2022 Tesla Model Y Steering Problems

The suspected malfunction involved Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and related automated steering, lane guidance, lane-departure avoidance and disengagement/warning systems. FSD was active before the event but changed to “Unavailable” approximately 1.35 seconds before impact as the vehicle began moving left toward a barrier. The exact cause has not been independently determined. The vehicle remains in my possession and is available for inspection, along with the EDR report and Tesla data files. My safety and the safety of others were placed at risk because the vehicle departed its travel path at approximately 65–67 mph. The warning and disengagement sequence provided only about one to one-and-a-half seconds before impact. The vehicle struck the barrier at highway speed, deploying the left side and curtain airbags. This created a risk of serious injury, rollover or collision with nearby motorists. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer because the vehicle was rendered inoperable. However, Tesla’s data confirms that FSD was active, became unavailable approximately 1.35 seconds before the crash, and that the steering angle moved sharply left immediately before impact. The data confirms the sequence but does not conclusively establish who or what initiated the steering movement. The vehicle has not received a technical inspection by Tesla or an independent defect specialist. Towing have handled it, but no one has technically evaluated the FSD or steering system. Crash data was retrieved from EDR. Earlier in the drive, the vehicle recorded “Autopilot features limited” and “camera blocked or blinded” warnings approximately 15 minutes before the crash. The vehicle later permitted FSD to engage. Approximately 1.46 seconds before impact, a hands-on warning was detected; FSD then changed to “Unavailable,” cruise control changed to standby and a lane-departure warning appeared less than one second before impact.

NHTSA ID

11766819

Incident

Sep 17, 2026

While operating a 2022 Tesla Model Y with Full Self-Driving (FSD Supervised) engaged, the vehicle failed to execute a right merge onto the CA-280 North freeway ramp in Redwood City, CA. Instead, FSD initiated an unexpected wrong-way maneuver down a downward off-ramp. As the vehicle headed toward a sharp left curve, it failed to decelerate sufficiently for the turn. The vehicle maintained speed on the downward incline and then accelerated slightly, traveling at around 30 mph immediately prior to impact. Facing an active hazard initiated by the software, I performed an emergency manual override. System steering resistance and abrupt load transfer mid-turn caused an immediate loss of control, driving the vehicle over a mound and into an off-road ditch. Airbags deployed upon impact, and occupants (including a 5-month-old infant) were transported to the emergency room for evaluation. A formal safety complaint is being filed regarding FSD wrong-way navigation failures, failure to decelerate, and severe handling/disengagement instability during emergency takeover scenarios.

NHTSA ID

11760430

Incident

Aug 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started sticking, and the contact discovered that the center of the steering wheel was cracked and peeling. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,997.

NHTSA ID

11759136

Incident

Aug 24, 2026

Mileage

58,997 mi

On 8/22/2026, my 2022 Tesla Model Y Long Range with approximately 81,000 miles developed an Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) fault immediately after I felt a brief jerk while reversing. The vehicle displayed “Steering assist reduced / Steering may require increased effort.” Manual steering currently feels normal, but Full Self-Driving/Autosteer and Lane Departure/Lane Keeping functions became unavailable. Tesla Service Mode shows repeated faults EPAS3P_a072_motFeedFwdError, EPAS3P_a049_piCtrlError, and UI_a020_SteeringReduced. For EPAS3P_a072, Tesla’s diagnostic screen describes a “Motor control feed-forward correlation error,” lists the potential impact as “Reduced steering assist and EAC inhibited,” and specifically lists “Replace EPAS” as the clear condition. The faults return after vehicle power-off and reboot. The vehicle was updated to software 2026.21.6 / FSD v14 Lite approximately two weeks before this occurred. There were no previous steering warnings. I am not claiming the update caused the failure, but I believe the timing warrants investigation. NHTSA Complaint 11749826 describes a 2021 Model Y with the same EPAS3P_a072 and UI_a020 faults, including Tesla Service Mode stating “Replace EPAS.” Complaint 11758026 describes another 2021 Model Y steering gear failure and requests expansion of Recall 25V-092 to earlier Model Ys. My vehicle has not yet been physically inspected by Tesla. The vehicle and diagnostic information are available for inspection. I request NHTSA investigate whether this EPAS failure extends beyond the current recall population and whether recent software changes may be contributing.

NHTSA ID

11758818

Incident

Aug 22, 2026

During normal driving on roadway the vehicle pulled to the left and driver was not able to steer right to avoid travelling into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle from opposing traffic. The vehicle gave no notice prior and was not in automatic mode.

NHTSA ID

11755538

Incident

Feb 15, 2026

While operating my 2022 tesla model y, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic hardware failure of the onboard vehicle control computer. This total computer failure resulted in an immediate, sudden loss of electronic power steering assist while the vehicle was in motion. The steering wheel became incredibly stiff and heavy, creating a severe and hazarders driving situation. the vehicle was towed to a tesla service center, where technicians confirmed the onboard computer hardware requires a complete replacement. A vital computer failing prematurely on a 2022 vehicle presents an extreme safety risk of crash or injury due to sudden loss of vehicle control.

NHTSA ID

11755238

Incident

Jul 24, 2026

I was backing out of my residential driveway when I suddenly noticed the steering wheel required much greater effort than normal, indicating a loss of power steering. There were no prior warning messages or symptoms before this event. As I began driving, multiple warnings appeared on the display, including “Steering Assist Reduced,” “Stability Control Disabled,” “Traction Control Disabled,” and “Vehicle Hold Unavailable.” The steering immediately became extremely heavy, making the vehicle difficult to maneuver safely. Because the failure occurred without warning, I did not feel it was safe to continue driving except to move the vehicle as necessary. The vehicle was subsequently inspected by a Tesla Service Center, which confirmed that the steering rack and Front Vehicle Controller required replacement. The repair was performed by Tesla after diagnosis. I am submitting this report because a sudden loss of steering assist without any prior warning presents a significant safety risk. Although this occurred while pulling out of my driveway, the same failure could occur while a driver is traveling at higher speeds or in traffic, where maintaining control of the vehicle could be much more difficult.

NHTSA ID

11752664

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

The vehicle pulls or "snaps/clicks" when wheel is moved at all speeds while driving manually. It is more prevalent at higher highway speeds. Tesla stated steering gear mechanism may need replacement and it is considered normal wear and tear. There are no alignment, nor wheel, problems. The steering issue has become a hazard on the highway due to the sudden "jerk" reaction from steering wheel input. I am concerned the steering wheel input may become completely unresponsive in the near future when vehicle is being driven. Steering components should be a safety problem and not a typical "wear and tear" component. Car has never been in an accident or incident.

NHTSA ID

11749156

Incident

Apr 20, 2026

"I have a Tesla Model Y that experienced what looks like a steering malfunction, with documented data and repair records already in hand. "While driving our 2024 Tesla Model Y when the steering wheel suddenly turned itself, hard left, and driver couldn't regain control. The car went up a hillside, between a utility/ electricity pole and an electrical box, coming to a stop just inches from the pole. No injury, but real vehicle damage." "I pulled Tesla's own vehicle data log for that exact moment. It shows the steering angle went from +362° to -358° — basically two full wheel rotations — in about 1.5 seconds, while the torque sensor barely registered any force. Then the wheel stayed pinned at full-left lock for about 8 seconds while the car was actively accelerating in Drive." There was a fault code 14 mention in the data file right before the incident. "Tesla told us their review of the data showed 'no malfunction.' But afterward, Tesla's own repair records show they replaced the steering gear assembly and the drive unit — after we complained the steering felt stiff once we got the car back from the first repair."

NHTSA ID

11748516

Incident

Jun 5, 2026

Bolts for front lower lateral links in suspension backed themselves out over time, eventually causing the suspension to suffer a total collapse and trigger a complete loss of steering authority.

NHTSA ID

11742195

Incident

Jun 3, 2026

Following a 25-day repair at a certified collision center due to an earlier accident, the vehicle's Full Self-Driving (FSD) and Active Safety Systems began failing. The vehicle repeatedly failed to keep speed and failed to stay centered in the lane. On March 25, 2026, while traveling at low speed on a public roadway with FSD actively engaged, the system failed to maintain a stable path and incorrectly steered the vehicle into a curb, causing property damage to the wheel. This failure put my safety and the safety of surrounding traffic at risk by executing an unpredictable steering maneuver that the active safety systems failed to prevent. The vehicle was taken to the manufacturer's service center twice with this specific complaint prior to the curb strike. The service center investigated and officially concluded that this was not a software issue, stating that they could do nothing else. They deferred the resolution back to the collision shop, citing likely camera/sensor physical misalignment from the 25-day body repair. The collision shop is now refusing to review the vehicle or inspect the hardware, claiming lack of visible exterior damage despite the internal service team stating this is a latent hardware alignment defect. The vehicle is currently in the same failing condition and available for inspection upon request. No warning lamps or error messages appeared on the screen prior to the failure or the curb strike. The symptom of unpredictable lane tracking first appeared immediately upon receiving the vehicle back from the collision repair earlier this year. Note: I have a formal data privacy request pending with Tesla to pull the exact chat logs showing their refusal to service this hardware defect. I will provide these to the investigator upon follow-up.

NHTSA ID

11728249

Incident

Mar 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that the steering wheel material had been unraveling. The contact received notification of TSB Number: SB2332003. A Tesla Service Center was contacted via the Mobile App Chat feature, and informed the contact that the vehicle would be repaired at the owner's expense because the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11725190

Incident

Feb 16, 2026

Mileage

70,000 mi

The contact owned a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while the contact’s daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH under significant rainy weather conditions, with autopilot mode engaged, the auto pilot became inoperable. The contact stated that the driver attempted to steer the steering wheel; however, the steering could not be steered, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle subsequently collided with a concrete wall and might have collided with another vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that all the air bags of the vehicle deployed during the crash. As a result of the incident, the driver sustained a nose injury and facial lacerations. The driver was transported to a local Emergency Room for medical treatment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed a total loss. A Tesla service center was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance had been provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ID

11712708

Incident

Jan 7, 2026

Mileage

55,000 mi

I am reporting a repeated safety defect that happens only in rainy conditions. My 2022 Tesla Model Y repeatedly shows critical safety warnings including “Automatic Emergency Braking unavailable”, traction and stability control disabled, and “Vehicle Hold unavailable”. This has occurred during normal driving in rain every rainy season for 3 years, despite 4 service visits and parts replacement including the inverter. It started when I was pregnant and is now ongoing with my newborn in the car. The system failures happen while driving in normal wet/slippery conditions and greatly increase the risk of a crash. This appears to be a systemic safety defect, not driver error, and Tesla has not fixed it after multiple service attempts. Events & Dates: •First occurrence: Feb/2024 •Service visits: 02/01/2024 1. Verified customer's concern via vehicle log data. Technician reviewed the vehicle's logs and found that the vehicles communication system was faulted. Technician was not able to duplicate the concern at this time. Performed diagnosis and found no issues present at this time. Verified vehicle's communication system is operating as designed at this time. No further repairs are recommended at this time. Recommending customer to continue to monitor situation at this time. 2. Updated vehicle to latest available firmware version per service bulletin. •Most recent occurrence: 01/01/2026 fyi today is the 4th time I’ve indicated this issue , and this is during my pregnancy again, I feel extremely stressed and helpless

NHTSA ID

11708262

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

On [XXX], while using Full Self-Driving (FSD) to drive to a hospital in Oak Park, Illinois, the vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration during the disengagement of FSD. As the vehicle approached the hospital area, I initiated disengagement of FSD to manually enter the parking area. During—or immediately after—the disengagement, the vehicle suddenly accelerated at full power without warning, causing an immediate loss of control and a collision with a nearby fixed structure. No system warnings or alerts were issued prior to the event, and the acceleration was so abrupt that manual intervention was not possible. This occurred in a low-speed, street-level environment where no acceleration was intended or expected and does not correspond to any normal driver input. Based on review of preliminary incident data provided by Tesla, there appear to be irregularities during the FSD-to-manual control transition, including missing or invalid input values, gaps in accelerator/brake/steering signals, and speed readings inconsistent with the crash severity. These indicators suggest potential instability in the real-time control system during disengagement. This report is submitted due to concern that sudden unintended acceleration during FSD disengagement may represent a safety defect with potential risk to drivers and the public. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11705556

Incident

Oct 8, 2025

After installing the most recent Tesla software update, my vehicle immediately displayed multiple alerts: traction control disabled, stability control disabled, and reduced steering assist. Cameras were disabled, navigation was disabled and my vehicle location was wrong. The vehicle lost core safety systems that are critical to safe driving The car functioned normally before the update. Immediately afterward, these safety systems were disabled. Tesla Service has since diagnosed and confirmed, They state “an internal short within the drive assistance module (computer). The internal short is causing excessive current draw, resulting in loss of driver assistance features. The latest software has revealed the underlying root issue within the car computer.” This indicates that the vehicle was operating with a latent defect that Tesla’s diagnostic update exposed. The update did not cause wear-and-tear failure; it surfaced a hidden safety defect inside Tesla’s own hardware. Why This Is a Safety Concern Loss of traction control, stability control, and steering assist creates a significant risk of loss of vehicle control. If this had occurred while driving at speed, the sudden loss of these systems could have led to an accident. Attempting a reboot while driving (Tesla’s standard troubleshooting suggestion) would have created further distraction and risk. luckily when the car catastrophically failed and was unable to turn, I was in my driveway and not on a highway or any other roads.

NHTSA ID

11682563

Incident

Aug 19, 2025

accident involving my Tesla while the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature was engaged. Vehicle Information: [2022, Model - Y, ] Incident Summary: While driving with FSD engaged, the vehicle hydroplaned and the steering wheel started spinning uncontrollably and despite attempts, couldn't regain control of the car, and it spun while crossing lanes. A truck hit the front of the car and ended up on shoulder.

NHTSA ID

11681847

Incident

Aug 13, 2025

[XXX] [XXX] When I entered [XXX] from Los Angeles Airport using the [XXX], I was going about 30 miles per hour when I finished entering and was climbing the left curve to return to the sharing lane, when suddenly the steering wheel turned to the left by itself and I almost hit the wall. If I hadn't turned the steering wheel back hard, I think the car would have crashed into the wall. The dashcam footage is also available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11680098

Incident

Aug 10, 2025

Steering consistently made rattling/clicking noises, coming from under near the steering column. Car was taken to Tesla Service Center, and service center replaced the front lower lateral and compliance link assemblies due to worn bushings. For additional context, this car has only 38,000 miles on the odometer, driven primarily in Southern California.

NHTSA ID

11678872

Incident

Jul 28, 2025

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while washing the vehicle, the contact became aware that the entire inner sidewall of the tires were warped and damaged, and the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that a cause for failure could not be determined; however, the tires were replaced and the front-end aligned. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted, and the contact became aware that the tires displayed inner sidewall damages. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.

NHTSA ID

11663705

Incident

May 28, 2025

Mileage

21,000 mi

The car will continue losing power steering while driving making it very hard to steer. It has happened at all levels of speed.

NHTSA ID

11661559

Incident

May 15, 2025

Driver side control arm while driving separated. I heard a loud thump and then the front driver side portion of the vehicle drop down. After further investigation, I have seen numerous vehicles have this exact same issue on multiple forums. I’m glad that I was going slow when this happened because it could’ve been catastrophic if I would’ve been going faster. How is this not a recall?

NHTSA ID

11629554

Incident

Dec 2, 2024

Model: Telsa Y 2022 AWD Long range What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Control Arm bolt fell from Driver side front Wheel. Not available for inspection. Bolt got fixed by Tesla Service Center How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Yes I imagine. Since I was driving in community driveway with less < 10 MPH. I was safe. If this happens in Highway, it would be big risk since Steering gets locked and only one wheel rotates. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? This same issue has been reported mulitple times by other car owners over internet. As per dealer, this issue cannot be produced by him. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Component has been inspected only by the Tesla Service center. No one else looked into it. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warnings or indications. Car still doesn't know that it has a problem with front wheel or steering.

NHTSA ID

11624735

Incident

Nov 9, 2024

Hello, My name is [XXX] and I had the 2022 Tesla Model Y performance. I had an accident on [XXX]. Car just took control itself, we hit the tree. It was in a residential area, it happened so fast that I could not react to prevent it. After we hit the tree, the car caught fire, It was a nightmare for me, I had my best friend with me at the time of the accident in the front passenger seat. Both of us were unconscious, by the time I got awake, the car was in flames, my friend was still unconscious but then he got awake after I tried with the local neighbor to pull him out from the car. Unfortunately my friend passed away after an accident in 5 hours. I had autosteer assistance on my car as a subscription. Plus my car had a problem with the side cameras, from time to time it was giving me errors - Door Pillar error message. Cops were trying to get information from the car, but according to Tesla representative my car was out of network from June 30, 2022. And I never got any notifications that my car is out of network. I have a case against me VS State of New Jersey, the prosecutor's office charged me with vehicle manslaughter, at the time of accident i gave a statement to the police officer, in December 12, 2023 it was Nationwide recall on Tesla cars, and this recall it was exactly for the same problem what I described to the police officer at the time of accident, so my problem is, I can't retrieve any information from Tesla regarding what happened at the time of accident, DUE TO TESLA had my car out of network for 25 days prior. I can't prove my innocence because of that I'm facing serious charges right now. My complain is about my car being out of TESLA NETWORK FOR 25 DAYS, WITHOUT PROPER NOTIFICATION ON THE APP OR EMAIL, WHILE MY CAR WAS OPERATED EVERYDAY ON THE DAILY BASIS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11620976

Incident

Jul 25, 2022

When driving home and try to make a left turn, the steering doesn't work and car suddenly speed up even though try to brake, the whole car is out of control, and the car hit my neighbor, and it's extremely dangerous! Thank god that no one is hurt. Police came and did a report but didn't say anything about Tesla. After that, I checked the alert history, nothing special, the only alert is remind me that window cleaner is running low. I tried to contact Tesla but failed, no one answer the phone call, no where to report. Everything is too bad

NHTSA ID

11602274

Incident

Jul 13, 2024