Tesla Model X problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 8 model years (2018–2025), NHTSA has logged 736 owner complaints and 33 safety recalls for the Tesla Model X. That averages 18.6 complaints per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (index 0.44 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Electric vehicles segment it ranks #3 of 10 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 56.4.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
Across eight model years from 2018 to 2025, the Tesla Model X has recorded 736 owner complaints and 33 safety recalls, averaging 18.6 complaints per year which is far fewer than typical vehicles with an index of 0.44. While the overall trend is worsening with 2023 and 2024 models running 206% above earlier years at 52.3 complaints per year versus 7.1 for 2021, recent activity shows 79 complaints in the last 12 months compared to 116 previously. The most common problem areas are Interior & equipment at 17.1%, followed by Electrical at 16.8% and Steering at 15.9%, with recurring terms including "horn", "center", "wheel", "button" and "steering". Owners report 38 injuries and 0 deaths across all model years, while 18 NHTSA defect investigations have covered this model with 6 still open, the latest being "FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions" opened 2026-03-18.
Summary drafted by an AI model running on our own server from the figures on this page, and checked number by number against the data before publishing. The statistics and the analysis above come from our fixed methodology, not from the model.The trend is worsening. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 206% above the 2018 and 2019 models (81 early complaints per model year versus 27).
The 2023 model year has the highest rate (52.3 complaints per year) and the 2021 model year the lowest (7.1). The 2023 model year runs at least 50% above the model's own average — the one to research most carefully. Model years 2019, 2021 and 2024 sit well below the model's average.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Interior & equipment (17.1% of complaints), followed by Electrical (16.8%) and Steering (15.9%). Interior & equipment complaints are 1.9 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Recurring terms in owner reports: “horn”, “center”, “wheel”, “button” and “steering”. 94 complaints (12.8%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 38 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 79 complaints versus 116 in the previous 12 months — the pace is falling. The 2023 model year generated the most recent reports (25). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 23 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 33 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2022 (12), 22 fixable over the air. 18 NHTSA defect investigations have covered this model, 6 still open; the latest is “FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions” (opened 2026-03-18, still open).
Segment peers with fewer complaints per year include Tesla Model S and Chevrolet Bolt EV; Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning, Kia EV6 and Volkswagen ID.4 have more.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Complaints in first 2 years on the road | vs. same-year average | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 140 | 16.1 | 0.38 | 29 | 0.33 | 0 | 9 | Wheels, tires & suspension | View › |
| 2019 | 73 | 9.5 | 0.23 | 26 | 0.32 | 0 | 8 | Wheels, tires & suspension | View › |
| 2020 | 125 | 18.7 | 0.44 | 40 | 0.7 | 11 | 10 | Electrical | View › |
| 2021 Fewest complaints | 40 | 7.1 | 0.17 | 15 | 0.25 | 4 | 24 | Steering | View › |
| 2022 | 125 | 26.7 | 0.63 | 64 | 0.87 | 19 | 22 | Steering | View › |
| 2023 Years to research carefully | 192 | 52.3 | 1.24 | 146 | 1.76 | 25 | 17 | Interior & equipment | View › |
| 2024 | 26 | 9.7 | 0.23 | 16 | 0.23 | 13 | 8 | Interior & equipment | View › |
| 2025 | 15 | 9.0 | 0.21 | — | — | 7 | 3 | Electrical | View › |
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 79 · Previous 12 months: 116 Falling
Problem areas
Wheels, tires & suspension ›
99 · 13.5% · 5.4 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- suspension51
- junkyard23
- com29
- https29
Driver-assist systems ›
68 · 9.2% · 1.61 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- autopilot18
- fsd13
- cruise control17
- lane20
Brakes
38 · 5.2% · 0.85 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- braking15
- control16
- behind11
- suddenly11
Airbags & seat belts
35 · 4.8% · 1.25 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- restraint14
- seat18
- belt12
- airbag9
Other
28 · 3.8% · 2.1 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- seat16
- accelerated9
- front passenger5
- moving6
Transmission / powertrain
25 · 3.4% · 0.29 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- half shafts3
- axles3
- voltage4
- accelerator6
Engine
7 · 1.0% · 0.04 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
5 · 0.7% · 0.16 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
5 · 0.7% · 0.43 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Common terms in reports
- horn120
- center178
- wheel208
- button130
- steering208
- suspension75
- falcon25
- safety219
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 23 months
What owners report
I was in the car. I had put on my seat belt and reached back to plug in my phone to charge. Before I turned back the phone accelerated forward and crashed into two cars in the parking lot.
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The apparent malfunction involved Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) during an autonomous highway lane change.
On September 2, 2026 at 2:25 PM, my 2020 Tesla Model X Performance was operating under Tesla Smart Summon in a parking lot in Carrollton, Texas.
The Full-Self Drive of my Tesla failed to follow the programmed navigation directions I set to take me home in one direction, but instead the vehicle took a completely different path on its own.
CRITICAL FLUIDITY/ACCESSIBILITY DEFECT The vehicle lacks a standard mechanical horn assembly, instead it is equipped with a small electronic button.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Electric vehicles
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tesla Model S | 708 | 17.4 | 0.41 | Worsening | Falling | 31 | Interior & equipment |
| 2 | Chevrolet Bolt EV | 532 | 17.8 | 0.42 | Stable | Steady | 13 | Electrical |
| 3 | Tesla Model X | 736 | 18.6 | 0.44 | Worsening | Falling | 33 | Interior & equipment |
| 4 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | 650 | 28.9 | 0.69 | Improving | Steady | 0 | Electrical |
| 5 | Ford F-150 Lightning | 536 | 33.4 | 0.79 | Improving | Falling | 2 | Electrical |
| 6 | Kia EV6 | 535 | 38.5 | 0.91 | Improving | Rising | 5 | Electrical |
| 7 | Volkswagen ID.4 | 991 | 48.7 | 1.16 | Worsening | Steady | 24 | Electrical |
| 8 | Tesla Model 3 | 4,228 | 100.4 | 2.39 | Worsening | Steady | 35 | Driver-assist systems |
| 9 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 1,319 | 114.8 | 2.73 | Improving | Rising | 14 | Electrical |
| 10 | Tesla Model Y | 3,749 | 128.3 | 3.05 | Stable | Steady | 36 | Driver-assist systems |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 33
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 22
Safety recalls: 2018 (9) · 2019 (8) · 2020 (10) · 2021 (24) · 2022 (22) · 2023 (17) · 2024 (8) · 2025 (3)
Investigations
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Engineering Analysis to evaluate Teslaâs Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the systemâs ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient t…
- Traffic safety violations while Full Self Driving ("FSD") is engaged Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (âODIâ) is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of FSD executing driving maneuvers that constitute traï¬c safety violations. This investigation concerns versions of FSD that Tesla has labeled as "FSD (Supervised)" and "FSD (Beta)." Tesla characterizes FSD as an SAE Level 2 partial automat…
- Compliance with Standing General Order 2021-01 Reporting Requirements Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (âODIâ) has identified numerous incident reports submitted by Tesla, Inc. (âTeslaâ) in response to Standing General Order 2021-01 (the âSGOâ), in which the reported crashes occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports. The majority of these reports involved crashes in which the Standing General Order in place at the time required a…
- Actually Smart Summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts. Closed
On January 6, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation 24003 (PE24033) to investigate Actually Smart Summon (Summon) sessions resulting in crashes during active sessions. According to Tesla, Summon is a short-distance SAE Level 2 system, controlled by the user from a cell phone within a certain distance and intended for use in parking lots and on private prope…
- FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions Closed
On October 17, 2024, NHTSAâs Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24031) of Teslaâs Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) (collectively, FSD) to assess: the ability of the FSD system to detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions; whether any other FSD crashes had occurred under degraded roadway visibility co…
- Recall 23V838 Remedy Effectiveness Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening a Recall Query to assess the remedy adequacy of Recall 23V838. On December 12, 2023, Tesla filed a Defect Information Report (Recall 23V838) applicable to all Tesla models produced and equipped with any version of its Autopilot system, which Tesla described as an SAE Level 2 (L2) Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Autopilot is the simulta…
Frequently asked questions
Which Tesla Model X model year has the most complaints?
The 2023 model year has the highest rate (52.3 complaints per year) and the 2021 model year the lowest (7.1).
Is the Tesla Model X getting better or worse?
The trend is worsening. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 206% above the 2018 and 2019 models (81 early complaints per model year versus 27). In the last 12 months owners filed 79 complaints versus 116 in the previous 12 months — the pace is falling.
What are the most common Tesla Model X problems?
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Interior & equipment (17.1% of complaints), followed by Electrical (16.8%) and Steering (15.9%). Recurring terms in owner reports: “horn”, “center”, “wheel”, “button” and “steering”.
How does the Tesla Model X compare with other Electric vehicles?
Within the Electric vehicles segment it ranks #3 of 10 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 56.4. Segment peers with fewer complaints per year include Tesla Model S and Chevrolet Bolt EV; Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning, Kia EV6 and Volkswagen ID.4 have more.
Does the Tesla Model X have recalls or open investigations?
Recalls: 33 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2022 (12), 22 fixable over the air. 18 NHTSA defect investigations have covered this model, 6 still open; the latest is “FSD Collisions in Reduced Roadway Visibility Conditions” (opened 2026-03-18, still open).