2020 Tesla Model X problems

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

While driving my Tesla Model X on the interstate at highway speed, the vehicle began intermittently displaying false warnings that the trunk was open. This occurred multiple times during the drive and appears to have been caused by a malfunctioning trunk latch sensor. At the time, I was using Autosteer, part of Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assistance system. Each time the false trunk-open condition occurred, Autosteer immediately and unexpectedly disengaged. Under normal circumstances, when Autosteer disengages while I am driving, the vehicle provides an audible alert and a visual warning instructing the driver to take control immediately. During these incidents, neither warning occurred. There was no audible alert and no visual notification informing me that Autosteer had disengaged or that I needed to immediately resume steering. The system simply stopped providing automatic steering assistance. Because there was no warning that Autosteer had disengaged, I did not immediately realize that the vehicle was no longer maintaining its lane. The vehicle drifted into the adjacent lane before I recognized what had happened and regained control. Fortunately, there was no vehicle in the adjacent lane. Had another vehicle been present, this could have resulted in a collision. This occurred multiple times during the drive. The false trunk-open warning repeatedly caused Autosteer to disengage without the normal audible or visual disengagement warnings. My primary safety concern is not simply the malfunctioning trunk latch sensor. The safety concern is that a failure of an unrelated trunk latch sensor can cause Autosteer to suddenly disengage at highway speed without providing the driver with an audible or visual warning that automatic steering assistance has been lost. In my case, this failure mode resulted in an unintended lane departure. A relatively minor sensor malfunction should not be capable of causing an unannounced loss of automatic steering assistance.

NHTSA complaint #11756594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

While driving my Tesla Model X on the interstate at highway speed, the vehicle began intermittently displaying false warnings that the trunk was open. This occurred multiple times during the drive and appears to have been caused by a malfunctioning trunk latch sensor. At the time, I was using Autosteer, part of Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assistance system. Each time the false trunk-open condition occurred, Autosteer immediately and unexpectedly disengaged. Under normal circumstances, when Autosteer disengages while I am driving, the vehicle provides an audible alert and a visual warning instructing the driver to take control immediately. During these incidents, neither warning occurred. There was no audible alert and no visual notification informing me that Autosteer had disengaged or that I needed to immediately resume steering. The system simply stopped providing automatic steering assistance. Because there was no warning that Autosteer had disengaged, I did not immediately realize that the vehicle was no longer maintaining its lane. The vehicle drifted into the adjacent lane before I recognized what had happened and regained control. Fortunately, there was no vehicle in the adjacent lane. Had another vehicle been present, this could have resulted in a collision. This occurred multiple times during the drive. The false trunk-open warning repeatedly caused Autosteer to disengage without the normal audible or visual disengagement warnings. My primary safety concern is not simply the malfunctioning trunk latch sensor. The safety concern is that a failure of an unrelated trunk latch sensor can cause Autosteer to suddenly disengage at highway speed without providing the driver with an audible or visual warning that automatic steering assistance has been lost. In my case, this failure mode resulted in an unintended lane departure. A relatively minor sensor malfunction should not be capable of causing an unannounced loss of automatic steering assistance.

NHTSA complaint #11756594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to you once again to emphasize and provide additional details regarding the critical safety issue I previously addressed concerning the Tesla Model X vehicles, which is similarly affecting Tesla Model S models. My personal experience underscores the severity of this problem: I have had to replace six tires due to accelerated inner wall wear in the last 5 months. 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. 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.

NHTSA complaint #11741048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While driving the vehicle on the freeway, the driver noticed the car was handling unusually at highway speeds. After exiting the freeway at approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal failed to decelerate properly when the foot was lifted from the pedal. A warning message appeared on the display screen indicating the vehicle was shutting down while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle subsequently became completely inoperable and had to be towed to a Tesla service center. Tesla's own technician confirmed multiple Battery Management System faults and an internal fault within the high voltage battery pack. A full HV battery replacement was required. The vehicle had been purchased 14 days prior and had only been driven approximately 723 miles at the time of the incident. Safety of driver and passengers was at risk due to unexpected loss of power and loss of accelerator response while driving at speed.

NHTSA complaint #11736694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving the vehicle on the freeway, the driver noticed the car was handling unusually at highway speeds. After exiting the freeway at approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal failed to decelerate properly when the foot was lifted from the pedal. A warning message appeared on the display screen indicating the vehicle was shutting down while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle subsequently became completely inoperable and had to be towed to a Tesla service center. Tesla's own technician confirmed multiple Battery Management System faults and an internal fault within the high voltage battery pack. A full HV battery replacement was required. The vehicle had been purchased 14 days prior and had only been driven approximately 723 miles at the time of the incident. Safety of driver and passengers was at risk due to unexpected loss of power and loss of accelerator response while driving at speed.

NHTSA complaint #11736694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While driving the vehicle on the freeway, the driver noticed the car was handling unusually at highway speeds. After exiting the freeway at approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal failed to decelerate properly when the foot was lifted from the pedal. A warning message appeared on the display screen indicating the vehicle was shutting down while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle subsequently became completely inoperable and had to be towed to a Tesla service center. Tesla's own technician confirmed multiple Battery Management System faults and an internal fault within the high voltage battery pack. A full HV battery replacement was required. The vehicle had been purchased 14 days prior and had only been driven approximately 723 miles at the time of the incident. Safety of driver and passengers was at risk due to unexpected loss of power and loss of accelerator response while driving at speed.

NHTSA complaint #11736694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

My 2020 Tesla Model X (VIN: [XXX] , approx. 121,000 miles) experienced a dangerous defect with the automatic front passenger door opening with excessive and uncontrolled force. I noticed this issue within the past three months. The vehicle's front doors are fully automated — the driver and passengers have no manual control over the force at which the door opens. Because of this, a person or object standing near the vehicle could be struck without warning and without any ability to stop or slow the door. The door was opening with such excessive force that it nearly struck a bystander on at least one occasion. This posed a clear and immediate safety hazard to anyone standing near the vehicle. When I brought the vehicle to Tesla Service, their own technician documented the issue in the repair notes as a "safety concern." The technician confirmed the cause was a defective door drive unit and a corroded connector in the wiring harness. Tesla replaced the right front door drive unit and the associated wiring harness. Tesla charged me over $1,000 to repair this defect, despite the fact that their own technician's notes explicitly identify this as a safety concern — not normal wear. I believe this is a manufacturing defect that should be covered under a safety recall or goodwill reimbursement, and I am reporting it here so that NHTSA can investigate whether other Tesla Model X vehicles share this defect. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue and determine whether a safety recall is warranted for this component. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11734616 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

When turning a loud cranking sound is heard and it makes it hard to turn. It as if something is stopping it from turning.

NHTSA complaint #11726034 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

When turning a loud cranking sound is heard and it makes it hard to turn. It as if something is stopping it from turning.

NHTSA complaint #11726034 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

On 03/13/2026, while driving my 2020 Tesla Model X at approximately 65 mph on a freeway, the front hood (frunk lid) suddenly flew open without warning and slammed into the windshield. The hood rotated upward violently and struck the windshield completely blocking the driver’s forward visibility. This created an immediate safety hazard while traveling at highway speed. Prior to the incident there were no warning messages or alerts displayed on the vehicle screen indicating that the hood was open or improperly latched. Tesla vehicles normally provide a dashboard and a sound alert if the hood is not properly latched before driving. No such warning occurred. The vehicle’s front camera recorded the incident. The video does not show any hood movement or flutter prior to the failure, suggesting that the hood was fully closed before the event. After the incident, Tesla service personnel inspected the vehicle. The technician stated that the hood may not have been properly latched prior to driving. However: The vehicle gave no dashboard warning No hood movement or vibration was visible prior to the event The hood opened suddenly and violently rather than gradually If the secondary latch alone had been holding the hood, some hood movement or vibration would normally be expected prior to full release. Safety Concern A hood opening at highway speed that: occurs without warning results in complete loss of forward visibility presents a severe safety risk to the driver and surrounding traffic. This type of failure could easily cause a high-speed crash. Video evidence of the incident at: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11724823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

On 03/13/2026, while driving my 2020 Tesla Model X at approximately 65 mph on a freeway, the front hood (frunk lid) suddenly flew open without warning and slammed into the windshield. The hood rotated upward violently and struck the windshield completely blocking the driver’s forward visibility. This created an immediate safety hazard while traveling at highway speed. Prior to the incident there were no warning messages or alerts displayed on the vehicle screen indicating that the hood was open or improperly latched. Tesla vehicles normally provide a dashboard and a sound alert if the hood is not properly latched before driving. No such warning occurred. The vehicle’s front camera recorded the incident. The video does not show any hood movement or flutter prior to the failure, suggesting that the hood was fully closed before the event. After the incident, Tesla service personnel inspected the vehicle. The technician stated that the hood may not have been properly latched prior to driving. However: The vehicle gave no dashboard warning No hood movement or vibration was visible prior to the event The hood opened suddenly and violently rather than gradually If the secondary latch alone had been holding the hood, some hood movement or vibration would normally be expected prior to full release. Safety Concern A hood opening at highway speed that: occurs without warning results in complete loss of forward visibility presents a severe safety risk to the driver and surrounding traffic. This type of failure could easily cause a high-speed crash. Video evidence of the incident at: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11724823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On 03/13/2026, while driving my 2020 Tesla Model X at approximately 65 mph on a freeway, the front hood (frunk lid) suddenly flew open without warning and slammed into the windshield. The hood rotated upward violently and struck the windshield completely blocking the driver’s forward visibility. This created an immediate safety hazard while traveling at highway speed. Prior to the incident there were no warning messages or alerts displayed on the vehicle screen indicating that the hood was open or improperly latched. Tesla vehicles normally provide a dashboard and a sound alert if the hood is not properly latched before driving. No such warning occurred. The vehicle’s front camera recorded the incident. The video does not show any hood movement or flutter prior to the failure, suggesting that the hood was fully closed before the event. After the incident, Tesla service personnel inspected the vehicle. The technician stated that the hood may not have been properly latched prior to driving. However: The vehicle gave no dashboard warning No hood movement or vibration was visible prior to the event The hood opened suddenly and violently rather than gradually If the secondary latch alone had been holding the hood, some hood movement or vibration would normally be expected prior to full release. Safety Concern A hood opening at highway speed that: occurs without warning results in complete loss of forward visibility presents a severe safety risk to the driver and surrounding traffic. This type of failure could easily cause a high-speed crash. Video evidence of the incident at: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11724823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Making a loud squeaky noise and knocking while I turn. The noise is coming from the steering and front suspension arms I believe.

NHTSA complaint #11713009 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Making a loud squeaky noise and knocking while I turn. The noise is coming from the steering and front suspension arms I believe.

NHTSA complaint #11713009 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I am a software engineer and owner of two 2020 Tesla Model X (Raven) vehicles. Both exhibit a serious safety defect after installing firmware 2025.44.25.4 with FSD v12.6.4. Vehicle configuration: Model S/X with MCU2 (Intel Atom) and Hardware 3 (HW3). Defect description: When Full Self-Driving (FSD) is engaged, the vehicle intermittently enters a critical failure state while in motion: • The instrument cluster (driver display) suddenly goes completely black • The center screen issues a red “Take Control Immediately” alert with alarms • The infotainment computer performs a watchdog reset and reboots (Tesla logo appears) while the vehicle is traveling at highway speeds This has occurred multiple times on both vehicles. Suspected cause: The 2025.44 software update appears to introduce additional dashcam telemetry writes (speed, steering, FSD state) to the USB device while recording video. On MCU2 (Intel Atom), this creates an I/O and CPU bottleneck that starves display and safety-critical threads, triggering an operating-system watchdog reboot. Disabling Dashcam immediately stops the crashes, indicating a resource-exhaustion condition rather than driver error. Safety risk: During the blackout and reboot, the driver loses all visual feedback from the instrument cluster while being instructed to take control. This creates a high risk of collision, especially at highway speeds or in complex traffic environments. Severity: Loss of driver display and system reboot while driving constitutes a safety-critical defect. This condition could lead to serious injury or death. I request NHTSA investigation into instrument-cluster blackouts and system reboots on Tesla HW3/MCU2 vehicles when FSD and Dashcam are enabled.

NHTSA complaint #11708160 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My 2020 Tesla Model X experiences severe vibration, shaking, and rattling during acceleration, especially between about 20–45 mph and at higher suspension settings. The vibration is strong enough to affect steering stability and safe control of the vehicle during acceleration and lane changes. Tesla has already replaced the front half-shafts twice under warranty for this same problem, but the issue has returned again. This is a known defect documented by Tesla in Service Bulletin SB-21-39-001, which describes excessive front drive unit half-shaft vibration during acceleration and defines the repair with updated components. The latest revision of this bulletin (R3, dated January 19, 2024) explicitly adds “Customer Pay billing” instructions. Despite this, my local Tesla Service Center in Tempe, AZ (Supervisor: Lewis Holguin) refused to apply the SB-21-39-001 Customer Pay billing and instead charged full retail for the repair. On 11/28/2025, I was billed $1,694.86 out of pocket to replace both front half-shafts again (invoice shows approx. $1,046 in parts and $564 in labor). I have documentation showing that other Tesla customers with the same defect were billed only $350 under SB-21-39-001, which demonstrates that Tesla does apply a discounted bulletin rate in some cases. In my case, they refused to honor it even though this is a repeat failure of the same known defect and the prior warranty repairs did not permanently fix the problem. This is a repeat driveline/suspension defect that affects drivability and safety under acceleration. The shaking and vibration make it difficult to maintain stable vehicle control, especially during highway merging or lane changes. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate recurring front half-shaft failures and vibration/shudder issues on Tesla Model X vehicles and Tesla’s inconsistent handling of this known defect and service bulletin.

NHTSA complaint #11701961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

My 2020 Tesla Model X experiences severe vibration, shaking, and rattling during acceleration, especially between about 20–45 mph and at higher suspension settings. The vibration is strong enough to affect steering stability and safe control of the vehicle during acceleration and lane changes. Tesla has already replaced the front half-shafts twice under warranty for this same problem, but the issue has returned again. This is a known defect documented by Tesla in Service Bulletin SB-21-39-001, which describes excessive front drive unit half-shaft vibration during acceleration and defines the repair with updated components. The latest revision of this bulletin (R3, dated January 19, 2024) explicitly adds “Customer Pay billing” instructions. Despite this, my local Tesla Service Center in Tempe, AZ (Supervisor: Lewis Holguin) refused to apply the SB-21-39-001 Customer Pay billing and instead charged full retail for the repair. On 11/28/2025, I was billed $1,694.86 out of pocket to replace both front half-shafts again (invoice shows approx. $1,046 in parts and $564 in labor). I have documentation showing that other Tesla customers with the same defect were billed only $350 under SB-21-39-001, which demonstrates that Tesla does apply a discounted bulletin rate in some cases. In my case, they refused to honor it even though this is a repeat failure of the same known defect and the prior warranty repairs did not permanently fix the problem. This is a repeat driveline/suspension defect that affects drivability and safety under acceleration. The shaking and vibration make it difficult to maintain stable vehicle control, especially during highway merging or lane changes. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate recurring front half-shaft failures and vibration/shudder issues on Tesla Model X vehicles and Tesla’s inconsistent handling of this known defect and service bulletin.

NHTSA complaint #11701961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

My 2020 Tesla Model X experiences severe vibration, shaking, and rattling during acceleration, especially between about 20–45 mph and at higher suspension settings. The vibration is strong enough to affect steering stability and safe control of the vehicle during acceleration and lane changes. Tesla has already replaced the front half-shafts twice under warranty for this same problem, but the issue has returned again. This is a known defect documented by Tesla in Service Bulletin SB-21-39-001, which describes excessive front drive unit half-shaft vibration during acceleration and defines the repair with updated components. The latest revision of this bulletin (R3, dated January 19, 2024) explicitly adds “Customer Pay billing” instructions. Despite this, my local Tesla Service Center in Tempe, AZ (Supervisor: Lewis Holguin) refused to apply the SB-21-39-001 Customer Pay billing and instead charged full retail for the repair. On 11/28/2025, I was billed $1,694.86 out of pocket to replace both front half-shafts again (invoice shows approx. $1,046 in parts and $564 in labor). I have documentation showing that other Tesla customers with the same defect were billed only $350 under SB-21-39-001, which demonstrates that Tesla does apply a discounted bulletin rate in some cases. In my case, they refused to honor it even though this is a repeat failure of the same known defect and the prior warranty repairs did not permanently fix the problem. This is a repeat driveline/suspension defect that affects drivability and safety under acceleration. The shaking and vibration make it difficult to maintain stable vehicle control, especially during highway merging or lane changes. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate recurring front half-shaft failures and vibration/shudder issues on Tesla Model X vehicles and Tesla’s inconsistent handling of this known defect and service bulletin.

NHTSA complaint #11701961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

On or about 20Jun2025: Tesla Driver Assistance Features - After the most recent 2025.20.3 softball update and installation my safety feature of the blind spot monitoring doesn't chim when a car is in my blind spot the car will show red in the font display but the sounds are now inoperable

NHTSA complaint #11677957 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

I would like to report a significant safety concern affecting Tesla Model X vehicles, and potentially Model S as well. Numerous reports across Tesla forums have highlighted persistent issues with unadjustable negative camber, which results in excessive inner tire wear on all four wheels. In some cases, owners have reported needing to replace their tires as early as 5,000 miles. In my own experience, I had to replace mine at just 14,000 miles. Additionally, I’ve experienced repeated failures of the front axle half-shafts on both the left and right sides. The first replacement occurred at 14,000 miles under warranty, and the second at 38,000 miles—this time at my own expense. Independent automotive professionals have pointed out that the angle at which the half-shafts are installed is too steep for optimal performance. The front motor sits significantly higher than the wheels, forcing the half-shafts to transfer power at an extreme downward angle. This off-axis setup, combined with the vehicle’s weight and high torque output, contributes to accelerated wear of internal components within the half-shafts. Over time, this leads to fatigue and surface damage, causing noticeable shuddering or vibrations during acceleration. To resolve this issue, the half-shafts would need to be more closely aligned with the wheels (on-axis) to reduce mechanical strain and eliminate the root cause of the vibrations. I urge Tesla to further investigate and address this recurring issue, as it impacts both vehicle safety and long-term ownership costs. A safety recall should be issued and reimburse out of pocket expensive back to owners.

NHTSA complaint #11675226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle shook erratically. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a malfunction with the front driver's side half shaft. The contact stated that the front driver's side half shaft needed to be repositioned. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact was informed that it was a known failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

NHTSA complaint #11672375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Hello - I'm having extreme Inner tire wear on rear tires due to a bad camber arm design on my Tesla model X. The negative chamber is way outside of normal standards. I had an issue recently where my tire blew out. I did not notice until I had to replace it. I have changed tires three times in the last year. That's just egregious.

NHTSA complaint #11666971 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.