On April 1st 2026, our brand-new 2026 Tesla Model X, 6-seat configuration, experienced a dangerous third-row seat incident. Our dog slipped into a blind spot beneath/behind the third-row seat while the seat was folded down. After the dog became trapped, the powered third-row seat would not respond, and there was no usable manual release or mechanical way for us to raise the seat and free him. The dog was trapped under the seat and in immediate danger. We drove directly to Tesla Service for an emergency rescue. Tesla personnel informed us that the only way to free the trapped animal was to dismantle and destroy/remove the rear seat assembly. That is what they did. The dog was then taken for emergency veterinary treatment and remains traumatized, with possible physical injury. This vehicle had been delivered only 4 days earlier. In my view, this presents a serious safety/design issue involving the third-row power seat system and the lack of an accessible emergency release when a living occupant or animal is trapped under the seat. The fact that destructive disassembly was allegedly the only way to free the trapped animal raises a serious safety concern. I am requesting that NHTSA review this incident as a potential safety defect involving the third-row seat mechanism, emergency release/access, and occupant/animal entrapment risk. I have photos, veterinary records, and related documentation.
NHTSA complaint #11728687 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The second-row seat does not latch properly and cannot lock into position. This is a safety-related issue affecting occupant restraint and crash safety. The vehicle is a 2023 Tesla Model X with 59,035 miles now, when report this issue Tesla, it was only 57,326 mile, still within the 5-year / 60,000-mile Supplemental Restraint System warranty. Tesla has declined warranty coverage and requested customer-paid seat replacement. I am concerned the vehicle may be unsafe to operate due to the seat not latching. Requesting investigation into potential safety defect.
NHTSA complaint #11720061 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The front passenger seat sensor failed. Without the sensor properly detecting weight, the airbag will deploy no matter the weight of the front seat passenger. Tesla has fixed the sensor placement in newer models as the service tech told us this is a common issue in later models where the only fix is to pay over $5k to replace the entire seat otherwise the airbag will go off no matter what.
NHTSA complaint #11714119 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On July 25, 2025 I was installing a toddlers car seat in the vehicles rear passenger seat. Upon clipping the secure straps onto the rear seat, I noticed the seat slid all the way to the front position - the seat was loose - sliding back and forth. Nothing appeared to be visually broken. I made an appointment with Tesla and they report that they “replaced an actuator” that had failed. The failure caused the entire rear seat to slide without warning and no way to secure the seat. Tesla does not consider this a safety issue. Tesla is charging $1800 for repairs. Tesla says the broken part is not available for inspection. Tesla seemed to indicate that a possible electrical component failed that resulted in this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11683116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The second row bench seats won't recline back to rest position. A safety hazard. It's been a common accuracy. Please help. They will not put out a recall. Look it up online. It's a big problem and Tesla is not doing nothing, but trying charge you $3000 to replace the whole 2nd row bench! Wow
NHTSA complaint #11660495 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Rear captain seats (6 seater middle row) are no longer stable. They both have a back and forth motion to them. The passenger side one makes a noticeably bad noise when the car is in motion. This is a sign that the seat is failing and has lost its proper fitment.
NHTSA complaint #11647282 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The front passenger heat seat is automatically turned on whenever car is turned on from phone. This time when driving in the evening there was a burning smell for 1 hour which I thought was from the vents. Then the passenger seat started smoking and the fumes were so bad that I could not breathe. No one was in the passenger seat at that time thank goodness. It created a hole in the seat. Tesla will replace the seat under warranty, but service center is 2 hours away.
NHTSA complaint #11643690 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
INCIDENT REPORT: automated driver seat attempted to crush me when vehicle placed into drive Date: 15 June 2024 4:10 ET firmware version: v12 (2024.14.9 0b82f700aebe) steps to produce incident: 1. vehicle to park 2. seat auto changes to easy entry 3. opened the frunk 4. exit vehicle, closed door 5. re-entered vehicle to move it a little forward 6. press brake, put into drive, entered PIN 7. DRIVER SEAT BACK BEGINS TO TILT FORWARD TO ABNORMAL EXTREME FORWARD ANGLE, SEAT STARTS TO MOVE FORWARD (from easy entry mode), CRUSHING DRIVER AGAINST STEERING WHEEL 8. manual press of profile to user profile does not stop moving seat, does not retrace seat back from abnormal extreme forward angle, seat continues to move forward, crushing driver against steering wheel. 9. manual shift to PARK stops seat forward movement, does not return seat back from abnormal extreme forward angle. 10. opened door and exited vehicle, snapped photo of abnormal seat extreme forward angle ##
NHTSA complaint #11594506 — 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 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.
The falcon doors (Model X) has sensors that either permit or prohibit safe and prompt exit of the vehicle. Due to the doors being motorized, the rear passenger presses a button to begin to open the doors. In the case where the passenger feels their safety is compromised, or due to a safety hazard where they need to leave the vehicle - both of my doors have been repaired in total, or individually eight times to no resolve. These sensors are intended to detect (using ultrasonic sensors) whether there’s something blocking the door. It will open a quarter of the way, then stop and the passenger must hold the button for several additional seconds in order to further open the doors. Not only is this sensor defect a safety hazard, but also the delay after pressing the button and holding it is increasing the time it takes to safely and promptly exit the vehicle. One final note is that passengers cannot exit the rear doors (Model X) if the vehicle loses power due to not having a physical latch release like the other Tesla models. The right falcon door had this issue prior to taking and upon delivery. The sales person informed me it was common for this issue and blamed it on the interference from nearby vehicles. Even after six or more repairs, the issues continue.
NHTSA complaint #11574596 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the middle row of a six seat Tesla Model X, if one installs a forward facing car seat the latch which connects to the backside anchor of the seat has no integrity. The belt slides from over the seat of the car killing the purpose of the tether.
NHTSA complaint #11554665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Captain seats in Tesla Model X cars do NOT support a standard child's car seat tether. The headrests are attached. The manual says to route the tether around the headrest, but it's at an angle causing the tether strap to slide down. I do not believe the tether will function in an accident because moving the car seat forward causes the tether to slip off. This is unacceptable— all cars should support a standard child's car seat. My Model X is a "six-seater" and all six seats are captain's seats with attached headrests. There is nowhere to put a car seat with a tether, yet child car seats require a tether strap in the forward-facing position. Please make all car manufacturers provide the safest possible car seat installation. The owner's manual even shows a picture of how to route the tether strap— but the picture is NOT accurate about the shape of the seat. It shows a level place for the tether strap to sit while routed around the headrest, but there is NO level or safe place for the tether strap to sit. It slides down onto the floor.
NHTSA complaint #11541749 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When installing front-facing car seats for children in the 2nd row seats of the 2022 Tesla Model X, there is not a safe way to attach the tether strap. While there are LATCH anchors, and a place to attach the tether clip, the strap for the tether cannot pass under or over the fixed headrest, it must pass over the “shoulder” of the seat. This is not effective as no matter how tight a person cinches the tether strap, it slides off the edge of the seat, leaving no way to safely attach the required tether for child safety seats. The owner’s manual displays the seat as if there is a detent that would prevent the strap from sliding off, but this does not exist in my vehicle. When I asked at the local Tesla sales/service center, they said that is simply how it is designed.
NHTSA complaint #11541320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The passenger side middle row seat stopped locking in place. We drove out of our driveway with my 3 year old in his car seat when this happened, and he went flying into the back of the front passenger seat. Had we been driving any faster, he would have been seriously injured. Tesla sent a technician to our home for a mobile service visit. He wasn’t able to fix the problem and said ‘If it were me, I wouldn’t put my child on this seat.’ We then took it to the Long Beach service center, where we were told the seat locking mechanism ‘works’ but it eroding. They wanted to send us home, and I said no. I wanted it repaired. They said that we have to replace the entire seat for $750. I said absolutely not, this is a manufacturer’s defect and a huge safety issue and should not be failing. They did not care. A child is going to get injured.
NHTSA complaint #11537050 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The second row car seat is moving freely and not locking to the base. It had my child car seat installed. The tesla service team told the only fix is to replace the whole seat. The design does not have any backup latch to lock the seat. It’s a serious safety concern since the seat could just move out of lock while driving esp when a car seat is installed. I read this has happened to multiple cars online.
NHTSA complaint #11519372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tesla mentioned the seat alga’s a sensor malfunction. It is a 2019. The sensor malfunction impacts the airbag deployment. They will not fix and requires $4100 replacement of the seat.
NHTSA complaint #11517117 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2016 model X has been experiencing front passenger and rear passenger safety restraint system faults off and on since we purchased the vehicle in 2019. This notification requires service and the Tesla service center has done a mixture of hardware checks, replacement of parts and keeps blaming the issues on a firmware update that will eventually happen in the future. Tesla says that when the system is tripped the airbags may not deploy and to schedule service when it happens. Because the vehicle is under a used warranty they refuse to address this as a recall or possibly defect.
NHTSA complaint #11513115 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The second tow captain rear seats are not bolted securely. The seats both rock forward and back. I brought it up to Tedla service and the representative came back with, The car is 6 years old. So does that mean Tesla Model X captain seats begin to fail after 6 years? The other issue is a steering issue. When I steer left or right I hear a clunking noise. It's not related to the control arm as it is a known issue. The odd thing is when it rains the noise goes away which I believe it may be related to a lubrication issue. When the vehicle dries up after a day or two the noise starts again.
NHTSA complaint #11511353 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that the car seat sensor was not functioning properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The contact was informed that the vehicle failed to detect aftermarket car seats. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 9,000.
NHTSA complaint #11504909 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.