2019 Tesla Model X Driver assistance Problems

I own a 2019 Model X which I have been driving for six years without any driving issues. I did have a few incidents in which the screen went black while driving. That was scary - driving without controls. These issues reported to Tesla and were addressed by Tesla. Today I was pulling into a parking lot when all of a sudden my Tesla automatically accelerated to high speed. I could not control or stop the vehicle despite applying hard brakes. The car crashed through a metal fence and continued to accelerate through the wall of a building. The only reason it finally stopped was because the back tires got stuck on the ledge of the wall. The Tesla went through the metal gates and walls of the building, but the safety airbag never deployed. The car has been towed away and reported to the insurance immediately after the police report. There was no warning messages or indication prior to the incident.

NHTSA ID

11699986

Incident

Nov 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that the Full Self-Driving system was updated in June 2025. Since the update, while idling at red traffic lights, the vehicle was surging forward as if it were trying to run the red light. The contact had to immediately depress the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from accelerating unintendedly. While attempting to make a right lane change, the vehicle suddenly seize mid-lane-change and returned the vehicle to the original lane. The contact made 2 to 3 attempts before being able to make the lane change successfully. The vehicle also independently attempted to make the lane change as if self-correcting the vehicle. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the vehicle suddenly ran a red-light while being test driven. The contact stated that the dealer expressed that it was a known issue after the software update was completed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Tesla (1731 Fourth St, Berkeley, CA 94710); who was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

NHTSA ID

11693582

Incident

Jun 15, 2025

Mileage

5,000 mi

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) – Safety Incident Report: While using the vehicle’s ‘Summon’ feature, the car failed to stop when I released the control button. It continued forward, drove up and over a large curb, struck a signpost, and came to rest with one tire elevated on the curb/grass and the other three tires on the pavement. This “jumping curbs” behavior and collision with fixed objects represents a serious safety hazard. I am extremely grateful that no person was nearby or inside the vehicle at the time, as this failure could have resulted in injury or death. The incident is documented on video. The vehicle is currently pending inspection. Despite my request, Tesla has not responded or addressed the issue, leaving the defect unmitigated. At no point did the vehicle display any warning lights or messages indicating a malfunction before or after the incident. Given the nature of this failure, its potential to cause harm, and the lack of response from the manufacturer, I am submitting this report to alert federal safety authorities and initiate appropriate investigation into the safety of the ‘Summon’ feature and the vehicle’s ADAS systems.

NHTSA ID

11689893

Incident

Sep 24, 2025

I own a 2019 Tesla Model X. After Tesla upgraded my vehicle from AP2.5 to the FSD hardware module, the front camera view became blurry. I disassembled the camera housing and found that a heated line in the windshield, intended to prevent fog or ice buildup in front of the camera, runs directly through the camera’s field of view. This line now causes noticeable image distortion, which interferes with safety-critical features such as FSD, forward collision warning, and lane keeping assistance. The Tesla service supervisor confirmed this is not my fault. He explained the issue may have been caused by heat from the line gradually affecting the glass, or that the upgraded FSD hardware, which captures clearer images, is now revealing a flaw that was previously less visible. He also mentioned that Tesla redesigned this component in newer Model X vehicles to prevent this issue. However, because my car is out of warranty, they are refusing to replace the windshield. Since the FSD upgrade, I have experienced multiple warning messages while using FSD. On one occasion, while driving on the freeway, the system suddenly disengaged and displayed a message saying the camera had weak visualization and the driver must take over. I believe this is a serious safety issue related to the blurry front camera caused by the heated line in the windshield. Although Tesla acknowledges the problem and that it is not due to misuse, they have declined to offer any resolution. I am now unable to safely use the FSD system I paid over one thousand dollars to install, and Tesla has taken no responsibility. I believe this issue poses a risk to driver and public safety and should be investigated regardless of warranty status.

NHTSA ID

11667961

Incident

Apr 7, 2025

While I was driving, I got an error on my dashboard that "acceleration and top speed reduced. performance may be restored on next drive". After I got this error, from onwards the car was not slowing down even though I remove my foot from accelerator and sometimes it is accelerating itself even though I was not on cruise control or auto pilot. Luckly brakes were working when it was causing sudden unintended acceleration. After I stopped my car at safe location it did not start, and it got towed to Tesla dealer. My concern is that I felt it is most dangerous and it can cause life threating accident. Could you please take necessary action on this incident which causing sudden unintended acceleration. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11615895

Incident

Sep 21, 2024

My 2019 Tesla Model X suddenly accelerated as I was going to park and ended up hitting a tree. It did not stop even on braking. The car is currently being inspected by the car insurance company, Geico. I checked online and found known issues of sudden unintended acceleration with Tesla vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11604199

Incident

Jul 22, 2024

When operating under adaptive cruise control, the vehicle frequently slams on the brakes for no reason. This has become so bad that we are simply terrified to operate the vehicle under adaptive cruise control. The highway is completely empty in front of us, there are no hazards and no issues with visibility on the road. The cruise control simply reacts to a phantom in a highly dangerous manner. > What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The adaptive cruise control - you are welcome to inspect it. > How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? We have suffered two near-miss rear-end collisions at high speed on the Interstate. The behavior throws us against the seat belt restraints, causing near loss of control. > Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? We have raised the problem repeatedly with Tesla, and there are numerous confirming reports by other Tesla owners > Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The system has been checked by Tesla, nothing found wrong. Tesla maintains that they are continuing to "train" the system, but after 5.5 years, there has been no improvement. > Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Nothing - the car simply slams on the brakes.

NHTSA ID

11586994

Incident

Mar 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front end near the tires and wheel wells. There was a vibration in the front end of the vehicle while driving. The Autopilot feature became inoperable. The "Autopilot camera unavailable" message was displayed. While driving, the instrument cluster went dark. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to a possible camera blockage. The ball joints and control arm were resealed. The vehicle was calibrated and informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 55,482.

NHTSA ID

11543337

Incident

Aug 1, 2023

Mileage

55,482 mi

While driving on autopilot, adaptive cruise control essentially, on a 300 mile trip last week the car had several, I think 5 total, instances of phantom braking. These occurrences happen in random situations, no consistent factors that seem to indicate what triggers it. It is often not only startling, but scary since it is almost always in a high speed situation with traffic. These events have happened in the past but not at this frequency. We have another Tesla, a Model 3, that also experiences this same phenomena. When I reported it to Tesla they said to reboot the system, which I did. Did not appear to improve. Otherwise they seem to be unconcerned about these events. I have had adaptive cruise control in other cars, mostly Lexus, where this never occurred.

NHTSA ID

11526371

Incident

Jun 1, 2023

When using cruise control the car decides to randomly hard-brake dropping instantly 40+ mph OR it increases speed higher than the set cruise control for no reason. We literally have had our bodies slammed into the seats during braking and we will inevitably be rear-ended for this faulty “phantom” braking. We submitted a service request to Tesla on 5/18/23 and were told there’s nothing to be done because it’s in Beta Testing. This is dangerous and unacceptable. Almost all new cars have adaptive cruise and those other brands have figured this out. Tesla ignoring this and basically saying “it’s not our fault” is irresponsible.

NHTSA ID

11522751

Incident

May 18, 2023

Random phantom braking while on the open freeway with no traffic while in cruise control. it happened multiple times while on a road trip. there was not an obstacle or traffic in front of us. braking was hard almost to a skid

NHTSA ID

11521715

Incident

May 5, 2023

Proof Tesla FSD Beta v11.3.1 Running Red Lights. 1. https://youtu.be/qt56idWv9rw?t=455 2. https://youtu.be/iJbJS-UQIDc?t=1297 Proof it tryed to run a stale yellow light: https://youtu.be/4cJasL0_jFU?t=1404 Proof Emergency breaking Failed: https://youtu.be/4cJasL0_jFU?t=658

NHTSA ID

11510919

Incident

Mar 7, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model-X. The contact stated while at a traffic signal, he had stopped past the painted line on the roadway. The contact then shifted into reverse (R) to pull back from the traffic line, as the contact began to depress the accelerator, the accelerator pedal dropped to the floorboard and the vehicle accelerated backward at an approximated 15 MPH and crashed into the front end of a vehicle behind him. The contact stated that he had depressed the brake with force, and the vehicle slowed but seemed to continue to want to move at speed in reverse. The contact had slowed enough and shifted the vehicle into drive (D), however, the vehicle now accelerated forward to approximately 60 MPH. The contact ran the traffic signal and depressed the brake with the strength to stop. The vehicle continued to gain speed, the contact then stopped depressing the brake pedal and the accelerator and the vehicle began to slow on its own after having traveled several blocks. The contact stated he had not noticed any warning lights due to the panic situation. The contact steered the vehicle into a parking lot and was able to stop. The contact noticed that the accelerator was still flat against the floorboard and that a coiled spring was lying under the accelerator. The contact stated that the vehicle he had crashed into had given chase and followed him to the parking lot. The contact stated that his vehicle had dents and scrapes on the bumper, the other vehicle had similar damage and there were no injuries. The police were not called. The contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact had called the manufacturer who declined to send an investigator to inspect the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a repair shop, however, it had not been diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

NHTSA ID

11501339

Incident

Dec 10, 2022

Mileage

28,000 mi

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -- Cruise Control system (with or without Full Auto-pilot engaged) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -- Vehicle comes to a near complete stop from highway speeds, in traffic, to avoid 'something' that doesn't exist Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -- No, but can be reproduced on Highway 54 between El Paso, TX and Alamogordo, NM Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -- No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - No, problem has occurred since April 2022 after receiving the Full Self-driving beta software update. Description of problem: Vehicle is suffering from the well known "Phantom Braking" issue and appears to be getting worse. The problem can be reproduced 100% of the time on Highway 54 between El Paso, TX and Alamogordo, NM. With Cruise Control activated and set to 75 MPH (Auto-pilot disengaged), vehicle will hard brake to 45 MPH or less and then resume back to 75 MPH; essentially "brake checking" the vehicle directly behind. No injuries or accidents to report at this time

NHTSA ID

11483197

Incident

Sep 6, 2022

Car brakes hard when nothing is in road and when it comes to stopped cars waits too long to brake and brakes too hard when using autopilot

NHTSA ID

11469844

Incident

Jun 17, 2022

Unexpected hard braking while the car is in Advanced Driver-Assistance model.

NHTSA ID

11467380

Incident

Dec 14, 2021

We continue to experience "phantom braking" from our Tesla Model X. The incidents are sporadic, but have been been consistent across our 3 years of ownership of the car. The phantom brake incidents always occur on the freeway, and are rarely associated with an actual collision. The car will be set to standard "autopilot" cruise, and will suddenly slam on the brakes. We have become so accustomed to this, that we are usually ready to intervene and accelerate manually to avoid startling/brake checking the traffic behind us. Autopilot has always seemed to phantom brake in the following conditions: around semi trucks, or large trucks, or when (what I assume) is confusion of the nav system where the car believes it's on a reduced speed limit road, when in fact it's still on the freeway.

NHTSA ID

11467305

Incident

Jun 2, 2022

experienced repeated phantom breaking and unwarranted early collision warnings

NHTSA ID

11453590

Incident

Feb 21, 2022

Phantom Breaking does occur. It is scary when this happens because of rear vehicles not being able to stop. The breaking, I think, is probably due to some shadows on the road like bridges casting shadows on the road, or something else of that nature, the vehicle perceives an obstruction ahead. I think it is camera issue related, or sensor perceiving some unknown, not existing object ahead. This has happened multiple times, and at one spot on I 690 before a bridge. That is why my thinking is shadow issue.

NHTSA ID

11452767

Incident

Dec 21, 2021

the automobile automatically brakes even on the highway at speeds of 55 -65 miles per hour. It creates a safety issue because there are cars coming behind me at full speed and the tesla stops for no reason.

NHTSA ID

11452716

Incident

Feb 13, 2022

When I am driving down the highway, the car breaks abruptly for no reason at high speeds. It has scared my family multiple times over the last 3 to 4 months. I thought by now it would stop doing it, but it’s still inconsistent even when I checked all of the camera lenses turn sure they are clean. I understand this is being called phantom breaking? Please let me know when I can do?

NHTSA ID

11452636

Incident

Oct 1, 2021

At highway speeds, using autopilot, my car will suddenly and powerfully brake to a full stop unless I intervene. If this happens with traffic behind me, they must brake hard to avoid hitting me. Also the forward collision warning activates when there is no reason. I have many video recordings, of my dash, the events and the road, while this is happening. How do I send video to you?

NHTSA ID

11450132

Incident

Jan 28, 2022

My car at a complete stop at a red light and sudden the car accelerated so fast forward ( unintentioned accelerated ) and rear ended the car in front. Need to take a look into car electrical and software issue

NHTSA ID

11434934

Incident

Sep 25, 2021

The MCU (Media Control Unit) and the driver's dash goes out while driving under normal driving conditions. When the MCU and Dash goes dark/dies, the turn signals don't work, the rear view camera goes out, the blind spot warning and lane departure warning is disabled and the speedometer doesn't display. Basically I was driving in the dark. It was a very dangerous situation. Fortunately I was driving and not my wife who is the primary driver. This is no longer a technical safety concern but rather a safety issue for us and for others. I brought it in for service 2 times and the outcome was: we're aware of the bug and working on an over the air fix but no ETA. This is not an isolated issue since it occurred many times captured below: Jun 22 - 8:33 PM PST Jun 30 - 8:32 AM PST Jul 2 - 12:32 PM PST Jul 8 - 5:58 PM PST Jul 13 - 8:09 AM PST Jul 16 - 6:46 PM PST This is similar to the situation that occurred in the collapse of the condo in Florida. In that case: 1. They were aware of the issue 2. They knew they had to fix it 3. But they didn't take responsibility nor accountability. They should have evacuated the building instead of killing 100+ innocent lives. In our case: 1. Tesla knows there's an issue 2. Tesla knows it needs to be fix 3. Tesla refuses to take immediate action until something drastic occurs.The car is practically brand new with only 5K miles on it. I have videos to capture this frightening ordeal.

NHTSA ID

11425492

Incident

Jul 16, 2021

The contact owns a 2019 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that the vehicle was in the parking lot parked for approximately 1 minute, the vehicle independently accelerated forward as the park assist unavailable warning light illuminated causing the vehicle to crash into a concrete wall where it came to a stop. No airbags deployed. A police report was filed. A police report was filed. There were no injuries sustained and no medical attention was sought. The vehicle was towed by the police department to a lot where the contact was awaiting the insurance company estimates for the damages. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and started an investigation. The contact mentioned NHTSA Action Number: DP20001 (POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) as a possible solution to the failure however the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 12,548.

NHTSA ID

11423550

Incident

Jul 3, 2021

Mileage

12,548 mi