

SEATS

2 Reports1% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

I got hit very hard by a seat. Here is what happened: I was sitting in the right-side-2nd-row seat while trying to figure out how to adjust the left-side-2nd-row seat position in order to accommodate a child seat and look for a missing item. I had not brought in the child seat yet, I was still playing around with the controls to see if I understood how the seats could adjust and move. I couldn't figure out how to fold the seat down. The button at the top of the left-seat did not fold the seat. I thought that the 2nd-row-middle seat back rest might be blocking the folding, so I was able to release the middle-back-rest and folded that down. I crawled over to the left seat and searched around the side and found the button that could be pressed. With only a slight push, the seat released and very quickly came down and whacked me in the head, snapping my neck a bit. The hit was pretty hard, and it came at me very fast. I couldn’t really react. I was pinned briefly. My head hurt a bit, so I had to sit in the house for 2 hours to let the shock settle. On hindsight, I am lucky that the metal rod that connected to the middle seat did not whack me in the skull at that force, since I had exposed it by folding the middle back-rest down. I also think that the spring force might be too excessive, if my kid had triggered that while on the seat, the child might have been seriously injured. I may have been too complacent due to prior experience with other vehicles releasing the seat to fold from the top.

1/4/2022

The second row seat is broken. At first, it wouldn’t latch but now It cannot be moved or adjusted. There is an alarm that states that the second row seats are not secured. I have been unable to get it repaired. A quick google search shows hundreds of cases exactly like mine.

2/28/2022

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2 Reports1% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

On January 19th, around 9:35-9:40am, while driving on Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon, the car jerked as if someone rear-ended it and then stopped abruptly in the middle of a busy road. The information screen displayed various error messages regarding battery and drive system. The stop was abrupt and we could have been seriously injured in busy traffic. This was a scary experience. The car had 260 miles range in the battery and no prior warnings/ messages indicating any problem. We called 911 and Tesla roadside assistance for help. San Ramon PD showed up and blocked the lane to avoid someone hitting our car. They had the car towed to the nearest Tesla Service Center in Dublin, CA. While waiting for the tow truck, we attempted to restart the car and computer system two times but the car did not go into "Drive" position to be moved. The service center is diagnosing the problem and have informed us that it could be a problem with the motor or drive terrain or inverter of the car. All these are major and crucial components on the car for safe and normal operation. Failure of any of these is catastrophic and can be fatal on freeway speeds or local roads if someone is following too closely and the car stops abruptly. We usually have kids in the car and this is a scary situation to imagine. This needs to be investigated in more detail by someone to find out how many card suffer this fate and how many accidents/ fatalities have been caused by something like this.

1/21/2022

Phantom braking using traffic-aware cruise control during 205 mile trip. Car brakes suddenly on two lane roads, especially for large oncoming semi trucks, but also randomly with no traffic. I have to keep foot on gas pedal to keep cars behind me from rear-ending my car. Also, one time the computer screen locked up and went black. I could still drive, but there was no indication of speed. The PC rebooted and went back to normal approximately five minutes later.

2/21/2022

STEERING

2 Reports1% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

On January 19th, around 9:35-9:40am, while driving on Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon, the car jerked as if someone rear-ended it and then stopped abruptly in the middle of a busy road. The information screen displayed various error messages regarding battery and drive system. The stop was abrupt and we could have been seriously injured in busy traffic. This was a scary experience. The car had 260 miles range in the battery and no prior warnings/ messages indicating any problem. We called 911 and Tesla roadside assistance for help. San Ramon PD showed up and blocked the lane to avoid someone hitting our car. They had the car towed to the nearest Tesla Service Center in Dublin, CA. While waiting for the tow truck, we attempted to restart the car and computer system two times but the car did not go into "Drive" position to be moved. The service center is diagnosing the problem and have informed us that it could be a problem with the motor or drive terrain or inverter of the car. All these are major and crucial components on the car for safe and normal operation. Failure of any of these is catastrophic and can be fatal on freeway speeds or local roads if someone is following too closely and the car stops abruptly. We usually have kids in the car and this is a scary situation to imagine. This needs to be investigated in more detail by someone to find out how many card suffer this fate and how many accidents/ fatalities have been caused by something like this.

1/21/2022

The Tesla Model Y and I believe the Model 3 have a problem with phantom breaking. The problem occurs when we set the auto to cruise control on a two-lane highway. When we meet a large object (semi, garbage truck, propane truck) the car breaks and swerves to the right. This can create a very dangerous situation. The first couple of times this happened we almost lost control of the car. There is no warning before this happens. This problem can be easily replicated on cars without radar. It took us some time to determine what was causing the problem. We picked up our new Tesla Model last week and were not made aware of what would happen if we used cruise control on a two-lane road. We have since discovered that this is a known problem in the Tesla community and has been known for some time.

2/2/2022

VISIBILITY/WIPER

2 Reports1% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

While on auto pilot, phantom braking at high speeds on highway with no cars nearby. No warning on the monitor when this happens. Long wait at the service center for appointment but this issue has been communicated to Tesla. Car resumes the cruise speed almost immediately after phantom braking. Also communicated to Tesla is that the wipers do not always automatically come on with moisture on windshield when set in auto mode.

2/2/2022

My Tesla has been braking for no reason. This weekend we took a road trip to Sun Valley. Once in a while when cresting a hill my car would go into hard braking. It would also do this when a semi or larger vehicle was coming in the opposite direction on a two lane road. The lane departure system would also become disabled for no apparent reason. The wipers are the worst. They have no concept of automatic, there will be no rain and they will start wiping on high. And sometimes when there is rain they won't even wipe, I have to operate them manually. This is very distracting and makes hard to focus on the road.

2/2/2022

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:AUTONOMOUS/SELF DRIVING

2 Reports1% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

Phantom braking. When car is on autopilot the car suddenly brakes. It’s happening a lot when I’m driving back from work. I drive 72 miles one way to work on Mondays and some Fridays. On one day it did breaks 3 times with no object in sight. Glad I’m not rear ended

2/20/2022

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control or autopilot activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to press a button on the steering wheel to submit a bug report. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

3/2/2022

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

1 Report0% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at 50 - 60 MPH, the headlights inadvertently turned off for a few seconds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the computer data showed the high-beam was turning on and off but not the low-beam. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 440. Consumer stated the incident happened several (4 or 5) times during a 4 mile drive. Each incident’s time ranged from a few seconds to about 30 seconds.

1/6/2022

WHEELS

1 Report0% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

Vehicle was sold to me on 12/23/2021 (winter) in Paramus NJ. Tesla did not notify or otherwise inform me that this Performance Model Y comes with summer tires. A week ago my wife found she had little to no traction on wheels while going to work - she almost had an accident. A friend told me i might have summer tires. Tesla website has no info on this topic. After contact Tesla support they confirmed that this vehicle has summer Tires. I think Tesla is putting drivers in danger by letting them drive off the lot in summer tires during winter months and not informing them of it. Additionally, the summer tires immediately loose warranty when used in temperatures below 40 degrees.

1/12/2022

POWER TRAIN

1 Report0% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

On January 19th, around 9:35-9:40am, while driving on Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon, the car jerked as if someone rear-ended it and then stopped abruptly in the middle of a busy road. The information screen displayed various error messages regarding battery and drive system. The stop was abrupt and we could have been seriously injured in busy traffic. This was a scary experience. The car had 260 miles range in the battery and no prior warnings/ messages indicating any problem. We called 911 and Tesla roadside assistance for help. San Ramon PD showed up and blocked the lane to avoid someone hitting our car. They had the car towed to the nearest Tesla Service Center in Dublin, CA. While waiting for the tow truck, we attempted to restart the car and computer system two times but the car did not go into "Drive" position to be moved. The service center is diagnosing the problem and have informed us that it could be a problem with the motor or drive terrain or inverter of the car. All these are major and crucial components on the car for safe and normal operation. Failure of any of these is catastrophic and can be fatal on freeway speeds or local roads if someone is following too closely and the car stops abruptly. We usually have kids in the car and this is a scary situation to imagine. This needs to be investigated in more detail by someone to find out how many card suffer this fate and how many accidents/ fatalities have been caused by something like this.

1/21/2022

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

1 Report0% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The infotainment/speedometer froze and went black. This caused the loss of the speedometer and turn signal control. The vehicle still accelerated,decelerated, braked and turned correctly but there was no indication of the current speed.

2/8/2022

ENGINE

1 Report0% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

Car stops in highway with alarm rear motor disabled. Took it to Tesla they say it is a fluke go head and drive. It happend last month and again multiple times on Feb 13th.

2/14/2022

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

1 Report0% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

Autopilot feature hard braked twice suddenly while driving on highway . I was next to another car .I was shocked Auto lane departure with over taking slow traffic . While overtaking the car gives left signal option to lane change and then while crossing the vehicle in the right it gives another signal to turn right or tries to turn while the vehicle is still there in the blind spot . This happen nee few times which is scary .

2/17/2022

About This Data

Data and Methodology

MethodologyHow we score →

Scores are derived from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, normalized by vehicle segment averages.

FAQ

What are the most common owner complaints for the 2022 Tesla Model Y?

The most reported complaint category for the 2022 Tesla Model Y is FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, with 328 owner reports. That is about 23% of all complaints logged here. Other recurring themes include FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.

Are complaints about the 2022 Tesla Model Y a serious warning sign?

Potentially. 318 complaint reports fall into higher-attention systems such as brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components. That does not prove every vehicle has a defect, but repeated complaints in those systems justify a more careful pre-purchase inspection.

How should buyers use complaint data for the 2022 Tesla Model Y?

Use complaints as an early pattern to investigate, not a standalone verdict. Start with the top complaint categories, compare those themes against the recall report and maintenance guide, then inspect service records for evidence that the same problem areas were already addressed. If the same issue appears repeatedly across complaints and recalls, treat it as a real ownership-risk flag.

Are complaints about the 2022 Tesla Model Y severe?

318 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems such as brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection before purchase.

Complaint list entries are sourced from owner-submitted NHTSA ODI records.

Read complaint summaries

Tesla Model Y: How should complaint data influence buying decisions?

Use complaint patterns together with recalls and maintenance guidance to estimate ownership risk and inspection priorities.

Carfocal links complaint data directly to recall and maintenance routes for the same model year.

Return to full vehicle report
Complaint entries
1,443
Top-topic view
5 grouped topics shown
Primary source
NHTSA ODI owner complaint records

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In this guide

  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Common Problems
  3. 03Owner Complaints
  4. 04Data and Methodology

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