Same showroom, different maturity: the Model 3 is the sorted one; the Model Y is a year of two halves, decided by build date.

The bulk of the 2022's complaint file. On the camera-only Tesla Vision system, owners report the car braking hard for no object on Autopilot or adaptive cruise, and Full Self-Driving owners report the car misjudging intersections, curbs, or stopped cars. These are documented software behaviors that Tesla addresses over the air — the large 23V-085 (FSD Beta) and 23V-838 (Autosteer) recalls both apply and were OTA-remedied — not component failures. Test the full driver-assist suite on your drive and confirm the car is on current software; expect some residual phantom-braking trait.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 Tesla Model 3 · NHTSA recall campaigns (22V-296, 22V-050, 24V-554, 22V-798, 23V-838) and manufacturer communications · Independent owner/mechanic channel transcripts (Model 3 long-term reviews)

Recall 22V-296 covers certain 2022 Model 3: the infotainment central processor can overheat during or before fast-charging, causing the screen to lag or restart — which can blank the backup camera, gear display, and defrost controls. Tesla fixed it with an over-the-air update improving CPU thermal management. The complaint file also has non-recall touchscreen-reboot reports. Confirm current software and watch the screen during a Supercharge if you can.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 Tesla Model 3 · NHTSA recall campaigns (22V-296, 22V-050, 24V-554, 22V-798, 23V-838) and manufacturer communications

As on 2021, recall 22V-050 covers the 2022: a heat-pump valve software error could trap refrigerant and reduce windshield defrosting, fixed over the air. On a cold-climate car, test the heat and defrost and confirm the recall software is installed.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 Tesla Model 3 · NHTSA recall campaigns (22V-296, 22V-050, 24V-554, 22V-798, 23V-838) and manufacturer communications

A Model-Y-only recall covering 2022 and 2023 cars: the steering wheel fastener may be loose, and a loose fastener can allow the steering wheel to disconnect from the steering column. That is a loss of steering control, and the fix is physical — Tesla inspects and replaces the fastener at a service center, free of charge. It is a short, cheap job, which is exactly why an unclosed one on a used car tells you something about how the previous owner handled recall notices. Confirm it by VIN before you drive the car home.

Sources: NHTSA recall campaigns (21V-912, 22V-050, 22V-296, 23V-085, 23V-130, 23V-385, 23V-838, 24V-554) and Tesla manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA

Another Model-Y-only physical recall on 2022 and 2023 cars: the bolts securing the second-row seat back frames may not have been tightened properly, and a loose seat frame bolt reduces the seat-belt system's performance in a crash. Tesla inspects and tightens as necessary, free. If you carry children in the back — and the Model Y is bought heavily for exactly that — this is the recall to close first. Fold and latch each second-row section on your inspection and push firmly on the seat backs to check they sit solid.

Sources: NHTSA recall campaigns (21V-912, 22V-050, 22V-296, 23V-085, 23V-130, 23V-385, 23V-838, 24V-554) and Tesla manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA

This is the year's real buying lever, and it is a spec question rather than a fault. Two used-EV trade channels independently describe the early Austin cars as the low point of the run for fit and finish — panel gaps and paint imperfections through roughly the first half of the year. From around September 2022, cars gain a revised comfort suspension that softens the model's notoriously firm ride, a lithium-ion 12-volt battery instead of the lead-acid unit that had to be replaced more often, acoustic front glass that noticeably cuts road noise, a heated steering wheel and the AMD Ryzen infotainment processor. In the same window Tesla began deleting the ultrasonic parking sensors, so a late car parks purely on cameras. Ask for the build date on the driver's door jamb sticker, then check the glass and the 12-volt type, and inspect panel gaps and paint in daylight.

Sources: Independent mechanic, owner and used-EV trade channel transcripts (Model Y build-era timeline, suspension and used-buying guides)