What 136 owners told NHTSA about the 2022 Tesla Model S 75d

My AC heater stopped functioning when I was driving through sub zero temperatures in salt lake city, Utah. At that time Tesla said they will need to replace the entire system and estimated 3000 dollars. However the system started working on its own and when they inspected the vehicle, they said everything looks good with HVAC. Now after 3 weeks, AC heater has stopped working again and they are again quoting 3000 dollars to replace entire system. There are many Tesla owners who are complaining about the same issues across their models. My issues started happening again a day after a software update and I suspect that these are issues caused by their negligence that they are using to charge their customers who's warranty has expired. I have owned other cars but never had AC replacement needed after 3yrs 75K miles.

NHTSA ODI 11638686

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.

NHTSA ODI 11638946

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)

NHTSA ODI 11625697

This vehicle has a well documented issue with tearing the inner side walls of the tires. I've gone through 4 sets in 30K miles, with no end in sight. What's worse it's 3 times the tire failed while I was driving at 60mph. Very dangerous

NHTSA ODI 11624486

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.

NHTSA ODI 11610870

I was driving on the highway utilizing the full self-driving mode. There was traffic and I was behind an 18-wheeler. The 18-wheeler turned into the right lane, but because of the traffic, it couldn't completely clear the lane so the rear was slightly sticking. The Tesla stopped because it couldn't clear the lane while the 18-wheeler was sticking out. I didn't intervene because it had stopped. Then all of a sudden, it surged forward causing the Tesla's right side mirror to be hit by the 18-wheeler's back. The right side mirror's paint job was completely taken off. I didn't have time to intervene because of the sudden surge.

NHTSA ODI 11599199

Air Suspension system throws an error. Car attempts to lift but it feels like a limit switch or some upper bound is not working properly, as the car lifts in the rear, then suddenly kicks back down before trying to lift again. This process repeats 5-6 times before stopping. Initially, I could hear a motor or compressor running for about 30 seconds while initially driving the car. Since then, I've not heard any sounds from the suspension and it consistently says that the suspension is either not available or not functional in the driver heads up screen. Tesla is forcing me to pay for this repair, it is uncertain or unclear whether this should be covered under a recall, especially considering the issues on Suspension faced in China. Tesla has ridiculous wait times at their service centers - it will take me at least until late July to get this fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11597014

being total disabled and driving over 46 years tesla moved horn from it’s original place they want 1,800.00 put back in middle of steering wheel this is hardship and safety issue

NHTSA ODI 11590908

While driving suddenly in the middle of the road the car stopped with the warning Pull over immediately. Rear motor disabled. The biggest safety issue was the vehicle would not respond to any shift in gear drive , reverse or neutral. It wouldn’t move at all. I had to call 911 and cops also tried but the vehicle would not respond to any movement

NHTSA ODI 11585652

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.

NHTSA ODI 11584865

This vehicle does not have a fully functional horn. To activate the horn, you must press a tiny area located in the upper right part of the yoke. The area to activate the horn is less than 1-inch wide. The horn is virtually worthless when you need it such as when someone is running a light or changing into your lane, etc. Because you can't find the horn activation area in an emergency, you are unable to warn others about dangers as you are required to do by Texas law. This has been corrected in later made Model S and they now have the horn sound by pressing anywhere in the large area in the center of the yoke. I've brought this to Tesla's attention but they refuse to repair or replace the yoke. They will do so at a cost of $2,300. Ironically, they will replace the yoke under warranty if the yoke's cover is peeling or cracking - a known defect. Cosmetic - they fix. Safety - they refuse to fix. Please consider issuing a notice to Tesla that they fix the horns on their 2022 Model S.

NHTSA ODI 11583611

RECALL ISSUE FOR MY VEHICLE. HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE AUTO STEER/AUTO PILOT THAT COMES IN THE CAR. THE AUTO STEER AUTOMATICALLY GOES OFF AND WHENEVER YOU MAKE A TURN, THERE'S A WEIRD SOUND.

NHTSA ODI 11582920

Lack of blinker stalk: After driving this vehicle since September 2022, buttons in place of a blinker stalk are dangerous. In real driving conditions, there are many times I have to take my eyes off the road to look at the wheel and make sure I'm pressing the correct blinker button. Often times when I think my fingers are in the right position, I'd like to shift right but wind up pressing the left blinker button and vice versa. I always thought it was me not being aware until I saw other Tesla drivers do the same. Lack of center horn: For the Model S, the center horn is not active. Instead you need to press a tiny button to activate the horn. This is also very dangerous since you have a split second to alert other drivers but you have to take your eyes off the road to activate the horn. Tesla's solution to "mash" the right controls on the wheel will activate the horn is terrible. I usually wind up activating the wipers or voice recognition when I follow that suggestion. Rear passenger door emergency release: The location of the rear door emergency release is located behind a small cutout of the rug behind your legs. In case of emergency, time is wasted having to explain to find the cut out, open the cut out, look for a wire and pull. No trunk emergency release: That's right... There is no interior trunk release. If you get stuck in the trunk, you cannot release/open it from the inside. You will have to somehow fold down the rear seats and crawl into the back seats to exit. I'd be glad to speak with someone in more details or provide specific pictures upon request.

NHTSA ODI 11579491

The update that you required for Auto Steer has made the car undrivable. I get a written and audible warning IMMEDIATELY when I engage Auto Steer. Literally within 2 seconds. I always keep my hands on the wheel, lightly, while I drive on the highway. Anything short of a death grip on the wheel causes the warning to go off. However, the nag feature (after the changes you required) goes off constantly. Honestly, it's very distracting. If I look at the radio to change the channel, the warning goes off. You need to undo the changes you required. It makes Auto Steer less safe, not more.

NHTSA ODI 11572535

Horn is not located in the center where it can be found in the event of an emergency. Instead it is in tiny non-tactile button on the right side. Have had incidents in which I almost got into an accident and needed the horn to alert the other vehicle of an impending collision. In each instance I was not able to locate the horn in a timely manner.

NHTSA ODI 11571328

Tire separation on the inside rear tires. I purchased my car new and had continued slight loss of air pressure at 12,000 miles. I inspected the rear tires and found one of the tires and begun to split open (at the seam where tread adheres to the tire), the other tire once sprayed with soap water had tiny pin hole leaks all the way around the same seam. I had tires replaced and filed a tire warranty claim. The original tires were Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and the tires I replaced them with were the same. Now at 30,343 miles the same problem occurred, both tires show separation around the inside seam with the tread still remaining. If left uncorrected/addressed the tires would eventually blow out driving.

NHTSA ODI 11571196

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model S. The contact stated that while reversing in her driveway, the front driver's side camera did not indicate there was a gate in the viewing area. The driver crashed into a metal gate on her property. The front bumper was damaged. There was no beeping sound while approaching the object. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was taken to a body shop, where it was diagnosed that the bumper needed to be replaced. The rear bumper was damaged while at the body shop. The mechanic stated that the clips were missing. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact removed the USB and was unable to locate the incident. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred her to an approved body shop. The approximate mileage was 11,544.

NHTSA ODI 11568799

All tesla models have excessively bright headlamps, blinding oncoming traffic. There are many teslas where I live and commute. I had many instances where I could not see what was in front of me on a two lane road due to a tesla coming in the opposite direction at night. It is seriously dangerous to have these cars with such bright lights on the road. They create a hazard for every driver in the oncoming lane. I strongly believe that these bright headlamps ought to be illegal, as they jeopardize safety of drivers.

NHTSA ODI 11567372

The placement of the horn and turn signals onto the steering wheel is highly flawed. In normal driving, the turn signal buttons on the wheel are not intuitive, even after months and 10,000mi of ownership. The horn is also a button, and will never be useful in an emergency situation. These items should be required to be placed in the same spot for every street legal vehicle. Muscle memory and ease of use for safety.

NHTSA ODI 11565306

The horn button is to difficult to use during an emergency. Tesla knows this that’s why there cybertruck has the horn in the center of the wheel.

NHTSA ODI 11565338

The horn is very difficult to hit in case of emergency. You have to look down and find the horn button, which is especially problematic for example if a child runs in front of the car, you have to take your eyes off the road and find the horn button and press it. All other cars in the world use the center of the steering for a horn, this model of Tesla S does not.

NHTSA ODI 11565341

The car doesn’t have a conventional horn. Instead the horn is activated via a small button on the steering wheel. I don’t mean to be a pain, but I feel as though the horn is meant for emergency situations mostly. I’ve been in multiple situations now where someone has almost hit me and I tried to swerve and find the horn but given the fact I have to keep my eyes on the person swerving into me, was unable to find it in time. One of these times, the person continued to not see me and I nearly was pinned between the car and the wall of the freeway. Due to not being able to activate the horn, I had to swerve and slam on my brakes instead almost being rear ended by the car behind me. Ideally I’d love if Tesla has to recall this steering wheel for one with a mechanical horn. They have just started making the wheels with a mechanical horn again and it would be great if they received a recall so that us without them, who are put at risk, can receive them by visiting the service center and having the wheels swapped. Thank you again for the time in reading this. I apologize for the long story. I only ask because it’s unsafe for both myself and those around me and now there’s a remedy

NHTSA ODI 11565236

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.

NHTSA ODI 11563549

Car without obstacle will without warning execute a hard slowdown/stop. We have received the latest OTA update and have disabled auto steering and fsd. These unplanned stops are incredibly dangerous when driving in traffic. They charged a substantial fee to enable FSD and we are afraid to use it which sucks but the fact that basic cruise control is so dangerous is criminal.

NHTSA ODI 11561927

The Tesla was driving normally as I was driving through the canyons of Utah at 65 MPH. the car gave an error about lane assist malfunction and immediately followed by steering assist malfunction. The car was very hard to turn and I nearly crashed into a concrete barrier as I forced the car to turn. I was not using auto drive

NHTSA ODI 11560301