2018 TESLA MODEL X Structure Problems
18 complaints about Structure
High Severity Issue
This component has been associated with crashes, fires, or deaths.
This Problem Across All Years
All Structure Complaints (18)
The auto close feature on the Tesla Model X can quite dangerous. I’ve been hit by it unexpectedly closing several times. The most recent time, the rear trunk closed on me while I was taking out my grocery bag out of it. It hit my forehead, and I got a major bump. I ask NHTSA to investigate if there’s a manufacturer defect, so us Tesla owners are not further injured.
The auto close feature on the Tesla Model X can quite dangerous. I’ve been hit by it unexpectedly closing several times. The most recent time, the rear trunk closed on me while I was taking out my grocery bag out of it. It hit my forehead, and I got a major bump. I ask NHTSA to investigate if there’s a manufacturer defect, so us Tesla owners are not further injured.
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
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)
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.
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.
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/
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.
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.
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.
MY TESLA MODEL X FALCON WINGS DO NOT OPEN AT TIMES. THEY SENSE AN OBSTRUCTION WHEN THERE IS NONE. MY KIDS HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE CAR BECAUSE THE DOORS DO NOT OPEN. I HAD TO CRAWL THROUGH THE TRUNK TO GET MY KIDS OUT OF THEIR CAR SEATS. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS PARK/NOT IN MOTION. *TR
Mileage: 30,000
CENTRAL CONSOLE SCREEN STOPPED WORKING FOR A FEW MINUTES. DURING THIS TIME FRAME, THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS OF THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY RECOMMENDED OPTION FROM THE MANUFACTURER IS TO REMOVE THE SPEAKERS ON THE REAR DOOR PANEL AND THEN PULL ON EMERGENCY RELEASE. THERE IS NO WAY A PASSENGER CAN REMOVE THE SPEAKERS WITHOUT TOOLS. THIS CAN LEAD TO A SAFETY ISSUE, WERE THE REAR PASSENGERS HAVE NO MECHANICAL WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR TO ESCAPE THE VEHICLE. SIMILARLY WHEN THE SCREEN IS NOT RESPONSIVE, THERE IS NO WAY TO ACTIVATE THE REAR DEFOGGER OR DEFOG THE FRONT WINDSCREEN. THIS SITUATION DRASTICALLY REDUCES VISIBILITY AND CAN LEAD TO AN UNSAFE CONDITION ON THE ROAD. WHEN THE FRONT DISPLAY IS BLANK; THE DRIVER GETS NO POSITIVE FEEDBACK WHETHER A TURN SIGNAL HAS BEEN ENGAGED - NO VISUAL INDICATION OR AUDIBLE CLICKING NOISE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO CHANGE LANES SAFELY; NOT KNOWING WHETHER BLINKERS ARE ON OR OFF. WHEN THESE CONDITIONS HAPPEN VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION IN BOTH FREEWAY DRIVING CONDITIONS.
Mileage: 12,000
IT HAPPENED AT 7/21/2019, 1PM. THE PLACE IS A PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF A STORE. I WAS DRIVING MY TESLA X. BEFORE I REACHED THERE, I WAS ALREADY IN THAT PARKING LOTS FOR SEVERAL MINUTES; THE SPEED WAS VERY LOW, ABOUT 3 MILES/HOUR. WHEN I FOUND THE STORE, I WANTED TO TURN LEFT AND PARK NEXT TO A CAR IN FRONT OF THE STORE. AT THAT TIME, I LOOSED THE ACCELERATOR PANEL. SINCE MY TESLA HAS THE DEFAULT REGENERATIVE BRAKE SETTING, THE CAR SPEED IS ALMOST ZERO. AS USUAL, I TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT OF THE ACCELERATOR PANEL TO PARK INTO THE PARKING SPACE. HOWEVER, THE TESLA HAD A BIG ACCELERATION DURING THE TURN. I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG, THEN ELEVATED MY FEET AND TOUCHED NOTHING AT THAT TIME. MY TESLA STILL FORWARDED AND JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT THE CONCRETE GARBAGE BIN IN FRONT OF THE STORE. AFTER TESLA CRASHED THE CONCRETE GARBAGE BIN, IT STILL HAS ACCELERATION AND MOVED FORWARD. IT SCRATCHED A CAR, WHICH WAS PARKING IN THE NEXT PARKING SPACE, THEN MOVED FORWARD UNTIL IT HIT THE WALL OF STORE. I'M 100% SURE MY FEET TOUCHED NOTHING BEFORE MY TESLA JUMPED THE CURB.
Mileage: 7,084
SUDDEN ACCELERATION PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE HEAD FIRST WITH FOOT ON THE BREAK. NEXT THING MY WIFE KNEW WAS THAT SHE HAD JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT 2 OTHER CARS. HER FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. TESLA DOWNLOADED THE BLACK BOX. TESLA TOLD US THAT THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT 3 MPH AND THAT THE ACCELERATOR HAD BEE DEPRESSED. TESLA REFUSED TO SHARE THE BLACK BOX PRINT OUT DUE TO "PROPRIETARY INFORMATION". 3 MPH IN A PARKING LOT, DRY PAVEMENT, CLEAR SKY, 10:00 AM. REPAIR ESTIMATE WAS LOW BY $10,000.
Mileage: 177
USING THE SELF-PARK SYSTEM, FROM A STATIONARY POSITION AND PRESSING THE TOUCH SCREEN PROMPTS TO USE THE SELF-PARK, AND HAVING HANDS AND FEET AWAY FROM THE GAS, BRAKE AND STEERING WHEEL, AND PARKING BETWEEN TWO CARS, THE CAR ACCELERATED BACKWARD ON ITS OWN AND I HAD TO SLAM MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO STOP IT BUT IT STILL HIT A POLE GOING IN REVERSE AND DAMAGED THE BODY OF THE CAR. HAD I NOT HIT THE BRAKE MY SON AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. TESLA HAS DENIED RESPONSIBILITY.
Mileage: 7,500
TRUNK FLEW OPEN WHILE DRIVING AFTER SCREWS ATTACHING LATCH TO HOOD STRIPPED OR LOOSENED TO POINT OF DETACHING.
Mileage: 9,200
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TESLA MODEL X. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO DRIFT FROM SIDE TO SIDE. LATER, A SCRAPING NOISE WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY WOULD NOT MOVE. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL HAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE WHEEL WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND REPAIRED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,800. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.
Mileage: 7,800
WHEN SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN JUMPING THE CURB AND SLAMMED INTO A CHAIN LINK FENCE. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT IT DIDN'T RESPOND. MY TEN YEAR OLD CHILD WAS IN THE BACK SEAT AND THANKFULLY WE ARE BOTH UNHARMED. THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT OF THE CAR ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS DURING MY FIRST WEEK WITH THE CAR AND WHEN I WAS SLOWLY DRIVING AROUND A TRAFFIC CIRCLE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA AND THE CAR TOOK OFF ON IT'S OWN. NO DAMAGE OTHER THAN MISALIGNMENT THAT TIME BUT I WAS VERY SCARED AND CALLED TESLA SERVICE. IT TOOK SEVERAL WEEKS FOR THEM TO RESPOND WITH THE DATA REPORT FROM THE CAR AND SAID THAT THE VEHICLE INCREASED SPEED DUE TO THE DRIVER PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. I ACCEPTED THEIR EXPLANATION AND ASSUMED THAT I WAS INDEED AT FAULT EVEN THOUGH I WAS POSITIVE THAT I DIDN'T PRESS THE ACCELERATOR. I'M INCREDIBLY SADDENED BY THIS SITUATION AS I TRULY LOVED THIS CAR BUT I'M TOO FRIGHTENED TO DRIVE IT AGAIN. IT'S CURRENTLY AT A BODY SHOP.
Mileage: 1,117