Complaint volume
811 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2022 Tesla Model Y Complaints
811 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2022 Tesla Model Y, grouped by component category.
811 Total complaints
76 Crash reports
8 Fire reports
32 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are forward collision avoidance, vehicle speed control,forward collision avoidance, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 76 crash reports, 8 fire reports, 32 injury reports, and 3 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 72 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 16,139 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to forward collision avoidance, vehicle speed control,forward collision avoidance, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2022 Tesla Model Y?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2022 Tesla Model Y
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2022 Tesla Model Y complaints?
76 Crash
8 Fire
32 Injury
3 Fatality
51 Towed
24 Medical attention
What are the most common 2022 Tesla Model Y complaint categories?
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 224
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 66
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 47
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 46
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 35
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 28
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 21
SERVICE BRAKES 19
SEAT BELTS 17
SUSPENSION 15
811 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 08/27/22 3:37 pm While driving on I25 north to Wheatland WY at 80 mph the adaptive cruise control slammed on the brakes. The weather was sunny, there were no other cars within sight in front of the Tesla or to the rear and the pavement was dry. Thinking there must be something that hit a sensor I resumed the journey. The same braking malfunction occurred two more times so I pulled into a rest area and searched to find automatic emergency braking and turned off that feature. Once more I drove with the adaptive cruise control. It did it again. Had there been a semi or other heavy vehicle behind me there would have been a likely fatal crash. The Telsa braked so hard I thought the airbags would deploy. This is a very serious safety issue that must be immediately addressed. I returned home and within the week sold the Model Y. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was driving on a stretch of I-15 in Utah using the traffic aware cruise control when the car suddenly applied the brakes by itself. I was traveling at approximately 80mph when this happened. Scared me half to death. I wasn't sure what happened and thought it was just an anomaly. Later I was using the auto pilot traffic aware cruise control feature and the same thing happened. That's when I figured out it was an issue with the cruise control/auto pilot. When I was stopped, I looked up that this is a frequent issue with the Tesla Model Y, known as phantom braking. No one at Tesla mentioned this issue as I went through the purchase process, or when I picked up the car in Dec. 2021. I wasn't aware of that before and feel like I could have been in a serious accident. I felt lucky that I wasn't. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | The autopilot and automatic emergency braking systems implemented in 2021 and 2022 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are defective in that they can engage randomly when no safety hazard is present. This issue has been dubbed “phantom braking”. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Was stopped at a light and the car rapidly accelerate on its own hitting the car in front of me. The air bags didn't deploy. I stepped on the break pedal but the car continued to accelerate, I have informed Tesla and opened a service ticket. A police report was filed for the resulting accident involving 2 other cars. I have also had instances in the recent past where while driving on the highway the car has rapidly slowed down / applied the breaks for now obvious reason. The phantom breaking issue reported by many. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | AIR BAGS | The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that after he made a right turn, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side door to the rear passenger side door. The air bags failed to deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact sustained soreness to the shoulder, neck, and back. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,607. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed | 8,607 |
| Sep 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I have experienced "phantom braking" with this vehicle from the time I received it in Feb '22. There have been over 20 incidents. I do not feel safe using the cruise control in traffic or when any car is following me. It could very easily cause an accident. When cruise control is on, it will randomly apply emergency braking. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of vehicle following me is at risk because the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly applies emergency braking. I have not tried to address the issue with Tesla. There are never any warnings that this may happen. This is very unsafe and with the number of vehicles with this known issue, I hope the NHTSA applies pressure to Tesla to fix the problem asap. I do not feel safe using the cruise control and likewise it is not a safe situation for others on the road to have these vehicles driving with this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Phantom braking while using either cruise control or the autopilot feature in my brand new Tesla Y performance. Over a several hour drive from Utah to Wyoming and back , on two lane highway going one direction and two lanes the other direction. Speeds around 65-85 mph. Sudden scary braking that I had to override with gas pedal. Occurred about 6-10 times. About 3-5 times during 8 hour ride from UT to WY and 3-5 times from WY to UT. I would quit using cruise or autopilot for awhile as it was very disconcerting. One time I felt dizzy because of sudden deceleration. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Taillights habitually fog up (in moderate Southern California weather) and block the visual braking visibility. Tesla says having lights you can’t see when braking is normal | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My car came with a factory hitch adapter. I was hauling a flat bed trailer with a load of about 10 20' 2x4s on it home for my foundation. At approximately 65 miles per hour, out of no where, with no other cars around, on a sunny day, and on a straight section of 2 lane road, the car suddenly applied the brakes hard, to the point that I was afraid of the load on the trailer shifting and hitting the car even though it was tied on well. This is just the worst example of this annoying behavior that I can't seem to disable on my new Model Y. It sort of like riding a horse with a mind of it's own, and so you're never sure when this mare will spook and come to a stop and throw you off. You might say that there was no damage done, but that's like saying that if someone tried to break in your front door and failed, then you're ok. Of course you're not because it leaves emotional damage when this occurs. I'm scared to drive the car because of it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | On August 21, 2022, the front hood ("frunk'") of this car inexplicably flew open, swinging around and severely damaging the windshield (and the hood, naturally). The car was not being driven, it was being transported from California to Florida atop a large vehicle transportation truck. On the third day of driving, after nearly 2000 miles of the trip on a highway in Louisiana, the hood inexplicably popped open while the car was riding on the top of the transport vehicle. The truck driver was made aware of the issue by a passing motorist, pulled over, and was able to pull the hood down and latch it. Tesla customer support has told me via a chat app that their systems indicate that the hood remained latched during the entire journey, and at no point was unlatched during the transportation period. Tesla also cancelled a scheduled inspection at its own service center, indicating the company has no interest in understanding why a presumably latched hood would suddenly fly open. I have had the vehicle evaluated by two repair shops, and the windshield damage is very obviously and perfectly consistent with a hood swinging around on its hinges and smashing the windshield. The hood, at the near corners which smashed into the windshield, also show scratches and damage/bent metal. I feel very fortunate to not have been driving this vehicle at the time it happened, as I would have completely lost visibility with the hood raised. The transport driver was in possession of a fob, which when pushed very deliberately in a specific manner, could unlatch the front hood. However, the driver did not do so. I believe the safety of Tesla's Model Y hood latch should be investigated, from a mechanical and software/electronic/radio systems activation perspective. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Travelling on open highway (no other cars around) - attempted to use our AutoPilot/Cruise Control on the new Tesla for the first time. We engaged the system and it maintained the speed limit for a minute or two and then for no reason applied the brakes rapidly reducing speed. Thankfully no cars were behind us - but the force was so strong it did cause back/neck strain. We thought maybe we had done something wrong - tried again two more times - always on open road - no other cars around - and always the same action. We have concluded we cannot use this feature at all - it does not feel ready or safe. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | When in cruise control, at random times, the car will break violently and without warning. We have experienced this multiple times, as my husband drives the vehicle hundreds of miles between our homes in Portland Oregon and Santa Fe New Mexico, and has done so round trip, twice. The "phantom" breaking happens sometimes multiple times in a few mile stretch, and other times it doesn't happen at all for a hundred or so miles. It is shocking and dangerous when it happens. Although we are only able to log one time/occurrence in the form below, it has happened MULTIPLE times. More than 15. It only happens when the car is in autopilot/adaptive cruise control, and when the breaking occurs, it can be as much as 10 or more miles per hour that it instantly (and without warning) slows. This causes the driver to jolt forward like whiplash which creates an overreaction or over-correction, and is a very dangerous, increasing the likelihood of a collision from behind, and from the jarring and overcorrections on the wheel when taken by surprise. We love this car, but the issues we have had with phantom breaking are jarring, scary, unpredictable, and dangerous which make us regret the feature (and sometimes the car, given the cost of the vehicle). We have not had this inspected by the manufacturer or anyone else. No warning lights or indications are experienced prior to the sudden breaking, and both my husband and I have experienced it separately, and together in the vehicle, but it has not been replicated by a 3rd party. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While on a cross country road trip, our 2022 Tesla Model Y has repeatedly slammed on the brakes at highway speeds with nothing in front of us. Most times have been cresting hills, but one time it was on straight road with, fortunately, no other cars near us. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Autopilot's adaptive cruise control has caused numerous sudden slowdowns without any traffic in front. Fortunately there wasn't a vehicle close behind me but had there been it could have caused a collision. I took a 3100 mile road trip and it probably happened between 20 and 40 times. Sometimes it would only slow from 70 to 60, but on a few occasions it was as if the brakes had been applied hard and went from 70 to 40 in just a few seconds. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and making a right turn onto the driveway of the home, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove forward into the garage door. The contact indicated that during the incident the accelerator pedal was not being pressed. No injuries were reported. The garage door and home were damaged. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 160. The contact stated that the vehicle was a total loss and not repairable. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | 160 |
| Sep 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | When I drive my Tesla Model Y in Autopilot, I have noticed Phantom braking atleast 5 times. That too when driving at 70mph it drastically reduces the speed like a sudden break. I have reported the issue to representatives but did not get any satisfactory reply. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving from Austin Texas to San Deigo Cal. Had on at least a dozen occasions sharp braking while vehicle was in cruise control. Most of these sharp braking incidents occurred in very light traffic, sometimes no traffic on the interstate hwy. our speed would drop as much as 20 mph in an instant. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 80 MPH on the highway, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to his destination. The contact experienced the failure a second time. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and was diagnosed with needing to clean the side sensors that was thought to have caused the failure. The dealer cleaned the sensors. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Aug 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | RE: Problems with cruise control and random braking I purchased the above model Y performance in June 2022 and we just took our first road trip the last two weeks of August 2022. We started in Sacrament, California and drove to Twin Falls, Idaho, Salt Lake City and return to Sacramento, CA. I started using the auto pilot steering and cruise control on the freeway (HWY 80 eastbound). At freeway speeds the car would suddenly and randomly apply the brakes, sometimes a very hard brake, which was scary and unsafe. I expected this normal feature to work properly on this road trip. As I traveled from Reno, Nevada to Twin Falls, Idaho, this random braking happened over 50 times. I tried several work arounds by disabling the auto steer, the emergency braking and all the automatic options, however, this random braking issue continued. There was no pattern and often it would occur with no other traffic on the road and perfectly clear road conditions. These so called safety features became a safety hazzard. I turned off the cruise control for long stretches because the random braking caused driver stress and fatigue. When I got tired of pressing the accelerator pedal, I would engage the cruise control and my manual work around was to have my foot hover over the accelerator pedal to override the braking manually. This was stressful since I never know when the hard braking would occur. This problem makes the car unsafe and very difficult to drive on a road trip over freeways. It also significantly impairs the value of this very expensive car since a standard feature (cruise control) does not function properly. It is scary to drive with random sudden hard braking. I bought this car for my wife and now she won’t drive it on a freeway due to this serious malfunction. I would like a response as to how you will remedy this problem | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? experienced phantom braking, especially during dry weather with sun, where there are the mirage of water shimmering across the road. this happen too often when mirage are present. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It get to the point I would rather disable its safety feature and drive manually. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? None. Note the driver is deaf, so they are also poor in visible warning compared to audio warning. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Car performed sudden and pronounced deceleration while ACC was engaged, for no apparent reason. This occurred intermittently, perhaps a dozen times, over an 800 mile round trip. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | In addition to the car only achieving 65% of its actual miles range claimed the cars operating system will freeze while driving (once every 3 days on average), forcing the driver to reboot the car while driving (hold both scroll wheel buttons on steering wheel). This takes away the ability to read the speedometer, to use indicators and basically ALL of the functions of the car. The rear view camera display also fails about 10% of the time which I have recorded. The car will also SLAM on the brakes while on the highway, driving in the rain on autopilot to allow a merging DHL van into my lane instead of switching to the left lane as advised by DOT/DMV and I recorded this on dashcam yesterday coming back from NASA. It is a daily issue that passengers in my Uber cannot buckle their seatbelts because the buckle is too low into the seat for them to easily find, in some cases passengers get disgruntled and I am forced to park and wait until they can buckle themselves sometimes taking over 5 minutes. The driver assistance features do not always work and also alert me and my passengers when it is unnecessary making it seem more like a gamble than a safety feature; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes when it shouldn't. The false claims and inconsistencies are unlike any other vehicle I've ever driven. Tesla is a CRIMINAL enterprise acting purely in self interest and preservation to maximize profits and MUST be held accountable and to the standards of all other vehicles in the USA driving on our roads. I am APPAULED at the way Tesla has silenced me (blocked emails and blocked my ability to schedule service) and accused me of trying to cheat on my wife with the non-existent female Tesla employees on my BBB complaint which the BBB closed out claiming they solved it when Tesla didn't address a single complaint, just attacked my character publicly also known as slander. Also 250kw superchargers only charge at 50kw after preconditioning without other cars chargingFU | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | SERVICE BRAKES | Multiple episodes of phantom braking when the car is in cruise control and autopilot. There can be a completely open road and it happens. Doesn’t seem to be any reason. We’ve been trying to pay attention if there are shadows, construction barrels, bridges, etc that it could be detecting, but it’s never the same. It is VERY dangerous and needs to be fixed | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Phantom braking was caused numerous times (over 20) during a 2000 mile roadtrip that seemed to be caused by autopilot misinterpreting heat mirages into an object to avoid. This caused the speed of the car to drastically reduce leading to unsafe braking conditions which caused several near rear collisions. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Driving 70 MPH on highway with adaptive cruise on. Light traffic, no vehicles on left side. I just passed a semi truck on right side and my car had a phantom braking incident. Slowed from 70 mph to 40 mph in a second or two. No vehicles directly behind me at the time. I pressed on gas pedal and speed resumed to 70. This has happened a couple of other times on a different highway. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |