My model year Model X has a poorly designed horn function on the steering wheel. In several instances, I try to push the middle of the wheel out of habit and reaction, but there’s no mechanical push horn! Tesla installed a small tiny non-tactile horn button off to the side. It’s easily missed and you need to find a small pinky sized area to push. This is unsafe. So much so, that the 2024 and newer Tesla have an actual horn function in the middle of the wheel like every other car. Please make Tesla retrofit these horn function to the newer type which is much safer!
2023 Tesla Model X complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2023 record →
Vehicle not paying attention, nearly swerved into my vehicle and in the moment, unable to find the horn button. Instinctively went for center of wheel but there is nothing here - have to search for small button on right
2023 model X is NOT equiped with a center steering wheel horn, instead a small button on the right of steering wheel which is nowhere to be found when you need in an emergency, i almost got in to 3 accidents for lack of horn. Tesla must replace these for traditional horn button
Horn button is a safety issue. 2023 TeslaX is dangerous without a center horn. Went into a ditch to avoid an errant truck because I looked down to find the tiny button. Blinker buttons are completely ineffective when making a turn, major safety issue. Need a stalk for blinkers.
The button horn on the side of steering wheel is unsafe in emergency situations. Searching for a button on the steering wheel is dangerous because you only have a split second to alert others. The button horn for the newer models of the same vehicles have a horn in the center for safety reasons. Therefore a recall should be implemented for the manufacturer to retrofit the models that was released with the button horn on the side of the steering wheel.
On Oct 2, 2024 while going to school to pick the kids, when my wife was turning right into a parking lot after slowing, my Tesla Model X plaid car acceralated and went into high speed (plaid mode) hitting a tree at top speed even though brakes were applied. Upon research, this looks like sudden unintended accerelation. The car luckily hit the tree on the passenger side and the front right wheel flew to the back seat and all air bags were deployed. The car was totaled. Miracleously, she had minor external injuries but due to the speed of impact with the tree, she was flung forward and after the CT scan, we found that she had VAD with severe damage to both her neck arteries. She was taken to hospital in an ambulance, had a surgery and still has trauma and medical appointments to fully recover. In Mar 2024, there was always a software problem with My car failing to detect the car was open and hit the garage roof with the falcon wing. On another occasion, the car failed to detect my other car when it was too close to it and I had to apply the brakes although the car was to stop automatically. Tesla refused to treat this as warranty even though the car should not move when doors are open. After 6 months, I ended up fixing the car at a Tesla collision centre. After multiple follow ups via email, chats on tesla app and phone calls post the accident on Oct 2, 2024 with Tesla pleading with them to provide the EDR report and address the issue as warranty and not hearing back, I am logg
The 2023 Tesla Model X does not have a physical horn in the center, rather a small touch sensitive button located on the side on the steering wheel. The button does not even have any physical bump to make it easy to find without looking. This is a huge safety issue. When in near collision conditions requiring other drivers to be alerted to the vehicle's presence, there is no time to look down to press the button. It is not in an intuitive location and the location of the button changes as the wheel is turned making it even more difficult to find. Tesla has made it clear that this is an issue by changing the steering wheels on the 2024 plus models to include a physical center horn, however refuse to recall and replace the current steering wheels under warranty. On multiple occasions the horn could not be sounded in time or at all when other drivers move into the lane unsafely or need to be alerted to the vehicle's presence to avoid potential collisions. This is a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed. Thank you.
Enel X Juice box level 2 charger is shorting and tripping circuit breaker. sparks coming out of the Juice box before shorting breaker. This is a replacement unit received from Enel X in early 2024 as the first unit stopped working
Touch horn button on steering wheel is difficult to use when in an emergency situation or when trying to get the attention of another vehicle’s driver on the roadway or parking lot. The 2003 Tesla Model X does not come equipped with a center airbag or mechanical horn on the steering wheel. It’s very difficult to find or feel the touch horn button when you’re in a panic situation. This is a definite safety issue and a major design flaw on behalf of Tesla.
The horn on this car is a small button on the steering wheel. I have had many incidents when i needed to honk the horn in an emergency situation and i had to either take my eyes off the road (too dangerous) or forgo using the horn to try to warn the other drivers of a potential accident,
The turn signal is located with 2 small buttons on the steering wheel. In several incidents i have been unable to activate the turn signals while merging into traffic because the steering wheel was being rotated to enter a cloverleaf freeway entrance and i could not locate the turn signals without taking my eyes off the road. Therefore cars near me could not know my lane merge intention.
I took an exit form the highway on [XXX] towards Bothell. As Soon as I did and ended up coasting towards the first red light, all the warning signs came on on the car and my steering wheel locked up. And my braking also got reduced. Only thing that worked was the Acceleration pedal. I struggled to get the car towards any safety. There was a message on the dashboard saying that assisted steering is reduced will require more power. however it was locked. I tried with all my might to steer the car in any direction but it would not budge. I was super scared I was going to be in an accident. With the limited braking as well I had to find a curb in the road to be able to safely park the car or a slope where the car could slow to a halt. Luckily I was able to do that and slowed down. on a curb like area and then I was able to turn on the parking brake. On contacting support they told me to reset the car and in doing so it should bring back functions. However, it did not. This was extremely dangerous and I was very lucky to get out of this alive without harming anyone else as well. Had this happened on the highway I was a sure goner. They had to finally get the car towed from there. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The horn button on the steering wheel is extremely dangerous. It is too hard to find it with my thumb in time, and has almost caused me to get into multiple accidents. When others cannot see me while yielding to traffic, I tried to honk and because there was no center haptic horn, I had to slam on the breaks. The horn should be in the center of the steering wheel. It is extremely unsafe as a tiny button because you cannot find it in time during an urgent traffic incident.
Episode #2 'Near-death-Experience" Tuesday[XXX] Tesla Model X "Auto Steer" abruptly Stopped on [XXX] between 1.10PM - 1.15PM Sent a message to Tesla around 1.30pm, Exactly the same scenario happened on [XXX]. Coming from [XXX] going to [XXX] , after 10-15 seconds, car STOPPED abruptly. I do not know what happened and still shaken from Episode #1, this incident happened with in 2 weeks apart. After Tesla's review, it was noted that Autopilot was not active at 1.30pm. Tesla can't do anything about this incident, as it is under Beta version and it is the responsibility of the driver to be aware of such situations and should take full control of the vehicle. At that time in this situation, what control I have to take immediate control of when car stopped abruptly. Luckily no vehicles were coming behind and survived second time. Laptop screen blank, pressed gas pedal, breaks and after 30-45 seconds, laptop screen started showing up on the left side panel and quickly drove from the ramp. Basically malfunction of the software and/or a glitch caused car to stop abruptly. Now. we are shaken and worried what to do and go to work and do other chores. We have two Tesla and we are totally lost, now what to do and what options to choose for driving. Based on details posted on internet and number of complaints filed, it looks like that no action has been taken. what are the next steps from Tesla's perspective and NHTSA? F In the last couple of years, more than 1500 hundred complaints have b
Episode # 1: Sunday, [XXX] NEAR-DEATH-EXPERIENCE 2 times in 2 weeks while driving Tesla Model X 2023 with FSD. Both myself and wife were travelling and coming from Toronto to Lake George, NJ All of a sudden car STOPPED in the middle of the highway. Laptop screen was blank. In the mean time, turned on the Emergency Light. After a minute or so, white UTE came (white) color came behind us with in less than a minute came from behind but he was able to steer on the left, honked couple of times and drove. I started panicking and do not know what to do and kept on saying what happened, what happened,,.... and at the same time, my wife asked me to pull car aside quickly otherwise someone is coming from behind is going to hit and that is going to be the end of our life (die) in a crash. Somehow started pedalling gas, break and then noticed laptop screen lightning up and quickly put the car in Drive and pulled the car on the right hand side (extreme right) and no service lane. Pulled the car partially on road and partially on the road. Reached Lake George late evening and stayed in Sleep In & Suites, Queensbury, stayed over night, Monday and left Sleep In on on TUesday, [XXX]. I just drove couple of miles and was not feeling and was looking unstable and wife did not let me drive all the way from Lake George to New Jersey. As we parked our car at Quick Chek for a short break for few minutes. She noticed that instead reversing car from the car park and put car in Drive and immediately ap
The implementation of buttons on the steering wheel for turning signals and horn is a safety concern. Those buttons are capacitive type touch switch, no tactile feedback. Often hard to locate when not driving in a straight line. The buttons also hard to read under some light conditions, and easy to activate by mistake. This could could increase the safety risk of the driver.
The horn button on the steering wheel is not mechanical and is located outside of the center steering wheel location. This poses a serious risk to driving as the horn button is very difficult to reach when turning the steering wheel.
After messaging Tesla due to noise and vibration, they reviewed the videos sent and preliminarily diagnosed the issue a control arm problem. They then stated that instead of having it assessed to determine the extent of the problem, that it was ok to drive and to wait 39 days in order for the problem to be assessed. I attempted to call Tesla they continually put me on hold for extended times up to 1 hour long without speaking to anyone. They state the manager call but none has called to follow up. I do not feel like driving with control arm issues is safe without having the car formally assessed. It is unclear why Tesla is pushing back on this. Waiting 39 days for this is unacceptable.
The steering wheel horn is a small button on the side rather than on the middle of the steering wheel. Because of this, in an emergency where I was about to be hit in a T-bone vehicle accident, I tried to hit the horn to alert the other driver but was not successful in doing so. I find it dangerous to not have the horn available on the middle of the steering wheel, or at minimum a more easily accessible button.
Regarding the horn location on the steering wheel: When the steering wheel is not straight, it's difficult to locate the horn button without looking down. It isn't even a physical button. The driver has to use the finger tip to feel for it. In an emergency, there's no time for this. There have been numerous near-miss accidents due to the need to look down to find the horn button. It's purely luck that we haven't had a serious accident. The horn's position is both ridiculous and dangerous. Some Tesla owners have complained to the NHTSA about the horn's location. Tesla company told me that they couldn't change to horn button to the center where the airbag is just like the rest of the world. This is a matter of saving lives. They refuse to make any correction.
1.Tesla failed to adequately warn us that the 6 sensors in the front and back of the 2023 Model have been removed. Comment from Tesla Collision Center team in Carlsbad: "We both understand the calibration issue won’t be fixed overnight. A program should be in place to educate customers on the change from sensors to cameras." 2. Objects and images in the rear camera are much closer than they appear and the camera sensors do not work properly. Where was this warning when we bought this car? From Jared's Tesla Service report: "There are certain feature limitations which can trigger warning messages and cause some inaccuracies when using this feature. Service Engineering is aware of these issues and is working towards implementing improvements via future firmware updates." 3. As a result of Tesla's failure to warn us, I relied on the rear camera and camera "sensors" and backed into the corner of my neighbor's open garage causing $6,322 in damage.
2023 Tesla Model X repeatedly and frequently provides distracting false lane departure warning. A sudden loud noise is generated and the display flashes red. However there is no lane departure occurring when this warning is being generated. Has happened over 20 times in the last 2 to 3 months. Display additionally states "corrective steering applied", however there is no force in the steering wheel. Tesla states this is by design.
HORN BUTTON PLACEMENT ON STEERING WHEEL IS EXTREMELY SMALL AND NOT ON THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FIND AND ACTIVATE IN AN EMERGENCY. ALSO HAARD TO PINPOINT WHILE TURNING.
The horn placement on the steering wheel is on the side as a haptic touch button and not in the center of the steering wheel as an airbag horn switch, probably the only car and model with such button. It puts everyones safety at risk. If somebody is trying to make a bad merge into my lane and i have to honk in emergency , the hand by intuition goes to the center of steering wheel. Even if the hand goes to the side, because of emergency maneauver several buttons get pressed resulting in loss of precious time for me or the other driver to maneuver out of the lane, This happened with me today and i narrowly escaped the accident. This needs to be fixed ASAP before any bad thing happens with someone.
The horn on this vehicle is a tiny haptic button on the right side of the steering wheel instead of being a large (or multiple) big real buttons in the middle of the wheel. This is a glaring safety issue because it's very difficult to find. The difficulty compounds when under stress or when turning the wheel tightly in a parking lot. At that point it's almost impossible to find the button. Before purchase Tesla told me that I'd be able to swap this steering wheel out for an updated one with a practical horn for $250. I've contacted Tesla monthly for almost a year and I keep getting the same run-around --- that they are not currently allowing the swap.
The contact owns a 2023 Tesla Model X. The contact stated that while stopped at the driveway and waiting for the gate to open, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated, struck the gate, and came to a stop. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
Unable to locate the touch area for the horn in an emergency situation. A couple of times I had a vehicle backing into me, and could not find the horn. In an emergency situation, you need to keep your eyes on the object and not be looking around the steering column where to touch. After dark, it is totally impossible to find. I find it to be a significant safety concern. Now that Tesla is finally releasing ‘24 model X with the center horn I personally think Tesla should replace non-center horns/wheels at no charge if customer desires. Thank you for your assistance in this manner to create a recall.
In this model, horn is a small touch button to the right side of center. In the event of emergency- this cannot be easily located. I almost had a crash trying to take off my eyes from driving to find the small horn touch button. The horn should be moved to center of steering- like they finally did for 2024 models.
Description of the Problem: Component/System Failure: On [XXX], while using the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature of my Tesla Model X, the vehicle experienced severe phantom braking and unexpectedly veered off the road near Rio Vista, Antioch, CA. The failure appears to be related to the FSD system, braking, and steering. The vehicle is currently in Tesla’s possession and available for inspection upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) Safety Risk: The malfunction put my safety and the safety of others at significant risk. The sudden phantom braking and veering off the road could have caused a serious accident. Fortunately, there were no immediate external damages or injuries, but the incident highlighted a critical safety failure. Reproduction/Confirmation: The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by an independent service center. Tesla has had the vehicle for over three weeks, claiming to conduct a diagnostic check, but has not communicated any findings. Inspection: The vehicle has been inspected by Tesla, but no results have been shared. No inspections have been conducted by the police or insurance representatives as there was no collision or external damage. Warning Lamps/Messages: There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure. The incident occurred suddenly and without prior indication of a malfunction. Summary: The incident highlights a severe malfunction in the Full S
The trim surrounding my two front wheels, as well as part of the trim on my rear passenger-side tire, popped completely off of the vehicle while driving through a typical rain storm in Central Florida. That is a total of three pieces ejected during the normal course of driving. Part of the trim on the driver's side was protruding, but seems to have snapped back into place. There wasn't a lot of wind, visibility wasn't that poor. Other vehicles had slowed down, as did we, but it was not an abnormally strong storm from our observation. I didn't see any other vehicles we encountered shedding parts like I was. We didn't hydroplane at any point during the drive. The following day, Monday [XXX], I drove down the same road and retrieved the front passenger side piece of trim off of a sidewalk; I failed to locate the other two pieces. I believe this is a safety issue if parts of my vehicle can pop off during a simple rain storm, something that occurs nearly daily during the Summer where I live. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I just had a forth occurence of the "safety restraint system error" message on my Tesla. I say forth, because the three times previous, I had to go into Tesla to have them "fix" the issue, only for it now, to happen again for the 4th time. I don't think this is a small issue, and you guys need to know about it. Not sure, this is just faulty service teams, or inexperience, or. they are just failing to fix it properly. But given that the messaging has to do with seatbelts and/or air bags, I think this is pretty important.
My Tesla vehicle is equipped with a yoke (instead of a steering wheel), and a small button for the horn on it. Last week while making a (legal) u-turn, another vehicle suddenly entered my lane. I tried to honk the horn to alert the driver, but given the awkward position of the yoke (in the middle of the u-turn) and off-center placement of the horn button, my hands could not find the horn button and I was unable to honk the horn in time. I came a few inches away from hitting the vehicle and sustaining thousands of dollars in damages. The placement of the horn button on the yoke is a serious safety issue, especially in such situations. I would like Tesla to replace it with a standard steering wheel with a horn in the middle.
Placing the turn signal 'buttons' on the steering wheel makes them impossible to use when the wheel is not centered. While driving parking lots and roads with immediate left/right turns and or intersections it is impossible properly signal while driving this vehicle in it's current condition. By not being able to signal, it increases the likelihood of a collision.
Horn placement on steering wheel is a small button to the right of the airbag, which is difficult to engage, rather than in the center like nearly all vehicles for the last 50 years. I have had several incidents where I need to use the horn to warn another driver and rarely can find it when needed. Very dangerous and I feel lucky it hasn’t resulted in an accident.
After a recent service call, the driver door that automatically opens when I approach the car with my phone app opens really quickly and big. It used to only opens a small gap. I asked the service center and the said it is due to software updates and it is not adjustable. The problem is that it doesn’t detect ongoing traffic when car parked on the street. The door also hit me twice so it was not able to detect me approaching at certain angles. It is not open in angles consistently that I think it can cause cars crashing into the my car’s door at street parking. I’ve asked tesla service center yo report the problem to corporate but do not trust that they would treat it seriously.
Seat belt buckle is always stuck at second row right seat. Tesla did not fix it during last service appointment. My child has to climb underneath the seat belt.
In dense rush hour traffic at approximately 7:20pm EST [XXX], a bus started merging in my lane just on my side on [XXX] . The horn in the 2023 Tesla Model X is a tiny button located in proximity of the right hand scroll button on the wheel right spoke. It’s difficult to hit in an emergency and in attempt to signal the bus I probably hit the scroll wheel several times instead. Pressing the scroll wheel once activates the autopilot (“full self driving” in my case). The car shook and lurched likely due to the conflicting inputs of activating autopilot and braking (my guess) or for some other reason. The location of the horn as a tiny button on the steering wheel close to other buttons affecting the car steering response is extremely dangerous. I failed to signal the bus and I almost crashed my vehicle in confusion of the wheel shaking response. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Hello, this is a complain for the placement of the horn on the 2023 Tesla Model X. The horn is a button on the side of the steering wheel and it is very hard to use especially when the wheel is turned. I almost got into an accident because I couldn't honk and alert the other driver in time.
Safety hazard / concern over Horn Button on steering wheel as well as Turn Signal buttons. Not having a center horn has been challenging and dangerous as instinct is to press the center of the wheel and not look for the horn button in quick road hazard situations, merging traffic, etc.
The horn is a small button on the steering wheel vs a large horn in the middle of the steering wheel. In an emergency situation the horn requires thought to press. Time is not something you have in an emergency.
The 2023 Model X is not equipped with a real horn, only a button on the side of the wheel. Yesterday someone veered into my lane and I was unable to find the button in time almost causing a collision. It's idiotic that they were allowed to not include a physical horn. The 2024 model year fixed this but they offer no free retrofit.
The horn is not mechanical and is not located in the center of the steering wheel. It is dangerous that it is a switch on the right side of the wheel. The horn is located next to the wiper switch and I have had multiple incidents where I could not initiate the horn and used the wipers. Tesla has a retrofit where they can put the horn in the middle and the newer models have it in the center of the wheel like traditional vehicles but are charging 2400+ for owners to get it corrected.
Horn button on steering wheel in the 2023 Model X is difficult to access when trying to warn another vehicle of an unsafe manuver such as a lane change without noticing my vehicle next to it. In my specific incident, a driver on my left tried to change lanes and nearly collided with me as I had to visually locate the small button (1 of four buttons on the right top of the steering wheel) then press it which takes much more time than hitting the center of the steering wheel with the palm of your hand to alert the other driver with my horn. I instead had to hit the breaks and narrowly avoided a collision. This delay in finding the 1-2 centimeter button is a design problem that has been address in the 2024 Model X by Tesla which added a phyical push horn to their steering wheel like every other automobile. This a safety design issue that will lead to accidents and needs to be addressed.
2023 Model X Plaid. All stalks and physical horns have been removed. They are now capacitive buttons on the steering wheel that move with the wheel, are not raised to find easier, and are difficult to find in emergencies. I was nearly in a head-on collision and couldn't find the horn fast enough so I had to swerve excessively to avoid getting hit. The other driver didn't even know I was there. The 2024 model now has a physical horn, but Tesla refuses to swap out mine citing "upgrade paths" I have less than 2000km on this car.
The 2023 Model X has a very small off center horn button unlike every other car I have ever owned which had the horn in the center airbag area. I have had several occasions where I needed to alert a driver trying to merge into my occupied lane and failed to do so because my muscle memory could not find the horn were it is expected to be. Even if I do remember that the horn is a tiny button on the "right" side of the steering wheel, the right side is in a random location based on your current position of the steering wheel making it almost impossible to find the button while turning the wheel to avoid it situation you are trying to alert. Tesla has since corrected this issue in the 2024 model but they should be forced to recall existing models with this poorly designed steering wheel and horn position. It is a major safety issue which can easily lead to accidents that could have been avoided.
Honk as a button instead of at the center. Came close calls a few times where accident could have been avoided if I am able to honk within split second. I kept pressing center of the steering wheel. Safety Recall should be made. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Horn button is not in center of steering wheel. This makes sounding of the horn by a driver less accessible in an emergency or urgent situation to avoid a collision, accident, or pedestrian. Please request a recall for a standard center horn location I'm the steering wheel.
It has been hard for me to signal right and left in a timely manner due to the fact that the turn signal stall has been replaced with two buttons on the left side of the steering wheel. To make this new design even more complicated to learn, when the steering wheel is turned 180 degree (ie when parking or exiting a parking space) the right/left signal buttons are on the opposite side of the wheel and in reverse positions. Second, the only way that I know of to honk the horn, is to press a small button on the right side of the steering wheel. My wife and I have never been able to honk the horn in a timely fashion because this is not how anyone has ever learned to operate the horn on a car, which is supposed to be a bump on the center of the steering wheel. Tesla should be required to replace these controls with standard controls that do t require a new training program and hours of drills to make them instinctive.
Due to the location of the horn on the 2023Tesla Model X it poses a serious problem in an emergency. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The location of the horn on the steering column is a serious danger in an emergency due to its design and location making to hard to access in a emergency situation How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? there have been several close calls with other drivers merging over and there is not enough time to apply the horn due to its location. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? i know at least one other tesla model x owner who has reported this same issue to Tesla Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The problem is due to the poor design which puts the horn in a bad location with the potential of causing an bad incident.
The horn on the 2023 Tesla x is horribly positioned, and a real safety concern.
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NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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