Power Train Problems of Tesla Model X - part 1

While driving my 2022 Tesla Model X at highway speed, I experienced a sudden loss of steering assist shortly after supercharging. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn, and I had to use significant force to maintain control. The vehicle displayed a ‘steering assist reduced’ alert, fsd became unavailable, and the suspension behaved unexpectedly. After the incident, the vehicle was taken to Tesla service. At this time, I have not received a clear explanation of the root cause of the steering?assist loss. Because this event occurred at highway speed and created a safety concern, I am submitting this report so the incident can be documented and reviewed.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model X 🔎.

During a recent incident where a tire issue caused damage to the wiring harness for the parking brake, resulting in a parking brake failure notification on the screen, the vehicle would not stop or turn off. The vehicle displayed n for neutral on the dash, but the vehicle would drive forward unless the brake was depressed. In addition, we were unable to place the vehicle in park, which meant that we were unable to shut it off. The only way to stop the vehicle from driving on its own and crashing into something was to place concrete blocks under the tires! unplugging the 12v battery also had no effect! the vehicle kept driving as if it was in drive, and there as no way to stop it without placing the foot on the brake pedal the entire time or placing the blocks I referenced. The only way I was able to shut it off, was to pull what's known as the fireman's loop, which I'm guessing firemen pull in the case of an accident. I wasn't aware of this mechanism, and only learned of it after posting on numerous social media apps regarding this issue. This is a major issue, as we are talking about a moving and unstoppable car! Tesla needs to build some mechanism that allows the car to be shut off by the driver or to override the screen and place the car in park. Pulling this firemans loop and unplugging the 12v battery, required me being in front of the vehicle, risking my life, as the vehicle could've easily moved if the concrete barriers didn't stop it, and also required me taking 30+ minutes to remove components from the frunk, just to access these components!!.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model X 🔎.

The 2018 Model X experienced a sudden and complete loss of power and became totally inaccessible. All doors and access points were inoperable and the vehicle could not be unlocked, disconnected, powered on, or placed into any service or tow mode. Emergency front-trunk release cables had to be used and external 12-volt power applied at the jump terminals to wake the vehicle. The inability to access the vehicle was unexpected and alarming. Children, pets, elderly, and others could have been inside of the vehicle. Thankfully, they were not. Tesla inspected the vehicle and stated the failure was related to the battery coolant heater. The failure resulted in a complete vehicle immobilization and access failure. I had previously experienced restart warnings on the dashboard, but I did not expect a total lockout and loss of access. The inability to access the vehicle was unexpected and alarming. It may be a known safety issue. It should be recalled. This condition presents a serious safety risk because occupants could be trapped inside the vehicle and the vehicle cannot be accessed or moved without external power. In extreme heat or cold, or in a medical or emergency situation involving a child or pet, this failure mode could create a life-threatening situation. Importantly, even after multiple requests, I have not received a copy of the diagnostic report, or anything other than informal emails or calls. Tesla has not provided information regarding this failure other than broad statements, and visuals of the location of the battery pack, in an attempt to deny warranty coverage. The Tesla reports a high voltage system alert currently. The vehicle is subject to Tesla’s battery and drive unit limited warranty. Tesla has stated that the failed component was the battery coolant heater, but has refused to cover the repair under warranty. Tesla confirmed the failure but has not provided the diagnostic report, fault codes, or vehicle logs supporting its determination.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X equipped with lexani tires, tire line: lx-20 performance, tire size: 265/45/r20, dot number: 1tba7b95c3724. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud sound coming from the front of the vehicle. After the vehicle was inspected, the contact observed tread separation on the driver’s side rear tire, and that the top tread portion of the tire was separating. Due to the tire failure, the vehicle became inoperable. Additionally, the transmission failed to properly shift into park(p), and there was a wiring harness failure following the failure. Due to the failure the vehicle was not drivable and required to be towed. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the failure was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 23t009000 (tires). The tire was a replacement tire. The tire failure mileage was approximately 8,000. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 78,886.

The contact owned a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 17 mph, the vehicle suddenly made a right turn and crashed into a bridge. No warning lights illuminated. The contact's wife did seek medical attention; however, she sustained minor whiplash. A police report was not filed, but a police department did report on scene. Upon further inspection, the contact arrived on scene and noticed that the rear passenger-side tire had detached, possibly due to the axle. The vehicle was towed to a local collision shop, where it was deemed a total loss. In addition, prior to the accident, the vehicle was taken to a local independent tire shop, where the front two tire and brake pads were replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,726.

The vehicle presents a compounded safety defect creating a risk of passenger entrapment and high-voltage fire. 1. High voltage manufacturing defect: on September 3, 2024, authorized Tesla service technicians diagnosed a critical safety fault. The service record states technicians 'found a/c compressor hv harness was incorrectly routed, rubbing against the steering column' and 'found sand inside the connector'. Tesla repaired this defects under the 'basic vehicle limited warranty,' confirming it was a factory assembly error. This defect created an imminent risk of a high-voltage short to the steering column, which could result in driver electrocution or total vehicle power loss at speed. 2. Passenger entrapment: the vehicle has a documented history of rear falcon wing door failure (7 repair attempts from April 2023 to may 2025). The doors frequently fail to latch or open. On July 8, 2025, the left rear door failed to open due to a sensor fault. 3. Combined hazard: if the incorrectly routed high voltage harness causes a vehicle power failure, the rear doors' electronic latches will fail. Because the doors have a history of mechanical jamming, passengers in the rear seats would be trapped in a vehicle with a compromised high voltage system.

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.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model X 🔎.

Tesla remotely blocks a car powertrain without warning if a service invoice wasn’t paid before leaving a service center. This poses a safety risk because the car might unexpectedly become non-driving, such as after returning from a hike with young kids in a remote area, without water, food, or medications. To reproduce this issue, follow these steps: 1. Leave a Tesla service before a service or part is charged to the card on file (this can happen for various reasons). 2. Park the car in an underground parking garage or a remote area with no cellular connectivity. 3. Attempt to return home. The result is that the car will be blocked by an unknown pin, even if the invoice was automatically charged to the card on file while driving. Without internet connectivity, it’s impossible to work around the pin. The car has be towed to an area with cellular connectivity to resolve the issue.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model X 🔎.

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

I have had to replace my axles/have had cv joint failure 3 times and have another service scheduled for a fourth cv/axle service. This is a known problem and Tesla has acknowledged it and done nothing about it. See Tesla service bulletin sb-20-39-001about premature axle/cv joint failures.

While driving on city streets at very low speeds, error messages starting popping up on the screen "vehicle may not restart/service is required". We somehow made it home by restarting the computer and driving home at low speeds. At freeway speeds, this would have been catastrophic. We were able to make an appointment with the Tesla service center and found this to be due to the battery coolant heater to be internally shorted which in turn was because the large rear drive unit had an internal coolant leak. This required a very expensive $8k replacement of the large rear drive unit and the heater. A search in the blogs has yielded this to be a design and manufacturing issue. Specifically the blogs say: "the rear motor used in the early Teslas has a design flaw and will need a very expensive repair/replacement but what does that actually mean? many model s and Model X produced between 2012-2020 have the large drive unit (ldu) with the fatal coolant seal flaw where the seal around the rotor shaft will leak coolant into the motor (reference 1). They will all leak eventually. Tesla tried many things over the years to keep this seal from leaking but finally gave up and developed ‘revision u’ in the fall of 2022 which deletes the coolant from the rotor but maintains the coolant to the inverter, stator and the ‘flyover’ tube cooling the gearbox". This means that the same problem even after the replacement, will happen again soon. I am writing to request you to send out a recall to all owners of these cars, and to have Tesla refund us for the cost of replacement of the drive unit and for Tesla to install the bypass as some aftermarket vendors (reference 2) have started doing. Reference: 1) https://teslamotorsclub. Com/tmc/threads/early-ms-ldu-rdu-coolant-leakage-current-state-of-affairs. 327284/page-3#post-8500089 2) https://revoltsystems. Com/Tesla-large-drive-unit-ldu-coolant-bypass-kit-the-achilles-seal-fix/.

See all problems of the 2016 Tesla Model X 🔎.

While driving on highway with autopilot on . I received the message "steering assist reduced . Vehicle will require additional force to steer". I believe I hit a rough patch on the highway and my steering lost power and became very hard to steer the vehicle. Somehow I managed to drive for 20 miles to safety. When I recached home I did power reset few times and the issue went away. I noticed similar issues with Model X but not for year 2018 Model X. I have opened a service request with Tesla . Tesla send me an invoice of $5500 for repair.

The contact owns a 2020 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was making an abnormal sound. The contact stated there was a grinding and whining sound coming from the vehicle while driving approximately 30 mph and the sound was constant. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front-end half-shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

Ac compressor failed within 1000 miles of high voltage battery being replaced. This is the second ac compressor failure, the first failure occured at approx 70k miles, Nov 2022. The ac is used to cool the battery during high voltage charging and driving. Upon failure speed can be reduced, determined by multiple factors and charging rate is reduced as well. I was told it was an internal failure of the compressor and when pressed further Tesla was unable to explain why it failed, again.

This year Tesla has a known "acceleration shutter" due to the front cv joints' angle being too sharp causing premature wear. I have been dealing with this issue since the vehicle was new. Tesla has replaced my cv joints 5-7 times and during the repairs they have left bolts out of the vehicle, left bolts loose and damaged the front drive unit so much by bad repair jobs they have had to replace the front drive unit twice. In the most recent episode, the motor mount has cracked and was making a loud banging noise under acceleration and declaration. Most concerning is the fact I found some brake lines not in their keepers and they were rubbing on this mount. (I have photos). I have had my vehicle at 3 different Tesla service centers and at least two are inadequate. My concern, especially with the loose and missing bolts, is the sense of bad workmanship which could lead to a real problem in the future. I have, myself, fixed the brake line issue and tightened the motor mount bolt and the car is fine but don't know what else is not done properly, so I will be asking a service center (over , 100 miles away) to please check to make sure there isn't anything else loose due to the front drive unit being replaced. I also have another bad half shaft which was replaced about 10,000 miles ago back in October of 23'. I have pictures of all this nonsense if you are interested. But again, my concern is what if they leave something important loose that can kill someone. I've had many episodes of shoddy workmanship from two different service centers. Hundreds of miles apart. It appears to be either a training or culture issue. The jury is still out on the 3d service center, but it's not looking good at the moment. ??.

See all problems of the 2017 Tesla Model X 🔎.

A couple of days ago, when I was dropping off my child at school, I parked in a spot that required parallel parking to save time as I was in a rush. After reversing into the spot, I just needed to move forward a bit by 1-2 feet. I naturally slide the gear shift up on the screen. Unfortunately, it didn't slide into place, and the car was still in reverse (r), but I didn't realize it. I was already very close to the car behind me. When I pressed the accelerator, the car continued to back up. Luckily, I slammed the brake, avoiding a collision. Just wanted to share that even after a year and a half of driving a Model X, mistakes can still happen. After reading what happened to angela chao, I posted what happened to me on a social platform and someone else shared they had a similar experience that needed up with a crash. So I decided to report mine and encouraged them to do the same. I like the minimalist design but I need to stay alive to enjoy it. As Tesla is moving away from stalkless design in more models, I hope they can do something to make the current shift more noticeable.

It is commonly known that the drive shafts on the Model X fail. This is not a wear component and should be a recall. The suspension is also part of this issue and there are after market solutions to fix the suspension that is causing the failure of the half shafts.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model X 🔎.

Car has been sent to the shop twice for the axles / half shafts and also two times for the front drive unit.

On December 9th, 2023 my 2020 Tesla Model X accelerator pedal broke off while accelerating up a hill. This caused the vehicle to stop and become undrivable on a blind curve uphill. This caused a significant safety risk to me and other drivers. The vehicle had to be towed with police assistance to block traffic due to where the vehicle became inoperable. I had to pay out of pocket about $500 for the repair plus $450 in towing expenses.

I was driving the car in stop-and-go traffic on a city street. After another stop, the car in front of me started moving. I pressed on the accelerator with the usual force, but my car took off like crazy. I pressed on the breaks, but the car didn't seem to respond to the brake pedal and ran into a car in front of me. Automatic emergency breaking system didn't engage as well. Luckily, nobody was injured. Had there been any pedestrians crossing the street, they would have been badly injured or killed. This uncontrolled response from the car is very dangerous and I cannot trust it anymore. As a result of this accident, the car in front suffered damage in the amount of a few thousand usd, and my Tesla Model X - $40k.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model X 🔎.

To whom it may concern, my name is [xxx] , and I am writing regarding unresolved issues with my 2016 Tesla Model X (VIN: [xxx] ). Despite multiple service visits, extensive repairs, and approximately $8,000 in costs, my vehicle remains undrivable and presents significant safety concerns. I initially brought my vehicle to the Tesla service center in richmond, texas, for motor-related issues. I was informed that mismatched tires and front-end components were contributing to the problem, and repairs were completed. However, the original issue persisted. Subsequent visits for additional repairs also failed to resolve the problem, and new safety concerns emerged. Complicating matters, the richmond service center has since closed, and its staff were terminated. When I contacted the westchase service center, manager andrea p. Informed me that no resolution or agreement could be reached. I have attached the following invoices for your review: invoice #[xxx], dated April 26, 2024 invoice #[xxx], dated November 9, 2023 I am requesting the following: a full review of my service history and unresolved issues. Immediate repairs to address motor and safety concerns at no additional cost. A clear explanation of Tesla’s policies regarding unresolved repairs, especially with closed service centers. This situation has caused financial and personal hardship. I urge Tesla to address these issues promptly to restore my confidence in your brand. Please contact me at [your phone number] or [your email address] to discuss this matter. Sincerely, [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I initially brought my vehicle to the Tesla service center in richmond, texas, to address issues involving the motor. During this visit, I was informed that mismatched tire sizes and worn parts in the front end were contributing to the problem. The service center proceeded with repairs, charging me for the work. However, the original issue persisted after I picked up the vehicle. Despite multiple follow-up appointments and additional repairs, the problem was never resolved.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model X. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph and other various speeds, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the issue would be documented. The failure mileage was approximately 97,649.

Driving into a car wash, I placed the car in neutral. The instrument cluster confirmed as much with an 'n' symbol, while I was stopped, in the single-track for the car wash to push/pull the car through the apparatus. The car was pulled into the car wash about half-way (roughly 25-35 seconds of n). Then, the car spontaneously shifted to park, and indicated as much with a 'p' in the instrument cluster. No cars were behind me in the car wash, this time. And I was able to re-engage neutral for the remainder of the wash (about another 35-40 seconds). It is unknown if the car would revert to parking by itself, if I had not activated drive to exit the wash. If it makes a difference, I was in the driver's seat the entire time -- as is the usual custom at this self-serve tracked car wash. This has happened 3 or 4 times before -- usually in connection with the car wash. It is very unclear if this is poor software or a sensor that is to blame. In my other Tesla, it tends to go to park without conscious user input when a body lifts out of the driver's seat. So this could be a simple sensor that is a bit touchy in this Model X that is the subject of this report.

I was driving my Tesla Model X in interstate i35 with fsd turned on. After 45 minutes of fsd, I felt the car slowed down. I immediately push the accelerator to speed it up but it didn't help and the car quickly fully stopped. I again pushed accelerator but the car won't move at all and my car block one of the two lanes of north bound i35 in gainesville area. I was forced to reboot the car as the car won't move. Several minutes later, the car finally rebooted successfully and I immediately drove to exit i35. As I had no idea why the car stopped itself so I didn't feel to continue driving it and had the car towed back. From the trip data on my phone, it shows "hard breaking" prior to all this abnormal happened. I am sure that no break panel was pushed as my foot is on the floor mat as the car was driven by the fsd. The most serious problem is I couldn't speed it up after the car "hard breaking" itself and I had to reboot the car in order to make the car moving. I have the car service by Tesla but they don't have any explanation for me yet. It will be difficult to reproduce the problem. It can only be found by Tesla by looking into the stored driving data.

Tesla has a repair bulletin out for the half shafts of the Model X/s. There is significant stuttering/shuddering when accelerating moderately when the vehicle is in normal ride height or higher. Some folks experience it on the lower settings as well. This is a known issue that owners should not be responsible for payment/fix wise even if our of warranty as it’s a manufacturer defect that causes excessive wear on the tires in low, and on the cv boots and half shafts in normal ride height mode and higher when moderately accelerating. Out of warranty Tesla is still forcing owners to pay $97. 50 for the assessment and $350 for the half shafts repair. This is not fair to the customers. Paying for a manufacturer defect is unacceptable for consumers and I entreat NHTSA to begin an investigation. Plenty of Tesla forums have this complain noted at length. Here is an example: https://teslamotorsclub. Com/tmc/threads/model-x-shudder-shutter-legal-standing. 243084/.

While driving with my wife at 65 miles per hour around 1:4 pm on a very busy hwy 91 east in the los angeles area on August 7, 2022, the vehicle lost power unannounced in less than 5 minutes of the first warning lamp coming on. With the help of very limited residual power that was left in the car, I was able to navigate the vehicle to the triangle between 2 merging freeways. We can only surmise that since I turned on the hazard lights immediately after the first warning lamp was on and there was sufficient distance between the vehicles behind us, there was no accident that could have resulted in bodily injury or death. The vehicle was towed to the closest Tesla service center in buena park, CA. Tesla technicians "suspect a sporadic voltage/current spike from rear drive unit, but unable to confirm after a 40 mile test drive". They replaced a blown fuse 107 as their diagnosis for drivability; in addition they also changed the 12v battery. In Feb 2022 and March 2022, the vehicle would not start when parked. The service center " found micro sd card issues causing center display communication issues and loss of support for low voltage battery, tech replaced micro sd card, installed firmware and replaced 12 v battery". Tesla has not been able to (a) identify the root case, (b) if the solution they provided addressed root cause and what in their experience, expertise and judgement is the probability if such a failure would reoccur. They have also not provided information of what tests they performed and data from the testing. I am aware that in Feb 2022 a Tesla lost power on I-70 near independence missouri and the driver died from the pile up. Based on the above, we are very concerned that the vehicle is unsafe to fro the passengers in my car and others on the freeway in proximity to my vehicle. I had provided information about the August 2022 incident to nhsta hot line call center on August 25, 2022. To date I have not heard back.

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model X 🔎.

Under acceleration the Model X has significant front-end vibration. Had the half-shafts replaced 3 years ago but the problem persists.

Coolant leak in less then 5 months. Had this same problem in November 2021. Tesla replaced value no. 3. In April 2022 Tesla replaced value no. 3&4. Very concerned since my warranty is running out soon.

The car started giving error messages of systems failing one after another on the highway. It slowed down instantly as if someone pressed the brakes and I could not accelerate. Obviously I did not press the brakes. There were a lot of vehicles behind me and this could have easily caused an accident putting a lot of people at risk. I had to get off the highway ASAP and get the car towed. The error messages included charge port disabled, automatic emergency braking is disabled, power reduced, traction control disabled, stability control disabled, cruise control disabled, power reduced. Tesla diagnosed and confirmed this being an issue with the onboard charger being faulty and replaced that with charge port itself for a total of $3727. 60. They refused to cover any part of this which I think should have been taken care of by the company.

Pulling in to slowly park and sudden unanticipated acceleration-pushed car into brick roof support of building. Damage to bumper.

Dealing with 2 major safety issues and innumerable minor issues with our Model X. The first major safety issue involves our right falcon wing door. It will not properly open because it is sensing an obstruction that’s not there. The mobile tech told us that something inside the door has become disconnected causing the issue - clearly something that is occurring frequently. I’m struggling to get the vehicle repaired with Tesla and very worried that my kids will become trapped in an emergency. The second major issue is the front axles grinding down over time. My car is only 3. 5 years old. My front axles have already been replaced once. They are beginning to make the “clunking” sound loudly enough that it is clear they need to be replaced again. Again, Tesla will make it incredibly difficult to get in and get the needed repairs on my vehicle.

The front half shafts have failed 3 times already on this car, creating a safety hazard.

Service center refuses to perform TSB sb-21-39-001, stating that because of 2 prior repairs it is the same and not needed, even though the parts listed are different. Carlsbad service center, courtesy of roger the service advisor.

Under medium/heavy acceleration, there is a rattling/grinding sound like something is coming loose. Tesla says its normal. Its an ongoing issue and Tesla refuses to repair.