2016 Tesla Model X problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Suspension (133) · Electrical System (36) · Vehicle Speed Control (34)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Tesla Model X model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
259 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (12)
Structure:body 2024-08-15 · campaign 24V615000 · 9,136 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016 Model X vehicles. The front and center roof cosmetic trim pieces may be adhered to the vehicle without primer. As a result, one or both pieces of trim may separate from the vehicle.
Risk: Trim that separates from the vehicle during use can create a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla service will test the roof trim adhesion and reattach the trim pieces as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 14, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-12-008. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 20V-710 will need to have the new inspection and remedy completed.
Seat Belts:front:warning Light/Devices 2024-05-28 · campaign 24V376000 · 125,233 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 Model S, 2015-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed July 26, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-008.
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel 2024-01-30 · campaign 24V051000 · 2,193,869 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2024 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, 2019-2024 Model Y, and 2024 Cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-24-00-003.
Electrical System:adas:driver Monitoring:software 2023-12-12 · campaign 23V838000 · 2,031,220 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 Model S, 2016-2023 Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with all versions of Autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the SAE Level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
Risk: In certain circumstances when Autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when Autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 10, 2024. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-008.
Steering:automated/Adaptive Steering 2023-02-15 · campaign 23V085000 · 362,758 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 Model S, Model X, 2017-2023 Model 3, and 2020-2023 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) software or pending installation. The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traf
Risk: FSD Beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 15, 2023. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-23-00-001.
Steering:automated/Adaptive Steering 2022-01-27 · campaign 22V037000 · 53,822 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3, and 2020-2022 Model Y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the Full Self-Driving (Beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Risk: Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-001.
Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System 2021-01-29 · campaign 21V035000 · 134,951 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2018 Tesla Model S and 2016-2018 Model X vehicles with a center display equipped with a NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor and an 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device. When the 8GB eMMC NAND flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the eMMC controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center display functions.
Risk: The eMMC controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the eMMC is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners, and will replace the VCM daughterboard with one containing an enhanced eMMC controller, free of charge. The recall began March 29, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-21-001.
Structure:body 2020-11-17 · campaign 20V710000 · 9,136 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016 Model X vehicles. The front and spine cosmetic roof trim may have been adhered to the vehicle without first using primer. As a result, one or both pieces of trim may separate from the vehicle while moving.
Risk: Trim that separates from the vehicle during use can cause a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will notify owners, and dealers will test the roof trim adhesion, and, as necessary, apply primer, free of charge. The recall began January 15, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-20-12-005. This recall has been superseded by Recall 24V615 (SB-24-12-008).
Steering:electric Power Assist System 2020-02-05 · campaign 20V062000 · 14,113 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Model X vehicles. The aluminum bolts that attach the power steering gear assist motor to the gear housing may corrode and fracture causing a reduction or complete loss of power steering assist.
Risk: Loss of power steering assist would require a higher steering effort, especially at lower speeds, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla Service Centers will replace the steering gear mounting bolts with coated steel bolts, and add a corrosion-preventative sealer to the steering gear motor housing and motor connection bolts. If the mounting bolts are found to be broken or break during removal and cannot be removed, a new steering gear will also be installed. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began February 15, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798
Seats:mid/Rear Assembly 2017-10-12 · campaign 17V639000 · 4,582 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Model X vehicles. The left-side, second row, reclining seat backs may not fully latch due to having incorrectly adjusted recliner mechanism cables. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Risk: If the seat back moves forward in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Tesla will notify owners, and Tesla service technicians will correct the cable adjustment for the left-side, fold-flat, second row, seat recliner mechanism, free of charge. The recall began on November 10, 2017. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-17-13-004.
Parking Brake 2017-04-19 · campaign 17V260000 · 31,709 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2016 Model S and Model X vehicles. The electric parking brake calipers have an internal gear that may be improperly manufactured, possibly resulting in the gear fracturing during parking brake application or release.
Risk: If the gear breaks during parking brake release, the vehicle will not be able to be moved. If the gear breaks during parking brake application, the parking brake may not adequately hold the vehicle, potentially resulting in the vehicle rolling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will replace both the left and right electric parking brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began March 6, 2018. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-17-33-002.
Seats:mid/Rear Assembly 2016-04-06 · campaign 16V192000 · 2,676 vehicles
Defect: Tesla Motors, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain model year 2016 Model X vehicles manufactured September 29, 2015, to March 30, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the third row seat back may move forward under load such as in a frontal collision. As such, the vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: If the third row seat does not remain in its adjusted position, there may be an increased risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will notify owners, and dealers will replace all affected third row seats, free of charge. The recall began on April 20, 2016. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-844-248-3752 or by email at ServiceHelpNA@teslamotors.com. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-16-13-003
Service bulletins (142)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Electrical System 2025-06-03 · SB-25-16-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
on certain model s and model x vehicles, the battery powered pyrotechnic high voltage (hv) battery disconnect will reach the end of its battery lifespan in the near future, which will trigger alerts and may limit the vehicle’s performance.
Structure:body 2024-12-05 · SB-21-12-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
for some model x vehicles built before may 2018, should water seep into the printed circuit board of the rear door cladding sensor, an alert might be displayed on the touchscreen.
Structure:body 2024-10-31 · SB-24-12-008 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
on some model x vehicles, the front roof applique and/or center spine applique may have been applied to the roof without the use of primer, which could cause the applique(s) to separate from the roof. this bulletin employs an improved inspection process which replaces the one for sb-20-12-005.
Unknown Or Other 2024-09-30 · fsd-12-5-4-1_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air
tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. this file c
Unknown Or Other 2024-09-30 · fsd-12-5-4_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air
tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. this file c
Unknown Or Other 2024-09-30 · fsd-12-5-3_s3xy.pdf · Over The Air
tesla does not provide physical owner's manual copies. instead, all available owner’s manual content is integrated into the vehicle software, and only the content relevant for a given vehicle, based on vehicle configuration and software version installed, is displayed on its touchscreen. this file c
Showing the 6 most recent of 142 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-23 · Unknown Or Other“the applique could create a road hazard for other road users and could increase the risk of a crash and injury. we are not aware of any accidents or injuries resulting from this condition, if you experience movements or separation of the front or spine applique from the roof while driving, please pull over safely and contact tesla roadside for assi…”
2026-10-22 · Lane Departure: Assist“full self-drive supervised version 14.3lite. new update pushed to the vehicle by tesla, unsafely removed ability to control maximum speed of the vehicle while using self-driving features. on this particular five- minute drive, vehicle blasted hold the wheel alerts (red warning with critical alarm), no fewer than 12 times, while my hands were still …”
2026-10-12 · Seats“on september 24, 2026, the vehicle displayed “seat unlatched — occupied seats must be secured while the vehicle is in motion.” tesla diagnosed an unavailable second-row buckle signal, seat pitch motor encoder errors, and a seat pitch that would not calibrate. tesla recommended replacing the pitch motor/gearbox assembly and buckle. service verbally …”
2026-10-05 · Suspension“ the failure follows the same pattern every time. at first there is a loud noise from the compressor when the car starts. over time the noise lasts longer. eventually the compressor can no longer raise the vehicle, and it sits at its lowest ride height, nearly on the ground. in that condition the vehicle cannot be driven, and i have had to have it…”
2026-09-17 · Unknown Or Other“my 2016 tesla model x is subject to nhtsa recall 24v615000 for detaching roof appliques. the component was previously inspected by tesla under this campaign. last week, the center spine applique completely detached and flew off the vehicle at highway speeds, creating an immediate road hazard. the service center finally agreed to dp t h e repair but…”
2026-09-16 · Power Train“the car was making a grinding and knocking sound which varied with the engine speed. this noise was confirmed to be coming from the rear drive unit by the tesla technician. the vehicle has approximately 105,000 miles. an internet search revealed it was a common problem. the repair costed $6,502.20. it appears the problem was related to the original…”
2026-09-07 · Structure:body“my 2016 tesla model x is subject to nhtsa recall 24v615000 for detaching roof appliques. the component was previously inspected by tesla under this campaign. august 30, 2026 the center spine applique completely detached and flew off the vehicle at highway speeds, creating an immediate road hazard. tesla service is now refusing to replace the missin…”
2026-07-19 · Vehicle Speed Control“i was driving the vehical when something went wrong. the vehicle showed a warning stating "abs disabled". i was worried by this, when i saw further warnings appear including "safety restraint system issue" "power braking assist reduced" and something about steering. the dashboard also showed "park brake fault" and a red icon with a seatbelt and ano…”
2026-05-04 · Vehicle Speed Control“i own a 2016 tesla model x p100d equipped with the large drive unit (ldu). the component that fails is the rotor coolant seal in the rear drive unit motor. coolant leaks internally into the motor and inverter, causing bearing wear, corrosion, isolation faults, and eventual complete drive unit failure. the affected drive units are still installed an…”
2026-04-29 · Steering · 💥 crash“the rack-and-pinion system failed, causing steering to become difficult at low speeds and worsening rapidly over weeks. it was inspected by a mechanic at ev coastal in santa ana, who said it was not the u-joint or bolt corrosion issue addressed by an earlier nhtsa recall. there were no notifications either visible to me or to the mechanic in servic…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.