Tesla Model X owners have reported 34 seats related problems since 1996. Table 1 shows the 1 most common seats problems. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's seats (34 problems). For details of each of the problem category, use the links in the table.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Seats problems |
The front passenger seat sensor failed. Without the sensor properly detecting weight, the airbag will deploy no matter the weight of the front seat passenger. Tesla has fixed the sensor placement in newer models as the service tech told us this is a common issue in later models where the only fix is to pay over $5k to replace the entire seat otherwise the airbag will go off no matter what.
The second-row seat does not latch properly and cannot lock into position. This is a safety-related issue affecting occupant restraint and crash safety. The vehicle is a 2023 Tesla Model X with 59,035 miles now, when report this issue Tesla, it was only 57,326 mile, still within the 5-year / 60,000-mile supplemental restraint system warranty. Tesla has declined warranty coverage and requested customer-paid seat replacement. I am concerned the vehicle may be unsafe to operate due to the seat not latching. Requesting investigation into potential safety defect.
On July 25, 2025 I was installing a toddlers car seat in the vehicles rear passenger seat. Upon clipping the secure straps onto the rear seat, I noticed the seat slid all the way to the front position - the seat was loose - sliding back and forth. Nothing appeared to be visually broken. I made an appointment with Tesla and they report that they “replaced an actuator” that had failed. The failure caused the entire rear seat to slide without warning and no way to secure the seat. Tesla does not consider this a safety issue. Tesla is charging $1800 for repairs. Tesla says the broken part is not available for inspection. Tesla seemed to indicate that a possible electrical component failed that resulted in this issue.
The second row bench seats won't recline back to rest position. A safety hazard. It's been a common accuracy. Please help. They will not put out a recall. Look it up online. It's a big problem and Tesla is not doing nothing, but trying charge you $3000 to replace the whole 2nd row bench! wow.
The rear captain seats (6 seater middle row) are no longer stable. They both have a back and forth motion to them. The passenger side one makes a noticeably bad noise when the car is in motion. This is a sign that the seat is failing and has lost its proper fitment.
The front passenger heat seat is automatically turned on whenever car is turned on from phone. This time when driving in the evening there was a burning smell for 1 hour which I thought was from the vents. Then the passenger seat started smoking and the fumes were so bad that I could not breathe. No one was in the passenger seat at that time thank goodness. It created a hole in the seat. Tesla will replace the seat under warranty, but service center is 2 hours away.
Incident report: automated driver seat attempted to crush me when vehicle placed into drive date: 15 June 2024 4:10 et firmware version: v12 ?(2024. 14. 9 0b82f700aebe)? steps to produce incident: 1. Vehicle to park 2. Seat auto changes to easy entry 3. Opened the frunk 4. Exit vehicle, closed door 5. Re-entered vehicle to move it a little forward 6. Press brake, put into drive, entered pin 7. Driver seat back begins to tilt forward to abnormal extreme forward angle, seat starts to move forward (from easy entry mode), crushing driver against steering wheel 8. Manual press of profile to user profile does not stop moving seat, does not retrace seat back from abnormal extreme forward angle, seat continues to move forward, crushing driver against steering wheel. 9. Manual shift to park stops seat forward movement, does not return seat back from abnormal extreme forward angle. 10. Opened door and exited vehicle, snapped photo of abnormal seat extreme forward angle ##.
I have encountered what seems to be a very common issue in 2018ish Tesla vehicles. Seatbelt sensor issues. While I believe it is due to wiring below the seat, Tesla claims the only fix is an entire seat replacement. Researching this it seems to be a widespread issue, especially as the cars age.
The vehicle consistently displays the message "rear right safety restraint system fault" on the dashboard since its delivery in January 2024. This indicates a potential malfunction in the airbag or seatbelt system, posing a safety risk to passengers occupying the rear right seat while the vehicle is in operation. Despite multiple inspections and diagnoses by Tesla, the dealership has attributed the issue to a firmware or software glitch without providing a definitive solution. Consequently, the warning message persists on a daily basis, necessitating urgent resolution to ensure the safety and functionality of the vehicle's safety systems.
In the middle row of a six seat Tesla Model X, if one installs a forward facing car seat the latch which connects to the backside anchor of the seat has no integrity. The belt slides from over the seat of the car killing the purpose of the tether.
Captain seats in Tesla Model X cars do not support a standard child's car seat tether. The headrests are attached. The manual says to route the tether around the headrest, but it's at an angle causing the tether strap to slide down. I do not believe the tether will function in an accident because moving the car seat forward causes the tether to slip off. This is unacceptable— all cars should support a standard child's car seat. My Model X is a "six-seater" and all six seats are captain's seats with attached headrests. There is nowhere to put a car seat with a tether, yet child car seats require a tether strap in the forward-facing position. Please make all car manufacturers provide the safest possible car seat installation. The owner's manual even shows a picture of how to route the tether strap— but the picture is not accurate about the shape of the seat. It shows a level place for the tether strap to sit while routed around the headrest, but there is no level or safe place for the tether strap to sit. It slides down onto the floor.
When installing front-facing car seats for children in the 2nd row seats of the 2022 Tesla Model X, there is not a safe way to attach the tether strap. While there are latch anchors, and a place to attach the tether clip, the strap for the tether cannot pass under or over the fixed headrest, it must pass over the “shoulder” of the seat. This is not effective as no matter how tight a person cinches the tether strap, it slides off the edge of the seat, leaving no way to safely attach the required tether for child safety seats. The owner’s manual displays the seat as if there is a detent that would prevent the strap from sliding off, but this does not exist in my vehicle. When I asked at the local Tesla sales/service center, they said that is simply how it is designed.
The passenger side middle row seat stopped locking in place. We drove out of our driveway with my 3 year old in his car seat when this happened, and he went flying into the back of the front passenger seat. Had we been driving any faster, he would have been seriously injured. Tesla sent a technician to our home for a mobile service visit. He wasn’t able to fix the problem and said ‘if it were me, I wouldn’t put my child on this seat. ’ we then took it to the long beach service center, where we were told the seat locking mechanism ‘works’ but it eroding. They wanted to send us home, and I said no. I wanted it repaired. They said that we have to replace the entire seat for $750. I said absolutely not, this is a manufacturer’s defect and a huge safety issue and should not be failing. They did not care. A child is going to get injured.
The falcon doors (model x) has sensors that either permit or prohibit safe and prompt exit of the vehicle. Due to the doors being motorized, the rear passenger presses a button to begin to open the doors. In the case where the passenger feels their safety is compromised, or due to a safety hazard where they need to leave the vehicle - both of my doors have been repaired in total, or individually eight times to no resolve. These sensors are intended to detect (using ultrasonic sensors) whether there’s something blocking the door. It will open a quarter of the way, then stop and the passenger must hold the button for several additional seconds in order to further open the doors. Not only is this sensor defect a safety hazard, but also the delay after pressing the button and holding it is increasing the time it takes to safely and promptly exit the vehicle. One final note is that passengers cannot exit the rear doors (model x) if the vehicle loses power due to not having a physical latch release like the other Tesla models. The right falcon door had this issue prior to taking and upon delivery. The sales person informed me it was common for this issue and blamed it on the interference from nearby vehicles. Even after six or more repairs, the issues continue.
Tesla mentioned the seat alga’s a sensor malfunction. It is a 2019. The sensor malfunction impacts the airbag deployment. They will not fix and requires $4100 replacement of the seat.
The second row car seat is moving freely and not locking to the base. It had my child car seat installed. The Tesla service team told the only fix is to replace the whole seat. The design does not have any backup latch to lock the seat. It’s a serious safety concern since the seat could just move out of lock while driving esp when a car seat is installed. I read this has happened to multiple cars online.
My 2016 Model X has been experiencing front passenger and rear passenger safety restraint system faults off and on since we purchased the vehicle in 2019. This notification requires service and the Tesla service center has done a mixture of hardware checks, replacement of parts and keeps blaming the issues on a firmware update that will eventually happen in the future. Tesla says that when the system is tripped the airbags may not deploy and to schedule service when it happens. Because the vehicle is under a used warranty they refuse to address this as a recall or possibly defect.
The second tow captain rear seats are not bolted securely. The seats both rock forward and back. I brought it up to tedla service and the representative came back with, the car is 6 years old. So does that mean Tesla Model X captain seats begin to fail after 6 years? the other issue is a steering issue. When I steer left or right I hear a clunking noise. It's not related to the control arm as it is a known issue. The odd thing is when it rains the noise goes away which I believe it may be related to a lubrication issue. When the vehicle dries up after a day or two the noise starts again.
The contact owns a 2022 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that the car seat sensor was not functioning properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The contact was informed that the vehicle failed to detect aftermarket car seats. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 9,000.
The 2nd row seats are loose and Tesla will not help cover the costs of repair citing its normal wear and tear. This is a safety issue that should be covered due to it only being a 6 year old car. This would mean that Tesla seats should be expected to fail after 6 years. That seems like a problem to me.
There are key fobs, one each for the two drivers in the house. These are identified in the profile settings. For the past four years, after a specific update to the firmware (I can’t pinpoint which or the precise month/year), using a key fob will frequently, but erratically choose the wrong profile. Because of the difference in driver heights, this may mean that the seat is adjusting forward causing knees to quickly approach the area of the dashboard. As one example where I have pinpointed when this is likely to occur, I will have finished charging the Tesla at a supercharger. I will try to reverse out of the spot before noticing that the wrong profile has been selected. So as the car is moving, my knees are pushing forward toward the dash. Because I am anxious as this happens, I will quickly brake. Tesla finally replaced all components (key fobs, but also the part that receives the transmission) which temporarily corrected the situation until it started up again. I am now on my fifth complaint to Tesla and have yet another appointment to have it fixed. I thiink this is a dangerous problem because it can affect the driver while the car is moving.
I received a letter from Tesla indicating an "important safety recall notice". The letter indicated that the rear seat did not conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard nos. 207 and 210. The notice suggest that one should avoid sitting in the seat. The repair would only take 10 minutes. When I tried to make an appointment the service representative said 1) that it was not a recall, but a service notice, 2) since I was out of warranty I would have to pay over $500 for the repair.
Trying to secure a backless child safety booster seat which has latch tether devices. The Tesla Model X 2022 3rd row does not have the latch tether bars. I believe the brand of seat is gofit chicco. My 7 year old granddaughter was only restrained with the shoulder lap belt. During a forced rapid deceleration emergency stop she was choked by the seatbelt when the booster seat slid off the seat during rapid deceleration. She was not injured other than a red mark, sorry no photos, and was significantly traumatized from the incident. This booster seat has a clear warning stating the latch system is required and does not have a built in seatbelt channel since it’s backless. The 2nd row seats were in use with two other child safety seats using the latch system which provided ample protection.
Was driving on the freeway and drivers seat started moving backwards. Feet slipped off the pedal. Turns out the seat adjust button behind the 2nd row seat controls also moves the drivers seat. Nothing should move the drivers seat while driving except driver himself.
I got two issues with seats: driver seat issue: I parked my car to charge at a supercharger. I reclined all the way back to relax. After completing the charging, I tried to move the driver seat back to its position, the seat wouldn’t move. I tried moving forward and back, it doesn’t move. I complained to Tesla twice, they couldn’t fix the issue. Rear seat issue: I got rear seat restraints at fault error thrice. I took it to service center, they mentioned that they are investigating the error for the past two years. The don’t have fix for this issue.
The seats behind the driver are a 2:1 split design with each side being able to be adjusted backwards and forwards. The latching mechanism on the larger of the two pieces failed in a way that left the seat free to slide backwards and forwards. This is extremely dangerous as it could result in crush injuries to the occupant of the seat. If a child seat was installed, it could result in fatal whiplash. I have a video of the seat moving freely as pictures don't really help describe the problem.
I have experienced several issues with my car: it brakes suddenly for no reason in the middle of the freeway it displayed an error message that said the right rear seat safety system has failed and needs service it displayed an error message that said the ultrasonic sensors are not communicating with each other (I believe these are used for the driver safety systems). I reached out to Tesla asking to look into these issues. Each time Tesla denied service and asked me to note down the exact time that these issues happened to help them investigate (they specified the format with an example 06/20/2022 5:22pm pst). If I’m driving the car, how is it safe for me to note down time with this precision? also, the car has functionality to record all of these alerts but Tesla’s software updates wipe them out (instead of retaining them). Further, Tesla asks to schedule service through their app but in my case, my app doesn’t allow me to schedule service for unknown reasons. I have contacted Tesla about this issue and so far there is no resolution. I feel very unsafe driving my car after receiving these alerts and not getting any help from Tesla to investigate and fix them. I feel they are placing an undue burden on me to record the time. Please help me get my car looked at and fix the issues mentioned above.
On Sunday, March 27 at approximately 3:00pm pst, while the vehicle was traveling on the freeway at approximately 70mph, the driver seat moved towards the steering wheel unprovoked. My wife was driving at the time and screamed so everyone in the car could hear how dangerous the situation was. The driver seat continued to move forward by itself unprovoked and stopped as my wife was uncomfortably close to the steering wheel. She was able to keep control of the car until we pulled over safely to our destination. Once at our destination while parked, the driver seat again moved towards the steering wheel while my wife was sitting in it unprovoked. Within a span of 15 minutes, the Tesla somehow automatically triggered the driver seat to move towards the steering wheel (once while in motion, once while parked). We brought the car to the Tesla dealership on Tuesday, 3/29. They kept the car 7 business days and was not able to diagnose the issue and I was given the car back. I would like to point out that my wife's "saved" seat profile setting is the closest to the steering wheel. I am a taller gentlemen so my profile of the seat is set farther back. This is key because my wife was driving on her profile, so they wasn't a chance that we hit a different seat setting while driving.
Since the purchase of this vehicle the safety restraint system fault alert intermittently pops up while I am driving the vehicle. Tesla has owners make service appointment in an app which I have done multiple times in the past few years but each time the alert has gone away and the service appointments have been canceled. Turns out now, 4 years later, we have been driving with a faulty restraint system and there is a disconnect between the system and the wiring. Essentially this is a safety issue in that the notification system is faulty and incorrectly and only intermittently warns of possible failure as well as a possibility of the restraint system actually failing in a driving scenario. This problem is particularly concerning because they are unable to correctly diagnose which seats are affected and that includes seats that may have car seats attached.
The driver’s seat did not hold a firm position and would slide slightly on the base tracks, when driving or stopping. Tesla repaired the defect by replacing the entire seat assembly, but I’m reporting it as a defect in case other car owners experience the same issue as a possible widespread defect. Tesla’s final invoice makes no mention of the seat replacement, although I can confirm the work was performed. The invoice simply lists “courtesy inspection”.
I've been informed by the vehicle manufacturer, that the Tesla Model X 7 seat vehicle must make a loud 15 second long alert when shifting into drive, when in the event that the vehicles fold flat seats are folded flat. This same alert is not present on Tesla Model X 5 seat vehicle models, and I would like to inform NHTSA that Tesla maybe violating regulations in their produced 5 seat models, or making up regulations to ignore software bugs that hinder the operation of their vehicles and distracting the driver for 15 seconds when using the vehicle daily.
The contact owns a 2018 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat back was fractured. The contact stated that the seat back failed to remain in an upright position. The vehicle was taken to Tesla service center located at 5600 kearny mesa rd, san diego, CA 92111, (858) 285-3905, where it was diagnosed with needing the front driver's side seat to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified by email about of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
I brought my car to brooklyn Tesla service because my driver seat started to rocking (its moving like it got loose) after technician duplicated the issue, he said it's a "normal wear and tear" and that Tesla seat can start moving after a certain time if the driver is heavy. They refused to do anything I am concerned about safety and I'm sure that loose driver seat is dangerous. In addion the seat has metal bar on buttom cusion that is paintfull for "heavy" drivers, also a very big safety concern because you can't really drive in pain and this as per Tesla the seat is designed this way.
I took my 3 year old son to the Tesla showroom in fashion island newport beach CA. My son sat in the 3rd row trying it out, then he tried to exit from the side. Then he accidentally pressed on the button on the second row seat. The seat moved back smashing his head against the side of the door. His whole head and neck and shoulder was stuck inbetween the seat and the side of the door for over a minute, until we were able to pull him out of there. He got bruises on the cheek, and left ear was bright red from the impact.