What 141 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Tesla Model X P90d

In the middle row of a six seat Tesla Model X, if one installs a forward facing car seat the latch which connects to the backside anchor of the seat has no integrity. The belt slides from over the seat of the car killing the purpose of the tether.

NHTSA ODI 11554665

The Full Self Driving System failed to operate correctly. This caused my car to hit another car. I have asked Tesla for the data they use to tell what the driver was doing when the system was on but the Tesla staff who respond to my requests plead ignorance of what data I am referring to. I am not ready to spend the money it would cost to hire a lawyer to force Tesla to hand over the data from their system. I have video from the Tesla camera showing what happens. I will try to upload it. Here is a quick run through of what happened: I entered the freeway and got into the left lane. Once I was safely in the left lane and up to speed I turned on the FSD keeping my hands on the steering wheel. After a few moments the car veered to the right, I tugged against the pull of the FSD and got it back in the lane when all of a sudden it turned my wheel hard right into a minivan. It happened so fast that the wheel turned even with my hands on it. I have been trying to talk to someone at Tesla but it is difficult to break through the front lines as they deflect contacts away from anyone who might be able to answer my questions about getting the FSD incident data. The video is .mp4 so it is not allowing me to upload. Please let me know how to send you the video.

NHTSA ODI 11554607

On Oct. 26 at approximately 5:45 p.m. on HWY 26 near Sandy, OR the autopilot system failed by abruptly turning the car into the upcoming turn lain (marked with solid white line) and towards oncoming traffic. I had to immediately take significant corrective action to move the car back into the lane I was traveling. I firmly believe that the car could have cross into the lane going the opposite direction. I definitely was very unsettled by this event. This type of spontaneous autopilot error has occurred numerous times in the past to me (have driven a Model X Tesla since 2016) and I now very seldom use the feature while driving. I have taking no further action regarding this event or others because while under warranty Tesla always come up with rationale that they couldn't find a problem because of loss of connectivity, could not detect a problem, etc. I thought that through the years with their hype and over-the-air updates things would get better but they have not! Thank you for your time. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11552254

Falcon doors failure to open on numerous occasions since Dec. 2020. This is a very frequent issue and I've had it into Tesla 6 to 7 times, they say can't replicate issue, same this past week and 30 min after I got it back same issue. Heat and Sun cause the doors to not open and it's getting worse. Aug 28, 2023 at 10:39 am and on thru Aug 30, 2023 on road trip to and from Phoenix, AZ in Indio CA I stopped for my kids to use the bathroom and neither door would open, override doesn't work and just shows "obstruction" even when there is nothing there, because my kids couldn't get out they were extremely stressed and almost wet themselves, every rest stop same thing, in Phoenix something, on the return trip samething every rest stop and this time one of my kids was sick, thinking he needed to throw up and again the falcon doors wouldn't open. If I was able to find some shade I could get them to work however they would only open far enough so my kids ages 20 and 14 at the time could crawl in and out of them like a snake. This is totally unacceptable, What If My Passengers Needed To Get Out In An Emergency, they couldn't. This past week I had it into Tesla and once again they are not fixed and the same issue again and again, I went so far as to tell Tesla to replace the sensors at my expense to see if that would fix the issue, they refused telling me they don't want to replace parts unless they are sure the parts are defective, Tesla once again just told me to bring it back if it happens again, 30 min after I picked it up the door issue returned but Everytime I take it in they always say they cannot replicate the issue. This is a major safety issue and I would like the help of the NHTSA to assist me in this very serious issue, once again I'm very sure it's the sun and heat that are affecting the sensors, Tesla doesn't seem to really care

NHTSA ODI 11546429

Captain seats in Tesla Model X cars do NOT support a standard child's car seat tether. The headrests are attached. The manual says to route the tether around the headrest, but it's at an angle causing the tether strap to slide down. I do not believe the tether will function in an accident because moving the car seat forward causes the tether to slip off. This is unacceptable— all cars should support a standard child's car seat. My Model X is a "six-seater" and all six seats are captain's seats with attached headrests. There is nowhere to put a car seat with a tether, yet child car seats require a tether strap in the forward-facing position. Please make all car manufacturers provide the safest possible car seat installation. The owner's manual even shows a picture of how to route the tether strap— but the picture is NOT accurate about the shape of the seat. It shows a level place for the tether strap to sit while routed around the headrest, but there is NO level or safe place for the tether strap to sit. It slides down onto the floor.

NHTSA ODI 11541749

The Model X has doors that are electromechanically opened. The "door pop actuator" appears to be malfunctioning and the door can no longer be opened from the inside or the outside, creating a serious hazard for the driver in case of emergency. The only way to get into or out of the car is by crawling through the passenger door. I found others who had the same problem: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11538776

The passenger side middle row seat stopped locking in place. We drove out of our driveway with my 3 year old in his car seat when this happened, and he went flying into the back of the front passenger seat. Had we been driving any faster, he would have been seriously injured. Tesla sent a technician to our home for a mobile service visit. He wasn’t able to fix the problem and said ‘If it were me, I wouldn’t put my child on this seat.’ We then took it to the Long Beach service center, where we were told the seat locking mechanism ‘works’ but it eroding. They wanted to send us home, and I said no. I wanted it repaired. They said that we have to replace the entire seat for $750. I said absolutely not, this is a manufacturer’s defect and a huge safety issue and should not be failing. They did not care. A child is going to get injured.

NHTSA ODI 11537050

I was driving on the highway on Tesla enhanced auto pilot when traffic came to a stop I’d notice my Tesla model X was not about to stop nor slow down for the stopped traffic so at the last minute I had to slam on my brakes and swerved to the right lane where I was hit by a truck pulling a trailer which subsequently rammed me into the truck I was trying to avoid rear ending after Teslas forward collision warning failed to notify me or stop the car from crashing in the first place

NHTSA ODI 11534683

Driving into a car wash, I placed the car in NEUTRAL. The instrument cluster confirmed as much with an 'N' symbol, while I was stopped, in the single-track for the car wash to push/pull the car through the apparatus. The car was pulled into the car wash about half-way (roughly 25-35 seconds of N). Then, the car spontaneously shifted to PARK, and indicated as much with a 'P' in the instrument cluster. No cars were behind me in the car wash, this time. And I was able to re-engage NEUTRAL for the remainder of the wash (about another 35-40 seconds). It is unknown if the car would revert to parking by itself, if I had not activated DRIVE to exit the wash. If it makes a difference, I was in the driver's seat the entire time -- as is the usual custom at this self-serve tracked car wash. This has happened 3 or 4 times before -- usually in connection with the car wash. It is very unclear if this is poor software or a sensor that is to blame. In my other Tesla, it tends to go to PARK without conscious user input when a body lifts out of the driver's seat. So this could be a simple sensor that is a bit touchy in this Model X that is the subject of this report.

NHTSA ODI 11534048

When I purchased the car back in 2018, I had extended warranty that was never added to my account. Went in for repairs and they were going to charge me $3000. I kept asking for my extend warranty. I found the emails from Tesla from 2018 and forward to Tesla. They finally added that I have extended warranty but they refuse to send me a copy of my agreement to see exactly what is covered. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11531314

My front trunk has been opening without any warning. It happened to open while i was driving (luckily not on a freeway) on 6/1/2023 around 415p. It did not open fully but my instrument panel warning light came on to warn me of this issue. I then pulled into a parking lot and closed the front trunk without any further issues that evening. I did not depress any buttons on my key fob and I was not using the touchscreen at the time of this incident which really concerned me. I have also noticed that the front trunk is opening when parked as well without any reason. I understand this has been an issue with other Tesla models so I am concerned that this may be a problem with my vehicle as well.

NHTSA ODI 11526197

Feb 2022 while driving horn engaged and would not go off , had to pull over , steering wheel then locked up and car would not start again but horn continued to go off and had weird smell until it died out. Took vehicle to Tesla service center, was told multiple fuses were blown , mother board and several other electrical/computer issues. May 2023 while parked in driveway horn engaged wound not stop, steering wheel once again locked up and unable to use any features in the car, while looking for fuse to pull to stop horn, noticed smoke coming from under frunk and smelled like something was burning , pulled main front end fuse which stopped the horn and burning. Called Tesla emergency services, advised not to drive it and have it towed to Tesla service center . Tesla repair shop once again said horns were fried along with other electrical problems, the smell of something burning was still present , same as event in 2022. Rear safety belt malfunction alert pops on and off for past 2 years .

NHTSA ODI 11522248

Initially I noticed an issue with notchy steering, which is typically caused by faulty u-joints in the steering column. I took the vehicle in for service on 2/14/23, and the service center confirmed the issue and replaced the lower steering column. Almost immediately after picking up the vehicle from service, I noticed a loud creaking sound coming from the suspension when the steering wheel was turned. I brought the vehicle back to the service center on 3/29/23, where it was found that both upper control arms were "frozen" and required replacement, the lower aft links had play in them, and the lower fore links had cracked bushings. All front control arms were replaced. Luckily all work was covered for me under warranty, but the vehicle is less than 5 years old and has been driven less than 60,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11516840

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that the second-row passenger's side seat belt had fully retracted and could not be pulled out. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center, where it was diagnosed that the seat belt was twisted internally. The Tesla Service Center untwisted the seat belt internally. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.

NHTSA ODI 11515172

When driving in the high setting in there is an abrupt, shaking and vibrating coming from the half shaft connected to front drive unit. Caused by the forces put from the drive unit. There has been 100s of report to Tesla so much so if they have created a dedicated service bulletin. There is a potential risk of catastrophic malfunction to occur if enough wear is put on the front half shaft. Tesla is reluctant to fix it due to its high complexity and cost but several service advisors have admitted it can become a safety concern.

NHTSA ODI 11512831

In 2021, we replaced the suspension air compressor for our 2018 Tesla Model X 75D. Again, only about 8 months later in March 2022, we replaced the suspension air compressor for our Model X. And again in December 2022, we received an alert that the suspension air compressor was disabled. This alert did turn off. However, we started hearing the same noise we had heard back in early 2022. At this point, the suspension air compressor has again failed. Tesla has told us that they consider the suspension air compressor a safety component. However, they do not seem to have resolved their design flaw that is causing it to fail in an unreasonably short period of time. After some research, it appears to be a common understanding that suspension air compressors should last at least 6 to 10 years. And in communicating with people I know, that time frame is their experience on vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11510628

The car squeaks whenever it goes over a bump (not matter how small) or you turn the steering wheel. Sounds like rubber rubbing together

NHTSA ODI 11509613

When the car turns or goes over bumps, there is a creaking and squeaking sound. TONS of Tesla owners have reported this and it has to do with faulty control arms and boots/ball joints. A good amount of people are experiencing this AFTER their warranties have expired causing us all to have to pay for something that should be covered by a warranty. Engineers have apparently determined that "After numerous evaluations, the development team determined that the Tesla control arm had been designed with insufficient moisture protection. Rain drains directly from the windscreen onto the control arm and penetrates the ball joint, which ultimately leads to the unwelcome, irritating squeaking sound and, in rare cases, can compromise steering precision." https://www.ien.com/product-development/news/22431772/engineers-solve-teslas-squeaking-problem#:~:text=Rain%20drains%20directly%20from%20the,cases%2C%20can%20compromise%20steering%20precision. Tesla apparently issued a repair bulletin in 2021 for this when my car would have still been under warranty. I was never contacted about this. https://driveteslacanada.ca/model-3/tesla-begins-notifying-model-3-owners-to-proactively-address-upper-control-arm-issues/#google_vignette

NHTSA ODI 11507399

Tesla has a repair bulletin out for the half shafts of the Model X/S. There is significant stuttering/shuddering when accelerating moderately when the vehicle is in normal ride height or higher. Some folks experience it on the lower settings as well. This is a known issue that owners should not be responsible for payment/fix wise even if our of warranty as it’s a manufacturer defect that causes excessive wear on the tires in low, and on the CV boots and half shafts in normal ride height mode and higher when moderately accelerating. Out of warranty Tesla is still forcing owners to pay $97.50 for the assessment and $350 for the half shafts repair. This is NOT fair to the customers. Paying for a manufacturer defect is unacceptable for consumers and I entreat NHTSA to begin an investigation. Plenty of Tesla forums have this complain noted at length. Here is an example: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/model-x-shudder-shutter-legal-standing.243084/

NHTSA ODI 11505982

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that the vehicle had previously been taken to a local dealer on multiple occasions for various unknown failures; however, the cause of the failures could not be duplicated. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact then stated that after starting the vehicle, the instrument cluster was inoperable. The contact made the dealer aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,000.

NHTSA ODI 11505430

Falcon door windows leaked a ton of water into my vehicle, the falcon door window trim disintegrates. Tesla ended up saying it was the sealant on the window but would not cover it. This is a constant issue with Tesla model x vehicles and all just dismiss it as a “thats just a tesla” problem. They need to be held liable to repair faults in their manufactured products. There is absolutely no reason a consumer should be held liable for a seal on a window nor the trim on a window that disintegrates. That is not at the consumers fault, that is a TESLA problem.

NHTSA ODI 11504215

The left rear passenger window glass shattered spontaneously putting the passenger in the rear seat at risk of injury. This has been happening in teslas as reported in these forums https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/rear-door-glass-spontaneously-shattering.209972/ https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/model-y-rear-passenger-window-spontaneously-shattered.252987/ https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/spontaneous-window-shatter.271266/

NHTSA ODI 11499792

After I started an update as requested on Tesla app, the car was giving error messages. I was able to drive but the errors were - 1. reduced steering assist 2. Autopilot and cruise control not available

NHTSA ODI 11493620

The rear suspension has design problem that even within the alignment spec and normal driving conditions, the inner side of the rear tires are wearing off in an astonishing speed. This is s a known issue to all customers. Just in my personal case, the inner side of the rear tire wear off to thread within about 5000 miles driving and began leaking. This has extremely serious potential danger in local and highway driving situations. Since the normal car maintenance work hardly could take it nner side tire data. Very high percentage of drivers are driving the car with danger now on the road without any knowledge and preparness for the danger. This put not only the Tesla MX driver in danger, but also everyone around the vehicle, which leads this to a imminent public safety issue. Also, the manufacturer's scheduled maintenance is way inadequate, especially they deny any liability on n this problem, and never officially remind the consumer until the problem surfaced. This policy is also extremely unfair to Tesla's frontline workers. They have experience hostile environments from real world to execute this dangerous company policy. A immediate mandatory recall is highly suggested to inspect all MX models affected. Before a sound technical solution is perfected, consumers should be advised with options to safely drive this car, or this car should be banned from public roads.

NHTSA ODI 11489554

Since the purchase of this vehicle the Safety Restraint System Fault Alert intermittently pops up while I am driving the vehicle. Tesla has owners make service appointment in an App which I have done multiple times in the past few years but each time the alert has gone away and the service appointments have been canceled. Turns out now, 4 years later, we have been driving with a faulty restraint system and there is a disconnect between the system and the wiring. Essentially this is a safety issue in that the notification system is faulty and incorrectly and only intermittently warns of possible failure as well as a possibility of the restraint system actually failing in a driving scenario. This problem is particularly concerning because they are unable to correctly diagnose which seats are affected and that includes seats that may have car seats attached.

NHTSA ODI 11486869