36 of the
2,399 complaints filed about the Tesla Model X
are about the seat belts —
2% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2018.
My 2023 Tesla Model X suffers from severe, intermittent safety system failures. Specifically, the Automatic Emergency Braking and Steering Assist randomly become unavailable while driving. Tesla Service refuses to repair this, claiming they are "unable to replicate" the intermittent alerts. However, the vehicle's history proves severe safety flaws: Tesla previously had to replace the entire steering wheel assembly and the driver's seat belt lap pretensioner due to failures, and had to recalibrate the forward ADAS camera because it went out of spec causing Autopilot failures. These unresolved, randomly occurring defects pose a severe crash hazard that Tesla is ignoring.
NHTSA complaint #11725133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2022 Tesla Model X has two recurring safety-critical defects that remain unresolved despite multiple repair attempts. 1. Airbag / Restraint System Failure (RCM2 / OCS Defect): The vehicle frequently misclassifies the front passenger seat. It shows a passenger when the seat is empty and activates passenger seatbelt warnings incorrectly. Recently the vehicle displayed: “Front passenger safety restraint system issue: Service required (RCM2_a064).” Tesla attempted to repair an electrical harness in the seat, but the problem returned. A Tesla technician documented that the seat may still need a new occupancy sensor. Because this affects the Occupant Classification System and airbag deployment logic, it raises potential FMVSS 208 compliance concerns. 2. FSD / GPS Safety Hazard (5 Unsuccessful Repair Attempts): Across five service visits, Tesla attempted to fix GPS drift and unsafe FSD routing. The vehicle still attempts incorrect turns, performs premature lane changes, and misinterprets intersections. One recent incident involved FSD attempting a left turn one intersection early, nearly causing a collision. Tesla replaced the GPS antenna, recalibrated cameras, and replaced the computer, but the unsafe behavior continues. These two defects—incorrect airbag/OCS behavior and hazardous automated-driving/navigation behavior—create a significant safety risk to occupants and other drivers. Both defects persist after repair attempts. I can provide service records, videos, and documentation upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11703661 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Reat seatbelts become twisted and are not safe. Tesla claims this is a maintenance issue and not a defect in the mechanism. I disagree and this should be investigated by the government as it is a safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11701934 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a Tesla Model X 6-seater. The second-row seatbelt repeatedly becomes twisted and fails to retract or lay flat after only a few days of normal use. I have brought the vehicle to the Tesla Service Center in Austin, TX (2323 Ridgepoint Dr) multiple times — five separate repair visits so far — for the same issue. Each time, the technicians temporarily correct the twist or adjust the belt path, but the issue returns within days. I have attached screenshots of all five repair records, including Tesla’s technician notes describing the repeated attempts to resolve the problem. The problem appears to be caused by misalignment of the seatbelt retractor or seat design, not by user misuse. When the belt twists, it cannot retract properly or lay flat across the passenger, which may reduce its effectiveness during a collision. Tesla Service has not offered a permanent fix or design correction, and the defect continues to recur. This appears to be a systemic issue in the second-row seatbelt system of the Model X six-seat configuration. Because the defect involves a federally required safety restraint that may not function as intended, I am reporting this as a potential safety defect for further investigation.
NHTSA complaint #11695157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle has start throwing a safety restraint error. We got into the service mode and it shows there is electrical problems with the driver side airbag system and that it may not deploy in the event of an accident. Tesla is delaying the appointment to review this for 12 days. Their app advised to not drive the car due to a safety issue as all safety measures may not work appropriately. Seems to be a safety level recall.
NHTSA complaint #11691180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There is an error alert on my car that says front left safety restraint issue service is required. So seems to me the airbags or seat belt may not be working properly and its clearly labeled as a safety issue. We have to drive this vehicle nearly daily and tesla is refusing to fix for a minimum of 10 days even though this fault could threaten our lives. Make them fix ASAP
NHTSA complaint #11681216 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The second-row seatbelt in my 2017 Tesla Model X does not retract, preventing proper restraint of a passenger. Tesla acknowledged the issue but refused to repair it, stating the vehicle is out of warranty. This is a failure of a federally mandated safety system and a clear safety hazard under FMVSS 209. I’m transporting children in this vehicle and cannot rely on this seatbelt to function.
NHTSA complaint #11667735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1. Passenger (next to driver) side no-belt warning is not working. Seat belt warning is not shown even when the passenger (adult) does not wear belt. It is consistently reproducible even when the vehicle is at highway speeds. 2. Passenger side airbag is always OFF even when there is a passenger seated with their seat belt on. I purchased this vehicle in April'2024 and have been consistently having sensor issues. I took the vehicle to a Tesla service center but they did not do repairs. The seat belt and passenger side airbag issue has started very recently. We noticed it 2-3 days back and have reported it to Tesla customer service center via chat message in Tesla app but they have not responded. I called Tesla emergency road number and reported the same but they were not able to help. Hence I am reporting to NHTSA as a last resort to see if the major security issue can be fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11629997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Problem #1: The Components that failed are the front wheel fenders, they blew off while driving down the highway, they have since been repaired. the repairman said that these blow off all the time due to how they are installed with plastic clips and glue. My families safety was put at risk because the moment that this happened the sensor was showing something that was about to hit us. had the auto drive been enabled at this time the car could have taken measures to avoid what it thought was an object. We were also put at risk as well as others driving behind us by the parts blowing off onto a highway while driving at high speeds. The component was inspected by the service tech that worked for Tesla. I took the car into Tesla to have the car serviced before driving to California, they cleared the car and said that everything looked great, no warnings or symptoms. Problem #2: On the same drive to California, we had a error that showed as "Safety Restraint System Fault". This error seems to come and go so it may be available upon request depending on the day it is. The safety of my children are put at risk because we will not know when they are taking off their seatbelt due to this error. The Error has been inspected by Tesla on multiple occasions and they cannot seem to find how to fix this. I have another appointment with them on [XXX] to try again to fix it. There is a Warning, but it is very vague and does not let you know where the problem is. Problem #3: Tesla's Front Suspension Arms lose all Grease and start to make a grinding noise while going over minor bumps. This puts people at risk because at any moment the cars suspension could fail while driving due to the ware on the suspension. The component has been inspected by Tesla and they said that I should wait until the other arm starts to fail to replace them both at the same time. No warnings or anything has been shown due to this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11616530 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have received hundreds of intermittent safety faults which state: “Ssfety Restraint System Fault - Service is Required.” These messages pop up randomly and I have taken the vehicle in several times and no faults are seen during the service appointment. Tesla tells me there are at least 9 possible reasons for such a fault but they never provide me a checklist showing all 9 items were investigated. The last appointment they never gave me any feedback from the initial service center but transferred my car to another service center not stating why and then saying nothing found no precise timestamp was determined although I gave them a photo of the message and the date/time of the photo. Tesla says nothing is found but they want me to pick up the vehicle and wait for the next fault to occur. I stated that these faults occur intermittently and disappear by the time I get an appointment. They don’t offer to keep the vehicle for longer term monitoring or what is the impact of possible safety restraint malfunctions should I decide to retrieve and drive the vehicle. There is general lack of clarity on what other things could be checked given more time or resources, does this fault occur regularly on other Model X vehicles and what if any safety problems have been identified in any of those vehicles that may have been fixed. Tesla provides diagnosis for 1 hour only at $278 to vehicles not under warranty and they said repairs would be In addition to this. Since no other non-Tesla automotive service center can possibly troubleshoot such a complex electronics and software system I am effectively being charged almost $300 whenever the fault is detected so effectively there is no incentive for Tesla to ever fix my car. They have been sending me emails to trade in my vehicle and purchase a new one so there is many reasons to keep this 7 year vehicle broken!
NHTSA complaint #11603637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I just had a forth occurence of the "safety restraint system error" message on my Tesla. I say forth, because the three times previous, I had to go into Tesla to have them "fix" the issue, only for it now, to happen again for the 4th time. I don't think this is a small issue, and you guys need to know about it. Not sure, this is just faulty service teams, or inexperience, or. they are just failing to fix it properly. But given that the messaging has to do with seatbelts and/or air bags, I think this is pretty important.
NHTSA complaint #11600483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Seat belt buckle is always stuck at second row right seat. Tesla did not fix it during last service appointment. My child has to climb underneath the seat belt.
NHTSA complaint #11597263 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have encountered what seems to be a very common issue in 2018ish tesla vehicles. Seatbelt sensor issues. While I believe it is due to wiring below the seat, tesla claims the only fix is an entire seat replacement. Researching this it seems to be a widespread issue, especially as the cars age.
NHTSA complaint #11590693 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver’s side rear passenger’s seat belt failed to release the child occupying the seat. The contact stated that after five minutes the seat belt was released. The contact then stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, with the front passenger and the driver’s side rear seats occupied, the restraint system fault for each passenger was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the messages appeared intermittently while both seats were unoccupied. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that a seat belt module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
NHTSA complaint #11590563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle consistently displays the message "Rear right safety restraint system fault" on the dashboard since its delivery in January 2024. This indicates a potential malfunction in the airbag or seatbelt system, posing a safety risk to passengers occupying the rear right seat while the vehicle is in operation. Despite multiple inspections and diagnoses by Tesla, the dealership has attributed the issue to a firmware or software glitch without providing a definitive solution. Consequently, the warning message persists on a daily basis, necessitating urgent resolution to ensure the safety and functionality of the vehicle's safety systems.
NHTSA complaint #11581428 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Seat belts in rear seats are not installed correctly. The tongue of the seatbelt does not fit into the buckle properly/ correctly. The service center was notified of this issue. A service apportionment was set up. The service technician identified that they see the problem. The car was left to be serviced and the problem to be corrected. However when we were notified that the service of complete and the car was ready to picked up, upon picking up the car there was no change. The seatbelts are the exact same way as when we dropped it off. We were told that seatbelts function as expected. Our children carseats are in those seats and we are concerned for their safety. These factors, coupled with the volume of recall notices we’ve received on the vehicle so far, give us significant pause and raise major concerns about the composition, fidelity, and safety of this Tesla Model X.
NHTSA complaint #11580861 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the driver and passenger side second-row captain seat belts were engaged, and the seat belt restraint error message was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that when the seat belts were extended right, and seat belts failed to retract. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat belt assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11580699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.