Tesla Model X Complaints

402 consumer complaints on file.

#11590846May 26, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This model is designed with a small button on the steering wheel to activate the horn- I have attached 2 pictures of the horn button ( not a standard horn in any way) to show how small and non- standard it is. In the event the driver needs to use the horn, the driver needs to take his eyes off the road/traffic conditions to locate the small horn button. Also if the car is not traveling in a straight line and the steering wheel is turned to either side, it is even more difficult to locate the small horn button as the wheel is not positioned straight up. I have had several situations since I purchased the car in 11-23 where I needed to sound the horn to warn a pedestrian, a car that was pulling out of an intersection when I had the right of way, and a bicycle that crossed out of a bike lane into my traffic lane. In each of these instances I was not able to make the horn sound quickly and when you are in an unsafe driving situation the last thing you want to do is take your eyes and attention away from what is going on in front of you to look for a small horn button. I feel strongly this is a safety issue that is an accident waiting to happen. I understand through readers forums that Tesla has updated and retrofitted some models with the standard center wheel/ airbag type horn activator, but also was told that does not apply to my vehicle. I have asked Tesla service if there is a fix for the issue and their response was to contact customer service. I have not had any response from Tesla in regards to my concerns.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11590698May 25, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The steering wheel has a small button for the horn to honk instead of the actual big center . This is very dangerous , when coming close to an accident and need to alert the other driver , i simply cannot honk the horn as its instinct to press the center of a steering wheel. Instead they made it this little small button on the steering wheel which would be impossible to press in A stressful situation
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11590563May 24, 2024
SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver’s side rear passenger’s seat belt failed to release the child occupying the seat. The contact stated that after five minutes the seat belt was released. The contact then stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, with the front passenger and the driver’s side rear seats occupied, the restraint system fault for each passenger was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the messages appeared intermittently while both seats were unoccupied. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that a seat belt module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589713May 20, 2024
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
The passenger side back door does not open consistently leading to loss of egress. Although the other doors do function regularly, removing a child from a car seat is nearly impossible when accessing from another door. The door also struggles to close consistently, and has closed on my son in the past. The inconsistency of a functioning falcon wing door is a safety risk and it continues to worsen despite many attempts to repair the sensors. The Tesla service center has attempted to repair the door and sensors 4 times without success. The most recent service appointment they stated the door was not opening correctly because it was getting stuck in “indoor mode” sensing something over the top of the car. They replaced the sensor but the problem has not improved. I have notified Tesla of the ongoing issue multiple times without any response, even via certified mail with proof of delivery. There are no warning lamps, beeps or any notifications showing an error in door function.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589662May 20, 2024
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving at various speeds or attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormally strong foul odor coming from inside the vehicle. The contact stated the odor ceased after driving for 30 minutes. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer three times. The contact stated that the local dealer replaced the filters, and the contact was advised to turn off the air conditioner and turn it on while driving; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588313May 12, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
While driving on interstate, a semi trailer began merging into my lane. I attempted to hit the horn and no response was produced by the car. The stoke steering wheel does not have a push horn, and requires a button. The hand mash is supposed to work per Elon Musk on X. I was unable to perform potentially impactful sound response to other vehicles. The horn should not be allowed to be a button as emergency situations do not allow a refocus.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11588205May 11, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Tesla Model X uses a small capacitive touch horn button which is impossible to locate and press in an emergency. I was driving and was about to be hit by a drifting vehicle and nowhere to move. I tried to honk the horn, but could not find it since it is not a normal center horn. Almost collided with the other vehicle. This design is extremely dangerous and should have never been allowed. It should be recalled before it causes injuries or deaths.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11586847May 3, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Car garage door activation software. My Tesla car activated the garage door, opening it while I was getting ready to back into the garage, as it was supposed to do. After I initiated backing into the garage, the Tesla, on its' own, activated the door to close as I was backing into the garage. The garage door came down onto the top of the spoiler on the rear of my Tesla Model X. I did not activate the door opener on the control panel. While backing up, I could not see the door in the process of closing. I have a video of the incident. I contacted Tesla and was told they would not cover the damage.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585993April 29, 2024
STEERING
I have driven this model x a few months now and there are many time I wasn’t able to put on turn signal and honk the horn due to design . The turn signal is activated by turn buttons in a very small area right next to each other. When needed , the button would cause a lot of confusion , for instance , if I want to put on left blinker I would accidentally put on right, it is especially true when trying to put on signal when the steering wheel is already turned, the only way to avoid false input is to physically looking at the turn signal buttons before put on the blinker , but it is very dangerous for you driving because you are taking your view from the road. Also the horn activation is also very dangerous , I have encountered some situation when the horn is required to gain attention from other drivers or even pedestrians, but when needed , I am either missed the horn button completely or would activated the windshield wipers instead due to its design. Just like turn signal I would have to take my eyes off the road to make sure the correct button was pushed . I think it is very dangerous. I hope there’s some recall available to retrofit traditional horn button in the center of the steering and a physical turn stalk . Thank you for reading this and I hope it’s a valid complaint and would result in some positive outcomes to ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585656April 28, 2024
STEERING
The Model X steering wheel has a haptic horn button instead of the standard mechanical horn that every other car uses. This presents a huge safety issue because of the size and location of the haptic horn button and the fact that it's not a physical or mechanical button. On several occasions the horn has gone off unintentionally causing a road hazard and when an emergency situation arises, you must take your eyes off the road to look for the horn light. This puts my family and others drivers at extreme risk. Tesla appears to have acknowledged the problem because they have since switched back to a mechanical horn, however they refuse to replace our group of drivers horns under warranty. I am submitting this safety because I believe it is a danger to all drivers that the emergency horn is unable to be accessed when needed. Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585572April 27, 2024
WHEELS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We bought our tesla model x on or about June 6th 2023, on or about march 22nd our right rear tire developed a leak, we took it to les Schwab tires to have it checked our and they discovered it was a cracked wheel, they said it was a defective wheel and that we should take it to tesla to get replaced as they have seen 3 others in the last 2 weeks. We took it to tesla and they said they would not warranty any wheels as they have never warrantied any before. They said it was due to road impact but there is no sign of any impact visible other than the crack. Around that same time our passenger door window button fell inside the door panel so we scheduled an appointment to have it fixed and had been advised it would be covered. My wife took it to them on or about April 19th and one guy said it probably wouldn't be covered then the other service adviser stated that it would be warranty as we have not had the car for even a year but then the service manager refused to fix it and wanted us to pay over $1,000 to fix it. They said it was from abuse that it broke but not sure how you abuse a switch push down on it with your finger to activate switch. Now on Saturday April 27th we have developed another tire loosing air, now the left rear due to another cracked wheel. Now I did more research online and have found numerous people with the same problems and having 3-4 of their factory wheels breaking. This is also on top of the car wearing out the inside edge of the tire while the center and outer part of the tire has lots of life left in it meaning that the alignment is not properly set but tesla says that it is normal because it is a performance vehicle. Not sure that I would consider a 6 passenger sub a performance vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585512April 26, 2024
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, SERVICE BRAKES
[XXX] I was driving southbound on [XXX] in Dallas, TX (near [XXX] exit) in Tesla ModelX, with 2 kids in the back seat. It is raining. My speed is around 60-65mph and I am in the rightmost lane. Suddenly the vehicle skids a little, and my steering wheel and brakes are not working anymore. It seemed that the car took complete control and does a full 360 rotation, crossing 4 lanes on the highway. I recall the 10 seconds when I am facing the incoming cars and the only thought I had "this is the end". For whatever reason, the incoming cars slowdown and my tesla makes a full circle, crosses 4 lanes again and gets positioned correctly in the flow of the traffic and in the rightmost lane. my speed now is around 20-30 mph and I suddenly regain control of the brakes and the steering wheel. My kids are crying in the backseat. I still am trying to figure out how and what happened, I cant believe I am alive and I did cry thinking that anything could have happened to my kids. We could have all died on the spot given the rain and how fast the highway traffic goes. I am [XXX] and have been driving for about 30 years. I know how to control minor skidding in rain. I go skiing frequently and can drive on ice (but this was no ice, just water). The only explanation is the malfunction of the Tesla mirrors/cameras (perhaps due to rain water), and taking the wrong decision to swerve the car completely across 4 lanes back and forth. I wish nobody has to go through such life-altering experiences due to a car malfunction, I will never forgive Tesla for the nightmares I still get and the trauma I and my kids had to go through due to the error of a machine. There were no issues before or after with the car, no damage, our tires were relatively new, no police was called. Tesla of course must record incidences like this and they did call me and escalated this to their highest level. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585112April 25, 2024
STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn's position on the steering wheel is not fixed, leading to instances where it fails to alert other vehicles or passengers in potentially dangerous situations. For example, there was one occasion where a vehicle approached from the opposite direction, necessitating the use of the horn, but I struggled to locate it as the steering wheel was turned at a 90-degree angle. Additionally, the horn button itself is quite small. The turn signal indicators have caused issues in multiple scenarios due to difficulty in locating the switch. This often occurs when needing to signal a quick left-right or right-left maneuver, especially when the steering wheel is already turned in the opposite direction
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11585100April 24, 2024
STEERING
The horn on the Model X is a tiny button on the steering wheel. This is a safety issue and not instinctual in the event of an emergency.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11584222April 20, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn button is a hazard to use when in an emergency and wheel is turned. Such as a u-turn and someone makes an illegal right and i have no time to find the horn button when wheel is upside down on a u-turn. This is unsafe and should be replaced with a horn that is in the center of the steering wheel like most cars.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11583454April 17, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STEERING
Hello, Thank you for taking the time to address this issue. As you may already be aware, the honk button is not centrally located on the steering wheels of Model X or S vehicles. This has led to several instances where cars backing up in parking lots have nearly collided with my vehicle because I instinctively honk to alert them. Tesla has recently redesigned the honk button, moving it to the center instead of the touch thumb button on the right side. I strongly urge Tesla to consider replacing the steering wheel to place the honk button at the center for improved safety. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Your consideration is greatly appreciated.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11583221April 16, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The steering wheel only has a flat tiny horn button that is impossible to use in an urgent situation effectively rendering the car with no horn in higher velocity scenarios. Finding the horn button (which not only is not raised but actually not a button) while driving to honk the horn is a near impossible task. I’ve had several close calls where I couldn’t get to the horn in time. Fortunately I was able to avoid an accident. The steering wheel needs to be replaced with a horn pad or button that is immediately accessible in an urgent situation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11583075April 15, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, STEERING
Issue is with Tesla Full Self Driving subscription for $199/month and is available for inspection. No warnings or symptoms were indicated. The vehicle recommended I re-enable the service every time the vehicle restarted after it was shut off. Tesla's phone support stated the following is normal expected behavior, so an inspection isn't needed: 1. Automatically changed lanes on interstate into the space occupied by another vehicle multiple times. Thankfully, crashes were avoided by attentive drivers of involved vehicles. 2. Confused "40 MPH Minimum Speed" signs for speed limit, resulting in over 30 instances were speed was drastically and suddenly reduced, without warning, every time the sign appeared. 3. Automatically changed lanes on interstate from rightmost lane to center lane despite no traffic present. This seems to be a default behavior that cannot be adjusted. 4. Disabled cruise control and lane keeping assist when driver overrode automated systems (accelerated, braked, manually adjusted steering) to avoid a crash. Kept these systems disabled as a punishment until driver parked car and restarted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11582812April 13, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
This vehicle has massive and unbearable static electrical shock when the car stopped and trying to close the door as metal body of the car. and I have several Videos showing the electric shocks The auto pilot stop the vehicle on the highway for no reason that’s put the passenger in serious rear collision
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11582117April 10, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Tesla yoke steering wheel - the placement of the horn button being a haptic button on the right side of the steering wheel poses a great safety issues when trying the horn and unable to locate it. Whether the steering is in the straight position or turning it, it is almost impossible to honk the horn in an emergency. In the past month, I almost ran over a pedestrian that did not look going into the crosswalk and I was unable to honk, and a car that made a lane change on the freeway and I couldn't locate the horn. This is a GREAT safety issue which the NHTSA should make a recall for Tesla to change the yoke to the updated design at no charge since the updated design has the horn in the midde. There is a reason Tesla did this and they should go back and retro fit the yoke with the horn button to the newer design.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Tesla Model X