2023 TESLA MODEL X Recalls, Complaints & Safety

My 2023 Tesla Model X began experiencing safety-related failures immediately after a Tesla software update. Right after the update, the vehicle’s cameras stopped functioning correctly and GPS/navigation also stopped working properly. Since that point, subsequent Tesla software updates have failed to install successfully. Tesla diagnosed the issue as requiring replacement of the HW4 computer at my expense for approximately $4,500 because the vehicle is just outside warranty. I believe this may be a safety defect or a software-induced hardware failure because the malfunction began immediately after Tesla’s software update and affects safety-relevant vehicle functions, including camera-related visibility systems and vehicle localization. My VIN does not show an open recall, but this vehicle previously received completed Tesla software recall remedies related to camera/HW4 issues. I am filing this complaint because Tesla should investigate whether this failure is related to a broader HW4 defect pattern, software update defect, or inadequate recall scope. I am requesting investigation of failures involving camera function, GPS malfunction, and repeated software update failure after an over-the-air Tesla update.

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.

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 February 17 at approximately 9:30 AM, while my wife was driving uphill, the vehicle abruptly shut down and became completely disabled. It began rolling backward despite her attempting to accelerate. Multiple warning alerts activated simultaneously, and the vehicle would not respond to forward input. Our [XXX] child was in the vehicle at the time. A total loss of power while in motion, combined with unintended rollback on an incline, represents a catastrophic safety defect. This was not a minor malfunction — it created a direct and immediate risk of collision and serious injury. Compounding this concern, on the morning following the incident at approximately 6:00 AM, I discovered one of the vehicle doors open without any user interaction. The vehicle had been secured the night before. This raises serious questions regarding electronic reliability and system integrity. Given the severity of these failures, I have lost confidence in the safety and dependability of this vehicle. My family’s safety cannot be subjected to further uncertainty. If this matter is not resolved promptly and satisfactorily, I am prepared to pursue all available legal and regulatory remedies, including formal complaints to appropriate federal safety authorities. Please confirm receipt of this letter and provide a written response outlining next steps within five business days. This situation placed my wife and child in direct danger. I expect a resolution that reflects the seriousness of that fact. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am reporting a catastrophic suspension failure resulting in complete wheel separation on my 2023 Tesla Model X Plaid shortly after Tesla service. While driving, the front left wheel separated from the hub, rendering the vehicle not drivable and creating an immediate risk of loss of control, collision, and serious injury or death. Tesla towed the vehicle back to its service center and issued written service documentation stating (verbatim): “The front left wheel had separated from the hub. The issue was caused by missing hardware on the upper control arm, leading to further damage.” Tesla did not attribute the failure to impact, road debris, wear, or misuse. The missing hardware was at a critical suspension attachment point. As a result, Tesla replaced multiple major safety-critical components under Goodwill / Internal Service, including the front left active damper/air spring, upper control arm bracket, halfshaft, wheel speed sensor, and multiple structural fasteners. A wheel-off event caused by missing suspension hardware represents a severe safety defect with high risk of catastrophic injury or fatality. This incident raises serious concerns about suspension assembly, post-service quality control, and whether other vehicles may be operating with missing or unsecured hardware. I respectfully request NHTSA review this as a suspension/wheel retention safety defect and evaluate whether additional investigation or corrective action is warranted.

FSD hw3 is so f ing dangerous. It’s tried to kill me many times. It forces lane charge or a jerking wheel wrestling disengage or swerve

1. The Horn Button in NOT located in the center of the steering wheel but is located as a separate button off to the side and therefore is difficult to located in times of emergency when it is needed. 2. Where the button is located it is not intuitive in times of panic and emergency to try and located where to press the horn button. If you happen to be turning the wheel, it is almost impossible to find the button. 3. On future Tesla X models. Tesla the Manufacture decide to relocate the horn back to the center of the steering wheel. 4. We have had several close calls and missed accidents partly due to the fact we could not located the horn button in times of emergencies. 5. It seems like it would be a simple fix for the manufacturer to install an updated steering wheel for the safety of all occupants and other drivers.

Vehicle: 2023 Tesla Model X Component: Power-operated doors / door latching (auto-close / “cinch” close) Incident type: Finger pinch injury during powered door closing Summary of incident: While using my 2023 Tesla Model X, a powered door closing sequence resulted in a finger pinch injury. The door appeared to close normally and then performed an additional “cinch”/pull-in motion to fully latch. During this final motion, my thumb was caught in a very narrow gap and was pinched. There was no adequate pinch detection/anti-pinch reversal before contact and compression occurred. The gap was extremely small, leaving little time to react. Injury: Thumb crush injury with immediate blood under the nail (subungual hematoma), swelling, and altered sensation/numbness. I obtained medical evaluation and an X-ray, which showed no fracture. A splint was prescribed to protect the thumb. Safety concern: This is a significant pinch hazard because the powered closing/cinching can occur quickly and unexpectedly, and the door does not reliably detect or reverse when a finger is in the closing path. This presents a risk of more severe injury (fracture, nail-bed injury, nerve damage), especially for children. When it happened / conditions: Normal use, low speed/parked. (Add date/time/location if you want.) The incident occurred during the final powered latch/close step (“close then push/pull for full close”). What I want investigated / remedy requested: Request NHTSA to investigate the Model X powered door closing/cinching behavior and pinch detection effectiveness, including whether there are known blind spots or missing/insufficient anti-pinch protections. Recommend Tesla provide a software update or hardware change to improve pinch detection/reversal and/or limit cinch force/speed, and provide clearer warnings/settings to prevent unexpected powered closure.

Recurring front passenger safety restraint system fault that Tesla cannot permanently repair despite 4 service attempts over 16 months. ISSUE: Vehicle intermittently displays "Front Passenger Safety Restraint System Fault - Service Required" with persistent warning chimes and airbag warning indicator. Occurs with and without passenger present. Causes significant stress/anxiety and erodes confidence in restraint system reliability during a collision. REPAIR HISTORY (all under warranty): [XXX] (30,638 mi) - Invoice #[XXX] - Connector grease treatment. Recurred after ~3 weeks. [XXX] (32,399 mi) - Invoice #[XXX] - Replaced Restraint Control Module. Recurred after ~3 weeks. [XXX] (36,106 mi) - Invoice #[XXX] - Pin retention repair. Recurred after ~3 weeks. [XXX] (43,204 mi) - Invoice #[XXX] - Harness tension adjustment. Recurred late Nov 2025. CURRENT STATUS: Fault resurfaced 5th time. Service appointment scheduled ~Dec 14, 2025. Vehicle at ~48,000 miles, approaching 50,000-mile warranty limit. PATTERN: Each repair temporarily resolves issue, but fault consistently returns after 2-4 weeks. Tesla unable to identify root cause despite multiple different repair approaches. ADDITIONAL: Original owner. Also had driver-side restraint wiring repaired Feb 2024 (23,310 mi). Issue may relate to known Tesla restraint system concerns. Requesting NHTSA review whether this pattern warrants investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While using Full Self Driving (FSD) for autoparking, the car backed into and sideswiped a pole

Crash

Reat seatbelts become twisted and are not safe. Tesla claims this is a maintenance issue and not a defect in the mechanism. I disagree and this should be investigated by the government as it is a safety issue.

Tesla has taken the horn away from the traditional center of the steering wheel and put a ridiculously small button on the side of the steering wheel. Most times when you need to use your horn it’s because of a sudden, unanticipated situation. It’s intuitive to hit the center of the wheel. It’s absolutely impossible to find the tiny button in that situation. One has to take their eyes off the road and look for the button. By the time it is located the situation is over. I understand Tesla has corrected this on their current vehicles and gone back to the traditional center of the wheel. But that does not help owners of the affected autos. They should be required to offer a solution, like a stand alone button that can be attached to the center steering wheel. The current configuration is flat out unsafe.

In an emergency when the vehicle loses battery power, the rear falcon wing doors are very difficult to unlatch and open. A person has to be able to pull the speaker off the door, which is located at the bottom of the door panel (in good condition I had a difficult time doing it ). Once the speaker cover is pulled off then you have to pull on a thin wire to unlatch the car door. I can do it, but my wife can’t. Children wouldn’t be able to do it and elderly people won’t be able to do it. This is truly a safety hazard that can be easily corrected. I tried reporting this to Tesla, but was not able to report the information. Their customer service line doesn’t have a callback or tell you what the wait time is. I waited 45 minutes one day and 25 minutes the second day. On the first day, I was told that it would be a 20 minute wait.

The vehicle has start throwing a safety restraint error. We got into the service mode and it shows there is electrical problems with the driver side airbag system and that it may not deploy in the event of an accident. Tesla is delaying the appointment to review this for 12 days. Their app advised to not drive the car due to a safety issue as all safety measures may not work appropriately. Seems to be a safety level recall.

Issue Description GPS freeze: The navigation system remains stuck at one location even when the vehicle is moving. Park Assist not available. FSD not available. Rear camera shows black screen, completely disabling reverse visibility. These issues occur intermittently, often lasting for days, and then resolve themselves unexpectedly. Unfortunately, when scheduling service, the problem often disappears by the appointment date, making diagnosis inconsistent. However, the failures have already occurred more than three times, and each time they severely impact both safety and usability. Safety Concerns Lack of rear camera visibility creates a direct safety hazard during reversing. Disabled Park Assist and FSD compromise Tesla’s advertised safety features. GPS malfunction affects navigation and system reliability.

The horn is in a place that is difficult to find in hazardous situations rather than in the center of the steering wheel like every other car on earth. We have found it dangerous many times

All trailer hitches installed on Tesla Model X and Model Y vehicles do not meet the standards for towing in the US. These hitches are from Bosal, a European manufacturer, and there is no way to safely tow most trailers in the US including Home Depot, UHAUL, Airstream, boat trailers, etc. and meet the manufacturer safety specifications. Model X and Model Y owners on the road today are not following Tesla's manual and are using a tow ball adapter way outside the safety spec for the Tesla hitch. This poses a serious safety concern which could lead to failure of the hitch and the trailer detaching from the car while in motion. This poses as serious safety concern for the drivers, passengers, and everyone around the vehicle in tow. Please investigate this. I quick look at the Tesla manual specifications and the standard 18" height of trailers in the US makes it clear there is a serious issue here. Please investigate asap. I have contacted Tesla at least 10 times and nobody there is taking action on this issue.

I was driving home from work within city limits at less than 30 miles per hour. The roads were waterlogged due to a thunderstorm and the next thing I knew i heard other vehicles near me honking and telling me that something large had fallen off the underside of my car. I stopped the car immediately and was shocked to see that the guard that covers the bottom of my car had fallen off by itself. Apparently the batteries powering the vehicle are situated in the undercarriage and the guard is supposed to protect that area. I called Tesla Insurance Agency and despite me telling them that it would be a possible fire hazard if I continue driving the vehicle and the car was making some noises from the area, they want me to continue driving the car, which I have refused. I am attaching the picture of the part that fell off and also the body shop details of the repairs to be done. My car has only 22,000 miles on it in the last 2 1/2 years that I have driven it and it is shocking that an expensive vehicle such as the Model X should have parts falling off endangering lives of those traveling in it. I would certainly recommmend Tesla inspect all Model Xs as this could be a major problem.

The primary issues are: The vehicle consistently chooses the wrong lane and drifts across yellow lines. The FSD visualization fails to correctly distinguish road markings, lanes, and turning arrows, causing them to move erratically on the display. The car attempts to merge into lanes that appear in the visualization but do not exist on the road. The vehicle attempts to merge into lanes that are ending, without recognizing the lane-ending markers. My service history for this single, unresolved issue is as follows: June 12, 2025 (Invoice #3000S0013397552): I brought the vehicle in because Autopilot was incorrectly detecting lanes. The service team diagnosed "severe hazing over forward facing cameras," cleaned them, and returned the car to me. The problem was not fixed. July 1, 2025 (Invoice #3000S0013588350): I returned for the same issue, stating that the FSD was driving over yellow lines and not recognizing traffic patterns. The diagnosis was changed to a bad alignment; service notes indicate "multiple angles out of specification". A four-wheel alignment was performed, and I was assured the issue was resolved. July 10, 2025 (Invoice #3000S0013675264): On my third visit for this issue, the service team verified that the Autopilot visualization showed "random turn lane markings". However, I was told this behavior was "considered normal at this time" and would improve with future firmware updates. The "correction" was listed as "Remote - Education". July 28, 2025 (Invoice #3000S0013834479): I returned for a fourth time, explaining that the problems persisted and were a safety concern. I noted that the car had recently tried to merge past a solid yellow line into the shoulder. The service team acknowledged the issue but concluded it is an "issue with V13 due its design" and that "No repairs are recommended for this concern". The assertion that this is a "known characteristic" is unacceptable. The FSD and Autopilot features are now unusable and unpredictable

I’m writing to formally report a persistent issue with Tesla’s air conditioning system. Despite repairs performed last year and reassurances that a software update would resolve the issue, my AC still fails to cool so regularly temperature staying above 100. Today, while driving, the interior temperature reached 102°F, making it unsafe and extremely uncomfortable driving with kids on back seat.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while the driver was driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle attempted to merge near the contact’s vehicle, which caused the passenger front end of the vehicle to collide into a pole. The air bags did not deploy during the incident. The contact also stated that the front driver's door became inoperable, and the contact had to break the front driver's window to be removed from the vehicle. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was provided. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The 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 38,000.

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It rained heavily overnight in Dallas Tx. The roads were almost like lakes. As you know, when a car drives through standing water, it creates loud noise from the tires and underside of vehicle. But I didn’t think much of it at the time. When I got home, I realized that both fender flares were completely gone. I believe this is a serious issue of durability. Even plastic model kits don’t lose parts just from water pressure. The damage to other cars is on me when the parts get blown away by water or something.and lot a model x owners same happened issue This design flaw problem

While entering an intersection, a vehicle with a stop sign decided to to not stop. I went to use the horn in my 2023 Model X, and slamming the airbag with my hand did nothing. EVERY car in the WORLD has the horn as the center via the airbag. Tesla must recall ALL vehicles without a horn in the center. Lack of use of the horn severely impairs my ability to operate my vehicle.

In multiple cases in California. The small button for the digital horn was impossible to reach or activate an emergency situations. This occurred to me and my wife while I’m parking lots and on roads when other vehicles threatened to hit us. The mechanical horn was removed as a cross cutting measurein the model X and it is a major safety hazard.

On my 2023 Tesla Model X, the horn button is a capacitive touch button among several other buttons and it is difficult to use on a daily basis and impossible to find in an emergency. Yesterday, another car was drifting into my lane on the highway traveling at 70 MPH and I could not locate the horn in time to alert them. I had to drive evasively to avoid a serious accident. This has happened at least 7 separate times already. 2024 Tesla Model Xs now have the button in the center of the steering wheel where it is on every other car I have ever driven. Yesterday, I contacted Tesla service about this critical safety issue and demanded the replace my steering wheel with a center horn button because of the document safety issues. They refused. There needs to be a recall forcing Tesla to replace these defective steering wheels with the new and safe design before people get killed.

The horn is a button on the top right of the yoke steering. With a turning wheel the position is not stationary and in situations where it is warranted to warn other vehicle or person you keep looking for it and get distracted. I have had this vehicle for about three weeks and I find this as a serious safety issue. Today I contacted Tesla and it seems they have a new steering that come with manual horn in the middle but they would not replace it without charging $2000 for it or there is some defect like peeling on it. There are numerous online chats where people have got it replaced citing safety reason. In my view this should be under the recall especially when there is an option.

The Horn location is not in center of steering wheel, rather a small button on the right side of the wheel. Cannot be found without looking down for button during a turn. Someone is going to get hurt.

The steering wheel doesn't comes with a horn. Meaning on a regular car, when you need the just press the airbag but in Tesla there a tiny button needs to press in order to get the horn which is impossible to do in case of an emergency.

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.

Fire

On two occasions while driving using Tesla’s FSD, the brake has failed to engage in emergency situations after engaging the brake pedal. I have reported this issue to Tesla as part of a broader buy back request for my car which has had multiple issues and continues to have multiple issues. Tesla simply stated they could not replicate this issue and denied my buyback request. I do not feel safe driving this car around.

This is a serious safety concern regarding the full self driving auto pilot for this vehicle. While traveling on a clear day on [XXX] at around 1630 hrs on [XXX], with the full self driving auto pilot engaged, the vehicle on 2 separate occasions attempted to lane change across the center divide and into the opposite traffic lane; both time required immediate corrective action on my part. This was a very scary experience. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Autopilot full self driving is making dangerous mistakes and being disabled when you still have your hands on wheel and or looking at road it’s a safety system I paid for and it’s illegal for Tesla to disable it and not fix it

Summon mode did not detect a pole where the car parked under a shed and ran into it resulting in damages to the driver’s door and side fender. Contacted Tesla through the app and was only told to take it to a bodyshop.

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The horn button is dangerously placed. It is near impossible to activate in an emergency situation and has been worthless when I needed it. Nearly got hit a number of times that could have been avoided if horn was operable in the center button. THERE SHOULD BE A FREE RETROFIT

The horn doesn’t get activated when the center of the steering wheel is pressed. The horn button is on the right hand side on the wheel. It’s a safety hazard trying to find the button while driving especially in round abouts. In the place I live, there are couple of roundabouts; one car almost hit me since they didn’t yield to me when I was on the roundabout. I couldn’t find the horn button and had to hard brake.