Home · 2017 Tesla Model X P90d · Complaints

What 237 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Tesla Model X P90d

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (237)Crash / fire / injury (25)Electrical system (68)Suspension (57)Steering (36)Driver assistance (24)Speed control (13)Backup camera & sensors (12)Brakes (12)Lane Departure (12)Visibility & wipers (11)Lights (10)

Newest first · 237 complaints · page 1 of 10

Aug 5, 2025SuspensionWheels

I am reporting a safety concern related to the suspension system in my 2017 Tesla Model X. The front tires are rubbing against the wheel arch liner, especially when turning or driving over uneven terrain. I have not made any aftermarket modifications, and the vehicle has been maintained in accordance with Tesla’s recommendations. This issue appears to match the known problem involving front suspension fore link failures documented in NHTSA investigations and prior complaints for 2016–2017 Model X vehicles. While I have not experienced a complete suspension failure, the current symptoms are consistent with reported cases where the fore links weaken or fail, causing the wheel to shift and contact the fender liner, leading to tire damage, unusual noises, and potential safety risks. I have reported this to Tesla, but they have not acknowledged this as a known issue for my VIN. However, NHTSA previously identified over 400 instances of similar failure and recommended that Tesla expand their service bulletin to include more vehicles. This is a critical safety concern as it can lead to premature tire wear, loss of control, and further suspension failure. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether Tesla should issue a recall or cover this repair under a broader service campaign.

NHTSA ODI 11678645

Jul 27, 2025Suspension

This is the THIRD YEAR in a row that the Suspension System on this vehicle has failed. This seems like it should be a basic feature of any vehicle - that it should have proper shocks and suspension. The problem is the repair this time is estimated to be at $4000, when we have already had this repaired twice for several thousands of dollars. We drive this car very gently, so there is not an issue of us abusing the vehicle. Also, in China, Tesla was forced to recall vehicles over this same issue: Tesla recalls nearly 50,000 Model S and X cars in China over faulty suspension We would like to know if any recalls will be issued.

NHTSA ODI 11676502

Jun 18, 2025Seat belts

The second-row seatbelt in my 2017 Tesla Model X does not retract, preventing proper restraint of a passenger. Tesla acknowledged the issue but refused to repair it, stating the vehicle is out of warranty. This is a failure of a federally mandated safety system and a clear safety hazard under FMVSS 209. I’m transporting children in this vehicle and cannot rely on this seatbelt to function.

NHTSA ODI 11667735

Jun 17, 2025Steering

The Monitor Screen in the middle of the car is not malfunction. It's not working. All the panels on the steering are also not work. the honk is not working. Nothing is working. It could be due to the internet connection.

NHTSA ODI 11667439

May 14, 2025Airbags

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Restraint System Fault" remained displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local Tesla Service Center who diagnosed that the restraint system sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11660843

May 14, 2025Airbags

Component: Driver airbag assembly required replacement Risk: Airbag assembly seems serious & life-threatening if not functinal Inspected & replaced by: By Tesla service center Symptom: Horn stopped working

NHTSA ODI 11660999

May 12, 2025Seats

The second row bench seats won't recline back to rest position. A safety hazard. It's been a common accuracy. Please help. They will not put out a recall. Look it up online. It's a big problem and Tesla is not doing nothing, but trying charge you $3000 to replace the whole 2nd row bench! Wow

NHTSA ODI 11660495

Feb 14, 2025Brakes

Now I know it's called Phantom or Ghost Breaking. When in cruise control or in autopilot, in certain highway areas from 65 or 70, it breaks down to 25 mph. Cars behind gets dangerously close, as well as the royal scare face I get! There has been two major updates since I bought it, and it still does the same. Since, more or less, I know the highway spots where it happens, I'm ready for it. However, when traveling elsewhere I'm not that lucky. At those high speeds it cam potential cause harm or even death!

NHTSA ODI 11642663

Feb 7, 2025Suspension

Tesla rear camber arms (see the photo silver colored) fail due to the heavy battery load and will incur substantial negative camber angle causing severe inner tire wear and potential blow out of rear tires and causing accident and injury. Those camber arms are not adjustable as designed by Tesla on all vehicles of Model S, 3, X and Y on all vehicle years. This is a design flaw that Tesla was made aware of but they are reluctant to fix it. Also, if we as consumers fix this issue with an aftermarket adjustable camber arms (blue in color in the photo), Tesla would not do the wheel alignment.

NHTSA ODI 11641316

Feb 1, 2025Backup camera & sensors

The rear camera freezes when backing up the car. The issue is noted in the latest model years but this issues applies to this model year as well. Please issue a safety recall. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11640046

Dec 20, 2024Backup camera & sensors

The rear camera failed as I tried to reverse into a parking spot. the whole system froze up and took over 20+ second to finally load happened twice in one day

NHTSA ODI 11631873

Oct 14, 2024Electrical systemAirbagsBrakes

I had a reoccurrence of Incident 11609414. After the original incident I had my car towed to the service center and "fixed". I paid out of pocket since my warranty did not cover the problem they claimed that caused my issues. 5 weeks later I had the same issue recur, while out shopping. My car would not shift into park, the emergency brake failed, my seat restraint failed, my airbag failed, my ABS failed, my steering assist failed. I had to stay in my car with my foot on the brake until I could get my car towed to the service center. Had I taken my foot off of the brake my car would have moved forward into a coffee shop filled with people.

NHTSA ODI 11619734

Sep 25, 2024Brakes

We parked the car in our drive way. On the next day, car says display a `Park Break Fault` message saying 'Parking break did not release - Driving may result in break damage'. When I push the Park button, car console says 'Parking brake not applied - Vehicle my free roll'. I believe this is the same faulty issue that was recalled in NHTSA Recall No: 17V-260, Manufacturing Recall No: SB-17-33-002. For reference, here is the link to that recall: [XXX] . Our car's model year matches the model year specified in that recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11616399

Sep 25, 2024SuspensionSeat beltsBody & structure

Problem #1: The Components that failed are the front wheel fenders, they blew off while driving down the highway, they have since been repaired. the repairman said that these blow off all the time due to how they are installed with plastic clips and glue. My families safety was put at risk because the moment that this happened the sensor was showing something that was about to hit us. had the auto drive been enabled at this time the car could have taken measures to avoid what it thought was an object. We were also put at risk as well as others driving behind us by the parts blowing off onto a highway while driving at high speeds. The component was inspected by the service tech that worked for Tesla. I took the car into Tesla to have the car serviced before driving to California, they cleared the car and said that everything looked great, no warnings or symptoms. Problem #2: On the same drive to California, we had a error that showed as "Safety Restraint System Fault". This error seems to come and go so it may be available upon request depending on the day it is. The safety of my children are put at risk because we will not know when they are taking off their seatbelt due to this error. The Error has been inspected by Tesla on multiple occasions and they cannot seem to find how to fix this. I have another appointment with them on [XXX] to try again to fix it. There is a Warning, but it is very vague and does not let you know where the problem is. Problem #3: Tesla's Front Suspension Arms lose all Grease and start to make a grinding noise while going over minor bumps. This puts people at risk because at any moment the cars suspension could fail while driving due to the ware on the suspension. The component has been inspected by Tesla and they said that I should wait until the other arm starts to fail to replace them both at the same time. No warnings or anything has been shown due to this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11616530

Aug 24, 2024Body & structure

The falcon doors window seals are detaching from vehicle. Part detached and made contact on to another vehicle behind me while in traffic. I asked my Tesla service center and was told I must have the windows replaced to have seal rubber replaced. I was informed by window replacement vendor the issue is common for the Tesla Model X.

NHTSA ODI 11610660

Aug 23, 2024Suspension

I have brought my vehicle back to Tesla 3 different occasions for the same issue ( Suspension failure) The first time, I was told that it was a malware issue. The second time in November 2023, I was told the compressor was bad. They charged me $623 to repair. The same problem with the suspension happened again the end of June 2024. Tesla told me that I had a leak on my suspension and that they could see the leak without me bringing the vehicle into the shop. They gave me an estimate for repair of $2,044. They told me that I had to wait until August 16 to bring it in to get repaired. When I get there the service manager states that they are backed up on repairs and it will take another 3 to 5 weeks before my vehicle can be fixed. I have been paying for a rental car out of pocket for over a month and now I won't be able to get my vehicle until September 6th. Tesla is using this knowledge about the suspension to make money! There should be a recall on the suspension at Tesla's expense. They have cost me thousands!

NHTSA ODI 11610372

Aug 19, 2024Electrical systemDriver assistance

When driving my car last Friday evening at ~5:45pm PST, I was about 1 mile away from home when alerts popped up on my car including- "Regenerative breaking unavailable", "ABS disabled", "Stability Control disabled", "Traction Control disabled", "Steering Assist reduced", "Automatic Emergency Braking is Unavailable" Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault" "Park Assist Unavailable". I drove the last mile to my house and when I pulled into my garage my gear shift would not work to put my car into park. I tried to then do a "soft reset" by holding both buttons on the steering wheel down, and this would not work. I frantically called the nearest Tesla service center and after 20 min the person there told me there wasn't anything they could help me with and gave me the number for Tessa Roadside Assistance. This whole time I had to have my foot on the break pedal to keep my car from moving forward and going through my garage wall into my house. I was on hold with Tesla Roadside assistance awaiting an answer for another 30min, and after talking with an agent he told me to "find a large rock to put under my tires to prevent the car from moving forward", this wasn't a feasible option as I was alone with a 12 year old girl, there are also not any large rocks near my garage. Tesla service then connected me with a towing agency, but let me know that since my car warranty only covers my battery and drive train, I would have to pay for the tow out of pocket. The tow truck driver came about 20 minutes later, so at this point I was sitting in my garage with my foot on the break pedal for well over an hour. There was no way that anyone could power off the car or get it into another gear other than drive. There was no way to access the 12v batter and disconnect the car since I couldn't open my frunk as the car was not in park. without the assistance of a tow truck I could have been stuck in my car for hours holding the break pedal.

NHTSA ODI 11609414

Aug 10, 2024Electrical system

April 2024: Tesla Model X repeatedly failed to download firmware updates, although offered via the car’s UI. The car uses the connected WiFi to download several gigabytes of data every month, but ultimately does not apply any updates. This is a serious safety issue, since it prevents all future software update recalls from being available to this vehicle. May 15, 2024: Tesla failed to fix this issue through remote diagnosis, and requested a service center visit. Tesla engineers diagnosed the vehicle at the Burlingame CA Service Center, and spoke to me on the phone that the root cause was a recent firmware upgrade that has permanently bricked the ECU unit, which now needs to be replaced. Since this ECU unit is not user-accessible or user-serviceable, there is no way for this to have been caused by the customer. Tesla quoted $2048 to fix it, out of pocket, even though this damage was not caused by the customer, or related to regular wear-and-tear, but (as acknowledged by Tesla) caused due to a faulty firmware update issued by Tesla themselves. May 17, 2024: After pointing this out to them, Tesla managers called me, offering to discount the repair by 25%. Many similar complaints about the exact same part (ECU unit) and the same mode of failure (bricked after buggy firmware update) can be found shared online by others. This is a systemic issue, and not a one-off failure for my car alone. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] All I am requesting is that Tesla fix this issue at their own cost and make my purchase whole, but Tesla has not honored that request so far. Thank you! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11607735

Jul 28, 2024Body & structure

The rear doors on the Model X are powered "Falcon Wing" doors. The motorize up in order to enter/exit the vehicle. The doors have ultrasonic sensors that allow the doors to sense if there is an obstacle in the way of the door's path of travel. When the vehicle is in a sunny hot location, the sensors on the doors either overheat, or the heat of the sun warps the door panel just enough that the sensors are fooled into thinking that there is an obstacle in the way of the door, so the door will not open when the rear seat passenger attempts to exit. Under these conditions, pushing the button to open the rear doors causes them to open a few inches, and then the door beeps, and the door won't open any further. In order to get the door to open further, the occupant must hold the "door open" button for a few seconds, the door will beep, and assuming you've held the button continuously, the door will then slowly open. The process from first attempting to open the door, and actually getting it open so you can escape the rear seat, IF DONE PROPERLY, will take 20-30 seconds. That is an awful long time in an emergency situation. While I am glad that Tesla was able to fix my car, it seems insane that this issue isn't a life-safety recall. It is even more insane that I had to pay to be able to safely exit my vehicle. If a "regular door-ed" car had a latch mechanism, that when hot, would warp in such a way that pulling the inside latch would not reliably open the door, would that be recalled?

NHTSA ODI 11604985

Jul 21, 2024AirbagsSeat belts

I have received hundreds of intermittent safety faults which state: “Ssfety Restraint System Fault - Service is Required.” These messages pop up randomly and I have taken the vehicle in several times and no faults are seen during the service appointment. Tesla tells me there are at least 9 possible reasons for such a fault but they never provide me a checklist showing all 9 items were investigated. The last appointment they never gave me any feedback from the initial service center but transferred my car to another service center not stating why and then saying nothing found no precise timestamp was determined although I gave them a photo of the message and the date/time of the photo. Tesla says nothing is found but they want me to pick up the vehicle and wait for the next fault to occur. I stated that these faults occur intermittently and disappear by the time I get an appointment. They don’t offer to keep the vehicle for longer term monitoring or what is the impact of possible safety restraint malfunctions should I decide to retrieve and drive the vehicle. There is general lack of clarity on what other things could be checked given more time or resources, does this fault occur regularly on other Model X vehicles and what if any safety problems have been identified in any of those vehicles that may have been fixed. Tesla provides diagnosis for 1 hour only at $278 to vehicles not under warranty and they said repairs would be In addition to this. Since no other non-Tesla automotive service center can possibly troubleshoot such a complex electronics and software system I am effectively being charged almost $300 whenever the fault is detected so effectively there is no incentive for Tesla to ever fix my car. They have been sending me emails to trade in my vehicle and purchase a new one so there is many reasons to keep this 7 year vehicle broken!

NHTSA ODI 11603637

Jul 3, 20241 injury

Hello, There is a major safety issue with the Tesla Model X. Specifically, it allows unrestricted access to YouTube and video games, which appeal to children, when the car is not on and when there is no key in the vehicle. As a result, my children go to the Model X where they are unsupervised in order to access YouTube and video games. Today, the temperature of the car exceeded 110 degrees with my child in the car. Fortunately we realized that he was out there and got him out, cooled him down, and got him water. We need the ability to disable YouTube, video games, and other content that appeal to children in the Model X. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11598657

May 24, 2024SteeringLane Departure

Tesla has failed to update the software on the car as per the recall notice. Tesla is requesting me to pay 2500$ to upgrade the hardware so they can update the recall hardware. I had reached out to Tesla more than three different times and been waiting for more than 4 months for Tesla to provide the resolution for recall which Tesla has failed to provide as yet t no cost. This is a major safely concerns and due to this I am afraid to drive this car.

NHTSA ODI 11590591

May 20, 2024SteeringTransmission & drivetrain

This year Tesla has a known "acceleration shutter" due to the front CV joints' angle being too sharp causing premature wear. I have been dealing with this issue since the vehicle was new. Tesla has replaced my CV joints 5-7 times and during the repairs they have left bolts out of the vehicle, left bolts loose and damaged the front drive unit so much by bad repair jobs they have had to replace the front drive unit twice. In the most recent episode, the motor mount has cracked and was making a loud banging noise under acceleration and declaration. Most concerning is the fact I found some brake lines not in their keepers and they were rubbing on this mount. (I have photos). I have had my vehicle at 3 different Tesla service centers and at least two are inadequate. My concern, especially with the loose and missing bolts, is the sense of bad workmanship which could lead to a real problem in the future. I have, myself, fixed the brake line issue and tightened the motor mount bolt and the car is fine but don't know what else is not done properly, so I will be asking a service center (over , 100 miles away) to please check to make sure there isn't anything else loose due to the front drive unit being replaced. I also have another bad half shaft which was replaced about 10,000 miles ago back in October of 23'. I have pictures of all this nonsense if you are interested. But again, my concern is what if they leave something important loose that can kill someone. I've had many episodes of shoddy workmanship from two different service centers. Hundreds of miles apart. It appears to be either a training or culture issue. The jury is still out on the 3d service center, but it's not looking good at the moment.

NHTSA ODI 11589795

May 5, 2024Speed controlDriver assistanceLane Departure

While driving CA-17, as is frequently the case, I had to disengage automatic steering several times to correct its poor lane keeping. Much to my surprise, the vehicle stopped maintaining speed, creating a dangerous situation with vehicles behind me as the uphill road caused the vehicle to rapidly decelerate the second I turned the wheel. After experimentation, I discovered that Tesla has completely removed cruise control capabilities from these vehicles unless you completely disable the FSD beta functionality, which makes this vehicle highly unsafe to drive in any environment where autosteer is inadequate, including CA-17. Further, this isn't just unsafe on weird highways. This poor decision on Tesla's part could very easily cause rear-end collisions on freeways. Nobody in their right minds would expect a vehicle to suddenly massively decelerate just because you correct its poor steering. This is just plain DANGEROUS. This so-called "Full Self Driving (Supervised)" version needs to be recalled immediately, and Tesla MUST be forced to make cruise control fallback available regardless of the FSD state. Until they do, it is fundamentally unsafe to allow Tesla vehicles to remain on public highways and freeways with FSD (Supervised) enabled.

NHTSA ODI 11587001

May 3, 2024Electrical system

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model X. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V838000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with the Autonomous Self-Driving mode activated, the Auto-steer feature was engaged, and the vehicle inadvertently steered into the left lane of oncoming traffic. The contact manually steered the vehicle away from the oncoming traffic. An unknown dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11586860

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Working with the data? Download all 237 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 22, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Tesla Model X P90d verdict →