2022 Tesla Model Y Visibility Problems

The heat pump failed after experiencing temperatures below 10 degrees fahrenheit. There was no warning until after the failure, when I received a notification that the climate system needed maintenance. All heating/cooling, including defrosting/defogging the windshield, is inoperable. The service center confirmed that this is a heat pump failure and requires a replacement of the entire system, and a Tesla employee indicated that this is a common issue in the first 6-9 months of this cooling system design. This is well documented across many forums, and there is a class-action lawsuit in Quebec, Canada related to this failure.

NHTSA ID

11743021

Incident

Nov 10, 2025

HVAC system failure in sub-freezing weather causing loss of windshield defrost and cabin heat. Tesla has acknowledged this as a known hardware design limitation of the heat pump/octovalve system but is refusing repair coverage outside of warranty. This condition affects driver visibility and winter driving safety.

NHTSA ID

11715661

Incident

Jan 31, 2026

While using cruise control at highway speed, the car suddenly slams on the breaks causing major panic. Oversteering onto incoming traffic and cars following are affected slamming on their breaks to avoid contact. Have contacted Tesla Service Center multiple times addressing the problem (Phantom breaking problem). What they keep on telling me is that there is no fix to the problem at this time. The cruise control intermittently turns off and on by itself with no warning or obstruction. No lamps warning or messages prior to failure. My Tesla 2022 Model Y (Performance) has been inspected at the Tesla Service Center many times, but to no avail problem still exists.

NHTSA ID

11710067

Incident

Jun 26, 2023

Incident Summary: Car Computer (HW3) suffered internal hardware failure on 12/17/25 following software update 2025.44.3. While the media screen and rearview camera functioned, the Autopilot Board (APB) was "MIA." Tesla Randolph (Invoice #3000S0015357298) confirmed the internal failure and replaced the unit. Safety Risk: Failure disabled safety-critical ADAS: Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and Forward Collision Warning. Driving visualizations were severely compromised; the vehicle failed to detect pedestrians or lane markings while in motion, creating an immediate collision risk. The car’s active safety "intelligence" was essentially blind despite the camera feed being visible on the screen. Inspection & Contradictions: Tesla Service confirmed the "internal failure" (12/19-12/23). Note: The Service Manager verbally claimed "no codes," but the official invoice explicitly states technicians "found multiple alerts present." Part was retained by Tesla. Warning Symptoms: Failure followed a software reboot loop. Symptoms (MIA board/power cycle failure) match Recall 25V-002. Vehicle had only 36,289 miles. Reporting as potential HW3 defect expansion.

NHTSA ID

11706873

Incident

Dec 17, 2025

The driver side mirror vibrates causing a blurry image while driving

NHTSA ID

11683413

Incident

Jul 22, 2025

When I try to defrost my windows, it does not work. They are so foggy when I’m going down the road I am concerned that I will wreck. I was told my vin was not included in the recall. I think it needs to be.

NHTSA ID

11648183

Incident

Feb 12, 2025

The windshield has a huge crack that just appeared out of nowhere. We took it to the shop and they said it wasn’t from a rock. There is no chip in the glass. Apparently a stress fracture. The crack is getting bigger every day and becoming a distraction while driving. Tesla said we are 10,000 miles over our warranty even though the vehicle is only 2 years old. It seems like they used cheap glass as this is common in the Tesla forums and chats.

NHTSA ID

11644034

Incident

Feb 1, 2025

The defogger doesn’t work and often makes it worse to the point we can’t see. We have almost crashed because of this twice now. Very dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11644033

Incident

Feb 20, 2025

Multiple, random occurrences of hard braking at highway speeds when there was no object or obstruction ahead. In the 2-1/2 years we’ve owned the car this has happened on two lane and multiple lane highways, generally at speeds over 50 mph. Also, the windshield wipers randomly deploy even when turned completely off. They generally work when it’s raining but the delay function is also randomly not in sync with the settings or actual rainfall.

NHTSA ID

11614185

Incident

Aug 21, 2024

Tesla broke Automatic wiper function with a software update in 2023. Models other than Model Y have or have had this issue. There is no setting or adjustment I can make and Tesla has not made it a priority to fix this. They spend all of their resources doing other things. Nobody at Tesla is listening. New feature after new feature and screen changes are released but no fix for wipers. This is a conic years long recurring issue with Tesla cars. Tesla service can not fix software issues. It seems Tesla will never fix the issue. It creates a safety problem when driving because you must take your attention off the road and interact with the screen or try and remember the various voice commands to control them, or look at the screen while scrolling a wheel (you must pre-configure ahead of time to do this) while looking at the screen to see what gets selected on the screen, or do everything manually on the center screen. Attention is pulled off the road frequently regardless of weather. Currently in dry weather the wipers turn on unpredictably and often. Hour after hour on a long trip and you battle them all day long. Wipers are switched to Auto every time you use a driver assistance system such as Autopilot or Full Self Driving. You repeatedly disable auto wipers using your choice of method all day long. You are ready to rip wipers off the car by the end of the day. In wet weather auto wipers don't turn off when the rain has ended temporarily or becomes a mist needing only an occasional wipe by pressing the single wipe button. If you disable Auto wipers when it is raining you are constantly adjusting the speed between off, low, medium, and high which is eyes off the road screen intensive using scroll wheel or touching screen directly. Better if you can remember the speed adjustment voice commands which I can't because I rarely will drive in the rain because of wipers. I can remember disable because I use that constantly nearly every time I drive depending on the sky.

NHTSA ID

11597765

Incident

Jun 28, 2024

This is in regards to wipers getting frozen and major snow accumulation under them under heavy snow fall, something that can be mitigated with vehicles that are manufactured with Heated Wiper Park. This issue is dangerous if you are travelling on a highway or in places where you cannot stop to clear the wipers. I have contacted Tesla service and talked to them about potential solutions but they kept coming back with the statement that “this feature is working the way it was designed to.” Currently, if wipers are on or in auto mode, the wipers do not go over the wiper park heater, something that could be modified through a software update when ambiant temperature drops below a certain point or if snow fall is detected through their vision system and automatically activate their Heated Wiper Park, because not only is it uncomfortable to have the defrost blasting hot air on your face, but it also is extremely inefficient for electric cars to be doing that.

NHTSA ID

11576261

Incident

Dec 20, 2022

turning on defrost vehicle has cracked windshield

NHTSA ID

11571744

Incident

Feb 13, 2024

The Automatic Windshield Mode does not function properly. On some Sunny days, the windshield wiper will automatically engage. Yet, during heavy downpours, the automatic windshield wipers will not engage or it will wipe very slowly. I have to press the stauk manual or press the manual setting while driving in the rain. Very unsafe due to distraction and poor visibility while driving.

NHTSA ID

11570346

Incident

Feb 6, 2024

Since I have been driving my car, automatic wipers always worked. On Saturday, they refused to work. I could not see while driving. I called Tesla, and they say they know this is a problem but cannot tell me when it will be fixed. I was told lots of other people have this problem.

NHTSA ID

11552006

Incident

Oct 21, 2023

We have had our Tesla back at at Tesla service center twice pertaining to the HVAC system not delivering airflow needed for proper cooling and defrosting of the windshield. Tonight we were unable to drive because the front window was fogged over and the HVAC system would not de-fog the glass. There was little or no heat being applied to the glass in HI defrost mode. It was necessary to use a rag to wipe the glass so we could continue driving. We live in Northeast Ohio and I’m afraid that when we get snow or ice on the windshield that we will have a serious safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11549975

Incident

Oct 14, 2023

I am writing to formally submit a complaint against the Tesla Service Center in Rockville, Maryland. My concerns relate both to a potential safety issue and the subsequent handling of repairs to my vehicle. 1. **Safety Concern:** On 08/25/2023, the driver-side window of my Tesla vehicle shattered spontaneously without any evident external cause. This sudden malfunction while the car was in use is alarming, representing a significant safety concern for passengers and other road users. I believe that such a defect warrants immediate attention, especially if this is a recurring issue among other Tesla vehicles. 2. **Unsatisfactory Service Post-incident:** After bringing my vehicle to the service above center for repairs, I was relieved that the window issue would be addressed under warranty. However, when my car was under Tesla’s care, another Tesla customer hit and damaged it within their premises. What is profoundly distressing is how the service center addressed this matter. Instead of accepting responsibility for an accident that happened in their domain, they deflected responsibility, advising me to coordinate with the other car owner for repairs. This has not only added to my inconvenience, but it has also cost me additional time off from work to address damages that were not my fault. Moreover, now I am faced with being without my vehicle for an extended period, given that the body shop estimates a 4-5 day repair timeline. In total, I have been without my car for nearly two weeks due to the initial window concern and the subsequent collision. This situation has raised concerns about the structural safety of Tesla vehicles and the integrity and responsibility of their service centers. Such a dismissive approach to customer care is unexpected from a brand of Tesla's stature. I strongly believe that no customer should face such challenges and inconvenience, especially when entrusting their vehicle to a service center.

NHTSA ID

11542805

Incident

Aug 25, 2023

Driver seats heat up on its own. Windows go up and down on its own. Front collision sensor beeps with no cars nearby. Wipers issues. Back up camera issues.

NHTSA ID

11538506

Incident

Aug 14, 2023

1. Phantom Braking occurring often and no release date for firmware update. Not sure how to avoid rear end collision even when attentive. 2. Inaccurate speed limits, forward collision warnings, inaccurate green light chimes. 3. Autowiper which is working for other manufacturers over decade is beta in tesla. Previous 5 service center visits confirm as working and in 6th visit they say as beta. This is cheating customers. Using display screen to control frequency is distraction in wet roads.

NHTSA ID

11517172

Incident

Mar 31, 2023

The contact's wife owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V702000 (Visibility) and 23V085000 (Steering, Electrical System) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated while his wife was driving at various speeds with the Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) activated, the vehicle failed to recognize objects and other vehicles. The vehicle drove into the path of oncoming traffic. The contact's wife corrected the failure by maneuvering the steering wheel to realign the vehicle back into the lane. Additionally, the vehicle was shaking while making turns. The vehicle also experienced phantom braking while driving under an overpass. The failure nearly caused a collision. The dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle performed as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11511191

Incident

Nov 1, 2022

Mileage

1,000 mi

Auto wiper doesn't turn on for low or medium. Defrost doesn't clear windshield in bad weather conditions. Above conditions make it difficult to operate in bad weather conditions due to poor visibility. As per manufacture, everything working as designed but problem exists. Ex: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-s-autowipers-don-t-work-in-the-rain-and-owners-have-had-enough-of-them-208671.html

NHTSA ID

11510242

Incident

Dec 25, 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V702000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11509980

Incident

Sep 19, 2022

Windshield easily to crack by road debris while driving. Dropped off my vehicle for replacement windshield and tesla agent informed me that there was numerous vehicle ahead of me waiting for replacement. Also wipers activates when is not raining or won’t stop after it stops raining while in Auto causing distraction to the road.

NHTSA ID

11505909

Incident

Jan 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V702000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windows failed to roll up while driving over a bump in the roadway. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the vehicle performed as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 300. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11505206

Incident

Jun 20, 2022

Mileage

300 mi

While driving on the freeway into a tunnel during bright conditions while on Autopilot, the car unexpectedly braked heavily on a straight road, even though there were no debris or vehicles in front. Had to take immediate action since cars were driving around me. Similar event occurred when driving at night, luckily no cars were around me. During rain, automatic wipers did not activate. Required 2 actions to deploy wipers: pressing button on the turn-signal stock, then finding the menu on the screen to set wiper speed while driving in dangerous conditions. Another option is to use the voice command, however at times it takes 2-4 attempts to activate.

NHTSA ID

11502390

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

1. Whoever designed the seats never sat more than 2 hours straight in them and is most likely below 150 lbs with the body shape of a petite person. Damaged coccyx and lower backs since inception of idea. Insanity will ensue after long periods of travel (+2hrs) in rear seating and extended third row seating for adults and children. You get more seating comfort from a Nissan than a Tesla. 2. Windshield wiper sensitivity lowers when using manually then activating Auto. Sometimes sensitivity goes down with autopilot. Auto wiper sensitivity not constant. 3. If you have more than 4 people in your family, do not buy a model S3Y 4. Bad panels which also affect steering column, with squeaking, why is that not a lemon? 5. Long range below 32F falls to half its mileage per full charge. Proper trip charging should be at 10% to 15% more than the minimum 0% for trip charge. 6. Autopilot forces high beams whenever there is fog. Autopilot will never engage on curves, only straight aways 7. Supercharger long trip navigation will not allow filtering locations with bathrooms or trashcans nearby. Walking far distances to find restrooms and trashcans are a normal thing. Teslas not meant for taking long trips. 8. Signage for charging misleading, "10 to 30 minute parking" will only charge 10 to 50 KW max while "vehicle charging only" will charge the advertised supercharger max output. 9. No climate control in third row for MY, safety hazard and human rights issue.

NHTSA ID

11499660

Incident

Dec 25, 2022