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

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

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

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

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

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

Car has 38k miles. Front of car started making creaking noises whenever moving. Diagnosed both upper control arms seized. Was told by the technician that Tesla found their error and the new Model Xs do not have this issue. From reading online, this is a VERY common issue for Tesla owners and Tesla is aware.

NHTSA ODI 11585319

Front Suspension Lower Fore Links, yes it is available for inspection. The incident occur while driving the vehicle; which is ground for significant safety risk. The vehicle is in the process of getting towed. Vehicle has not yet been inspected. No warning signs, the vehicle just came out of Tesla Service Center.

NHTSA ODI 11571796

The suspension system on the vehicle failed. The Tesla Roadside Service said I was able to drive it until I could get it fixed. However, that was incorrect information and I, or someone else could have been injured. The vehicle was repaired at the Telsa Service Center in Norwell MA. The warning that came on was something to the effect of auto suspension has been disabled. That was do to the failure.

NHTSA ODI 11564161

I'm including a picture to go with a complaint I entered a few weeks ago. I took the vehicle to a repair shop that removed a broken bolt that Tesla said sheared off. more than 50% of the bolt was still in the cradle. The bolt snapped in a place where Tesla had a notch circling the bolt which made it weak at that point. I had the repair shop replace both of them with Tesla-approved bolts that are identical to the bolt that snapped. It appears that this was intentional and the repair shop indicated that there was no obvious reason the bolt needed to be scored around the circumference.

NHTSA ODI 11560764

On or about August 27, 2023, I heard a loud noise as I was pulling out of a parking spot with my wheel turned to the left. As I drove away and over bumps, I heard loud metal-to-metal sounds coming from the front of the car. I scheduled an appointment with a Tesla service center and took it to them on September 8th, 2023. They found that a bold had sheared in half on the front stabilizer bar. They said it wasn't a manufacturer defect however I disagreed and requested it to be repaired out of warranty at their expense to make it safe and to put a stronger bolt on this time, but they refused. There were no warning lights before this occurred. I had my attorney send them a letter to persuade them to fix it however they have not responded in two months. The vehicle is a safety risk and I have found that this has occurred to other Tesla Model X owners. There is a class action lawsuit in California and Oregon for Tesla Model S and Model X suspension issues. The same car had premature wear of the upper control arm ball joints and the axle shafts have been replaced twice due to Tesla's admission of bad design and manufacturing. I have safety issues with the Fore Links and Aft Links as well.

NHTSA ODI 11555816

Front control arms caused extremely difficult steering. No warning of failure displayed in vehicle. Suddenly noticed difficulty steering with squeaking and clunking noises. Tesla service replaced upper and lower control arms June 2023 and claim it’s a common repair in their vehicles with low miles. This vehicle has 37,100 miles. Sway bar links also repaired May 2022.

NHTSA ODI 11527869

Control arm and both front struts failed

NHTSA ODI 11526087

All of a sudden my vehicle has started making loud creaking/squeaking noises from the front passenger side suspension. It seems to occur with any movement of shift in the vehicle weight. Occurs when stopping or starting to move from a stopped position. It makes me very concerned that the suspension will fail as I’m driving. Using google I have discovered this a very common occurrence with Tesla Model X’s from 2016-2017. I asked my friend and he experienced the same issue on his 2016 Model X. The repair he stated was over $1,000. I believe if this a common occurrence then it should be a known defect. No collisions on my vehicle that could have caused this.

NHTSA ODI 11523411

Issue regarding a persistent creaking noise emanating from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The noise has become increasingly loud, particularly when driving over bumpy roads, indicating a potential suspension problem. This matter has gained significant attention among Tesla users through a widely viewed video: YouTube Video: Creaking Noise from Front Passenger Side (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iG23-p9AOA&ab_channel=KmanAuto) . Multiple Tesla consumer forums have also discussed similar concerns. Tesla service has quoted an approximate repair cost of $700. Due to the potential safety implications and the need for a thorough investigation, I urge immediate attention to address this issue promptly.

NHTSA ODI 11521785

I suffered a catastrophic suspension failure on the front passenger side while traveling at 70 mph (speed limit).

NHTSA ODI 11491559

Under heat and stress, we noticed the front of the car would make cracking and creaking noises. We took the car in and they informed us that the rear linkages of the left and right front suspension and the upper linkages of the left and right rear suspension were worn down significantly due to the weight of the overall car. Our entire suspension needed to be replaced due to significant cracking and stress fractures. Had we hit a speedbump too hard or a pothole, the suspension would have collapsed on us. We're lucky that we brought it in but we can't be the only ones with this issue. We've never towed anything in the car and primarily drive on the freeway with no more than 2 people ever in the car. I know China has recalled the Model X for this reason. Why have we not?

NHTSA ODI 11477449

We were experiencing very difficult turning at low speeds. No vehicle warnings occurred. We took the vehicle in to Tesla service for evaluation. We were told the vehicle was unsafe to drive and they would not allow us to take the vehicle home. They have had the vehicle for 3 weeks and have replaced the "steering column" or "Left-Hand Steering Gear" on service estimate, but in the process have not fixed the problem and are now on week 4 of the repair. In investigating steering issues with Tesla, there appears to be a recall issued for 2015 and 2016 model years involving the steering column. We believe the same issue is affecting our 2017 Model and is in need of a recall as well.

NHTSA ODI 11460965

Loud creaking noise on the front passenger side. This seems to be a very common model X problem. I was told the front upper control arms need to be replaced. I see absolutely no reason why any of those parts should be failing unless it was faulty parts/engineering.

NHTSA ODI 11459919

Model X 100D makes noise during driving whenever I turned the steering wheel. Took it at Tesla service center for service and concurred the my concern and replaced front upper Arm. The suspension contributed to brand new tires to wear out quickly in less than a year. Driver and passengers windows fails to close after opening regularly, Map navigation and live traffic data does not work properly. During car in reverse, rear view camera blanks out. Tesla service center could duplicate my concern.

NHTSA ODI 11456801

While driving my model X on highway, making quick turns on the power steering wheel felt too stiff in order to avoid car or objects. I took it to Tesla service center for inspection and confirmed the issue with the suspension. The replaced Front suspension, lower -Aft-LH/RH. Parts they replaced, Washer cam, Bolt H cam, Washer, Nordlock, Front suspension AFT link, Nut CLN HEX, NUT HF & adjusted camber caster toe. MCU unit continuous crashes or freezing & slow response, web browser, map and slow response to access A/C, I had to pay to replace MCU unit.

NHTSA ODI 11456804

Car shudders at the acceleration. Service center said it’s a widely known issue with front half shaft and clevis mount. Tesla already admits it is a design fault but wouldn’t cover it under the drive unit warranty. Can nhtsa make it a recall? Thanks

NHTSA ODI 11447610

The front air suspension perfectly failed right after 4 years manufacture warranty. It is life-threatening since my right front suspension drops all the way down. If this happens when I'm on a highway at high speed, it might kill me.

NHTSA ODI 11446197

I bought Model X in 2017. Soon the suspension system failed and they had to replace the whole system. Again in Dec,2021 the whole system failed. I was given a quote for $5000 for replacing the compressor and the suspension. When they replaced the whole system back in 2019 I told them the car doesn't seem fine with suspension but they said they will extend the warranty if anything happens to it. But they didn't note that in the system and now they said replaced parts has only 1 year warranty and I have to pay out of pocket for the suspension in 2021.

NHTSA ODI 11443600

As I was backing out of my driveway the passenger side front tire detached from the axel for no apparent reason. There was no accident, alert, or indication of anything being wrong with the vehcile.

NHTSA ODI 11436283

Whenever I turn the steering wheel, the squeaking noise appear. I contacted the service center, without seeing my car, they know that I have to replace the both side front upper control arms which made me believe there is a well-known defect with it. The control arms plays very important role in steering the car, if there is a defect and Tesla won't recall it then it might kill someone after the driver can't control the car due to the defected upper arm.

NHTSA ODI 11435882