2022 Tesla Model S Problems

2022 Tesla Model S Plaid purchased CPO from Tesla Florida Inc. Jacksonville on 8/29/2025 for $75,533.19. Multiple unresolved safety defects. (1) Trunk closure obstacle-detection failure 10/15/2025: key fob fell in gap between liftgate and roof; powered liftgate continued upward opening cycle and compressed fob against fixed roof glass until rear glass shattered. $4,100 repair. Same cycle on a child hand or finger would cause crush injury or amputation. Tesla Model X tailgate and falcon doors have obstacle detection; Plaid liftgate lacks it. (2) Passenger-side rear door handle requires extreme pressure to operate, raised 10/25/2025; iced over 1/19/2026 compounding egress hazard. (3) Center console haptic backup gear selector non-functional plus observed main touchscreen reset/blackout events: no manual gear control during foreseeable touchscreen failure event. (4) HV battery umbrella valves and flood port plunger required replacement 10/25/2025. (5) Rear spoiler bilaterally detached as of 5/13/2026 on 200mph-capable vehicle. (6) Front trunk latch unreliable; requires 2-3 commands to open; risk of hood opening at speed. (7) USB charging circuit melted a portable battery bank 11/2/2025; fire-risk overcurrent indicator. (8) Tire sidewall damage Tesla circled "OK" at CPO delivery; refused replacement 5 times; Tesla SMS 1/13/2026: "sidewall damage would need to be replaced." (9) Multiple unauthorized digital-access events: Track Mode created post-service; Charge Current set to 5A; Dog Mode disabled; pre-delivery key card 8/28/2025; phone key 3/14/2026; both front door reflectors found loosened 11/8/2025. Warranty defect notice sent certified 4/20/2026; Tesla declined 5/7/2026 without addressing any item. Full documentation, SMS thread, photographs attached.

Incident Description: While driving through a parking lot at 20 mi/hr, my vehicle's AEB system activated in response to another vehicle approaching from a perpendicular direction. However, the system's response was dangerously delayed and inappropriate stopping the car right in front of the other car: The system failed to provide any advance warning or alert before applying the brakes The braking occurred too late to create adequate separation from the approaching vehicle The vehicle stopped directly in the path of the oncoming car, increasing rather than decreasing collision risk The abrupt stop left my vehicle in a position where I was at greater risk of being T-boned Only the other driver's quick reaction prevented a collision. Had that driver not stopped in time, the AEB system would have contributed to, rather than prevented, a serious accident.

The yoke steering is not intuitive and makes it really hard to instinctively press the horn or use the directionals, without taking your eyes off the road. This presents a serious safety hazard especially in the case of an emergency, where milliseconds count to avert an accident. At a minimum the horn button should be placed on the center of the steering or be replaced with a traditional wheel. In fact, if the car were to spin out of control, the rectangular shape of the yoke would likely prevent me from regaining control of the car. When I purchased the car in 2022 a regular steering wheel was not option. Tesla is now allowing retro fits but at a significant cost to the owner. There have been several instances in the two years where i pressed the center of the yoke with no effect, which could have led to an accident. I am surprised this kind of serious hazard is still permitted to exist and I kindly ask for your immediate attention.

The horn is in a difficult place to access compared to ALL other vehicles in the USA making it a safety concern and hazard will driving should an emergency arise and you can’t get to the horn quickly. This has happened to me driving the 2022 Tesla Model S and I could not get to the horn swerving violently to avoid a collision.

See attached document for complaint.

2022 Tesla Model S Plaid purchased CPO from Tesla Florida Inc. Jacksonville on 8/29/2025 for $75,533.19. Multiple unresolved safety defects. (1) Trunk closure obstacle-detection failure 10/15/2025: key fob fell in gap between liftgate and roof; powered liftgate continued upward opening cycle and compressed fob against fixed roof glass until rear glass shattered. $4,100 repair. Same cycle on a child hand or finger would cause crush injury or amputation. Tesla Model X tailgate and falcon doors have obstacle detection; Plaid liftgate lacks it. (2) Passenger-side rear door handle requires extreme pressure to operate, raised 10/25/2025; iced over 1/19/2026 compounding egress hazard. (3) Center console haptic backup gear selector non-functional plus observed main touchscreen reset/blackout events: no manual gear control during foreseeable touchscreen failure event. (4) HV battery umbrella valves and flood port plunger required replacement 10/25/2025. (5) Rear spoiler bilaterally detached as of 5/13/2026 on 200mph-capable vehicle. (6) Front trunk latch unreliable; requires 2-3 commands to open; risk of hood opening at speed. (7) USB charging circuit melted a portable battery bank 11/2/2025; fire-risk overcurrent indicator. (8) Tire sidewall damage Tesla circled "OK" at CPO delivery; refused replacement 5 times; Tesla SMS 1/13/2026: "sidewall damage would need to be replaced." (9) Multiple unauthorized digital-access events: Track Mode created post-service; Charge Current set to 5A; Dog Mode disabled; pre-delivery key card 8/28/2025; phone key 3/14/2026; both front door reflectors found loosened 11/8/2025. Warranty defect notice sent certified 4/20/2026; Tesla declined 5/7/2026 without addressing any item. Full documentation, SMS thread, photographs attached.

The center high-mounted stop lamp (CHMSL / third brake light) fails on 2021 and newer Tesla Model S vehicles (including Plaid). This is a common issue reported by many owners, particularly as vehicles exit the warranty period. No redesigned or corrected replacement part has been made available by Tesla. Pre-2021 CHMSL units are incompatible and will not fit. Repair requires removal and replacement of the entire rear liftgate glass assembly, which is extremely expensive and labor-intensive for owners. Prior model years did not experience this problem. A non-functional CHMSL reduces the vehicle's visibility to following traffic and increases the risk of rear-end collisions, especially at night or in poor weather. This appears to be a design or manufacturing defect affecting safety. Discussions [XXX] Repair process [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident Description: While driving through a parking lot at 20 mi/hr, my vehicle's AEB system activated in response to another vehicle approaching from a perpendicular direction. However, the system's response was dangerously delayed and inappropriate stopping the car right in front of the other car: The system failed to provide any advance warning or alert before applying the brakes The braking occurred too late to create adequate separation from the approaching vehicle The vehicle stopped directly in the path of the oncoming car, increasing rather than decreasing collision risk The abrupt stop left my vehicle in a position where I was at greater risk of being T-boned Only the other driver's quick reaction prevented a collision. Had that driver not stopped in time, the AEB system would have contributed to, rather than prevented, a serious accident.

Since purchase, I have experienced nine tire-related failures, including four separate blowouts at highway speed, leaving the vehicle disabled on major roads multiple times. The most recent occurred on [Insert Date], when the car suffered another blowout and is now disabled at my residence. This pattern of failure has occurred despite tire replacements and service visits by Tesla. The issue began on the day of delivery, when a tire failed within 70 miles, and service staff admitted the car had not been safety inspected prior to delivery. Tesla has replaced nearly all tires, reimbursed a third-party shop once, and confirmed on a recorded call that the level of tire failure is abnormal. Still, no root cause has been identified. The failures have occurred under normal driving conditions and pose a serious safety hazard to me, my family (including children), and others on the road. My family now refuses to ride in the car. This issue is ongoing, unresolved, and I believe there is a systemic defect involving the vehicle’s suspension, alignment, or structural components that is contributing to abnormal tire wear and catastrophic blowouts. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this vehicle and Tesla’s CPO inspection process, and that appropriate safety action be taken before someone is seriously injured or killed.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S T2 295/30R/21 102Y. These tires are engineered by Michelin specifically for a Tesla Model S 2022+ hence the T2 mark. These are a second generation as the previous ones were a T1. Everything is supposed to be factored in by Michelin to cater to the vehicles specifications and needs. I bought a set of 4 of these mentioned tires brand new from Discount Tire. In less 10000 miles and 7 months the sidewalls have completely decoupled from the tread section/rest of the tire. The treadwear itself shows and even smooth normal wear pattern. Discount tire and Michelin are trying to claim this is an alignment issue citing too much camber. This is a false claim. The area of separation is not in the contact patch with the surface of the road. This is a defect in engineering and construction in the tire itself. This calls for a mass recall. I put the trust of my pregnant wife into these tires and she complained to me about a wallowing car ride with a decrease in handling, especially over bumps and on the highway. I could not see an issue. A few days later she informed me of a tire pressure indicator on the dashboard. It indicated tow low rear tires. Upon inspecting the tires I found both sides with a decoupled sidewall. Driver side being far worse than passenger. I immediately drove to Discount tire and the tire pressure sank from 26psi to 8psi in less than 4 miles. This could have proved fatal for my wife and unborn child on the highway. The tire company and the stores dont want to accept accountability. The stores just want to sell more tires. I am having them replaced at a cost of $610 per tire. Thats equaling to almost $3000 spent on tires in 7-8 months. Please investigate this matter. This is a defect. Not wear. The vehicle previously had Falken tires that lasted 24000 miles with smooth and even treadwear. No issues, no defects.

Vehicle: 2022 Tesla Model S Tire: Goodyear ElectricDrive 2 255/45R19 104W XL Date of incident: October 15, 2025 Location: Chambers Rd., approximately 1.7 miles from Cosmopolitan Rd., Colorado Speed: Approximately 35 mph (speed limit 40 mph) Mileage on tire: Installed October 31, 2024 — approximately 10,000 miles of light local driving Description of the Problem At approximately 1:30 PM on October 15, 2025, while driving my Tesla Model S southbound on Chambers Road at around 35 mph, the driver-side front tire suddenly exploded and detached completely from the vehicle. I heard a loud thump, then saw a tire rolling ahead of me on the road. The car’s display immediately showed “tire pressure 0.” When I stopped and exited the vehicle, I found that the tire had either blown apart or peeled off the rim and separated entirely from the car. Weather was clear and around 70°F, road conditions were normal, and traffic was light. My tire pressures had been checked earlier that day and were all around 42 PSI. I was unable to retrieve the tire because I have limited mobility and use a scooter. My daughter arrived soon after but could not locate the missing tire either. The vehicle was towed by AAA to a tire shop. The technician stated that the tire appeared to have peeled off the wheel, but could not explain why. The tire was less than one year old and had very low mileage. I drive short local trips daily (around 10–15 miles) and had only taken one 700-mile trip earlier this year. Goodyear was contacted, but they declined to investigate because the tire could not be recovered. This incident could have caused a serious crash had it occurred minutes later on I-25, where I planned to drive at 75 mph. I am reporting this because I believe the tire may have suffered a manufacturing defect, and I am concerned other drivers could experience the same failure.

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.

While driving at approximately 5 MPH, the front passenger side window spontaneously shattered without any external or internal impact. I was alone in the vehicle and no one was seated in the front passenger seat. There were no objects in the car that could have made contact with the glass, and there was no indication of any road debris or other outside force. The window failure caused microshards of glass to scatter into the cabin, creating a potential safety hazard to the driver and any possible occupants. There were no warning lights, alerts, or symptoms before the failure occurred. The vehicle was inspected by a manufacturer service center, but the request for an engineering-level inspection was denied. The service center did not identify any external cause for the failure but still refused warranty coverage and did not escalate the issue for further analysis. The issue has not been reproduced but has not been properly investigated by the manufacturer either. Given the complete absence of impact and the sudden nature of the failure, this appears to be a glass defect or an installation issue. The broken component is available for inspection.

The driver side rear view mirror vibrates at most speeds in a way that renders it useless. This is a well described issue. Tesla is aware of it but refuses to fix it. It renders the mirror useless at some speeds.

2022 Tesla Model S Plaid purchased CPO from Tesla Florida Inc. Jacksonville on 8/29/2025 for $75,533.19. Multiple unresolved safety defects. (1) Trunk closure obstacle-detection failure 10/15/2025: key fob fell in gap between liftgate and roof; powered liftgate continued upward opening cycle and compressed fob against fixed roof glass until rear glass shattered. $4,100 repair. Same cycle on a child hand or finger would cause crush injury or amputation. Tesla Model X tailgate and falcon doors have obstacle detection; Plaid liftgate lacks it. (2) Passenger-side rear door handle requires extreme pressure to operate, raised 10/25/2025; iced over 1/19/2026 compounding egress hazard. (3) Center console haptic backup gear selector non-functional plus observed main touchscreen reset/blackout events: no manual gear control during foreseeable touchscreen failure event. (4) HV battery umbrella valves and flood port plunger required replacement 10/25/2025. (5) Rear spoiler bilaterally detached as of 5/13/2026 on 200mph-capable vehicle. (6) Front trunk latch unreliable; requires 2-3 commands to open; risk of hood opening at speed. (7) USB charging circuit melted a portable battery bank 11/2/2025; fire-risk overcurrent indicator. (8) Tire sidewall damage Tesla circled "OK" at CPO delivery; refused replacement 5 times; Tesla SMS 1/13/2026: "sidewall damage would need to be replaced." (9) Multiple unauthorized digital-access events: Track Mode created post-service; Charge Current set to 5A; Dog Mode disabled; pre-delivery key card 8/28/2025; phone key 3/14/2026; both front door reflectors found loosened 11/8/2025. Warranty defect notice sent certified 4/20/2026; Tesla declined 5/7/2026 without addressing any item. Full documentation, SMS thread, photographs attached.

The front right door top hinge bolts fell out. Believe the bottom one is broke off. Also have vehicle has a seat belt warning alarm indicated. There is a vehicle appointment scheduled for the Thursday August 14, 2025. Did not notice any warning signs. The door separated in the parking lot of a food establishment.

The center high-mounted stop lamp (CHMSL / third brake light) fails on 2021 and newer Tesla Model S vehicles (including Plaid). This is a common issue reported by many owners, particularly as vehicles exit the warranty period. No redesigned or corrected replacement part has been made available by Tesla. Pre-2021 CHMSL units are incompatible and will not fit. Repair requires removal and replacement of the entire rear liftgate glass assembly, which is extremely expensive and labor-intensive for owners. Prior model years did not experience this problem. A non-functional CHMSL reduces the vehicle's visibility to following traffic and increases the risk of rear-end collisions, especially at night or in poor weather. This appears to be a design or manufacturing defect affecting safety. Discussions [XXX] Repair process [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Tonight, shortly after dusk, on a lightly traveled road near my home, the high-beams failed to function as described in the manual, or according to any alternative way to activate them. Traffic is 30 MPH with a single lanes divided by a double yellow center line with cat-eyes. This area frequently has deer and other wildlife. Accordingly, whenever possible, high beams should be activated. Conditions were dry, and clear, without oncoming traffic -- while driving at or near the posted limit. Pushing and persistently holding the high-beam light maintained high-beam only while pressing the high-beam marked part of the steering wheel. Typical operation, in the past, operated the high beam if the button (capacitative sensitive surface on the steering wheel) was held in for about a full second and then released. This is no longer how it operated tonight. Driver pushed the high-beam for a full second. Upon release the high beams reverted to normal low beams. Driver repeated this 2 more times. After doing this twice, the driver is already distracted from wildlife and starting to focus on the car -- looking for error messages of some kind. After three times, its clear that it is Tesla software that is broken. Although the car is in good repair, no messages were presented. Again, conditions were clear and dry. Failure to operate visibility mechanisms is highly contrary to safe driving. Some features which should always work: 1. Wind shield wipers; 2. Defogger 3. Defroster 4. head lights 5. high beams Hopefully, Tesla has not abandoned functional high-beams like they have with Full Self Driving. On the other hand, if FSD is no longer among the executive compensation goals, perhaps providing a visible landscape to the all-camera FSD algorithm is also superfluous.

This vehicle has a recurring suspension defect causing a chassis or suspension component to make physical contact with the inner shoulder of the rear tires during normal operation, producing a sharp linear cut progressing to full cord exposure and fraying of internal steel and aramid belts. This has occurred on at least three sets of rear tires between July 2025 and June 2026. Tesla's own service records document the damage pattern on multiple occasions. No root cause has ever been identified or corrected by Tesla's service department. A tire with exposed and fraying cords on a vehicle producing over 1,000 horsepower presents a serious risk of catastrophic blowout at speed.

My 2022 Tesla Model S is equipped with 21" Arachnid cast alloy wheels. The wheel on the front driver side developed a structural crack under normal driving conditions with no road hazard impact or unusual driving events. The crack has caused a significant air leak, with tire pressure dropping from 44 PSI to 34 PSI over approximately 10 miles of normal driving. At 34 PSI on a 265/35ZR21 low-profile tire, there is meaningful risk of rim-to-road contact. The vehicle shakes noticeably during normal driving as a direct result of the pressure loss. The tires have approximately 13,000 miles on them. We are aware of multiple other Tesla Model S Arachnid wheel owners reporting identical cracking under normal use on [XXX] , suggesting a pattern consistent with a manufacturing defect in the cast alloy wheel design. This is a safety concern as the leak rate is significant and the condition could deteriorate without warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

VIN: [XXX] 2022 Tesla Model S Delivery: 10/27/2025 Passenger seatbelt was cut/frayed — FMVSS 209 + 208 violation. Tesla replaced belt but **ignored 8 other defects** (paint, body, sand, maintenance). Closed ticket early, **refused FSD goodwill**. Car still unsafe — **airbag system not recalibrated**. Loaner required. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The front right door top hinge bolts fell out. Believe the bottom one is broke off. Also have vehicle has a seat belt warning alarm indicated. There is a vehicle appointment scheduled for the Thursday August 14, 2025. Did not notice any warning signs. The door separated in the parking lot of a food establishment.

My Tesla Model S 2022 unexpectedly shut down while parked in a covered garage on [XXX], after I had driven for an hour. This occurred after I returned from a family trip to Lima, Peru, where I did not use the car. Tesla service center diagnosed it as water damage requiring a $20,578.50 battery pack replacement, which was covered by my insurance. There were no warning signs prior to failure. Within 20 minutes of the tow truck dropping off my car at Tesla, a representative informed me it was water damage, citing a system error and claiming over 20 vehicles had the same issue. This suggests a widespread problem and Tesla's awareness of it. This incident raises serious safety concerns about a potential design flaw and the lack of a water intrusion warning system. If this occurred while driving, it could lead to a sudden loss of power and an accident. I urge the NHTSA to: - Investigate if a design flaw exists in the Model S 2022. - Investigate Tesla's awareness of this issue and their failure to implement a warning system. - Require Tesla, and all EV manufacturers, to submit water mitigation plans. - Mandate water intrusion detection and warning systems in all EVs. This incident highlights a critical safety risk for Tesla - and perhaps all EV - drivers, and I urge the NHTSA to take immediate action. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When slightly pressing the accelerator while at speeds between approximately 35-70 MPH, there appears to be a vibration felt in the front of the car. It can be felt in the yoke and the pedal. It could affect the driver's ability to break or turn the wheel in emergency. It appears more than 60% of the owner of the same model and year has detected a similar shaking in the yoke and pedal, yet the manufacture delays to resolve it. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/poll-vibration-felt-when-slightly-accelerating-refresh-mode-s-plaid-or-lr.236933/

Driver door does not unlock after a trip, with passengers inside the vehicle. Driver is unable to exit the vehicle from the driver door. This has happened a couple times now, a Tesla mechanic stopped by after the first time, but didn’t find any issue. It’s happening again.

The manual door release on the front passenger side of my car was released automatically without anyone in the seat. I was the only one in the car. I was making a turn off of an exit and went over the seam between the bridge and the street. After I went over the seam, the front passenger door manual release was triggered and opened the door. I was able to pull over the close the door immediately after. This is a route I take daily for work and haven't had this problem before. This is a safety issue should someone been sitting in that seat or if there was a car to the right of me and the door fully opened outward. This could result in someone potentially falling out of the car or an accident if someone hit the door if it had swung out. I have tried to reproduce the problem and it has not done it since 3/13/2025 at 4:27pm when the original incident occurred. I did receive an error on the screen stating the manual release button was triggered when I went over the bump. I have tried to book an appointment with Tesla to investigate, but the earliest appointment they had available was April 1, 2025.

The vehicle developed a leak in the AC condensate drain. The leak is directly above the safety restraint control module. The module got wet deactivating the vehicle and causing havoc with the airbag system. Many electrical systems turned off such as the power to the steering wheel buttons( the left blinker, the right blinker, and the horn). Luckily this happened while my vehicle was parked but if this happened while someone was accelerating or driving on the highway they would lose control of the vehicle. I spoke to a Tesla Service Tech about the concern and he informed me that this AC leak happens very often in the 2021 and newer Tesla Model S vehicles and that Tesla is aware that the AC drain leaks onto the Restraint Contol Module but has not created a technical service bulletin or a recall for the safety issue.

Today I parked my car front of my house after couple ours I heard the voice and when I come close to my car I see the airbag is deployed I want you know the car doesn’t have any impact any accident when the airbag is deployed the car was off

Vehicle became immovable due to sudden rear motor failure. Vehicle came to a complete stop in moving lanes of traffic with minimal warning to react.