Table 1 shows one common seat belt related problems of the 2017 Tesla Model X.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Seat Belt problems |
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.
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!.
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).
Middle row center seat seatbelt won’t retract.
The second row center seat has a seatbelt that has failed. The seatbelt will not retract and is completely inoperative. I contacted Tesla about this issue and they said that it is not covered under warranty and they want to charge me $1,133. 00 to repair it. I cannot afford this, and I believe the manufacturer should repair this defect free of charge since this vehicle is only 5 years old.
Here is a discussion about the dangers of the rear seats in the Model X: https://forums. Tesla. Com/forum/forums/concern-about-head-injury-third-row-seating snip* third row seats are clearly exceedingly dangerous for medium-tall passengers. It is just a matter of time (if it has not happened already) that someone is killed or suffers devastating neck injuries from this seating/roof design. The problem is that someone can sit 'comfortably' in that seat and think they are safe, but in even a minor frontal crash their forehead would strike the rear hatch-window-frame cross member, violently rotating the head backwards, breaking the person's neck. Tesla 'cleverly' used the glass hatch roof to allow more headroom with a lower aerodynamic roof, but this just means people might sit in this seat who are too tall to survive there in even a minor frontal impact accident. Tesla should have a disclaimer (height restriction?) about this issue. ** the thread also discusses the danger to children in a booster seat. It appears that the authorities are permitting Tesla to self regulate in these matters of safety. Owners have the belief that Tesla is the safest car in the world and that Tesla can be trusted to do the right thing. I am of the opinion that such faith is not justified. Please investigate to prevent someone being killed or rendered quadriplegic. Thank you. Concerned citizen.