Home · 2018 Tesla Model X P90d · Complaints

What 141 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 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 (141)Crash / fire / injury (29)Suspension (34)Electrical system (26)Driver assistance (20)Body & structure (15)Speed control (15)Brakes (10)Seats (10)Seat belts (8)Airbags (7)Steering (7)

Newest first · 141 complaints · page 3 of 6

Sep 6, 2022Driver assistance

https://youtu.be/yRdzIs4FJJg "Autopilot is set to shut down 1 second before any impact. Makes the driver 100% in control before an accident. Makes the driver 100% responsible. Tesla has killed two motorcyclists in the past 4 months. At night the ai can't tell the difference between a motorcyclist up close and a car far away. So, it assumes car and runs right into it. Another interesting issue with teslas autopilot. They claim its 10x safer than a person. That not true. The claim is based on sheer accidents per mile. Autopilot is only really used on the highway, eating up miles quickly and in an environment where, although consequences of crashes can be more severe, they happen less often. When adjusted to compare highway driving autopilot to highway driving people, it's really only about as safe as a person, if that. In their 2022 cars tesla has done away with radar. So all new teslas have no idea the true distance something is from them. They are 100% cameras, while every other autonomous driving company is utilizing LiDAR. LiDAR is expensive and ugly. That's why tesla isn't using it. And taking radar out of their cars was just another cost savings measure. They were having a problem with the video and radar being at odds as to what's in front of the car. So instead of spending the money to fix it and fuze the sensors into a more robust solution. They just ditched radar and make the assumption that the video analysis is correct."

NHTSA ODI 11483069

Aug 26, 2022Body & structure

While the vehicle was parked in my garage, after I removed a car seat from the rear driver side passenger seat, the door would not lock and stay closed. Because of this the vehicle would stay on and continue to give me a drivers side rear passenger door open alert. When I attempted to drive the vehicle, it would constantly give me a warning that the door was open and a distractive noise alert would activate that hindered or disturbed my ability to concentrate on the road. I went to the tesla Pomona service center and they insisted that it was safe to drive and road worthy. While on the freeway I could hear air come into the vehicle and I could also smell diesel exhaust. Whenever I parked the vehicle, the vehicle would remain on and unlocked, which would drain the battery.

NHTSA ODI 11481397

Aug 12, 2022Driver assistanceCrash1 injury

My wife was driving the car in was turning left on to a major road, she apparently hit another car trying to turn right on to the major road from opposite side. Both cars must have started from a stop sign and neither of them knew the speed. My wife does not remember the details of the incident, she was shaken up, initially declined to seek medical care but soon after could not recognize people, so had to be taken to ER. The car with all the technology failed to alert the impending crash, did not apply emergency brakes, nor did not record the event which it was supposed to have.

NHTSA ODI 11478960

Jul 12, 2022Crash

incomplete list: overheating infotainment system cameras fail condensation blocks or blurs cameras sensors fail infotainment system failure eg lag or black, in part or while, including while driving locked out of or into car defective defroster failed power steering alignment; Tesla replaced axles three (3) times, breaks, leaks; uneven tire wear, premature replacement of tires car in gear to reverse but drove forward, could not drive in reverse; written police testimony falcon wing doors crushing car, no longer sound proof, weather proof; to demonstrate doors injuring people and pets video recorded doors chopping carrots battery 60% of range under the best of conditions eg no climate, fair weather, no tow, no USB charging, no interior lights and so on records: over twenty four (24) repairs by Tesla photos, videos, screen shots witnesses attempts to resolve with Tesla: Tesla failed to repair, refused to service, refused extended warranty, refused buy back, refused trade in, refused replacement The consumer stated the hood does not heat up, during the winter snow will stick make it visibly impossible to see.

NHTSA ODI 11473604

Jun 28, 2022Seats

The seats behind the driver are a 2:1 split design with each side being able to be adjusted backwards and forwards. The latching mechanism on the larger of the two pieces failed in a way that left the seat free to slide backwards and forwards. This is extremely dangerous as it could result in crush injuries to the occupant of the seat. If a child seat was installed, it could result in fatal whiplash. I have a video of the seat moving freely as pictures don't really help describe the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11471349

Jun 14, 2022Suspension

Under normal acceration..the car shake and vibrate violently. This is a known Tesla design flaw on all MODEL X. Tesla even issue a Technical Service Bulletin to address the design flaw. This shudder...shake... and vibration is very dangerous and could cause the drive shaft to separate from the drive unit. This will cause an abruption separation and stall in a middle of an intersection

NHTSA ODI 11469196

Jun 9, 2022Driver assistanceCrash

While driving on an interstate freeway on 8-14-2021, using the vehicle Autopilot driver assistance mode (which I had been using for the previous 18 months without incident), the vehicle failed to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me. This collision resulted in no passenger injury, but resulted in both driver and passenger airbags to engage and resulted in total vehicle loss of the Tesla Model X. No other vehicles involved had airbag engagement. Tesla may have actual information on the functioning of the vehicle and the Autopilot software that may explain why the collision avoidance system failed, but refused to supply me with this information.

NHTSA ODI 11468429

Jun 4, 2022Suspension

Under normal acceleration, car shake and vibrate violently. This is a known design flaw in all AWD model x and s. Tesla issue a TSB...but still refuse to fix design flaw for free

NHTSA ODI 11467531

May 16, 2022BrakesDriver assistance

On May 15. 2022 at 4:25PM while traveling north on highway 395 about 14 miles south of Bishop Californa. While traveling with little to no traffic, using adaptive cruise control (NOT SELF DRIVING) the vehicle suddenly stopped for no apparent reason in the middle of the highway. Fortunately, there were no cars behind us otherwise I probably would not be writing this. I have registered a similar complaint back in March for the same issue. We have had a total of 4 “phantom braking” incidents since buying the car in October 2021

NHTSA ODI 11464907

May 4, 2022Suspension

Tesla Model X has a camber issue that is a design flaw base on its weight and torque, The camber on Model X is fixed and non adjustable. Its setting cause most of the Model x to wear excessively on the inner wall of the tires. Consumer can not visually see the wear section unless the tires are dismounted. This hidden flaw may cause drive to have a blown tire if not check regularly, it also cause owner to get brand new tires when its 1/3 of tire warranty life. This can be easy fix by recall all Model x and switch out a camber that's adjusted to the right weight and Torque or switch it out with a adjustable camber for service center to be able to adjust the camber to make the tire wear out evenly

NHTSA ODI 11463403

May 2, 2022BrakesDriver assistance

Our Tesla has had the “phantom braking” on 3 occasions. The first incident happened on southbound interstate 5 near firebaugh. right after we purchased the car. The car suddenly stopped from 70 MPH to about 25 MPH in the middle of the freeway. The second event on northbound 395 at 2:45pm 3/20/2022The car went from about 60 mph to about 25 with out warning. It happened once again at about 4:03PM the same day. All of these events occurred while the car was in adaptaive cruise control, it in self driving mode. I have one event on video, that showed skid marks ahead at the same time the braking occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11463136

Apr 10, 2022Speed controlDriver assistanceLane Departure

While driving at speed approximately 4:20PM EST April 9th, 2022 on I95 near the Georgia/South Carolina border the onboard computer froze and became unresponsive, including the speedometer, the radio, navigation system, etc.. I became aware of the issue because the car started to slowly slow down but the display continued to show 70 MPH. I forced the computer out of Autopilot but the car continued to show it was in autopilot. shortly after the display behind the steering wheel went blank then rebooted, followed by the center console. thankfully I was paying attention and did not panic, had I panicked I could very easily been in an accident as I did not know what was going on with the car. I reached out to tesla multiple times following the incident and the agents and agents were non-caring and treated it as no big deal, and acted as if I should not be concerned about it. I could not even get assistance from them on getting service for the car. they kept pointing me to the Mobile app on the phone which would not function properly and after typing the incident into as I wrote above 3 times I gave up.

NHTSA ODI 11460294

Mar 7, 2022Driver assistance

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70-75 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,200.

NHTSA ODI 11455592

Mar 3, 2022Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving downhill at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The suspension warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local service center and diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 45,000.

NHTSA ODI 11454981

Feb 17, 2022Electrical systemCommunication

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the media control unit (MCU) display screen and instrument cluster became inoperable. The contact restarted the vehicle and on the third attempt, the media control unit operated as designed. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the MCU was operating as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,300.

NHTSA ODI 11452541

Feb 17, 2022BrakesDriver assistance1 injury

I was driving down a ramp and the emergency brake engaged, causing All of my belongings in my passenger seat and rear seat to fly off the seat. It felt like whiplash and my daughter was in the backseat as well. The next day, I had severe neck and upper back pain to the point that I couldn’t move. I am seeking care with a chiropractor.

NHTSA ODI 11452563

Feb 3, 2022Electrical system

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in self driving mode, the vehicle would experience phantom braking during events when a vehicle was not in front of the contact’s vehicle. The contact spoke to a dealer and they informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

NHTSA ODI 11450297

Jan 20, 2022Airbags

May 21, 2021 air bag had to be replaced, horn did not function as well as other components of the unit on the steering wheel. I am now dealing with the same issue again and the air bag and horn again are not work less than a year later after replacement. I will be getting it serviced again.

NHTSA ODI 11448136

Dec 15, 2021Transmission & drivetrainBody & structure

Dealing with 2 major safety issues and innumerable minor issues with our Model X. The first major safety issue involves our right falcon wing door. It will not properly open because it is sensing an obstruction that’s not there. The mobile tech told us that something inside the door has become disconnected causing the issue - clearly something that is occurring frequently. I’m struggling to get the vehicle repaired with Tesla and very worried that my kids will become trapped in an emergency. The second major issue is the front axles grinding down over time. My car is only 3.5 years old. My front axles have already been replaced once. They are beginning to make the “clunking” sound loudly enough that it is clear they need to be replaced again. Again, Tesla will make it incredibly difficult to get in and get the needed repairs on my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11443952

Nov 14, 2021Visibility & wipers

Tesla wiper stopped working during drive, rendering it impossible to view the outside. I had to pull over on the side of the road and shut the car down. After rebooting the car, the driver side wipers came back functional, the passenger side is non operable. This happened while driving, while there was moderate amount of rainfall - thereby creating a totally unsafe condition for myself and other people on the freeway. When I contacted Tesla for service, they have given me an appointment 1 month from today to rectify the problem - this is needless to say unacceptable and the expectation that I continue to drive a vehicle without functional wipers goes against current FMVSS regulations that I am aware of.

NHTSA ODI 11440391

Oct 15, 2021Suspension

The suspension is very loud, and sounds like it is going to break. A Tesla technician who was fixing another issue indicated that it is the Upper Control Arm, which seems to be a constant issue with this car. While we did schedule this to be fixed (for next week - they have estimated the cost of repair is over $1000), I fear that it could be a significant safety issue if there were a failure of the upper control arms. No warning light or any other type of warning occurred, which could lead others to not know they need to get this fixed. Tesla has issued a recall in China for this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11436930

Oct 5, 2021Body & structure

The fender garnish on both the driver and passenger side of the car is falling apart. The adhesive on the fender garnish fell apart and was hanging off the side near the wheels. It was replaced by Tesla on 8/2/21(driver side) and 9/11/21(passenger side), and now on 10/4/21 both fender garnishes are falling apart yet again! On 10/5/21, The Tesla technician looked at the replaced fender garnishes and is ordering another set. This continues to be a safety risk because the fender garnishes are detaching near the wheels and can cause an accident. No messages or warning lamps were given to the driver prior to the fender garnishes detaching, other than the driver and nearby passengers noticing the detached fender garnishes.

NHTSA ODI 11435638

Jul 4, 2021Electrical system

Main touchscreen failed while reversing the car leading to loss of rear view camera. Car was being back out from a crowded parking area after an event risking the health and safety of pedestrians and other vehicles. Failure was sudden and complete without any warning signals. Failure has happened at least twice in the past 2 months, and 2-3 times before that since 2018. It seems to be getting more frequent. Dealer claims this a "software issue" that engineers are working on

NHTSA ODI 11423410

Jun 12, 2021Electrical system

While driving on interstate highway at 75 mph, the instrument display and MUC display both go blank. The cruise control did not disengage. No display of vehicle speed, rear camera or other parameters. The display did not return after approximately 2 minutes. The driver then instituted a reboot while still driving. After another 1 to 2 minutes, the instrument panel began to redisplay information. The MUC subsequently displayed information. This is a first time event for this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11420672

Jun 7, 2021Tires

Owner of a 2018 Tesla Model X 100D with 35,499 miles had an accident on June 3rd 2021 due to a full thread loss of the passenger front tire. She was driving to work at the speed limit, early in the morning. Without any alert of pressure loss, the thread separated from the tire, causing the whole belt to hit the interior part of the front fender, causing a loss of control of the vehicle until the complete stop. Luckly, no other cars were involved in the accident. Driver was unable to move the car. Later, the car was towed to the Tesla center in Fresno, CA. Four days later, the car was moved to a body shop. The accident caused substantial damage to the car, well above the cost of a new tire. We have contacted Continental customer service and Tesla. Apparently, the tire is being recalled, but neither Tesla or Continental alerted us.

NHTSA ODI 11420041

← NewerOlder →

Working with the data? Download all 141 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 2018 Tesla Model X P90d verdict →