2022 Tesla Model S Electric Problems And Complaints

Tesla Model S Issues

The Tesla Model S has been in the market for nearly 10 years now and has accumulated a truckload of user complaints on the NHTSA. Although the quantum of these complaints lies with the initial model years, the latest model years of the electric sedan have quite a lot of issues to be taken care of. Let’s see what the most commonly occurring issues have been in the recent model years of the car:

Electrical issues:

1. Infotainment issues: Many 2018 Tesla Model S owners have faced freezing in the infotainment system. In some cases, people have complained of a major lag while operating. This required the driver to take their eyes off the road. Some owners have reported the screen to develop lines that affected the performance of the unit. 
2. Backup camera issues: The backup camera in the Model S lags and does not show any imagery. People have complained that the issue also persists with the surround-view camera. The issue has caused the car to collide with objects in proximity due to compromised visibility. 
3. Software update: Some 2018-2020 Model S owners have complained that the font on the screen was ineligible. This update affected the font of many other important pieces of information as well. Some OTA software updates are also reported to affect many functions like the horn and the driver-assistance features.

Mechanical issues:

1. Powertrain issue: The Tesla Model S accelerates without any input due to a surge in the powertrain. This unintended acceleration is observed while driving normally and while the cruise control is engaged. Many accidents and injuries are reported due to this issue. The NHTSA has also opened an investigation on some cars due to this issue. 
2. Parking brake failure: Some 2019 Model S owners have reported a failure of the parking brake in their cars. This caused it to roll the car down a slope when parked. These incidents have also resulted in injuries to the exiting occupant and also to the people around. 
3. Loss of power assistance: Many Model S owners have reported a loss in the power assistance to the steering while driving. This causes the steering wheel to get stuck in its place and causes difficulty in maneuvering. Sometimes the power assistance to the brakes is lost which causes difficulty in braking. 
4. Suspension issues: The suspension in all the Tesla cars have been reported to be not up to the mark. The older model years of the sedan are prone to get the suspension linkages damaged which affects handling. This issue has also made the car lose control while driving and crash, causing injuries to the occupants. 

Exterior issues:

1. Panel gaps: Many Model S owners have reported uneven panel gaps in new cars. Although not an issue per se, the panel gaps diminish the premium look and feel of the executive sedan and raises concerns over Tesla’s quality checks. 
2. Loose glass roof: Some Tesla Model S owners have reported the glass panel on top of their car becoming loose. This causes whistling noises inside the cabin. In a handful of cases, the roof completely dislocated from the body and caused a road hazard to the other vehicles.

Tesla Model S Recalls

The Tesla Model S has been a very old geist to the NHTSA with the number of recalls it had to go through since 2012. The American luxury sedan was recalled 17 times in 10 model years. Most of the recalls consisted of other Tesla models like the Model X and the Model Y. The latest recall for the sedan was made on February 23, 2022 with NHTSA Campaign Number 22V104000. A summary of all the recalls is mentioned below:

S. No.	Date	NHTSA Campaign Number	Affected Component	Additional Remarks
1.	June 14, 2013	13V249000	Seats	A weakened weld between the left-hand seat back striker and the respective bracket may cause the seat to unmount in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
2.	January 13, 2014	14V006000	Equipment	Overheating of the NEMA 14-50 UMC adapter increases the risk of fire.
3.	November 23, 2015	15V780000	Seatbelts	An improperly connected driver or front passenger seatbelt may not restrain the occupant in a crash. This increases the risk of a crash.
4.	January 10, 2017	17V023000	Airbags	A rupture in the airbag inflator may release metal fragments in the cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
5.	April 19, 2017	17V260000	Parking Brake	An improperly manufactured parking brake caliper may fracture the gear and cause unintended movement. This increases the risk of injury/crash.
6.	January 9, 2018	18V031000	Airbags	A rupture in the airbag inflator may release metal fragments in the cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
7.	March 29, 2018	18V204000	Steering	Corrosion or fracture of the aluminum bolts attaching the power steering gear assist to the gear housing decrease power assistance to the steering wheel. This affects handling and increases the risk of a crash.
8.	January 7, 2019	19V002000	Airbags	A rupture in the airbag inflator may release metal fragments in the cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
9.	January 29, 2021	21V035000	Back Over Prevention	The eMMC controller in the vehicles is equipped with an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory that might not be able to maintain the file system once it reaches lifetime wear. This can lead to the failure of display functions that reduces display, increasing the risk of a crash.
10.	October 29, 2021	21V846000	Forward Collision Avoidance	The forward-collision warning (FCW) or the automatic emergency brake (AEB) may unexpectedly activate due to a communication error with the vehicle’s operating software version 2021.36.5.2, increasing the risk of a crash.
11.	November 9, 2021	21V868000	Airbags	Tearing of the driver's airbag cushion during deployment increases the risk of injury during a crash.
12.	December 21, 2021	21V00B000	Latches/Locks/Linkages	A misaligned front trunk latch may not unlatch the front hood. This might open the front hood and increase the risk of a crash. The affected units also fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS Number 113, “Hood Latch System”.
13.	January 27, 2022	22V037000	Electrical System	The vehicle may travel through a stop sign due to “rolling stop” feature in the Full Self-Driving (Beta), increasing the risk of a crash.
14.	February 1, 2022	22V045000	Electrical System	Inaudible seatbelt chime during start-up increases the risk of injury in a crash. This also fails to comply with FMVSS Number 208, “Occupant Crash Protection”.
15.	February 2, 2022	22V050000	Electrical System	The defrosting performance might decrease due to a software error in the ECM and affect the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
16.	February 4, 2022	22V063000	Electrical System	Obscured Pedestrian Warning System (PWS) sounds to increase the risk of a crash. This also fails to comply with FMVSS Number 141, “Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles”.
17.	March 18, 2022	22V169000	Back Over Prevention	Delay in the display of the rear view image on the screen reduces rearward visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

What model year of the Tesla Model S should you avoid?

The Tesla Model S is a very good car but is marred by Tesla’s poor quality check and other issues. Though the newer model years have improved on this substantially, the pre-2017 model years have been nothing short of a hassle for the owners. As such, we’d avoid all the model years before the 2017 model year due to the recurring software and hardware issues the owners had to go through. Adding to the woes is the massive recall list that does not throw a good light on the car’s image. 

Should you buy the 2022 Tesla Model S?

The 2022 Tesla Model S has been a very solid package with impressive performance and a durable battery pack. The interiors have been improved significantly over the years with the software side of things promptly taken care of. The quality issues have reduced drastically in the past 5 model years or so but the asking price for the car has skyrocketed, with the latest one costing above $100,000. 

Due to this, a used Model S makes a lot of sense for many people and if you’re one of them, feel free to go for a 2018 model year and above. Strict due diligence is required to keep a tab of the recalls the car has been a part of.