2026 Tesla Model X

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the forward collision avoidance › adaptive cruise control. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Unknown or Other1
101
Suspension1
000
Service Brakes1
000
Seats1
000
Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise Control1
100

What owners reported

Newest filings
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 28, 2026CA

For over the past 18 months, Tesla FSD software deliberately removed the driver’s ability to control following distance, instead replacing it with fuzzy descriptions of “mad max, hurry, standard, chill, and sloth.” As a result the car cannot maintain a safe highway following distance as determined by the driver. When in Hurry and or Standard mode, the car will routinely reach speeds of 75 to 80 mph and decrease following distance to about 3 car lengths, with no car for more than 20 car lengths behind. When a sudden slowdown occurs, the tesla reacts slowly, often decreasing the following distance to 1 car length, as the car behind closes and misjudges the deceleration of the Tesla, resulting in a potential 3 car collision. Adjusting from hurry to standard, or even down to chill or sloth mode does not bring the following distance back to the driver’s education rule of thumb - 1 car length per 10 mph. About 3-10 seconds after the mode change, the software forces an unexpected lane change into a slower lane. The only solution is to disable all driver assistance measures, coast to the necessary following distance and then re-engage. The cycle then repeats. Sometimes when there are nearby cars blocking lane changes, the car remains at 1 car length following distance (for up to 7 seconds after changing from hurry to sloth mode), with the car behind at 3 car lengths while remaining at 70 to 75 mph. Software versions include the latest: 2026.21.6, with the HW4 autopilot computer. This

Unknown or OtherCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 23, 2026DC

In January my parents Tesla in self driving mode drove them straight through a building. The breaks didn't deploy, the airbags didn't deploy and the steering wheel was shaking and unresponsive. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. That said, there was a lot of physical damage to the restaurant/building and the car was completely totaled. We are certain that there were catastrophic failures with the car that caused the accident however the mechanic has informed us that due to her NDA she cannot provide any details about her findings after examining the car. She sent her findings to Tesla who was supposed to issue a report to us and the insurance company, but several months later we still have not received anything. They are well past the 30 days time limit. We cannot get anyone from Tesla to respond to us. There was a police report and the cops, firemen, and mechanics where all absolutely floored that the airbags didn't deploy given the damage to the vehicle. Self driving failed. Breaks failed. Steering failed. Airbags failed. and Tesla has failed to respond.

Suspension
Filed May 25, 2026CA

Incident Description: I was driving on the highway using Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) / FSD Supervised at approximately 65+ mph. Traffic conditions were moderate, and weather and visibility conditions were clear. While FSD was actively engaged, my phone began ringing. As I briefly attempted to silence the ringing phone, the FSD system unexpectedly disengaged/canceled during highway driving. I did not receive sufficient audible warning, advance notification, or adequate transition time to safely assume full manual control of the vehicle. There was no meaningful cushion time for driver response before vehicle behavior changed. The disengagement occurred abruptly and created an immediate dangerous situation at highway speed. The sudden transfer of control, without sufficient warning or response time, significantly reduced my ability to react safely. At the time of the incident: - My attention had been on the roadway prior to the phone ringing - I was monitoring the vehicle as required under FSD Supervised - My hands were near the steering wheel - There was no construction, lane merge, or unusual road condition nearby Immediately following the disengagement, the vehicle suddenly drifted and braked, resulting in a collision with the curb/barrier area near the highway bridge. Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved and no secondary collision occurred. I am requesting that Tesla investigate: - FSD disengagement behavior - Warning timing and driver alert mechanisms - System log

Service Brakes
Filed Apr 27, 2026FL

In April 13th, 2026 while driving from the house through community, I suddenly stopped at the cross roads due to unexpected conditions. During this event, a coffee mug placed in the cup holder tipped over and spilled liquid onto the center console area—near the phone charging pad and critical control panel used for gear selection and essential driving functions. In about 15 minutes after the spill, when I reached the highway at about 70 mph, the vehicle experienced a rapid and severe system-wide failure. The dashboard displayed multiple warnings and errors, including: * “Steering assist reduced – Steering may require increased effort” * “Center console buttons to select gears unavailable – Use touchscreen to select gears – Schedule service” * Repeated alerts indicating braking and system limitations * Conflicting and inaccurate readings, including the speedometer displaying “0 mph” while the vehicle was still moving at highway speed At the same time: * Braking response was severely compromised despite full pedal application * Hazard lights and turn signals were non-functional * Gear selection controls became unavailable or unreliable * Driver assistance and safety systems were disabled * The system issued instructions to “press and hold brake” while braking performance was inconsistent This resulted in a complete loss of situational awareness and control while I was in the car with my older parents and my child. l. I was unable to signal to surrounding vehicles while attempti

Seats
Filed Apr 2, 2026CA

On April 1st 2026, our brand-new 2026 Tesla Model X, 6-seat configuration, experienced a dangerous third-row seat incident. Our dog slipped into a blind spot beneath/behind the third-row seat while the seat was folded down. After the dog became trapped, the powered third-row seat would not respond, and there was no usable manual release or mechanical way for us to raise the seat and free him. The dog was trapped under the seat and in immediate danger. We drove directly to Tesla Service for an emergency rescue. Tesla personnel informed us that the only way to free the trapped animal was to dismantle and destroy/remove the rear seat assembly. That is what they did. The dog was then taken for emergency veterinary treatment and remains traumatized, with possible physical injury. This vehicle had been delivered only 4 days earlier. In my view, this presents a serious safety/design issue involving the third-row power seat system and the lack of an accessible emergency release when a living occupant or animal is trapped under the seat. The fact that destructive disassembly was allegedly the only way to free the trapped animal raises a serious safety concern. I am requesting that NHTSA review this incident as a potential safety defect involving the third-row seat mechanism, emergency release/access, and occupant/animal entrapment risk. I have photos, veterinary records, and related documentation.

Forward Collision Avoidance › Adaptive Cruise ControlCrash
Filed Mar 6, 2026CA

Tesla has auto-park in the supervised FSD. My wife was using it to park the car in a public garage and it hit a post. The car was damaged. It was too quick for my wife to intervene. I know it is supervised, but there is no time to intervene when it comes to parking where the spot to park is close to other cars or posts anyway.

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2016
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2026 — this page6000Routine
202515300Routine
202426800Routine
20231921720Routine
20221262220Routine
2021412400Routine
20201271000Routine
2019100830Routine
2018192920Routine
20172681012Fatalities reported
20164481241Fatalities reported
20150200Routine

Compare every Model X year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.