Tesla Model X Complaints
402 consumer complaints on file.
- #11554679November 11, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Couldn't find little horn button in an emergency. Horn should be activated by center push on steering wheel, not some random little button that is hard to find in an emergency when the wheel is not straight.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11551475October 23, 2023STEERING
The design feature of having the HORN be a soft key rather than palming the steering wheel just like every other car, has resulted in multiple occurrences where I tried to honk at someone to avert a collision, and the honk was delayed by hundreds of milliseconds as I had to recall that the horn is a soft key, that I have to hunt for depending on the steering wheel angle, at a critical time when milliseconds count. This is a really hazardous design decision I hope gets changed before it becomes a direct factor in people's deaths.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11551125October 20, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Interior rear light constantly blinks spontaneously while driving. There is no control to turn this light on or off. I have scheduled repair with Tesla and they have not fixed the issue. When I drive at light I get distracted by the strob light effect effect of this blinking slight. It’s on land off for no reason whether I’m driving or parked with the car powered off and all doors locked.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11551025October 20, 2023SEAT BELTS
Seatbelt sometimes will not auto retract and gets stuck with lots of slack. Car is very clean, no blockages and seatbelt doesn’t have any tears or frays
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11550533October 17, 2023STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Horn should be relocated to center of steering wheel from small button on steering wheel. Very dangerous in times of emergency, as hand goes directly to center of steering wheel.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11548846October 7, 2023FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES
Using Tesla Autopilot I was passing a semi truck on Ohio Turnpike and as I was right next to the semi truck my Tesla suddenly started to flash red warning light and make a loud squealing sound and began to rapidly decelerate. Luckily no one was right behind us or likely a rear collision would have occurred. The semi truck was a little closer than normal to me but was still within its lane. This happened twice that day so I stopped using Autopilot as it was dangerous and very frightening to me and my passenger.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11547793October 2, 2023STEERING, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My 2022 Tesla Model X is equipped with yoke steering wheel with capacitive turn signal buttons integrated, and there's no turn signal stalk. While I like the simplicity, the turn signal buttons sometimes do not respond. It happened about 10x in the past 12 months / 10k miles of ownership. I took the vehicle to Tesla service center twice in the last a few weeks and they couldn't do anything other than a customer paid diagnostics. The most recent occurrence was 9/17. Here's what I put in my service request. "I was about to move to the right lane, but right signal button did not respond for 10-15 seconds. In the meantime, left signal button worked and I was able to activate it twice just to confirm it wasn't my thumb being wet of something else, but the right signal button would not respond at all. I wanted to record a video but it wasn't safe to do so. I captured a dashcam recording in case that helps." Here's the service result on my invoice "Unable to duplicate concerns present on steering yoke. Checked vehicle logs and no hardware related concerns or abnormalities identified. Performed inspection in-house and verified proper operation." (I was charged $70.5 for the diagnoses) The same also happened on 9/4. I put in the service note "I pressed on the left turn buttons about 5 times when the first 4 times it didn’t respond. I’ve capture a dashcam video to record the exact time in case that helps." Here's the service result on my invoice "Unable to verify the customer concern, diagnosed and pulled car logs and customers time stamp. Reviewed data with the lead technician, and found no issues or cracked alerts during the time of when the button was operated. unable to replicate concern. Buttons are working as designed. No repairs needed at this time." This imposes road safety issues for me and other drivers, especially when I have to change lanes on busy roads.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11545772September 21, 2023VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
As I drove my Tesla Model X Plaid into my driveway towards the garage to park, the vehicle suddenly accelerated itself (I have FSD but wasn’t using it at that time) and drove into the garage door as it was still opening, slamming and crushing into all the items that were on one side of the garage. When I quickly realized what was going on, I slammed the brakes and made the car stop. My daughter luckily was waiting for me on the stairs of the garage. If she were standing in the garage instead, it would have been fatal. I have already called Tesla about the incident and they said someone will visit and take a look in about a week. This happened on Sunday Sept 17th 2023 around 8 pm. When I bought the car in Dec 2022, as soon as I took the delivery of the car, I have experienced the front driver and passenger windows that kept opening by themselves multiple times. I had called Tesla and they replaced both the doors and it didn’t happen again after that. I asked the technician at the time that if the car can’t control such small things, how can I trust my life with its FSD? He assured me that this was the safest car and had multiple sensors that are constantly monitoring the safety of the car, but in my case I am shocked to see that the sensors didn’t do anything to stop when the car slammed itself into the garage.
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11544173September 12, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On the latest software, Tesla cars automatically turn on air recirculation. This deprives the driver from fresh air and quickly increases the level of CO2 in the cabin. High concentrations of CO2 in a cabin can be bad for safety: 1. Cognitive Impairment: High levels of CO2 can adversely affect cognitive function, reducing decision-making abilities, focus, and alertness. 2. Health Symptoms: Symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and fatigue can be caused or exacerbated by high CO2 levels.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11543918September 11, 2023STEERING
driving this morning when suddenly the car steering wheel stop responding and will no long turn right or left, and almost Couse to a crash with other cars. calling tow truck to tow the car to Tesla. waiting for diagnostic. car is mostly brand new, super dangerous
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11543641September 10, 2023STEERING
At about 11:20pm on September 9th, the steering control went out while we were going around an exit ramp at which point the steering yoke became extremely difficult to use and tried to revert to a straight position in the middle of going around the curve.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11542094September 1, 2023STEERING
I'd like to report a safety concern. There are two issues. 1. the shape of the steering wheel, and 2. the location of the buttons and overall stalkless yoke. I have had this vehicle for a little over a year now, and there have been a number of times both issues could have caused a major accident. The first issue is the shape of the steering wheel. When driving normally, just every day driving, its not so much of an issue. But when you have to make quick, multiple emergency manuvers, the shape of the yoke (the fact that its not round'ish) is problematic. The yoke shape doesn't allow for quick maneuvers that you'd expect in emergency scenarios. The second issue has to do with the location of the high beams and the horn specifically, but could see other buttons being problematic for people with smaller hands than I have. I have attached several pictures with and without my own hands (for reference, I'm 6' tall with a medium build and proportional hand size.) As you can see, my thumbs aren't able to reach the high beam and horn buttons without moving my hands. Additionally, they aren't actually buttons and no way to know if my finger/thumb is in the correct place without looking at the yoke/wheel. This is problematic, because drivers would need to use those buttons quickly. Also, the high beam button isn't really user friendly. When trying to switch to high beams, you have to hold the button for a period of time, and it doesn't always work. Both of these issues are problematic and I recommend a review, as I'm seeing not only tesla with this steering wheel/yoke design, but have seen Lexus with the yoke design too. I work in the DC area and willing to bring my Tesla Model X to show your team so you can evalute the issue first hand. Thanks for your consideration
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11541985August 31, 2023VISIBILITY/WIPER
Critical Safety Issue: Malfunctioning Wipers in Both Auto and Manual Modes. Experiencing nearly catastrophic situations due to faulty wipers during heavy fog and rain at nighttime while driving at high speeds is a severe safety concern. Immediate attention is required, especially with the impending rainy season. Tesla Service's previous attempts to resolve the issue have been unsuccessful. 1. Auto Wipers Malfunction. - Historical Performance: The auto-wiper functionality has consistently performed inadequately. - Current Issue: As of the latest software update (2023.7.30), the auto wipers frequently fail to activate throughout the duration of trips in heavy rain. - Case Instances: This issue was observed on August 29, 2023, at 8:04 pm, 8:08 pm, and 8:09 pm, resulting in zero visibility through the windshield as the wipers did not activate even once when set to Auto. 2. Manual Wipers Deficiency. - Current Issue: Occasionally, pressing the wiper button on the yoke yields neither action nor haptic feedback, sometimes lasting for a few minutes. - Case Instances: This problem was replicated on multiple occasions, including January 8, 2023, at 10:39:33 pm, and July 25, 2023, around 6:57 pm when other buttons on the yoke also failed to respond. Despite yoke replacement on January 6, 2023, the issue persists. 3. Wiper Speed Options. - Having just wiper speed settings (Off, I, II, and III) is insufficient for safely navigating varying rain intensities. This issue is further compounded by a faulty yoke button responsible for initiating the wiper speed change. Conclusion. Simultaneous failure of both manual and automatic wiper systems results in zero visibility, posing an extremely high risk of vehicular accidents. Immediate action is imperative.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11541320August 28, 2023SEATS
When installing front-facing car seats for children in the 2nd row seats of the 2022 Tesla Model X, there is not a safe way to attach the tether strap. While there are LATCH anchors, and a place to attach the tether clip, the strap for the tether cannot pass under or over the fixed headrest, it must pass over the “shoulder” of the seat. This is not effective as no matter how tight a person cinches the tether strap, it slides off the edge of the seat, leaving no way to safely attach the required tether for child safety seats. The owner’s manual displays the seat as if there is a detent that would prevent the strap from sliding off, but this does not exist in my vehicle. When I asked at the local Tesla sales/service center, they said that is simply how it is designed.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11540873August 26, 2023STEERING
Steering wheel left and right signals are hard to control while driving. Narrowly escaped accident because I have to look at steering wheel to press signal button. I am not sure how this signal cleared safety concerns. It happened several times , I stop looking at road and find signal to press it.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539667August 20, 2023EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY/WIPER, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Touch capacitive buttons on the steering wheel and doors are major safety hazard. The touch buttons on the steering wheel for critical functions like blinkers, headlights, wipers and the horn are all moving with the steering wheel (so you have to look down to locate these critical functions while still moving, especially if you are turning at all), and worse, these buttons sometimes fail to activate even when you do push them. I have several times tried to turn on my blinker for a sudden lane change due to a hazard ahead, and the blinker does not respond / activate. My wife was driving and someone started to run a stop sign in front of us - I yelled "HIT THE HORN!" and she replied with "I CAN'T FIND IT!!!" (we were driving on a bend in the road, the steering wheel was not in the neutral position, and the horn is a tiny touch capacitive button). The button on the driver door to get out is the same or very similar, and I have a 30 second video I can forward you of how this button can fail to respond. In the video, you can see the tip of my finger bend when I first touch the button, I move my finger all over and around the button, and nearly 15 seconds later, the button finally responds and opens the door. The driver door also pops out about 10 degrees when it does open, then becomes very stiff and you have to push hard to get the door to open the rest of the way. The button for the headlights is also a safety issue - if you push and hold the headlight button for too long, it locks the high beams on, instead of just flashing them (or a long duration flash). When you push the headlight button, a menu pops up on the bottom center portion of the center screen, that will allow you to toggle automatic high beams on and off, but when moving, it is only there for 2-3 seconds, and the buttons are extremely small, making it hard to change settings for the headlights safely (must look away from the road, and try to hit the small buttons while moving / bouncing around).
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539410August 18, 2023FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
At around 9:10 p.m. on 7/26/2023, I was driving 2 guests on the I-5 highway from Seattle to the airport. The car’s automatic driving assistance system suddenly failed to work. Tip 1: The steering assistance effect has been reduced 2: Lane departure avoidance function is not available; At this time, the steering wheel suddenly couldn't turn, and I felt locked tightly, unable to change lanes, so I had to slowly reduce the speed, turn very, very hard to change lanes, from the innermost carpool lane to the outermost exit lane, slowly The driver controlled the steering wheel hard, and it was impossible to drive on the deceleration road when getting off the high speed. When encountering an intersection, I couldn't turn to the normal driving lane at one time. I drove about 15 miles like this, and put the passengers down at the airport. I slowly drove to the 76 near the airport. After parking the car at the gas station, I searched online to see if this happened to others? At the same time, press and hold the ball button on the steering wheel to restart the screen, and found that the situation did not improve, and the steering wheel was locked tightly. I got out of the car and found that the tire pressure of the four tires was all at 40psi, which was probably related to my hard twisting of the steering wheel. I restarted Tried a factory reset, and after it reset to factory settings, the situation didn't get any better, it was already 11:00 pm, I wanted to fill up the tires to 45psi first, and then called a rescue tow truck, at this time I found that the steering wheel was unlocked , it can be turned flexibly, and after filling up the gas, I went home and upgraded the system again. Thinking about this kind of thing that happened suddenly , I was still in palpitations and almost didn't dare to drive it out again. What's going on in this situation? Will this security risk happen often? How to handle it correctly?
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539077August 17, 2023STEERING
I'm not sure why NHTSA let Tesla remove the horn from the center of the steering wheel. Its now a button on the steering wheel. This is literally something Tesla is trying to fix that i'snt broken. The horn is a critical safety feature. Now that its a button its next to impossible to honk the horn while turning. There are certain tactile features that we drivers have all grown accustomed to and now they are being taken away and making the driving experience more dangerous for the driver, passengers and other vehicles/ pedestrians/ bikers. Please mandate that Tesla keep the horn in the center of the wheel so that we can hit it when its really needed instead of miss critical (mili)seconds looking for the button. I would also encourage you to consider mandating that the buttons on the wheel for signaling also be mandated to stay on a stalk. Most of the time the buttons are sufficient, except again when you're making two quick turns...you shouldn't have to look at the wheel in order to figure out which button signals left and right.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11537872August 11, 2023STRUCTURE:BODY
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, he noticed the rear fender had detached and fallen onto the ground. The contact stated that the driver's side front wheel well had also detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the parts were put back in place using adhesive. The contact stated that the front fender had detached previously but had been reinstalled using adhesive. The contact was unaware of the cause for the failure and why the dealer was using an adhesive to reinstall the parts. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,649.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11536779August 6, 2023BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
I have a 2019 Tesla model 3 with ultrasonic sensors and the parking assist system is great. I always feel like I can trust the system and the reported distances. My 2023 Tesla model x has no ultrasonic sensors and the parking assist system is terrible. So many false positives and false negatives that I just ignore the system. I have to park just by my own eyes and judgement. This puts my own car, other cars and private property at increased risks of collisions.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0