2020 Tesla Model X Problems

While driving my Tesla Model X on the interstate at highway speed, the vehicle began intermittently displaying false warnings that the trunk was open. This occurred multiple times during the drive and appears to have been caused by a malfunctioning trunk latch sensor. At the time, I was using Autosteer, part of Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assistance system. Each time the false trunk-open condition occurred, Autosteer immediately and unexpectedly disengaged. Under normal circumstances, when Autosteer disengages while I am driving, the vehicle provides an audible alert and a visual warning instructing the driver to take control immediately. During these incidents, neither warning occurred. There was no audible alert and no visual notification informing me that Autosteer had disengaged or that I needed to immediately resume steering. The system simply stopped providing automatic steering assistance. Because there was no warning that Autosteer had disengaged, I did not immediately realize that the vehicle was no longer maintaining its lane. The vehicle drifted into the adjacent lane before I recognized what had happened and regained control. Fortunately, there was no vehicle in the adjacent lane. Had another vehicle been present, this could have resulted in a collision. This occurred multiple times during the drive. The false trunk-open warning repeatedly caused Autosteer to disengage without the normal audible or visual disengagement warnings. My primary safety concern is not simply the malfunctioning trunk latch sensor. The safety concern is that a failure of an unrelated trunk latch sensor can cause Autosteer to suddenly disengage at highway speed without providing the driver with an audible or visual warning that automatic steering assistance has been lost. In my case, this failure mode resulted in an unintended lane departure. A relatively minor sensor malfunction should not be capable of causing an unannounced loss of automatic steering assistance.

On or about 20Jun2025: Tesla Driver Assistance Features - After the most recent 2025.20.3 softball update and installation my safety feature of the blind spot monitoring doesn't chim when a car is in my blind spot the car will show red in the font display but the sounds are now inoperable

When turning a loud cranking sound is heard and it makes it hard to turn. It as if something is stopping it from turning.

I am submitting information regarding repair access and repair estimate concerns involving a Tesla vehicle after a collision. During an insurance claim handled by Tesla Insurance Company, a repair estimate from a Tesla-preferred repair facility was used to declare the vehicle a total loss. However, a manufacturer-owned repair facility estimate would be significantly lower and could make the vehicle repairable. When I attempted to obtain an inspection and estimate from a Tesla manufacturer repair facility, the appointment was cancelled after communication between the insurance company and the repair facility. This prevented me from obtaining a competing repair estimate. Because Tesla operates the vehicle manufacturing, repair network, and insurance services within the same ecosystem, I am submitting this information for review regarding potential impacts on repair access, repairability, and consumer choice.

While driving the vehicle on the freeway, the driver noticed the car was handling unusually at highway speeds. After exiting the freeway at approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal failed to decelerate properly when the foot was lifted from the pedal. A warning message appeared on the display screen indicating the vehicle was shutting down while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle subsequently became completely inoperable and had to be towed to a Tesla service center. Tesla's own technician confirmed multiple Battery Management System faults and an internal fault within the high voltage battery pack. A full HV battery replacement was required. The vehicle had been purchased 14 days prior and had only been driven approximately 723 miles at the time of the incident. Safety of driver and passengers was at risk due to unexpected loss of power and loss of accelerator response while driving at speed.

On 03/13/2026, while driving my 2020 Tesla Model X at approximately 65 mph on a freeway, the front hood (frunk lid) suddenly flew open without warning and slammed into the windshield. The hood rotated upward violently and struck the windshield completely blocking the driver’s forward visibility. This created an immediate safety hazard while traveling at highway speed. Prior to the incident there were no warning messages or alerts displayed on the vehicle screen indicating that the hood was open or improperly latched. Tesla vehicles normally provide a dashboard and a sound alert if the hood is not properly latched before driving. No such warning occurred. The vehicle’s front camera recorded the incident. The video does not show any hood movement or flutter prior to the failure, suggesting that the hood was fully closed before the event. After the incident, Tesla service personnel inspected the vehicle. The technician stated that the hood may not have been properly latched prior to driving. However: The vehicle gave no dashboard warning No hood movement or vibration was visible prior to the event The hood opened suddenly and violently rather than gradually If the secondary latch alone had been holding the hood, some hood movement or vibration would normally be expected prior to full release. Safety Concern A hood opening at highway speed that: occurs without warning results in complete loss of forward visibility presents a severe safety risk to the driver and surrounding traffic. This type of failure could easily cause a high-speed crash. Video evidence of the incident at: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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

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.

My 2020 Tesla Model X (VIN: [XXX] , approx. 121,000 miles) experienced a dangerous defect with the automatic front passenger door opening with excessive and uncontrolled force. I noticed this issue within the past three months. The vehicle's front doors are fully automated — the driver and passengers have no manual control over the force at which the door opens. Because of this, a person or object standing near the vehicle could be struck without warning and without any ability to stop or slow the door. The door was opening with such excessive force that it nearly struck a bystander on at least one occasion. This posed a clear and immediate safety hazard to anyone standing near the vehicle. When I brought the vehicle to Tesla Service, their own technician documented the issue in the repair notes as a "safety concern." The technician confirmed the cause was a defective door drive unit and a corroded connector in the wiring harness. Tesla replaced the right front door drive unit and the associated wiring harness. Tesla charged me over $1,000 to repair this defect, despite the fact that their own technician's notes explicitly identify this as a safety concern — not normal wear. I believe this is a manufacturing defect that should be covered under a safety recall or goodwill reimbursement, and I am reporting it here so that NHTSA can investigate whether other Tesla Model X vehicles share this defect. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue and determine whether a safety recall is warranted for this component. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On 03/13/2026, while driving my 2020 Tesla Model X at approximately 65 mph on a freeway, the front hood (frunk lid) suddenly flew open without warning and slammed into the windshield. The hood rotated upward violently and struck the windshield completely blocking the driver’s forward visibility. This created an immediate safety hazard while traveling at highway speed. Prior to the incident there were no warning messages or alerts displayed on the vehicle screen indicating that the hood was open or improperly latched. Tesla vehicles normally provide a dashboard and a sound alert if the hood is not properly latched before driving. No such warning occurred. The vehicle’s front camera recorded the incident. The video does not show any hood movement or flutter prior to the failure, suggesting that the hood was fully closed before the event. After the incident, Tesla service personnel inspected the vehicle. The technician stated that the hood may not have been properly latched prior to driving. However: The vehicle gave no dashboard warning No hood movement or vibration was visible prior to the event The hood opened suddenly and violently rather than gradually If the secondary latch alone had been holding the hood, some hood movement or vibration would normally be expected prior to full release. Safety Concern A hood opening at highway speed that: occurs without warning results in complete loss of forward visibility presents a severe safety risk to the driver and surrounding traffic. This type of failure could easily cause a high-speed crash. Video evidence of the incident at: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving the vehicle on the freeway, the driver noticed the car was handling unusually at highway speeds. After exiting the freeway at approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal failed to decelerate properly when the foot was lifted from the pedal. A warning message appeared on the display screen indicating the vehicle was shutting down while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle subsequently became completely inoperable and had to be towed to a Tesla service center. Tesla's own technician confirmed multiple Battery Management System faults and an internal fault within the high voltage battery pack. A full HV battery replacement was required. The vehicle had been purchased 14 days prior and had only been driven approximately 723 miles at the time of the incident. Safety of driver and passengers was at risk due to unexpected loss of power and loss of accelerator response while driving at speed.

When turning a loud cranking sound is heard and it makes it hard to turn. It as if something is stopping it from turning.

On [XXX] at [XXX] my 2020 Tesla Model X Long Range Plus suddenly started braking while on the highway. I was driving 75MPH to San Diego from Arizona. There was no vehicles around or in front while using the cruise control. This also has been an issue with our 2023 Tesla Model Y and previous Model 3 while driving to Las Vegas at 70MPH. I really think this is safety concern. Luckily there was vehicles behind us with all incidents that took place. I recently took the 2020 Tesla Model X on [XXX] for the issue and the technician found no issues while driving it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Brakes will lock up a pre collision will activate in forward and reverse when no objects are present. It is a hazard to operate the vehicle since it will randomly slam in the brakes will driving down the road or reversing out of a parking space. Also electrical issues vehicle will no longer lock or unlock

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to you once again to emphasize and provide additional details regarding the critical safety issue I previously addressed concerning the Tesla Model X vehicles, which is similarly affecting Tesla Model S models. My personal experience underscores the severity of this problem: I have had to replace six tires due to accelerated inner wall wear in the last 5 months. This specific wear pattern is a direct result of improper camber alignment, an issue that Tesla has continuously refused to rectify. This problem is not isolated to my vehicle alone. A growing number of Tesla Model X and Model S owners have reported similar experiences, indicating a widespread and systemic issue. The accelerated inner wall tire wear poses significant safety risks, as it can lead to unexpected and dangerous tire failures on the road. Despite the clear evidence and numerous complaints from Tesla owners, Tesla has consistently declined to address this issue adequately. It appears that the company’s reluctance is rooted in the fact that proper repair or recall to fix the camber alignment is not cost-effective from their perspective. However, this cost-cutting measure is putting drivers and passengers at risk. Given the scale and gravity of this issue, I urge the National Highway Safety Institute to take immediate action. It is essential to investigate these recurring problems with both the Tesla Model X and Model S models. The safety of Tesla drivers, passengers, and the general public is at stake, and a thorough investigation could compel Tesla to take the necessary corrective actions. Thank you for your attention to this urgent safety matter. I trust that the National Highway Safety Institute will act promptly to ensure automotive safety and hold manufacturers accountable for their vehicles’ reliability and safety.

"On August 18, 2023, I was driving at 70 mph on I-95 near the 100-mile mark using Full Self-Drive. The front driver-side suspension housing cracked, causing the bottom part of the suspension to detach. This led to the front tire striking the upper part of the wheel, resulting in a tire blowout. A piece of metal from the suspension fell onto the road and hit the rear driver-side tire, causing it to also blow out. The vehicle lost control and came to a stop on the left side of the road."

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.

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.

Had failure of leaking coolant fluid in my Model X. First time occurred November 2021. Second time April 2022. Both times the 3&4 way values failed and started leaking fluid which disabled my vehicle. This is the 3rd time in 1 year that I’ve gotten the low Coolant leak warning. This is a real problem and I’m concerned since my warranty is running out soon. The 3&4 way value shouldn’t last less then 6 months.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 TESLA MODEL X. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES PEDAL AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED SHE HAD EXPERIENCE THE FAILURE AGAIN ON 12/14/2020, AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE AND WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS OFF WHEN IT ACCELERATE INDEPENDENTLY AND DROVE INTO A BUILDING. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES OR SEEK MEDICATION ATTENTION. A POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT CALLED LOCAL DEALER TESLA (6701 AMADOR PLAZA RD, DUBLIN, CA 94568; (925) 361-1173) AND WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE.THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. A THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE'S LIGHTS INDEPENDENTLY TURN ON AND OF.

SINCE WE RECEIVED NEW CAR, WIPER MAKES NOISE HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/PLAYLIST?LIST=PLH8JF6X4GDUADMSW3KAFEHUHHTLWSUR9U SEVERAL TIMES WE TRIED TO FIX THIS ISSUE, TESLA SAID NOTHING WRONG WITH WIPER. I HAVE BEEN HEARD FOR A YEAR SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR

While driving the vehicle on the freeway, the driver noticed the car was handling unusually at highway speeds. After exiting the freeway at approximately 45 mph, the accelerator pedal failed to decelerate properly when the foot was lifted from the pedal. A warning message appeared on the display screen indicating the vehicle was shutting down while the vehicle was still in motion. The vehicle subsequently became completely inoperable and had to be towed to a Tesla service center. Tesla's own technician confirmed multiple Battery Management System faults and an internal fault within the high voltage battery pack. A full HV battery replacement was required. The vehicle had been purchased 14 days prior and had only been driven approximately 723 miles at the time of the incident. Safety of driver and passengers was at risk due to unexpected loss of power and loss of accelerator response while driving at speed.

AFTER I PUT MY CAR IN PARK MOOD ..WITHIN FEW SECOND CAR STARTED TAKING OFF SPEEDING OVER THE GRASS /PLANTS AREA OF PARKING LOT IN TO THE OFFICE UNITE ( META/ GLASS DOOR ) SHATTERING GLASS WAS ALL OVER BROKE THROUGH FRAME WORK OF THE OFFICE UNITE ALL THE WAY TO THE EXAMINATION CHAIR OF DR OFFICE ..HAD THERE BE ANY WORKER / PATIENT/ DR IN THE UNITR SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD OR INJURED ..I AM SCARED FOR MY LIFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR AROUND AFTER POLICE & FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AT THE SCENE I WAS INFORMED BY FIREFIGHTERS THAT CODE THEY WERE CALLED IN TO A HOUSE NEAR ME FOR ANOTHER TESLA SPEEDING THROUGH THE GARAGE TO THE LIVING ROOM OF THE HOUSE I BELIEVE THERE IS DEFECTS IN THESE CARS AS MOST OF COMPLAINTS FILE 2020 HAS REPORTED SAME ISSUE ..I RECEIVED MY CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF PANDEMIC WHERE NO BODY WALKED ME THROUGH THIS CAR SO I HAD ANY IDEA THERE HAS BEEN INJURY AND DEATH REPORTS AS WELL ..

Eil

Both rear tires (original tires) on the vehicle had broken belts at about the same time. My understanding is that broken belts can lead to tire failure which can pose a significant safety risk. Our local Tesla dealer diagnosed the problem, and the tires have been sent to the tire manufacturer for their own inspection. There were no warnings. Tire size: 275/45 R20.