KnownCarProblems2017 Tesla Model X Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 268 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Tesla Model X, most often about the electrical (27% of complaints, typically around 30,000 miles). It is the 2nd most complained-about Model X model year since 2000 and has 10 recalls.
Most common 2017 Tesla Model X problems
Electrical
72 complaints · 27%Half of these problems showed up before 30,000 miles. Parts named most often: adas.
Vehicle not able to supercharge due to salvage title, vehicle was able to supercharge for a year and turned off with out notice or warning. Vehicle has not sustained damage to high voltage components and passed Tesla high voltage system inspection. Notified supercharging is permanently disabled for both Tesla and…
I have had regular issues with my car's bluetooth systems since december, 2020. The only way I've been able to resolve this issue is by resetting my car (holding down both steering wheel buttons). The service center has asked me to reset the car multiple times, delete all connected bluetooth profiles, and completely…
Suspension
59 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 20,000 miles.
Here is a mangled Model X in the auction yard. Https://www.iaai.com/vehicledetails?itemid=34406683&rownumber=25&similarvehicleitemid=&isnext=&loadrecent=true it might possibly have been just an unfortunate accident....but, the devil is in the detail. Look closely at the right hand back wheel. The tread is completely…
Tesla Model X in junkyard https://www.iaai.com/vehicledetails/36623316?rownumber=8 not in a crash, no air-bags deployed, no damage to bodywork except for where the back wheel and suspension simply snapped off. Perhaps the owner pressed the "ludicrous" button. If you can spare the time would you please launch an…
Steering
50 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 32,000 miles. Parts named most often: hydraulic power assist.
The contact owns a 2017 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to make a left or right turn, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the steering wheel intermittently performed as designed while driving straight. No warning lights…
When the car is parked then put in reverse, the car makes a loud cracking noise. I was told it was brakes that were cleaned up but still make a loud noise.
Other or unspecified
50 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 35,000 miles.
The 17 inch screen keep going off while driving and unable to defrost windshield also HVAC doesn't work doing driving when this display 17 inch screen go blank this may be related to previous report on the 8 gb memory on the 17 inch screen displays gone bad my car had only 40,000 mile when this happened it's still…
Mcu failed twice, resulting in black screen while in operation. No rear camera, no ventilation control. Tesla reports that I need to reset my trip counter every 2k miles to avoid this problem (see attached service report). This is a clear safety hazard.
Driver assistance
36 complaints · 13%Parts named most often: adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, assist, warnings.
Touch screen extremely sluggish, sometimes unresponsive during driving trip, losing many active safety features such as forward collision warning, side collision warning, rear view camera, active navigation leading to distractions from trying to use alternative hand phone navigation. Lost speedometer function while…
While driving in autopilot my mcu (Tesla controller) occasionally fails. This means the autopilot computer works fine but all audio notifications do not work. The autopilot will change lanes for me without the normal auditory notification. Turn signals are silent. The mcu will then completely freeze (no touch input…
Brakes
17 complaints · 6%The vehicle experienced a multiple-system failure. Warning lights indicated loss of steering assist, loss of cruise control, loss of braking assist, and other safety features. A reset of the computer rectified the issue, but only temporarily, and the software fails again and again. In failure mode, which comes on…
When the car is parked then put in reverse, the car makes a loud cracking noise. I was told it was brakes that were cleaned up but still make a loud noise.
Speed control
16 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 5,000 miles.
This is a complaint about the alarming number of instances of unintended sudden acceleration involving teslas. I believe the following is extremely relevant. ** this comment on the teslamotorsclub raises a very good point. Mark_t, 7 minutes ago I still think this all comes down to how much muscle memory you have to…
My car had an unintended acceleration when I was trying to park in the parking lot of my office. The car accelerated, jumped the parking curb and hit another parked car. My car suffered substantial damage, air bags were deployed and I escaped with minor bruises. The car which was I collided with was parked and did not…
Body and structure
12 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 30,000 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
When the car is parked then put in reverse, the car makes a loud cracking noise. I was told it was brakes that were cleaned up but still make a loud noise.
Vehicle was summon to enter garage and hit the right side of the garage door frame causing damage to the house, side mirror, and shatter the front quarter passenger window. The summons feature does not yet work!
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2017 Tesla Model X recalls
Seat belts: warning light/devices
Risk: A seat belt warning system that fails to alert occupants of an unbelted seat belt can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed july 26, 2024. Owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is sb-24-00-008.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2024 model s, 2015-2024 model x, 2017-2023 model 3, and 2020-2023 model y vehicles. In the event of an unbelted driver, the seat belt warning light and audible chime may not activate as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 208, "occupant crash protection."
Electrical: instrument cluster/panel
Risk: Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla began releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is sb-24-00-003.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2023 model s, 2016-2024 model x, 2017-2023 model 3, 2019-2024 model y, and 2024 cybertruck vehicles. An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the brake, park, and antilock brake system (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 105, "hydraulic and electric brake systems" and 135, "light vehicle brake systems."
Electrical: software
Risk: In certain circumstances when autosteer is engaged, and the driver does not maintain responsibility for vehicle operation and is unprepared to intervene as necessary or fails to recognize when autosteer is canceled or not engaged, there may be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed february 10, 2024. Owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is sb-23-00-008.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling 2012-2023 model s, 2016-2023 model x, 2017-2023 model 3, and 2020-2023 model y vehicles equipped with all versions of autosteer leading up to the version(s) that contains the recall remedy. In certain circumstances when autosteer is engaged, the prominence and scope of the feature's controls may not be sufficient to prevent driver misuse of the sae level 2 advanced driver-assistance feature.
Steering: automated/adaptive steering
Risk: Fsd beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge.â owner notification letters were mailed april 15, 2023.â owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752.â tesla's number for this recall is sb-23-00-001.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2023 model s, model x, 2017-2023 model 3, and 2020-2023 model y vehicles equipped with full self-driving beta (fsd beta) software or pending installation.â the fsd beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution. In addition, the system may respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver's adjustment of the vehicle's speed to exceed posted speed limits.
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk: A loss of power steering assist can require greater steering effort, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update to recalibrate the epas system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed december 31, 2022. Owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is sb-22-00-014.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 model s and model x vehicles. The electronic power assist steering (epas) system may experience a loss of power steering assist when driving on rough roads or after hitting a pothole.
Steering: automated/adaptive steering
Risk: Failing to stop at a stop sign can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will perform an over-the-air (OTA) software update that disables the "rolling stop" functionality, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed march 28, 2022. Owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is sb-22-00-001.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2022 model s and model x, 2017-2022 model 3, and 2020-2022 model y vehicles. The "rolling stop" functionality available as part of the full self-driving (beta) software may allow the vehicle to travel through an all-way stop intersection without first coming to a stop.
Driver assistance: camera
Risk: Unexpected activation of the aeb system may cause the car to stop suddenly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla service has released an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. The recall began october 25, 2021. Owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is sb-21-00-004.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling certain 2017-2021 model s, model 3, model x, and 2020-2021 model y vehicles operating software version 2021.36.5.2. A communication error may cause false forward-collision warning (fcw) or unexpected activation of the automatic emergency brake (aeb) system.
Visibility and wipers: defroster/defogger/hvac system
Risk: The emmc controller wear-out condition can cause the loss of the rearview camera display, defrost/defog control settings, and exterior turn signal lighting, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners should ensure their vehicles are operating firmware release 2020.48.48.12 or newer, which will alert owners if the emmc is approaching lifetime wear. Tesla will notify owners, and will replace the vcm daughterboard with one containing an enhanced emmc controller, free of charge. The recall began march 29, 2021. Owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is sb-21-21-001.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling certain 2012-2018 tesla model s and 2016-2018 model x vehicles with a center display equipped with a nvidia tegra 3 processor and an 8gb emmc nand flash memory device. When the 8gb emmc nand flash memory device for the center display reaches lifetime wear, the emmc controller will no longer be able to maintain the integrity of the filesystem, causing a failure in some of the center display functions.
Seats: mid/rear assembly
Risk: If the seat back moves forward in the event of a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Tesla will notify owners, and tesla service technicians will correct the cable adjustment for the left-side, fold-flat, second row, seat recliner mechanism, free of charge. The recall began on november 10, 2017. Owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is sb-17-13-004.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling certain 2016-2017 model x vehicles. The left-side, second row, reclining seat backs may not fully latch due to having incorrectly adjusted recliner mechanism cables. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 207, "seating systems," and 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages."
Brakes: parking brake
Risk: If the gear breaks during parking brake release, the vehicle will not be able to be moved. If the gear breaks during parking brake application, the parking brake may not adequately hold the vehicle, potentially resulting in the vehicle rolling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Tesla will notify owners, and service centers will replace both the left and right electric parking brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began march 6, 2018. Owners may contact tesla customer service at 1-877-798-3752. Tesla's number for this recall is sb-17-33-002.
Full defect summary
Tesla, inc. (tesla) is recalling certain 2016 model s and model x vehicles. The electric parking brake calipers have an internal gear that may be improperly manufactured, possibly resulting in the gear fracturing during parking brake application or release.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Fsd collisions in reduced roadway visibility conditions
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) is opening this engineering analysis to evaluate teslaâs full self driving beta and full self driving (supervised) (collectively, fsd) degradation detection system. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the systemâs ability, when encountering reduced roadway visibility conditions, to detect degradation and alert the driver with sufficient time to respond. Odi will evaluate the performance of fsd in degraded roadway conditions and the updates or modifications by tesla to the degradation detection system, including the timing, purpose, and capabilities of the updates, and teslaâs assessment of their safety impact. Teslaâs fsd is an
Traffic safety violations while full self driving ("fsd") is engaged
Summary
The office of defects investigation (âodiâ) is opening this preliminary evaluation (pe) to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences of fsd executing driving maneuvers that constitute traï¬c safety violations. This investigation concerns versions of fsd that tesla has labeled as "fsd (supervised)" and "fsd (beta)." tesla characterizes fsd as an sae level 2 partial automation system requiring a fully attentive driver who is engaged in the driving task at all times. Level 2 partial automation systems are designed to support and assist the driver in performing certain aspects of the driving task, requiring a driver to supervise and intervene as necessary.â the driver r
Compliance with standing general order 2021-01 reporting requirements
Summary
The office of defects investigation (âodiâ) has identified numerous incident reports submitted by tesla, inc. (âteslaâ) in response to standing general order 2021-01 (the âsgoâ), in which the reported crashes occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports. The majority of these reports involved crashes in which the standing general order in place at the time required a report to be submitted within one or five days of tesla receiving notice of the crash. When the reports were submitted, tesla submitted them in one of two ways. Many of the reports were submitted as part of a single batch, while others were submitted on a rolling basis. Preliminary engagement betwe
Actually smart summon sessions resulting in low-speed impacts.
Summary
On january 6, 2025, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened preliminary evaluation 24003 (pe24033) to investigate actually smart summon (summon) sessions resulting in crashes during active sessions. According to tesla, summon is a short-distance sae level 2 system, controlled by the user from a cell phone within a certain distance and intended for use in parking lots and on private property. Odi analyzed complaint data provided by tesla as well as complaints submitted to odi from consumers to identify summon incidents resulting in crashes. Odi's analysis indicates that almost all summon reported crashes involved minor property damage claims with no reported incidents involving a vu
Fsd collisions in reduced roadway visibility conditions
Summary
On october 17, 2024, nhtsaâs office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe24031) of teslaâs full self driving beta and full self driving (supervised) (collectively, fsd) to assess: the ability of the fsd system to detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions; whether any other fsd crashes had occurred under degraded roadway visibility conditions that are similar in nature to the four sgo-reported crashes identified in the opening document, and if so, the contributing circumstances for each of those crashes; and any updates or modifications by tesla to the fsd system that may affect the performance of fsd in degraded roadway visibil
Recall 23v838 remedy effectiveness
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) is opening a recall query to assess the remedy adequacy of recall 23v838. On december 12, 2023, tesla filed a defect information report (recall 23v838) applicable to all tesla models produced and equipped with any version of its autopilot system, which tesla described as an sae level 2 (l2) advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). Autopilot is the simultaneous engagement of teslaâs traffic-aware cruise control (tacc) and autosteer. In describing the safety defect, teslaâs defect information report (dir) explained that âthe prominence and scope of the systemâs controls may be insufficient to prevent driver misuse,â and tesla committed to th
Sudden unintended acceleration
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) received a petition requesting that odi reevaluate its decision to deny dp20-001 on the basis that intermittent high electrical current demands on the vehicles' 12vdc systems may have caused some or all of the incidents examined by odi in dp20-001. The petitioner bases this information on a review of open-source research and the dp20-001 denial. The petition and related materials can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following odi number: 11528471.
Defect petition interlock request
Summary
On march 21, 2023, the office of defects investigation (odi) received a petition requesting a ârecall of all tesla carsâ produced from 2013 to the date on which the petition was filed due to what petitioner considers to be the increased likelihood of pedal misapplication. Attached to the petition is a paper authored by petitioner. According to petitioner, the differences in the operator controls between the subject tesla vehicles and internal combustion engine powered vehicles promote driver pedal misapplication, leading to sudden unintended acceleration (sua) incidents. To fix this alleged defect, petitioner argues that the subject vehicles should be equipped with measures that require:
Pedestrian alert sounds
Summary
Nhtsa received a petition on or about july 18, 2022, requesting that federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the united states. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under odi number 11486072. Fmvss 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kg or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after march 1, 2021.on january 27, 2023, NHTSA opened defect petition (dp) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Autopilot system driver controls
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) upgraded pe21020 to ea22002 on june 8, 2022, to extend work and deepen the pe21020 crash analysis, to supplement that analysis with additional data, and to perform vehicle evaluations to understand how teslaâs autopilot system may exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the driverâs supervision. To support this work, odi collected additional crash information and assessed vehicle control authority, driver engagement technologies, and related human factors considerations associated with partial automation via analysis of peer vehicle data and hands-on vehicle evaluation, assessments from NHTSA human
Questions about the 2017 Tesla Model X
- What are the most common problems with the 2017 Tesla Model X?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (72 complaints, typically around 30,000 miles); suspension (59 complaints, typically around 20,000 miles); steering (50 complaints, typically around 32,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2017 Tesla Model X have?
- 10 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from May 28, 2024 (seat belts). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2017 a bad year for the Tesla Model X?
- It is the 2nd most complained-about Model X model year since 2000, with 268 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.