What 73 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Tesla Model X 75d

I own a 2019 Tesla Model X. After Tesla upgraded my vehicle from AP2.5 to the FSD hardware module, the front camera view became blurry. I disassembled the camera housing and found that a heated line in the windshield, intended to prevent fog or ice buildup in front of the camera, runs directly through the camera’s field of view. This line now causes noticeable image distortion, which interferes with safety-critical features such as FSD, forward collision warning, and lane keeping assistance. The Tesla service supervisor confirmed this is not my fault. He explained the issue may have been caused by heat from the line gradually affecting the glass, or that the upgraded FSD hardware, which captures clearer images, is now revealing a flaw that was previously less visible. He also mentioned that Tesla redesigned this component in newer Model X vehicles to prevent this issue. However, because my car is out of warranty, they are refusing to replace the windshield. Since the FSD upgrade, I have experienced multiple warning messages while using FSD. On one occasion, while driving on the freeway, the system suddenly disengaged and displayed a message saying the camera had weak visualization and the driver must take over. I believe this is a serious safety issue related to the blurry front camera caused by the heated line in the windshield. Although Tesla acknowledges the problem and that it is not due to misuse, they have declined to offer any resolution. I am now unable to safely use the FSD system I paid over one thousand dollars to install, and Tesla has taken no responsibility. I believe this issue poses a risk to driver and public safety and should be investigated regardless of warranty status.

NHTSA ODI 11667961

While driving normally at around 30mph and without warning, the vehicle displayed multiple warning messages related to the HV Battery and lost all motive power in the middle of the road with insufficient time to pull over, creating a safety hazard. Upon inspection by a mechanic independent of Tesla, the HV Battery was found to have multiple voltage sense leads disconnected from the flexible PCB pads that lead to the BMB for each module. One of the 96 bricks had all four sense leads disconnected, resulting in the loss of motive power due to the inability for the BMS to accurately measure the voltage of that brick. In fact, the vehicle displayed module over voltage and under voltage alerts due to this open/high resistance sense harness connection. Out of all 96 bricks, 13 bricks had at least one loose sense lead, and one brick (besides the affected brick) had 3 out of 4 sense leads loose/disconnected from the PCB pad. Any loose leads were only at the PCB pad end, not at the current collector end. These sense leads are ultrasonically welded through the same attachment process as the cells, but the connections to the flex PCB pad are clearly not as robust as the other connections or are exposed to higher vibration over time due to relative motion of the flex. The flex PCB design was introduced in 2015, just before the Gen 2 HV Battery, and in production until the 2021 refresh. The HV Battery did not ever have any visible liquid ingress or physical damage. It is my understanding through various forums such as Tesla Motors Club that this is an increasingly common issue, and that Tesla is experiencing a high rate of this open voltage sense harness issue at their service centers for vehicles that have not been in any prior accidents or incidents (forums generally only have salvage vehicles that are out of warranty). Errors typically are: BMS_f107_SW_Cell_Voltage_Sensor BMS_f177_OpenVshDetected BMS_w129_SW_BMB_VSH_Connector Or their variants (a129, w177, etc.)

NHTSA ODI 11663590

I got my suspension replaced on my 2019 Model X (that I bought used from Tesla directly) in June 2023. Tesla was suppose to do a through 140 point inspection before putting the car for sale on their website but after less than 2 years and 15000 miles (after the suspension was replaced). The same suspension same issue came up. Tesla told me that they need to replace the suspension again and will bill me $2100. I have owned multiple cars but I have not have to replace suspension on any of my cars ever. How can a suspension fail first at 35000 miles and then again 15000 miles. This seems like Tesla is knowingly putting faulty parts in the car to keep making money on parts and labor. This should be looked into and investigated by National Highway Safety. And Tesla should issue a recall for these and replace them with good quality parts.

NHTSA ODI 11657481

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to you to emphasize and provide additional details regarding the critical safety issue concerning the Tesla Model X vehicles. My personal experience underscores the severity of this problem: I have had to replace over 8 tires in 3 years due to accelerated inner wall wear. This specific wear pattern is a direct result of improper camber alignment, an issue that Tesla has continuously refused to rectify. This problem is not isolated to my vehicle alone. A growing number of Tesla Model X and Model S owners have reported similar experiences, indicating a widespread and systemic issue. The accelerated inner wall tire wear poses significant safety risks, as it can lead to unexpected and dangerous tire failures on the road, which has happened to me. Very dangerous. Despite the clear evidence and numerous complaints from Tesla owners, Tesla has consistently declined to address this issue adequately. It appears that the company’s reluctance is rooted in the fact that proper repair or recall to fix the camber alignment is not cost-effective from their perspective. However, this cost-cutting measure is putting drivers and passengers at risk. Given the scale and gravity of this issue, I urge the National Highway Safety Institute to take immediate action. It is essential to investigate these recurring problems with both the Tesla Model X and Model S models. The safety of Tesla drivers, passengers, and the general public is at stake, and a thorough investigation could compel Tesla to take the necessary corrective actions. Thank you for your attention to this urgent safety matter. I trust that the National Highway Safety Institute will act promptly to ensure automotive safety and hold manufacturers accountable for their vehicles’ reliability and safety. There have been 4 incidents of this happening with my car. Just putting one date below.

NHTSA ODI 11642871

To Whom It May Concern, Service bulletin SB-21-39-001 [XXX] ) was issued for the front half shaft repair for model X, S. In my case, the repair work was done but did not address the issue. They only replaced the parts, and after two years the problem still occurs: vibrations at accelerations, etc. I had to pay over $2000 for the same work, which will probably not address the issue in the permanent matter. Tesla, especially, Model Xs has issues with front half shafts, and I want to encourage NHTSA to look into this bulletin and mandate Telsa to repair the vehicle with a more permanent solution and provide reasonable repair costs in doing so. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11626897

The suspension is making loud clicking noises when turning or accelerating. The suspension system seems to have an inbuilt design flaw as many people are reporting the issue online.

NHTSA ODI 11623713

While I was driving, I got an error on my dashboard that "acceleration and top speed reduced. performance may be restored on next drive". After I got this error, from onwards the car was not slowing down even though I remove my foot from accelerator and sometimes it is accelerating itself even though I was not on cruise control or auto pilot. Luckly brakes were working when it was causing sudden unintended acceleration. After I stopped my car at safe location it did not start, and it got towed to Tesla dealer. My concern is that I felt it is most dangerous and it can cause life threating accident. Could you please take necessary action on this incident which causing sudden unintended acceleration. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11615895

My 2019 Tesla Model X suddenly accelerated as I was going to park and ended up hitting a tree. It did not stop even on braking. The car is currently being inspected by the car insurance company, Geico. I checked online and found known issues of sudden unintended acceleration with Tesla vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11604199

When operating under adaptive cruise control, the vehicle frequently slams on the brakes for no reason. This has become so bad that we are simply terrified to operate the vehicle under adaptive cruise control. The highway is completely empty in front of us, there are no hazards and no issues with visibility on the road. The cruise control simply reacts to a phantom in a highly dangerous manner. > What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The adaptive cruise control - you are welcome to inspect it. > How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? We have suffered two near-miss rear-end collisions at high speed on the Interstate. The behavior throws us against the seat belt restraints, causing near loss of control. > Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? We have raised the problem repeatedly with Tesla, and there are numerous confirming reports by other Tesla owners > Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The system has been checked by Tesla, nothing found wrong. Tesla maintains that they are continuing to "train" the system, but after 5.5 years, there has been no improvement. > Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Nothing - the car simply slams on the brakes.

NHTSA ODI 11586994

Tire inner wear which is due to bad design, it is hard to notice but blows up tire randomly, which is deadly while on highway. Its known issue specially with pre-refresh models, there should be at-least a recall to rectify toe/camber issue in alignment, proactively. almost every single model x owner is facing same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11578807

I was just out of warranty and have a VERY loud squeaky noise when I turn my wheel. I was told that because of the weight of the battery, this can happen. I was told it was not an expensive fix but now they say it's $3,000. It is a known issue and the engineers didn't build to hold the car up properly with the weight of the battery. May be a potential hazard and I don't feel safe driving it and also hard to drive as loud as it is. If they are aware and have since fixed this issue, my car should be fixed at no cost to me. For the record, they took off the cost of the estimate and put all zeros which I also found to be odd.

NHTSA ODI 11572153

Hello, It's [XXX] again. This Tesla has just showed up in the junkyard. [XXX] It has not been in a crash, the back wheel and suspension have simply wrenched themselves off. Information from within Tesla proves that these suspension defects have been known about by Tesla for many years but rather than fix the problems they are covering it up and blaming the owners. [XXX] Proof of this can be found here [XXX] The VW "scandal" involved VW covering up slightly smelly exhaust emissions. The Tesla scandal involves negligent homicide. PLEASE TAKE ACTION AND HOLD TESLA ACCOUNTABLE INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11565387

Randomly while driving both of my motors failed. I was given a message on my screen to pull over immediately which i did. The car completely failed and needed to be towed to Tesla. Tesla had to replace both motors. When I was given the car back it did not drive properly. The car was squeaking when I accelerated and braking. I had to bring the car back to Tesla. They told me the Axils and other parts needed to be replaced now. I got the car back last week and it is still defective, making squeaking and cracking noises when braking and accelerating. Tesla service does not seem to be able to fix the car. The car was never in an accident and treated with the best care possible.

NHTSA ODI 11563922

I was told that I need to replace the full steering column (which costs over $5,600). I understand there are other open recalls on very similar issues for other Tesla vehicles. The car is 2019, Model X, with no prior accidents. I didn't want to put my family in any compromising situation due to a failed steering mechanism, so I opted to pay and have it replaced. I feel this issue needs to be escalated since other vehicles have the same (or similar) problem.

NHTSA ODI 11547722

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front end near the tires and wheel wells. There was a vibration in the front end of the vehicle while driving. The Autopilot feature became inoperable. The "Autopilot camera unavailable" message was displayed. While driving, the instrument cluster went dark. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to a possible camera blockage. The ball joints and control arm were resealed. The vehicle was calibrated and informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 55,482.

NHTSA ODI 11543337

Tesla display and navigation dashboard went dark 3 times while driving on the highway. For 4 minutes I could not see what speed I was going at, I could not give any indication. The risk was that the car could have stopped while in the lane and crashed or caused an accident. This has happened twice before

NHTSA ODI 11541980

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound and vibrated. The vehicle was taken to a Tesla Service Center, where it was diagnosed and determined that the half shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred after 22,000 miles. The vehicle was taken back to the Tesla Service Center, where it was diagnosed and determined that the half shaft needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

NHTSA ODI 11534368

The falcon wing doors fail to open properly and keep detecting ghost objects, ie there is nothing there, but door detects there is something imminently close by.

NHTSA ODI 11525509

Tesla mentioned the seat alga’s a sensor malfunction. It is a 2019. The sensor malfunction impacts the airbag deployment. They will not fix and requires $4100 replacement of the seat.

NHTSA ODI 11517117

To replicate, engage and disengage auto pilot rapidly. While you were toggling auto pilot on and off., flip the switch on the touchscreen. It is possible to toggle into auto pilot, turn off FSD, and then auto pilot becomes active with FSD enabled, in that order. Now it says FSD is completely disabled yet FSD is active and stuck on.

NHTSA ODI 11515644

Car drives erratically. Attached is a photo showing it’s swerves through an intersection towards oncoming traffic. This is for “fsd”

NHTSA ODI 11515646

At the low speed, the car suspension failed (most likely the control arm) and the vehicle swung to the right and crashed into the car bridge rails. As a result of this, the right front wheel dislodged completely, which would not be possible if there were no mechanical problems with the suspension. Tesla Dublin had worked on my suspension three weeks prior to the accident. The full video from the dash cam before and after the accident is available below. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gbVniik6OTrQHAek_k1OfzSAld3btUcu https://share.icloud.com/photos/0019fXn5YAMpzr2s9Yq0oTnfA

NHTSA ODI 11511871

Proof Tesla FSD Beta v11.3.1 Running Red Lights. 1. https://youtu.be/qt56idWv9rw?t=455 2. https://youtu.be/iJbJS-UQIDc?t=1297 Proof it tryed to run a stale yellow light: https://youtu.be/4cJasL0_jFU?t=1404 Proof Emergency breaking Failed: https://youtu.be/4cJasL0_jFU?t=658

NHTSA ODI 11510919

On Jan 1st, approx 6 PM (completely dark), I was driving my 2019 MX (41K miles) traveling at 60-65MPH on I5. All of a sudden, I noticed a series of dashboard warnings popped up with warning sounds -> "Acceleration/top speed reduced", "Performance Reduced", "Service Require", and "Vehicle system shutting down". I had to pull over to the left shoulder due to limited control of my MX and I was only able to coast without any control of my power padel.. It was a scary moment hearing the beeping warning sound and the cars flying by in the express lane. feeling the MX shaken every time when car passes by. I tried to call Tesla roadside assistance and waited for >40 min without anyone picking up the call. Decided to call the highway patrol and we were EXTREMELY LUCKY when the patrol car pulled up to protect us with its flashing warning lights. Because within five minutes of highway patrol arrival, ALL POWER shut down!! My warning light blinker and headlights were out COMPLETELY!!! We could have been in a detrimental situation if the patrol car did not show up and ended up with cars/semi running into our parked MX. After the tow truck (summoned by the officer) towed our MX to the nearest SC (4.5 miles away), we paid the outrageous $930 fee. After the Tesla rep informed me the HV battery and the 12V needs to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11503087

Front Half shafts keep failing due to extreme angles of operation where bearing races are spalled as a result and could result in a high speed failure. Have had 3 replacements in 25K miles and will need a 4th replacement. Lowering car to bring halfshafts more geometrically in line improves halfshaft life, but in turn cause significant rear tire wear resulting in potential high speed blow outs. Adjustable suspension Front and rear links would significantly improve both issues and should be, in my opinion, offered by Tesla as a warranty service bulletin as soon as possible.

NHTSA ODI 11501942