Steering Problems of Tesla Model X - part 1

The rack-and-pinion system failed, causing steering to become difficult at low speeds and worsening rapidly over weeks. It was inspected by a mechanic at ev coastal in santa ana, who said it was not the u-joint or bolt corrosion issue addressed by an earlier NHTSA recall. There were no notifications either visible to me or to the mechanic in service mode. The accident was at low speeds and a partial cause was my daughter's difficulty making a smooth adjustment with the steering wheel. She was pulling out of a parking spot and collided with a car going a little faster than it should have in a parking lot. Fortunately, the damage was limited to a scratch to the passenger side door of the other car (see photo) and scratches to the right side of the front fender of the Tesla.

See all problems of the 2016 Tesla Model X 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to control and was pulling to one side, almost causing a crash with another vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but it was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer test drove the vehicle and the failure reoccurred, and the dealer deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred shortly after the stabilizer arm and toe link were repaired. The contact also stated that a mobile message indicated that the I-shaft had failed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,340.

See all problems of the 2017 Tesla Model X 🔎.

Vehicle gps self driving is malfunctioning. Gps shows the route driving through houses and buildings the assisted self driving is extremely unsafe to use and the same goes for the gps guided navigation the gps is untrustworthy giving multiple unsafe routes.

See all problems of the 2024 Tesla Model X 🔎.

I have replaced several sets of tires with this Tesla Model X 2019. After years of dealing with a front end alignment problem, I finally had the repair done with some assistance from Tesla. When I purchased my vehicle under warranty, I reported problems with steering and pulling to one side, but they repeatedly claimed they couldn't replicate. This was before they allowed customers to drive with the repaid team. I mention the front-end problems as that has coupled with the rear tires. Inner wear is a consistent problem. I went to costco today to have them look at tires I bought in November of 2024 and they said the tire was balding and unrepairable. In fact the tires were showing wear on both sides and needed to be replaced. A full set costs $1400. 00+ and this is the second time I'm having to replace tires for wearing out quickly. There's a fix online from a company "n2itive". On their website they state, "the n2itive sx-2 adjustable rear camber arms are designed to address the common inner tire wear issues that plague the Tesla model s and x. These arms are available in the red and natural anodized finishes with a 3-year warranty or the black anodized finish with lifetime warranty and work best when used in conjunction with our tsx-2 toe arms. " external companies are standing up lines of business based on Tesla's failures. This is a problem and someone is going to get hurt, or worse.

See all problems of the 2019 Tesla Model X 🔎.

Repeat catastrophic steering failure on 2017 Model X (VIN [xxx] ). Steering wheel spins freely with zero connection to the wheels (complete mechanical disconnect). This is the third steering-system repair in under 12 months. • April 8, 2025: lower intermediate shaft replaced (still inside 12-month parts warranty). Invoice does not list ‘shielded’ or part 1027851-00-a. • current failure now requires full steering rack (1070801-00-f) + module + severed cable. Current estimate does list shielded I-shaft (1027851-00-a). Tesla claims the April repair used the ‘most updated’ part and that TSB sb-20-32-004 did not apply to my VIN. This contradicts the invoices and the TSB itself (which covers 2015–2020 Model X). Tesla previously admitted they cannot rule out a connection to the prior repair and that this severity is something they have "never seen. " safety risk: could have occurred on highway with loss of vehicle control. Tesla has denied goodwill. Attached: all invoices, estimates. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I experienced a total steering lockup and loss of vehicle control immediately following a steering column and suspension repair at a certified Tesla service center at [xxx] . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My 2017 Tesla Model X (VIN: [xxx] ) is experiencing stiff and binding steering caused by corrosion at the lower steering column I-shaft universal joint. The steering intermittently binds and resists normal turning force, which has caused Tesla’s full self-driving (fsd) system to disengage due to abnormal steering resistance — a direct safety concern. Tesla’s own service bulletin sb-20-32-004 documents this exact condition — I-shaft u-joint corrosion causing stiff steering — on model s and Model X vehicles. The bulletin covers 2015–2020 model years. However, Tesla service center stated that my VIN is not classified under this bulletin and that the $500 repair is an out-of-pocket expense not covered under warranty or goodwill. The issue has not yet been repaired. I am currently operating a vehicle with a known steering defect that Tesla has documented in its own service bulletin but has declined to cover for my specific VIN, despite my vehicle exhibiting the identical failure. I am requesting NHTSA investigate whether the VIN classification for sb-20-32-004 is appropriately capturing all affected vehicles, and whether this issue warrants escalation to a formal safety recall — particularly given the impact on automated driving system performance. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I don't think Tesla ever did the steering bolt recall per sb-20-32-002 on my vehicle. I had all the bolts fail, with obvious corrosion, and the motor separated from the rack causing a loss of power steering while moving. You can see where the bolt physically failed and the corrosion both on the remainder of the bolt and the entire mating surface of the motor to the steering rack. Going back through my service records, it is only listed once on 9 June 2021 with notes of "parts not available" hidden in the comments. Tesla is telling me this was done, with comments about a January 2021 visit, but I never took it to them in January (I did in February) and the February visit has no mention of the recall. Regardless, one of two things happened: either Tesla didn't do the recall and I fell victim to the issue or the recall was done and the new, updated bolts still failed due to corrosion and exposure to a corrosive, winter environment. I still suspect the former for the reason that no visible evidence of the protective wax coating required by the TSB could be seen on the motor or steering rack. Perhaps they swapped the bolts but didn't apply the wax, which allowed for continued corrosion? I won't know for sure until they continue with the repair, but I'm worried they are going to toss the parts and sweep this under the rug and foot me with the full bill. Regardless, I want this documented that I had a failure despite the recall so that any other owner with a similar problem can see this record.

The electric power assist steering system on my 2022 Tesla Model X began displaying a "steering assist reduced / steering may require increased effort" warning intermittently beginning in approximately may 2024, shortly after I purchased the vehicle. This warning appeared more times than I can count over the following months. In most instances the warning appeared but the steering continued to function normally. On approximately March 2, 2026, the warning appeared and for the first time the steering became extremely difficult to turn, requiring significantly increased physical effort to control the vehicle. The first physical failure occurred while parking at low speed in reverse. The steering failure also occurred subsequently while driving at highway speeds. In both instances I stopped the vehicle, exited, waited briefly, and upon re-entering the vehicle the warning cleared and steering returned to normal. This same sequence repeated the following day. The vehicle was brought to a Tesla authorized service center on March 13, 2026. Tesla's technician confirmed the steering assist reduction as reported and determined the steering gear required full replacement. The failed part, steering gear left hand drive part number 1070801-00-f, was replaced. Only full hardware replacement resolved the issue permanently. Prior power cycling provided only temporary relief. My safety was directly at risk. I am a full-time rideshare driver operating at highway speeds. The failed component has been replaced and is in Tesla's possession. Tesla is charging the full repair cost out of pocket despite this matching a documented pattern of identical failures reported to NHTSA by multiple Tesla owners.

See all problems of the 2022 Tesla Model X 🔎.

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.

On January 31, 2026, at 10:30 pm, I was driving from fort lauderdale to my home in boca raton, florida. I was using fsd supervised mode. Close to my home, a big red image suddenly appeared, the car started accelerating fast, and I had no control over the car or its steering wheel. The car hit several electrical posts and only stopped after the airbags engaged. My wife was in the passenger seat. The front of the car was totally damaged, and I will have to total it.

I am writing to formally document a life-threatening mechanical failure involving my 2022 Model X on January 30, 2026. While my wife was operating the vehicle, it suffered a simultaneous and catastrophic collapse of all primary safety systems. During operation, the vehicle experienced a total loss of steering and braking control. This was accompanied by a rapid cascade of critical system alerts on the primary display, including “abs malfunction,” “stability control disabled,” and “steering assist reduced/disabled. ” most critically, the vehicle exhibited sudden unintended acceleration (sua), increasing speed in direct opposition to the driver’s physical application of the brake pedal. This resulted in a near-miss where the driver narrowly avoided a construction crew.

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.

See all problems of the 2023 Tesla Model X 🔎.

Making a loud squeaky noise and knocking while I turn. The noise is coming from the steering and front suspension arms I believe.

See all problems of the 2020 Tesla Model X 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving during a rainstorm, the power steering assist feature suddenly failed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The driver was able to forcefully turn the steering wheel and drive the vehicle a short distance to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to the local Tesla service center who diagnosed that the steering rack circuit board had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 20v062000 (steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 80,000.

The electronic power steering (eps) is struggling, requiring increased driver effort to steer. This seems to be dangerous when driving. The full self driving (fsd) capability also stops abruptly when the steering locks up. Again, this is very risky and can cause serious accidents. I see that several owners have posted on social media about this same issue. Note, that there were recalls issued related to corroded steering bolts for Tesla Model X built up till November 2016. My car is built in 2017.

Vehicle: 2018 Tesla Model X recall reference: Tesla emmc recall – NHTSA campaign number 21v-035 (recall 21v035000) defect description: in March 2021, Tesla notified me by email of a recall involving failure of the emmc memory chip in the media control unit (mcu). This defect is known to cause loss of vehicle system functionality and safety-related features. Despite this notification, Tesla has refused to honor the recall and replace the emmc when I brought my vehicle in for service. Current vehicle condition: my vehicle exhibits severe and worsening symptoms consistent with emmc failure, including: system freezing and frequent unresponsiveness gps extremely slow or nonfunctional turn signal indicators intermittently fail horn fails to operate approximately 95% of the time vehicle reset/reboot does not work touchscreen and vehicle controls are very slow or nonresponsive these issues occur regularly and without warning. Safety risk: this defect creates a significant safety hazard. The failure of turn signals, horn, and system responsiveness increases the risk of accidents. The inability to reset or restore the system while driving further endangers occupants and other road users. Due to these failures, the vehicle is unsafe to operate. Manufacturer response: although Tesla issued a recall notice in March 2021, they have declined to perform the recall repair on my vehicle. No effective remedy has been provided, and the vehicle’s condition continues to deteriorate. Request for NHTSA action: I am requesting that NHTSA investigate Tesla’s failure to honor recall 21v-035 and require Tesla to provide the mandated repair. This unresolved defect affects safety-critical systems and presents an ongoing risk. When I went there last Dec 4 to get this repaired, they wanted me to upgrade and pay almost $2000. I am willing to pay half of the cost but not the entire amount.

See all problems of the 2018 Tesla Model X 🔎.

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.

The failure involves the rear suspension system, specifically suspected rear control arm / suspension linkage play, which caused severe misalignment (rear toe out of specification). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This defect created a significant safety risk. The abnormal toe condition caused rapid and uneven tire wear, with both rear tires becoming nearly completely bald within less than 7,000 miles. This condition increases the risk of tire blowout, loss of traction, and potential loss of control at highway speeds. The issue has been confirmed by an independent service center (les schwab), which documented suspension play in the rear control arm area and alignment out of specification (rear toe approximately +1. 20° total). The alignment could not be maintained, indicating an underlying mechanical issue. Tesla inspected the vehicle but stated that no suspension components required replacement and attributed the issue only to alignment. However, alignment does not go out of specification without a mechanical cause. Despite multiple requests, Tesla refused to provide detailed documentation regarding the inspection or repair of the suspension system. They replaced only one rear tire and did not address the root cause. The other rear tire had already worn completely bald. After approximately 5,386 miles, the replacement tire has again worn down close to the minimum safety limit, demonstrating that the underlying issue was not corrected and continues to affect vehicle safety. There were no warning lights or system messages prior to the failure. The first symptoms were abnormal tire wear, increased energy consumption, and unstable driving behavior at highway speeds, which began shortly after vehicle purchase. This appears to be a repeat safety-related defect that has not been properly diagnosed or repaired.

Power steering assist stopped working while on the road. A couple days later, power steering stopped working completely.

There is a u joint problem that is reported in many Model X vehicles especially in the 2016 models. The steering stiffens and make is very difficulty to maneuver .

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding ongoing safety and service issues with my 2024 Tesla Model X. This is the third Tesla vehicle we’ve owned, and while our previous two vehicles performed excellently, this one has presented serious and recurring problems with the full self-driving (fsd) system. Since the second service visit, we have experienced four separate incidents in which the vehicle has either driven off the road or abruptly slammed on the brakes without warning. Despite two prior service appointments at the Tesla service center in sarasota, FL, these issues remain unresolved. We also scheduled a third appointment, which Tesla later cancelled.

While driving, the steering suddenly failed — the wheel spun freely with no response from the front wheels. This occurred at a stoplight shortly after exiting the freeway; had it happened minutes earlier at highway speed, it could have caused a serious crash. The vehicle was towed to a Tesla service center, which confirmed an under-torqued and stripped bolt on the intermediate steering shaft connecting to the steering rack. The steering column module, shaft, and rack were replaced. This was the second major steering incident in six months. In April, the same part had seized, making the steering extremely stiff. Tesla replaced the intermediate shaft then, but immediately after pickup, the car veered sharply left and triggered a traction control alert. Only after I returned did they perform an alignment and test drive. That means the first repair was released to me without a post-repair safety check. The October failure involved the same component, suggesting negligent workmanship or a recurring defect in the steering connection. Total loss of steering control represents a critical safety hazard that could lead to loss of life. I strongly believe this issue warrants an investigation and possible recall.

Lost power steering while I was driving multiple time and I couldn't turn. Later the alert also come on and off but sometime the steering is fine. Found out on Tesla Model X facebook group people are having the same issues.

Heavy steering warning. Steering gear left hand drive.

See all problems of the 2021 Tesla Model X 🔎.

Steering got stuck on the road while driving. I couldnt move or change lanes. It was really scary. Then I slowed down and then I had tp pull out of the road to the shoulder. Then I waited for 20-30 mins and restarted the car. Then it worked. I was able to go home. I contacted Tesla and they said they need to look into the issue. At the service center, now they are saying they need to replace entire steering system and the cost is 5000. This is not fair and unprofessional. And it is very scary experience.

The steering is stiff and hard to turn this is the second time this has happened. It happened last year around this same time. I took to Tesla service in new orleans for repair and they said they cleaned the bolts and reconnected the line. And now the car is experiencing the same issue.

Left indicator button is randomly unresponsive, sometime it doesn’t work for up to a minute. This happened to me with my previous Model X (bought back by Tesla in a lemon case for the same issue), happened to me also in a loaner car they gave me while trying to fix this issue and now again in a recently purchased Model X. In both cases Tesla replaced the steering yoke and that didn’t solved the issue this is a serious safety issue that left me frustrated and with no solution from Tesla. Every time I got a different response from Tesla like: - its a software issue - its a design flaw - I’m not pressing the button correctly - I’m resting my finger on the button and that makes the button unresponsive - we couldn’t replicate the issue I have a video of the left indicator not working for a whole minute while the right one is working.

See all problems of the 2025 Tesla Model X 🔎.

After completing a 17. 5-hour, ~1,000-mile non-stop road trip from florida to texas using autopilot with no interventions or issues, the following week this vehicle experienced a sudden and total steering failure while slowly turning through my residential neighborhood. The steering locked up without warning and caused the car to drift partially into the opposing lane. No power steering warning was shown prior to the failure. Tesla service diagnosed and replaced both the front body controller (part #1585663-00-c) and the steering gear assembly (part #1070801-00-f) under warranty. This is an extremely dangerous failure scenario — had it occurred at high speed, the outcome could have been catastrophic. I am reporting this to ensure it’s documented and investigated, as it appears consistent with similar steering failure complaints in 2021+ Model X vehicles.

The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the message “steering assist reduced” message displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

In many near hit collisions where I need to honk the horn, memory reflexes goes to press down the center of the steering wheel to alert but the horn button isn’t there on this vehicle. It’s put as a button on the right side but after 25,000 miles and at least 4 times, I could not locate it quick enough. This is a serious safety issue.

Peeling steering wheel, eventually will need to replaced due to not being able to grab wheel and lose grip when I turn. Many others complain of the same problem with Model X and Tesla wants $1800 to replace. I refuse to use my insurance to pay for this so they have not inspected it.

As I was attempting to merge onto interstate 75, I noticed that steering became unexpectedly difficult. Consequently, I decided not to enter the highway. I then crossed the highway and pulled into a parking lot, where I turned off the vehicle. Upon restarting the vehicle, the issue seemed to have resolved itself.

My car has 50,000 miles on it and is just over 4 years old. The steering column has failed causing it to not be able to steer. The service for this is a new steering column at a cost of over $5,000. 00. The y models and 3 models had a recall on this issue. Now it looks like the x models are having the issue as well. The consumer should not be responsible for this. It is dangerous. It is expensive to fix. A steering column should not fail at 50,000 miles. I am not the only person who has been faced with this issue. Tesla service even confirmed that they are seeing this on the x models. I think an investigation should be done. How many $5,000. 00 repairs for safety has the consumer been saddled with?.

The monitor screen in the middle of the car is not malfunction. It's not working. All the panels on the steering are also not work. The honk is not working. Nothing is working. It could be due to the internet connection.