Tesla Model X Complaints

402 consumer complaints on file.

#11609252August 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am writing to express a safety concern regarding the Tesla Model X. I have found that the location of the horn is difficult to identify and activate, especially during emergency situations where quick reflexes are critical. In high-stress scenarios, the horn is a vital tool for alerting other drivers and avoiding potential accidents. However, the current design of the Tesla Model X makes it challenging to quickly locate and press the horn button. This could lead to delayed response times, increasing the risk of collisions or other hazardous situations. Given the importance of this issue, I strongly urge Tesla to redesign the horn button to make it more intuitive and easier to access under duress. Additionally, I recommend that any modifications or improvements related to this concern be made available to all Tesla Model X owners free of charge. Ensuring that this safety enhancement is accessible to everyone will help protect Tesla drivers, passengers, and other road users.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11609197August 18, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Sometimes I’m not able to activate left turn signal. It works most of the time (I would guess it works 95% of the time), sometimes it doesn’t work. Car does not have turn signal stalk, push button on steering wheel to activate turn signal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11608135August 13, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn on this vehicle is a tiny haptic button on the right side of the steering wheel instead of being a large (or multiple) big real buttons in the middle of the wheel. This is a glaring safety issue because it's very difficult to find. The difficulty compounds when under stress or when turning the wheel tightly in a parking lot. At that point it's almost impossible to find the button. Before purchase Tesla told me that I'd be able to swap this steering wheel out for an updated one with a practical horn for $250. I've contacted Tesla monthly for almost a year and I keep getting the same run-around --- that they are not currently allowing the swap.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606691August 6, 2024
STEERING
I was getting a message on my display saying: Steering assist reduced Steering may require increased effort. But in reality, it requires all my strength, to turn the wheel. Very dangerous. Tesla charge to fix $4,100. I’ll have to pay it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605869August 1, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES
when applying the brakes the steering wheel vibrates and car has reduced stopping power. when I took it to Tesla service center they said the "rotor runout is out of spec" the car has 25k miles and new "performance pads" were installed by Tesla as an upgrade in December 2023. the shaking developed after this. Tesla says the rotors are a wearable part and not covered under warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605280July 29, 2024
STEERING
We bought the Tesla Model X as a CPO vehicle from Tesla on [XXX]. Within the first 2 months of driving the car we saw an an alert for “Steering assist reduced” and shortly after the steering wheel locked up making the car inoperable. This has happened twice while driving: [XXX] [XXX] This puts the driver and passengers at huge risk because the car was unable to turn while blocking a major intersection on [XXX] . We have taken in the vehicle in to Telsa Santa Barbara service center and they were unable to reproduce the issues so they did not make any fixes and returned the vehicle back in the same condition. There was a “Steering assist reduced” warning message to the driver before the steering wheel locked up. 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
#11604297July 24, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while stopped at the driveway and waiting for the gate to open, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated, struck the gate, and came to a stop. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11603890July 22, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unable to locate the touch area for the horn in an emergency situation. A couple of times I had a vehicle backing into me, and could not find the horn. In an emergency situation, you need to keep your eyes on the object and not be looking around the steering column where to touch. After dark, it is totally impossible to find. I find it to be a significant safety concern. Now that Tesla is finally releasing ‘24 model X with the center horn I personally think Tesla should replace non-center horns/wheels at no charge if customer desires. Thank you for your assistance in this manner to create a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11603603July 21, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In this model, horn is a small touch button to the right side of center. In the event of emergency- this cannot be easily located. I almost had a crash trying to take off my eyes from driving to find the small horn touch button. The horn should be moved to center of steering- like they finally did for 2024 models.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11602999July 17, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
The trim surrounding my two front wheels, as well as part of the trim on my rear passenger-side tire, popped completely off of the vehicle while driving through a typical rain storm in Central Florida. That is a total of three pieces ejected during the normal course of driving. Part of the trim on the driver's side was protruding, but seems to have snapped back into place. There wasn't a lot of wind, visibility wasn't that poor. Other vehicles had slowed down, as did we, but it was not an abnormally strong storm from our observation. I didn't see any other vehicles we encountered shedding parts like I was. We didn't hydroplane at any point during the drive. The following day, Monday [XXX], I drove down the same road and retrieved the front passenger side piece of trim off of a sidewalk; I failed to locate the other two pieces. I believe this is a safety issue if parts of my vehicle can pop off during a simple rain storm, something that occurs nearly daily during the Summer where I live. 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
#11602998July 17, 2024
AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, SERVICE BRAKES
Description of the Problem: Component/System Failure: On [XXX], while using the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature of my Tesla Model X, the vehicle experienced severe phantom braking and unexpectedly veered off the road near Rio Vista, Antioch, CA. The failure appears to be related to the FSD system, braking, and steering. The vehicle is currently in Tesla’s possession and available for inspection upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) Safety Risk: The malfunction put my safety and the safety of others at significant risk. The sudden phantom braking and veering off the road could have caused a serious accident. Fortunately, there were no immediate external damages or injuries, but the incident highlighted a critical safety failure. Reproduction/Confirmation: The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by an independent service center. Tesla has had the vehicle for over three weeks, claiming to conduct a diagnostic check, but has not communicated any findings. Inspection: The vehicle has been inspected by Tesla, but no results have been shared. No inspections have been conducted by the police or insurance representatives as there was no collision or external damage. Warning Lamps/Messages: There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure. The incident occurred suddenly and without prior indication of a malfunction. Summary: The incident highlights a severe malfunction in the Full Self-Driving system of my Tesla Model X, posing significant safety risks. Tesla’s lack of communication and failure to provide a loaner vehicle during the extended diagnostic period is unacceptable. I am requesting NHTSA’s assistance in addressing this safety concern and ensuring a thorough investigation.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11600483July 9, 2024
SEAT BELTS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, AIR BAGS
I just had a forth occurence of the "safety restraint system error" message on my Tesla. I say forth, because the three times previous, I had to go into Tesla to have them "fix" the issue, only for it now, to happen again for the 4th time. I don't think this is a small issue, and you guys need to know about it. Not sure, this is just faulty service teams, or inexperience, or. they are just failing to fix it properly. But given that the messaging has to do with seatbelts and/or air bags, I think this is pretty important.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598343July 2, 2024
STEERING
My Tesla vehicle is equipped with a yoke (instead of a steering wheel), and a small button for the horn on it. Last week while making a (legal) u-turn, another vehicle suddenly entered my lane. I tried to honk the horn to alert the driver, but given the awkward position of the yoke (in the middle of the u-turn) and off-center placement of the horn button, my hands could not find the horn button and I was unable to honk the horn in time. I came a few inches away from hitting the vehicle and sustaining thousands of dollars in damages. The placement of the horn button on the yoke is a serious safety issue, especially in such situations. I would like Tesla to replace it with a standard steering wheel with a horn in the middle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598049July 1, 2024
STEERING
As I was making an unprotected left turn, the power steering failed. The steering became incredibly heavy. There was almost an accident. Feels unsafe to drive, will be towing to the dealership. Errors: Steering assist reduced, lane assist unavailable. Codes: EPAS3P_a005_sent2mia, torque sensor 2 signal not received.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11597813June 30, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Placing the turn signal 'buttons' on the steering wheel makes them impossible to use when the wheel is not centered. While driving parking lots and roads with immediate left/right turns and or intersections it is impossible properly signal while driving this vehicle in it's current condition. By not being able to signal, it increases the likelihood of a collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11597613June 29, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Horn placement on steering wheel is a small button to the right of the airbag, which is difficult to engage, rather than in the center like nearly all vehicles for the last 50 years. I have had several incidents where I need to use the horn to warn another driver and rarely can find it when needed. Very dangerous and I feel lucky it hasn’t resulted in an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11597451June 28, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Tesla has replaced the stalk, normally used for turn signals, into touch screen buttons on the steering wheel. It is very difficult to use these buttons to switch on the turn signal, especially if the steering is not pointing absolutely straight. In other words, if the steering is turned at even a small angle, it becomes almost impossible to press the correct touch screen button without looking down and therefore compromising attention to the road. This can be dangerous, especially at higher speeds, when a fraction of a second delay in response could result in an accident. To add to this problem, often times, when sunlight is coming in at a specific angle, the touch screen buttons are not even visible! These design issues are increasing the chances of a mishap when a turn signal is needed. It is also causing a driver behavior change where drivers are not giving the turn signal, when it is needed. All this is resulting in increased risk which is not good. Tesla needs to provide some type of fix for this issue as soon as possible. This could be in the form of putting the turn signal stalk back in, or at least, ensuring that the left and right turn signals are on different sides of the steering instead of one below the other. They also need to change the lighting on the buttons so that they don't disappear in certain types of daytime light situations. They should also make them protrude out slightly so that they can be felt with the fingers instead of being just touch screen buttons dependent entirely on visibility.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11597263June 27, 2024
SEAT BELTS
Seat belt buckle is always stuck at second row right seat. Tesla did not fix it during last service appointment. My child has to climb underneath the seat belt.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11597232June 27, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After a recent service call, the driver door that automatically opens when I approach the car with my phone app opens really quickly and big. It used to only opens a small gap. I asked the service center and the said it is due to software updates and it is not adjustable. The problem is that it doesn’t detect ongoing traffic when car parked on the street. The door also hit me twice so it was not able to detect me approaching at certain angles. It is not open in angles consistently that I think it can cause cars crashing into the my car’s door at street parking. I’ve asked tesla service center yo report the problem to corporate but do not trust that they would treat it seriously.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11596872June 26, 2024
STEERING
In dense rush hour traffic at approximately 7:20pm EST [XXX], a bus started merging in my lane just on my side on [XXX] . The horn in the 2023 Tesla Model X is a tiny button located in proximity of the right hand scroll button on the wheel right spoke. It’s difficult to hit in an emergency and in attempt to signal the bus I probably hit the scroll wheel several times instead. Pressing the scroll wheel once activates the autopilot (“full self driving” in my case). The car shook and lurched likely due to the conflicting inputs of activating autopilot and braking (my guess) or for some other reason. The location of the horn as a tiny button on the steering wheel close to other buttons affecting the car steering response is extremely dangerous. I failed to signal the bus and I almost crashed my vehicle in confusion of the wheel shaking response. 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

← Back to Tesla Model X