2018 Tesla Model X problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Suspension (35) · Vehicle Speed Control (19) · Electrical System (13)
🧭 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
69 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (9)
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:electric Power Assist System 2022-11-01 · campaign 22V818000 · 40,168 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S and Model X vehicles. The electronic power assist steering (EPAS) system may experience a loss of power steering assist when driving on rough roads or after hitting a pothole.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update to recalibrate the EPAS system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 31, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-014.
Back Over Prevention:display Function 2022-03-18 · campaign 22V169000 · 947 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Model S, Model X, and 2017-2020 Model 3 vehicles equipped with Autopilot Computer 2.5 and operating certain firmware releases. The rearview image may not immediately display when the vehicle begins to reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: A delayed rearview camera image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 17, 2022. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-22-00-004.
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.
Forward Collision Avoidance: Sensing System: Camera 2021-10-29 · campaign 21V846000 · 11,728 vehicles
Defect: Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Model S, Model 3, Model X, and 2020-2021 Model Y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (FCW) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (AEB) system.
Risk: Unexpected activation of the AEB system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla Service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began October 25, 2021. Owners may contact Tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is SB-21-00-004.
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.
Service bulletins (102)
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.
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
Unknown Or Other 2024-09-30 · 2024.38_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 102 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other“following battery replacement under service order #xxx at a tesla service center, my 2018 tesla model x 100d (vin [xxx]) was returned with the underbody belly pan visibly detached and drooping toward the road surface. fasteners were not reinstalled after service. additional post-service issues include: recurring "electrical system power reduced — v…”
2026-09-11 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“i am reporting a serious fsd safety-related software issue. while fsd was engaged, my 2018 model x 100d (hw3, software 2026.26.6.1, fsd 12.6.4) unexpectedly came to a complete stop in the middle of the street twice. please do not treat this as a repair estimate. i am requesting that tesla review the fsd telemetry/event logs for both incidents and …”
2026-08-18 · Electrical System · 72,929 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2018 tesla model x. the contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the vehicle became stuck in drive(d) and failed to shift to park(p). due to the failure, the safety system locked the doors, and the contact was trapped inside the vehicle. the front end of the vehicle struck the garage door, causing damage to the g…”
2026-08-16 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings“my vehicle intermittently and without warning disables autopilot/cruise control while driving, most consistently during hard acceleration from a stop or low speed. the touchscreen displays "take over immediately" and autopilot becomes completely unavailable for the remainder of the drive. the system only resets after the vehicle is parked and allow…”
2026-08-03 · Vehicle Speed Control · 💥 crash“while driving on fsd (full self driving) the vehicle was turning off the road into a parking lot and sped up and hit a vehicle while i was pressing the brake to the floor! i had to brace for impact when i hit the vehicle. i have requested the data and telemetry logs from tesla. everything was fine before the crash. husband had a similar incident a …”
2026-06-14 · Structure:body“the falcon doors on the model x, when it is a hot day, and the sun is hitting the door, these doors will not open under any circumstance, resulting in a major safety issue. should there be an accident, a fire or other issue where someone needs to exit the vehicle, they are simply not able to do so under any circumstance! this is a known problem…”
2026-05-23 · Structure:body · 💥 crash“the automated emergency brakes did not activate. this car hit the next car on the street. i was driving when i noticed the brake lights on the car in front of me, so i applied the brakes. though it did not work, as this car is equipped with the automated emergency brakes feature, it was expected that the car would activate the feature to stop to av…”
2026-05-10 · Structure:body“the falcon doors will not open under any circumstance if the car is sitting in the sun. this is a known issue by tesla with thousands of online complaints by owners. it seems the glue that holds the sensor comes loose in the heat. this is a major safety issue by nhtsa’s own standards. not being able to exit the vehicle is directly listed as a reas…”
2026-04-19 · Electrical System“for the past year, the battery will not hold it charge. i am getting about 30% of predicted mile range in colder weather and about 50% of predicted range in warmer weather. this makes the car unusable except for short trips and even then requires frequent charging. in addition, intermittantly, it will not charge quickly at a supercharger. whe…”
2026-03-16 · Unknown Or Other“i own a 2018 tesla model x that has multiple breakdowns ( 3 times to date: feb.28, 2026, mar.7, 2026, mar.14, 2026) resulting in the vehicle becoming undriveable and could not be shifted out of neutral. during driving on separate occasions, the vehicle displayed multiple safety warnings and critical systems became disabled. alerts shown on vehicle …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.