general problems of the 2016 Tesla Model X - part 1

Description of problem: instrument cluster complete failure my 2016 Tesla Model X instrument cluster has completely failed and permanently displays "car off" regardless of the actual vehicle status, including while actively driving at highway speeds. Critical information I cannot see while driving: gear position (p, d, r, n) - I have no visual confirmation of what gear the vehicle is in vehicle speed/speedometer warning lights (brake, abs, tire pressure, etc. ) battery status any critical safety alerts this is an extremely dangerous condition that prevents me from knowing essential driving information required to operate the vehicle safely. Federal safety violations: this defect clearly violates federal motor vehicle safety standards (fmvss) no. 101 and no. 102. Gear position indicators must be "permanently displayed in view of the driver" critical safety information must be accessible to a properly seated and belted driver instrument panels must provide essential vehicle status information Tesla's pattern of similar recalls: Tesla has previously recalled vehicles for similar instrument cluster issues: 2023 recall (NHTSA campaign 23v-404): Tesla recalled 2012-2023 model s and 2016-2024 Model X vehicles for incorrect instrument panel warning light font size, specifically stating that warning lights with smaller fonts "can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash. " 2022 recall (multiple campaigns): Tesla recalled model s and Model X vehicles for touchscreen failures affecting backup camera, window defroster/defogger, and instrument cluster displays.

Hi, several alerts have popped up, regenerative braking unavailable, park assist unavailable, automatic emergency braking is unavailable, traction control disabled, stability control disabled, abs (anti-lock braking system) disabled. The odd thing is that the alerts come and go as they please. I can't figure out what it is. Could be software related. Possibly a software update has messed it up?.

Was stopped at a red light behind the car in front of me. I was stopped at a appropriate distance from the car in front of me. I had my right foot on the brake pedal, when the car accelerated on its own. It launched its self into the car ahead of me. I looked down and my foot was still on the brake pedal. None of the air bags inside the car deployed.

Reporting for our insured: james manning. For additional information, please contact kristen huff at kristen. Huff@countryfinancial. Com, phone: 888-248-8973. Date of loss: may 4, 2025 location: jesup, GA our insured james manning was driving a 2016 Tesla Model X, and was stopped at a traffic light with traffic ahead. Our insured advised he had his foot firmly on the brake, and without warning the vehicle accelerated forward striking the vehicle in front of him. The occupants of the vehicle that was struck by the Tesla sustained injuries.

There is a leaking glue like substance coming from the infotainment system that controls all safety components of the vehicle which can cause a safety hazard as well as health and enviormental concerns.

Steering stuck: it happened several times that the steering wheel completely locked up while driving on the road. Today it happened again. It does not move, cannot turn left or right. I was in the middle of the road, the only thing I could do was to back up. I had to stop in the middle of the road and reboot the car. Luckily the cars behind me were able to stop before crashing into me. In may 2024, I addressed the same issues, but it happened again. I think it is their defect which I have serious concerns for my safety. I heard other people also experienced the same as mine. I believe this is the defect which will cause the danger of drivers. Suspension and tires: I went to several tires shops every year and they all told me that my tires have been worn quickly because alignment was not properly installed. I went to Tesla, but they said there were no issues. The fact is that my tires have been worn quickly than normal and we can hear the squeaky noise from the suspensions when turning. My friend has the same issues with his Tesla. This is also a defect that Tesla needs to repair it. Wifi: my Tesla cannot connect to wifi for all of those years for updates. I have asked Tesla to help but they cannot connect to it either. This is a defect that they cannot fix which cause my car not being able to update it automatically.

The car horn does not work. I was charging my vehicle at a supercharger and the supercharger malfunctioned and caused my vehicle to become unable to drive. I had to tow the vehicle to the service center where they had to reset the car so that he could drive again and they had to replace the 12volt battery. Thereafter, I noticed that the horn was no longer working.

Was heading home from socal. Started charging the car at kettleman. . . Opened the falcon doors to let the kids out and crunch!!! 3 glass panels started cracking. All 3 panels are cracked and broken just by opening the doors. Sucks. Nothing was on top blocking anything. . . No twigs, no debri. . . Nothing.

Our 2 year old son broke his left tibia after the falcon door automatically closed on his left foot/leg and it got caught between the door and his car seat. We believe he had his leg dangling off the car seat when we closed the door from the front command station. The door sensor did not stop or give any warning that there was anything in the way. He was seen in the emergency department after the incident and is in a full leg cast for at least 4 weeks. This is a major safety risk for other children/people if the doors cannot sense small limbs and stop appropriately. The car/door is available for inspection upon request. We have not contacted Tesla yet about this but will be calling them very soon. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone yet since the incident. There were no warnings prior to the incident occurring.

Hi, I have a Tesla Model X 2016. In December 2020 I received a recall to replace the spine applique. I then bought the car to santa clara service center in Jan 2021 and they told me my car is safe to drive without replacement. Last Sunday ( Aug 13) while driving on i880 northbound. I heard a small noise ( like a crack) turned my head to see what happened in the car, but saw nothing. By the time I got home and opened the back gate to get my stuff and realized the spine applique was blown away, it was around 3 oclock. So I drove my car to the service center and told them what happened. They declined to honor the recall and asked me to pay $742. 00 for the replacement cost, citting my warranty having expired. Please take a close look at the attached picture. The silicon goes around the top was supposed to keep the spine applique in place. It look very smooth meaning there is no bond between the 2. That was why it flew off the car while driving. Please see attached for your reference and advice! thank you, jack 408-623-4895 please call if you have any questions.

Two issues that are concerning and I have told Tesla: 1. The car will be on cruise control and I will be relaxed and all of a sudden it will just brake for no reason. Praise god I am aware of it now and prepared so I have to compensate, but it is very dangerous and made the cruise control useless. While it was under warrantee I request it be fixed, but they said there was no way to do that. 2. The car's back up screen is compromised and has a distortion on the bottom that was caused by a download. I requested four separate times a service requests to fix it while it was under warrantee, but they were unable to repair it. The first time they said I needed to wait for a download, then the second time they said it was a hacker, third time they replaced a chip, and the four time they told me to repair it I need to upgrade my entertainment package for $1500 so I cancelled the appointment. All while I was under warranty. Four appointments later and I still have a distortion on my screen when I back up which is slowly getting larger and will be a safety issue I'm sure down the road. Two very obvious safety issues that while under warranty they would not fix. I wrote Tesla and asked them to review my service requests and to get some resolution. I was unsuccessful.

Mcu1 onboard computer system becomes overloaded with data that eventually and periodically causes the computer system to "crash" and requires a reboot, even with 8 gb emmc replacement having already been installed. This means that vehicles with mcu1 (generally model s and x manufactured pre-2019) are increasingly becoming safety risks on the road because the mcu1 system crash can occur at any time, even while driving (not just when the car is going through it's start-up cycle). Whenever this occurs, it means the driver is unable to change the headlights which is especially harmful during dawn and dusk hours since these models do not have daytime running headlights. Drivers may be unable to use turn signals, unlock power doors (the Model X has power-driven doors on all sides) and advanced systems may be inoperable during the mcu1 rebooting process. This issue can be resolved by replacing the mcu1 operating system with the mcu2 operating system, but Tesla requires mcu1 owners with auto pilot computer version 1. 0 to pay $1,750 for what they are calling an "infotainment upgrade. " this is disingenuous terminology used by Tesla because the mcu1 operating system is not just for "infotainment" - it is beyond that and includes significant safety features as mentioned above (headlights, doors, locks, windows, adas, and more). Tesla needs to cover the cost of replacing mcu1 with mcu2 or a new system that is stable and does not experience frequent data crashes. In other words, there must be a fix beyond the 8gb emmc "band aid" that has not resolved the chronic failure of mcu1 systems. This is a continuing safety issue and driving hazard for all Tesla owners with mcu1 until a recall is issued.

I was rear ended while my Tesla was on auto pilot and the system never warned me or prevented the accident.

Bubbles have formed on both screens: the navigation. Screen and also the speedometer screen. Distracting and makes it harder to see necessary information.

While driving in the carpool lane with my mother in law to work with my wife, the car abruptly activated the brakes while in auto steer mode and necessitated my immediate slamming on the gas to increase my speed to avoid a rear collision.

Severe ongoing issues with the mcu - takes excessive time to power up systems - can be minutes before functions such as navigation, rear back up camera, hvac, screen and dashboard are fully functional. This has been an issue for years, that was supposed to be fixed with a chip recall - but has become even worse.

There is a liquid mcu behind the touch screen of my vehicle. The mcu liquid leaks out from the bottom of my screen all over the interior of my car - this happens even more during hot weather. I'm disturbed because I'm reading this liquid is in fact poisonous. Tesla will not do anything about this. This leaking liquid is creating dangerous conditions for my family. This is a manufacturing defect, touch screens are not meant to leak poisonous liquid.

The front control arms broke. I had it in for recall work and asked them to check the rear control arms. We had just gotten new tires on it and the tire shop recommended we bring it in to have Tesla look at the rear control arms. Tesla said they looked good and then last minute they said the front control arms were broken. Not sure how that happened, but it seems to be a common problem with the 2016 Model Xs. Paid 637. 94 for the repair. Since then, our power steering has been almost non existent.

On Tuesday September 13th 2022 morning around 10. 55am est, I had entered the hindu temple of florida premises driving my Tesla Model X. I slowly progressed towards the parking spot and mad a slow right turn to park the car. At that time the Tesla suddenly accelerated at full speed, took off like a rocket, jumped the curb, knocked down a sign post and jumped into the ditch which leads into a pond. The car veered to the right, jumped out of the ditch back toward the parking spots, hit two vehicles ( a Honda crv and a Lexus) with a significant force and hit a tree with a big impact and finally stopped. Surprisingly airbags did not deploy. I was wearing the seat belt and was the only one inside the vehicle. Fortunately with gods grace I escaped with minimal injuries. I get nightmares every day since then thinking about how close to death I was. Had the gone gone straight into the pond, I could have drown to death inside the vehicle, had it gone in a different direction and hit those concrete walls of the temple, I could have been crushed. More significant was it did not run over any of the visitors who frequent thaw temple! this sudden unintended acceleration not only shocked me but also shocked several people who were witness to this crazy event. The cctv footage I obtained shows the car going towards the parking spot and caught the initial acceleration and take off and the big thuds twice that ensue within a few seconds. I have heard Tesla cars were involved in certain freak accidents but never imagined that I could be part of one. I’m uploading a few photos, a video clip and a cctv footage clip for your review. I read reports that Tesla blamed these type of unintended acceleration on driver errors pressing the gas pedal! I’m in total disbelief how in the USA with so many safety standards and accountability, that this can continue to happen. ~ swarnalatha chowdappa.

On August 30, 2022 between 8:30 and 9:00 a. M. The driver of a 2016 Tesla x, was traveling at highway speeds in the number one lane. The fore link failed when the driver applied the vehicle’s brakes in response to a vehicle in front of her abruptly braking for a hazard ahead. A grinding noise came from the drivetrain and the vehicle rapidly slowed involuntarily. The driver was able to navigate across several lanes of traffic to the right shoulder. The vehicle remained inoperable at the side of the freeway until it was later towed to Tesla, inc. For repair. The nature of the incident was reported to Tesla inc. Tesla, inc. Diagnosed the issue and found front left fore link to be broken at the ball joint. The technician found additional damage to : (1) the coaxial cable that leads to the left rocker panel; (2) the front aero shield; (3) front left fender liner (missing); and (4) main harness. Later, damage was discovered to the a/c compressor. Notably, Tesla inc. Inspected the vehicle braking system twice in the two months preceding the incident. On June 28, 2022, Tesla inc. Replaced the front brake pads. On August 4, 2022, Tesla inc. Inspected the tire pressure and condition and did not recommend rotation. No warnings were displayed. Co-owner spoke with a service manager at Tesla inc. Regarding service bulletin 17-31-001, indicating that Model X vehicles built in 2016 may have been manufactured with front suspension fore links that may not meet Tesla strength specifications. Nevertheless, Tesla, inc. Refused to cover the repairs under the drivetrain warranty or goodwill. The CO-owner later learned that the office of defects investigation (odi) of the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) has opened preliminary evaluation (pe20-020) regarding this issue. Co-owner also requested that Tesla, inc. Replace the right fore link without charge. After Tesla inc. Refused to do so, CO-owner paid for the replacement out of pocket.

I have my car in service right now for a recall that needed a replacement emmc. On a service that was estimated for 2. 5 hours have now gone on to 2 weeks. They also marked this recall service as complete within week 1 and tried returning the vehicle with errors pertaining to the emergency brake system, autopilot, sentry security system, and a list of other errors that came from the software not downloading properly and therefore, not installing the new emmc correctly. Because this service was marked complete, I am no longer able to pull up with recall with my VIN # and I just wanted to document this to ensure this is fixed properly. I am now told by Tesla that I need to pay $1500 for a new infotainment system or $1600 for a new das system in order to address the recall issue. Looking back at my recall letter, there is a section that lists "if you believe that Tesla has failed or is unable to repair this defect without charge or within a reasonable time, you may submit a complaint to the administrator, national highway traffic safety administration" which I'm doing now. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to have this recall properly addressed. They are now attempting to revert the car back to the original aftermarket emmc in order to return the car to me without addressing the recall.

Problem description: the entire instrument cluster and center console of my 2016 Tesla Model X are experiencing significant delamination due to leaking adhesive. The adhesive is seeping from the top edges and working down the sides of both the instrument cluster and the center console. I am in possession of the vehicle and all components are available for inspection upon request. Safety risks: this delamination issue has rendered important vehicle status indicator lamps virtually illegible during normal daylight conditions due to excessive glare. This includes safety warning lamps and other critical vehicle status information. To view the information displayed, I am forced to either shade the console with my hands (which requires removing them from the steering wheel) or to move my head to a different position. Both of these actions necessitate a substantial amount of time with my eyes off the road, posing a significant and unnecessary safety risk to myself, my passengers, and other road users. Warning signs: there were no initial warning signs or symptoms of this issue. The delamination and adhesive leakage began slowly over the past year and appear to be accelerating in severity. There are now visible drips of glue accumulating beneath both the instrument cluster and center console. Documentation: I have taken clear photos documenting the extent and severity of the delamination and adhesive leakage, which I will attach to this complaint. These photos provide evidence of the compromised visibility of vital vehicle indicators due to this issue. Severity and frequency: the delamination is extensive, especially along the perimeter where the indicator lamps are displayed. This is not an isolated or temporary problem; it has been ongoing and is progressively worsening. The design or manufacturing process that led to this adhesive failure is severely impacting the functionality and safety of the vehicle's interface and controls.

Falcon doors missing from ui. While on highway going highway speed, piece of the roof flew off car.

The dashboard screen and the center monitor screen are showing crack lines and liquid bubbles on the screens, resulting from exposure to climate heat (in phoenix,az).

The media system has been a source of issues since day one. When they finally issued a recall this past summer I was relieved to see that finally the problems would be fixed. I was told of a long wait and put in que until they would be able to get to my car. They didn't have a time frame however my media system crashed so many times I was moved to the top of the list and the recall was completed. I thought that would be the end of my issues nope shortly after they completed the repair the issues started again. After several months of back and forth with Tesla they said that is wasn't a warranty issue and that I would need to have the dash and the large screen replaced and all the processing for $1200. The issue is that my media systems crashes and goes completely dark when driving. When that happens I lose numerous features while I am driving. Sometimes the system reboots itself while I am on the road. When it goes dark all my sensors stop working cruise control stops, auto pilot all warning sounds stop, rear camera, heating cooling any function controlled on the main screen does not work. However the lights still work but I can't control the operations. This does not occur frequently but when iit does it makes driving very dangerous and distracting. The other issue is the streaming on the radio often stops working or you need to continually divert your attention to get the media system back online. All these issues have been present since the I purchased my x. It's been the same with Tesla let's look at the logs and see what we can do. They say my car has had more issues than most but they have never resolved they problem. I really do not want to pay $1200 for a repair that I am leary if it will resolve the issue and disappointed in Tesla that it is their problem and need to take responsibility and repair iit at their expense. I really like my car and enjoy driving it I just want it work they way it was designed.

I had my Tesla Model X mcu replaced per the recall. Prior to having the mcu replaced I had numerous (more than 20) episodes of the car just shutting down and losing all power and would not restart for anywhere from 3 to 20 minutes. Many times after the vehicle would restart the main control screen would remain black, there would be no access to any of the controls usually accessible there. Other times there would be no navigation, radio or hvac available. When reporting these issues I was told to keep trying to reboot that it was a known software issue. When the recall was finally announced I checked frequently for appointments for a replacement chip which were not abundantly available. When I was finally able to get an appointment for the recall, the service center assured me that the replacement mcu would make things better but I also had the option to upgrade to a better chip for $2k but lose many options like fm and xm radio, which I use. Since the mcu replacement I have continued to have these same issues and my phone will no longer pair with the vehicle to provide the hands free use I had previously. I have worked with Tesla to try to resolve these issues and I am told by their technicians that this is a known software issue that is happening to "older" model s and Model X vehicles and there is no current projection as to when this will get resolved as it is on the back burner. My car is a 2016 with 40k miles! how is this ok? how is this not a safety issue? today the car went completely dark/dead while I was driving!!! luckily I was driving in a parking deck and there was no resulting accident. I have called Tesla customer service and messaged the local service center to report these issues multiple times. Even the corporate customer service rep has difficulty reaching them directly. It is so sad to have such a nice vehicle with issues like this. We have talked about trading it in but ethically cannot fathom passing these known issues on to someone else.

Although the NHTSA had pushed Tesla on the refresh rate of the memory and Tesla had remedied the memory on my car that is only one issue. The computer has slowed to a point that the car no longer operates consistently and is there a risk. There needs to be mandatory testing that software upgrades do not make any of the processes that the car is supposed to do inoperable or inconsistent. I had recognized many issues over the last 1. 5 years that my car was not working or was extremely slow in reacting and have had my car brought into Tesla because of it many many times. I then heard about the memory issue and pushed Tesla to refresh it but that still has not resolved the regular issues. This is currently impacting Tesla but will impact all cars in the future as computers are the main inner working for vehicles such as ev’s as far as my wife is concerned about her car she has a $125k anchor. Tesla’s reply to me is to spend over $2,000 and upgrade the computer.

Tesla continues to make thousands of new cars but it has yet to resolve the recall (21v-035) claiming that it lacks parts. My Tesla has had screen blackouts and has lost important functions while driving due to the inadequate chip capacity which needs replacing under the recal.

The electrical components in our steering wheel have stopped working, disabling the horn. The horn itself can be deployed from the Tesla phone app (so I know the horn itself is not bad). Additionally, the control buttons on the steering wheel no longer work. A simple google search reveals that this is a widespread problem with Tesla vehicles. Not having a working mechanism to deploy the horn is a very serious safety issue --as the horn is intended to be used to warn careless drivers from coming into your lane, alert distracted pedestrians, etc. Despite seeing this failure across a wide array of its vehicles, Tesla is issuing 4-figure repair estimates --or at least that is what they did for me. Tesla should be required to replace its failing components as a matter of public safety. I can assure you that people will be injured and/or die because of Tesla's failure to act. Please feel free to call me if you would like to discuss. Thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Tesla has an active recall on their mmc chips but says my screen has to be totally blacked out before they will replace. I live 2 hours from the nearest dealership and I'm sure this will happen at the worst time. It takes sometimes over a minute for my car to even turn on now and warm up.

I am complaining because Tesla has failed to remedy safety recall # 21v035 for my vehicle in a timely manner. Soon after I bought my car in 2016, I started experiencing issues with the center display, which Tesla was unwilling to address. Finally in 2021, NHTSA recall # 21v035 was created that would address my safety issues. In this recall dated February 5 2021, Tesla agreed to "Tesla will replace the vcm daughterboard that has the hynix 8gb emmc with a vcm daughterboard that has an enhanced 64gb micron emmc, free of charge. " on February 2 2021, Tesla emailed the email says in part: "Tesla has decided to voluntarily recall certain model s and Model X vehicles built before March 2018 that are equipped with an 8gb embedded multimediacard (emmc) in the media control unit because the emmc may malfunction due to accumulated wear. Our records show that you own a model s or Model X affected by this recall. . . . Additionally, Tesla will upgrade, free of charge, the emmc on your vehicle with an enhanced 64gb emmc. There is no need at this time to contact us as we will notify you when the parts become available. " on March 5 2021, Tesla emailed me again saying ""your vehicle is subject to conditions covered under the 8gb embedded multimediacard (emmc) recall that addresses the malfunction of the emmc memory chip due to accumulated wear. " every time I have contacted Tesla about this recall, Tesla has given me the runaround stating they are "still waiting for parts to become available", by which they presumably mean the "vcm daughterboard with the enhanced 64gb emmc". This is a very effective way for Tesla to avoid the responsibility and cost while my safety problem persists. As a reminder, the recall is now nearly 6 months old, and the underlying safety problems have persisted for years prior to the recall being initiated. Tesla must fix my car promptly by either: a. Replacing the vcm daughterboard b. Replacing the entire mcu, such as with the current safer version.

I've had the vehicle for nearly 3 years and have come to realize that the driver side door panel as well as the passenger side door panel make squeaking noises when temperatures rise from 55 degrees and above. I've brought the vehicle in for service numerous times and the squeaking issue has not been able to be fixed. I have come to understand that whatever interior lining/plastic etc. Installed within the doors loses its firmness in a higher heat climate. Please help to address the issue. Thanks!.

My mcu failed which ended up immobilizing the car which required a flat bed tow to a nearby Tesla service center. At that time, Tesla replaced the mcu emmc in sept 2020. Since this part has been replaced, the backup safety camera and other functionality (e. G. Navigation, user interface access) will become non-functioning frequently. This can be non-functioning for a few seconds to a few minutes. Sometimes the backup camera will freeze the object on screen and not move or be solid black. Overall the hardware "fix" has caused more issues than before the failure. I also have an extended Tesla warranty, and Tesla will not replace this more problematic mcu now with a newer mcu since Tesla classifies this as a "performance" related issue. Tesla service wants me to spend $2500 to fix my backup safety camera issue or wait an unknown period for an unknown software. It has been almost 4 months and there's been no fix. I want Tesla to replace my mcu with another mcu1 or a mcu2 which Tesla confirms fixes the camera issue.

In summer of 2020 my screen for odometer, speed and auto pilot status went out. The driver screen went black and never came back on. Tesla service request a replacement which I had to pay $1500+, few month later my steering wheel was very loose and offbeat. Again, I had to pay out of pocket. Which I believe was dangerous to drive because I could not turn very well. Now, my car takes very long time to turn on and the driver side window does not close all the way.

On the first used of the day, the instrument cluster takes about 45-60 seconds to boot up. This makes the car underivable until the screen is active. I have had the issue since July, Tesla has investigated the logs numerous times to no avail. I am now being told it is a firmware issue they are aware of. But, there is no timeline for a fix. I find this very dangerous and annoying. If I had to move the car quickly in any kind of an emergency, I cannot do so. The car is completely underivable until the instrument cluster boots up. Other than waiting, the only option I have been given is to pay $2,500 for a newer version of the main computer. This is totally unacceptable to me, as the car is still under warranty. As per your note below, the car is always stationary. As said above, it is underivable until the system boots up.