2022 Tesla Model Y: jerking or lurching

Filed Sep 17, 2026 · Brakes, Transmission · 63,500 miles · CA · crash

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and jerked. The contact stated that after shifting into reverse(R), the vehicle failed to reverse as intended. The vehicle was shifted to park(P) and then into drive(D) several times, and the vehicle accelerated. The contact stated that approximately 20 minutes later, while exiting the highway and approaching a red light, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle was stopped and the hold feature was engaged and the icon showed up on the dashboard, but the vehicle rolled backward and struck another vehicle. The vehicle was then shifted to park(P), and after speaking with the other driver, the vehicle was moved to the closest parking lot. The Police were called, but a report was not filed. The vehicle was then taken to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was then taken to the same dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,500.

Filed Aug 22, 2026 · Driver assistance, Steering · CA

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. the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency investigate whether this EPAS failure extends beyond the current recall population and whether recent software changes may be contributing.

Filed Jul 8, 2026 · Steering · AZ

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.

Filed Nov 2, 2023 · Steering · 13,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the contact briefly lost control of the vehicle before the vehicle returned to normal functionality. Upon arriving to his destination and attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shift into reverse. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly took control of the steering and jerked into the next lane before he was able to regain control of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 13,000.

Filed Aug 2, 2023 · Driver assistance · 14,600 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model Y. The contact stated while driving 74 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking and decelerated to 20 MPH before returning to normal operation. The contact stated that the failure recurred three times. The contact stated that moments later with the cruise control still activated, the vehicle seemed to enter self-driving mode independently, briefly taking control of the steering wheel. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked erratically as if attempting to avoid a crash however, there was no other vehicles or objects nearby. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 14,600.

Filed Jun 29, 2023 · CT

2022 TESLA MODEL Y- Consumer sent in a copy of settle request sent originally to Tesla Corp. and a copy of proposed complaint document. Short summary of settlement doc is as followed: "To Whom it May Concern, Please regard this as my last and final attempt to resolve our disputes. I had previously directed Counsel to transmit a letter to you on January 6, 2023. That letter indicated my Revocation of Acceptance pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code §2608 and notice of defect under the Lemon Law. You have neither responded or taken any action to investigate or make me whole, despite the vehicle having less than 3,000 miles on it, and thus being well within the scope of your warranty. As you are aware, the vehicle you sold me contains material manufacturing design and marketing defects, which I summarize here and in the attached proposed complaint, as follows: -The Vehicle has been contaminated with dangerous VOCs. Independent environmental testing has detected the presence of methl ethly ketone (72 ppbv), ethyl acetate (120 ppbv) and Methyl methacrylate (140 ppbv). This renders the vehicle unsafe to drive. These chemicals are industrial adhesives and solvents used in the manufacture of Tesla's products, and their use has been experimentally tested with fast charging lithium ion cells, specifically, the product I purchased. -The Vehicle does not meet purported manufacturer charging specifications as sold. The vehicle I purchased takes 48 hours to charge - far longer than the normal time represented to me both in terms of materials you posted online in addition to your sales staff. Moreover, the driving range is far shorter than what you purported it to be when the vehicle is sold. -The Software is defective. It freezes. It prevents me from actually shutting the car off. -The "Hands Free" feature is inherently dangerous. This feature does not truly let you drive "hands free". The driver can't merely touch the wheel. One has to jerk the wheel with sudden motion, and if one doesn't the car repeatedly beeps - startlin

Filed May 19, 2023 · Steering, Suspension · CA

On Tuesday, May 16, I was driving on a city road at about 45mph when I began to hear metal noises coming from the front of my car. I slowed down and entered a shopping center driveway to inspect the noise. Upon pulling into the driveway of that center, I heard a metal snapping sound, my steering wheel jerked to the right, and grinding sounds started at the front axle of the car. I stopped immediately. Realizing something broke, I wanted to get out of the driveway, and tested if it would move in all directions. Ultimately, I could get the car to get straight at low speed, but if I attempted to steer left or right, the grinding would occur. I moved my car to a safe location and called Tesla Roadside Service to get towed to their service facility. There were no warning messages from the car before or after the incident. Had the part broken while traveling at higher speeds, or a winding road, I could have easily been involved in a deadly incident. I got lucky! I heard similar sounds from the same area about 4 months ago, and took the car in for service. Tesla service replaced the lower left hand front suspension link, lateral link and stabilizer bar on February 28, 2023. I do not have the details of all the parts replaced for this latest incident yet, as it is still at Tesla Service awaiting a replacement "Subframe Assembly Kit" according to my service rep. Lastly, I was not involved in an accident when this occurred, nor have I ever been involved in an accident in this vehicle.

Filed Mar 27, 2023 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · CA · crash

On Saturday, 3/4/2023, I stopped at a supercharger lot to charge my car during a trip. As I entered the lot, I noticed that the road conditions were poor, almost like a gravel road. To be cautious, I drove slowly towards the three empty parking spaces in the middle of the lot, intending to park in the middle spot. I noticed that the road conditions were even worse in front of the parking spot, but it looked wide and not too deep, so I didn't think it warranted serious concern. I carefully maneuvered the car around to prepare for backing up. I've been using the HOLD braking mode, which allows for one-pedal driving, for more than five months. Just as I lifted my foot off the accelerator, the car jerked forward from a small pothole. I still expected the car to come to a stop, as my foot wasn't touching the pedal. I made a comment to my passenger that I was puzzled why the car was still moving as I looked down at my foot far above the pedals. Suddenly, there was a really loud sound (like revving if I remember correctly) that I had never heard before, which surprised both me and my passenger. We exchanged a puzzled look just as the car suddenly jumped forward at full power and hit the car in front of us before I could do anything to stop it. I believe that this was a software issue related to overcompensation of losing traction control on both sides as the car came to a stop. It's important to note that I did not purchase Tesla's Full Self Driving and was not using any driving assistance features at the time of the accident. In addition, I believe you can request more data from Tesla. I do not have access to the camera recording of interior scene. Luckily, both me and my passenger as well as the two people in the front seats in the other vehicle (also same white Tesla Model Y) were not injured. I can't get Tesla insurance to even investigate the accident. After the accident, I noticed that the Tesla App reported that Automatic Emergency Brake is disabled (only occur)

Filed Nov 29, 2022 · Brakes · CA · 1 injury

Driving down road going about 46-50 mph at about 6:45pm tonight and the car suddenly slammed on brakes. Brakes locked, but thank goodness car behind me wasnt following close. My head/neck was jerked hard enough to cause headache and terrible soreness. I am very shaken. Came home and told my husband, took ibuprofen for my headache. He googled the problem, found this website. We are very concerned, since we own 2 Teslas and it seems people have the same complaints on both models we own.

Filed Jul 20, 2022 · Driver assistance · SD

While driving on highways /interstates and using the vehicle cruise control or autopilot, the vehicle will suddenly apply the braking system when there is nothing in front of it. I would list specifics, but it happens every time that we take the vehicle on the highway/interstate, usually within the first 15 minutes. This has happened multiple times on trips, at 80mph (South Dakota) or at 65mph. I have noticed that white vehicles tend to trigger it more than others, even if they are just sitting on the side of the road or parked in a driveway off of the highway. Hills also seem to throw it off, when you are at the top and just over the crest, it has applied the brakes multiple times. This has gotten progressively worse since I've owned the vehicle (Dec 2021) which is why I am only now reporting it. I will no longer use it as I firmly believe me or my family would be seriously injured or killed if there is a vehicle behind me, especially at 80 mph that was not expecting the car to brake hard and as a result rear ended me. This is a significant vehicle vision system issue and it really does need to be addressed before lives are lost, if they have not been already. There are no other issues with the vehicle, no warning lights on and absolutely no indication the vehicle will apply the brakes until you are suddenly lurched forward due to rapid deceleration. I understand this is already on the federal safety agency radar but believe this is a much larger issue than is being reported.

Filed Jun 3, 2022 · Brakes, Driver assistance · IL

"Phantom braking" has been an issue in which it randomly brakes while using cruise control. We have been on flat, wide open roads with no cars or visible obstacles in front of us. We are concern as we have an infant and it jerks everyone forward when it happens. We are on high alert especially when someone is behind us because it might cause an accident. This must be immediately corrected by Tesla.

Filed Mar 2, 2022 · Brakes · FL

I was driving my 2022 Tesla Model Y south on I-95 near the intersection with I-10, going approximately 65 miles per hour in the middle of a clear day. I did not have cruise control, autopilot, anything on-- just driving normal. No warning indicators. All software updates were up to date. I was in the far right lane and, at that section of the road, there is a large distance between the oncoming traffic headed north. There were no oncoming cars anyhow. And the car just suddenly slammed on the breaks. I didn't go into a skid but it was enough to jerk my body forward to where my torso hit the steering wheel. I pressed down on the acceleration as fast as I could. If there would have been a car or truck behind me, I would have been really hurt, especially if there would have been passengers in the back. I was shaking. If anything remotely like that happens again, I will sell the car that same day.